Objective
Predicting which alien plant species will become invasive is key to mitigating their impact. Plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) between plant species and soil microbes are crucial for controlling plant abundance. It has been suggested that positive PSF could promote alien plant invasion but that negative PSF could help their control. However, a framework to predict which alien species will experience positive feedback, and under what conditions, is lacking.
My project will combine fundamental ecological theory, state-of-the-art knowledge of PSF, carefully designed experiments, and cutting-edge techniques in data analysis and high-throughput sequencing to gain a predictive understanding of the role of PSF in plant invasion. I will test the novel hypothesis that close relatedness between alien and native plant species will promote invasion when nutrients are limiting by allowing alien plants to integrate into native soil mutualistic networks, but prevent invasion under high nutrient conditions by increasing the susceptibility of alien plants to native soil pathogens. For alien and native plant species that vary in relatedness I will: 1) quantify the strength of PSF under differing nutrient conditions; 2) characterise mutualistic associations in the roots; and 3) characterise the soil microbial communities they cultivate. Moreover, I will develop an open access database of collated PSF data to facilitate further global collaborations.
Results will reveal how native plant communities and their local environment influence alien plant invasions. They will lay the foundation for important applied research on the impact of plant invasions on native PSF, and how PSF knowledge might be used in ecosystem restoration worldwide. By targeting EU Regulation 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species and Goal 15 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this research will contribute to applied outcomes for the EU and substantially raise my research profile within Europe and internationally.
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.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science
- engineering and technology environmental engineering ecosystem-based management ecological restoration
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology microbiomes
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1011 JV AMSTERDAM
Netherlands
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.