Objective
This proposal directly addresses one of the great challenges in Earth system science: how will the terrestrial biosphere respond to global atmospheric change and, more specifically, how does the biodiversity of the biosphere moderate or affect that response? This proposal focuses on tropical forests. We are currently unable to understand how tropical forests will respond to climate change because there is (i) a data-deficit: we simply do not have the data to understand the relationship between tropical forest diversity and ecosystem science; and (ii) a theory-deficit: we have not developed an adequate and quantitative theoretical framework to relate functional biodiversity to ecosystem function. This proposal will directly address both these deficits.
Firstly, I will build a unique global tropical ecosystems monitoring network (GEM), that will measure in comprehensive detail the structure, productivity and metabolism of 47 tropical forest sites over a globally synchronous 2.5 year period. In addition, I will develop a large dataset of functional diversity by collecting functional traits of leaves and wood.
Secondly, the theory deficit will be addressed by drawing on the recent development of a novel mathematical formalism that links biodiversity to ecosystem function. This formalism focuses on the distribution of traits within an ecosystem, links this distribution to ecosystem function, and develops predictions of how the shape of the distribution is controlled by environment, biological interactions and previous states of the ecosystem. I will further develop this theory, test its predictions against my unique field data, and ultimately use it to develop a new biodiversity-focussed way of representing tropical forests in ecosystem and Earth system models. This new approach used to answer questions such as: how does the functional diversity of tropical forests affect their resilience to climate change, and how will this diversity respond to atmospheric change?
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences meteorology biosphera
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications simulation software
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2012-ADG_20120216
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.