Project description
Digging deep to uncover plant–soil feedback variations
Plants influence the soils where they grow. While plant–soil feedback (PSF) plays an important role in plant community assembly and functioning, little is known about how PSF varies between different habitats and soil types. The EU-funded PlantSoilGradients project will research the variation in the strength and direction of PSF along soil fertility gradients in temperate grassland ecosystems at local to large spatial scales. Combining different disciplines – from plant ecology, soil science and population biology to evolutionary and microbial ecology – the project will build a mechanistic framework to predict PSF in different environmental contexts. The findings will assist in addressing global changes to biodiversity.
Objective
In a process known as plant-soil feedback, plants can modify soil microbial communities in ways that differentially affect the performance of subsequent generations of plants. Recent studies suggest that plant-soil feedbacks may play an important role in plant community assembly and functioning, affecting plant species co-existence, primary productivity, succession and plant invasions. However, we still lack a basic understanding of how plant-soil feedbacks vary between different habitats and soil types. Moreover, plant-soil feedbacks may not only affect community and ecosystem-level processes but may also contribute to evolutionary dynamics within species and affect genetic diversity. The overarching aim of this project is to assess variation in the strength and direction of plant-soil feedbacks along soil fertility gradients in temperate grassland ecosystems at local through to large spatial scales. The proposal includes high-quality training and knowledge exchange between three countries. By combining concepts and experimental approaches from different disciplines, such as plant ecology, soil science, population biology and evolutionary and microbial ecology, we will build a mechanistic framework to predict plant-soil feedbacks in different environmental contexts and to assess their contribution to the maintenance of genetic diversity within grassland plant species. Collectively, improved knowledge of plant-soil feedbacks along soil gradients will enhance our capacity to identify those ecosystems most vulnerable to human impacts, such as invasions and land use change, and will enhance conservation and restoration of natural habitats. This proposal contributes to addressing one of the most pertinent societal challenges – maintenance of biodiversity in the face of global change – and includes a range of activities to engage with different audiences and stakeholders on the topic of soil biodiversity.
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 earth and related environmental sciences soil sciences
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
51005 TARTU
Estonia
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.