Objective Increases in nutrient availability and temperature, and changes in precipitation patterns and biodiversity are important components of global environmental change. Thus, it is imperative to understand their impacts on the functioning of natural ecosystems. Substantial research efforts are being currently devoted to predict how biodiversity will respond to global change. However, little is known on the relative importance of biodiversity against other attributes of biotic communities, such as species cover and spatial pattern, as a driver of ecosystem processes. Furthermore, the effects of global change on the relationships between these attributes and ecosystem functioning are virtually unknown. This project aims to evaluate the relationships between community attributes (species richness, composition, evenness, cover, and spatial pattern) and key processes related to ecosystem functioning under different global change scenarios. Its specific objectives are to: i) evaluate the relative importance of community attributes as drivers of ecosystem functioning, ii) assess how multiple global change drivers will affect key ecosystem processes, iii) test whether global change drivers modify observed community attributes-ecosystem functioning relationships, iv) develop models to forecast global change effects on ecosystem functioning, and v) set up protocols for the establishment of mitigation actions based on the results obtained. They will be achieved by integrating experimental and modeling approaches conducted with multiple biotic communities at different spatial scales. Such integrated framework has not been tackled before, and constitutes a ground breaking advance over current research efforts on global change. This proposal will also open the door to new research lines exploring the functional role of community attributes and their importance as modulators of ecosystem responses to global change. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-ID1 - ERC Starting Grant Interdisciplinary Panel Call for proposal ERC-2009-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS EU contribution € 1 463 374,00 Address CALLE TULIPAN 28933 Mostoles Spain See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Fernando Tomás Maestre Gil (Dr.) Administrative Contact Maria Antonia Rodríguez Tato (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSIDAD REY JUAN CARLOS Spain EU contribution € 1 463 374,00 Address CALLE TULIPAN 28933 Mostoles See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Fernando Tomás Maestre Gil (Dr.) Administrative Contact Maria Antonia Rodríguez Tato (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
