Plant coexistence in an experimental grassland
Overview
Local biodiversity is shaped by complex interactions among species and their environment. In this project, I investigated how plant–plant interactions drive species coexistence and ecosystem functioning in an experimental grassland communities. By combining empirical data collected within the PaNDiv experiment , I explored how competition networks, growth strategies, resource availability, and natural enemies influence niche and fitness differences. I further examined how global change drivers such as nitrogen enrichment and pathogen reduction modify these interactions. Overall, this work links the structure of species interactions to the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality.
Research questions
→ How do plant–plant interactions structure coexistence in diverse communities?
→ How do growth strategies and intrinsic differences among species shape competition networks?
→ How do global change drivers (e.g. nitrogen enrichment, leaf foliar pathogen reduction) alter intra- and interspecific interactions?
→ What is the role of niche and fitness differences in maintaining biodiversity?
→ How do coexistence mechanisms influence ecosystem multifunctionality?
Associated publications
Daniel et al., Ecology Letters (2024) - Fast–slow traits predict competition network structure and its response to resources and enemies
Daniel, PhD Thesis (2024) - Plant species coexistence, impact of resource and enemies