Objective
Metacommunity theory and its empirical tests have yielded novel insights into how ecological communities are structured at multiple spatial scales. However, much still remains to be understood regarding the spatial structure of food webs. On the other hand, a well-known effect of chained predator-prey interactions is the existence of trophic cascades, which have almost never been studied in a spatialized context. Recently, it has been shown (by the outgoing host group) that an intermediate level of dispersal among communities tends to buffer the effects of trophic cascades when top predators periodically colonize communities. In this context, the proposed two-year project aims at (i) building a comprehensive model capable of capturing the main effects of dispersal on ecosystem functioning and stability when trophic cascades are present, and (ii) conducting mesocosm experiments on freshwater plankton food webs to confirm theoretical results on the determinants of the buffering effect of dispersal. The model will be built in two phases, first as a purely deterministic description of spatial food webs, and extended in a second time to account for demographic stochasticity of the upper trophic levels. The model will be developed in collaboration with researchers from both host groups, and will span both years. Mesocosm experiments will be conducted in an already existing experimental setting, during the first year. This part of the project will be accomplished in the outgoing host group, in collaboration with researchers skilled in experimental biology and statistical analyses. The project will help the fellow acquire new skills, notably in experimental ecology and hone other proficiencies (writing, presentation, management,…). The project will also allow the fellow to establish a long-lasting collaboration between the two host groups and to produce novel important results that will improve his prospects as a researcher in Europe.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-IOF-2008
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.
Coordinator
92761 ANTONY CEDEX
France
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.