Biodiversity Seminar: Grassland Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in the Anthropocene

Despite much scientific effort, the capacity of plant diversity to buffer ecosystem functioning against future climate change remains unclear. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to quantify and predict the cascading impact of current biodiversity loss on the stable provisioning of essential ecosystem services that contribute to human wellbeing. I present recent evidence of the buffering capacity of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning under climate change and identify new directions for research. This includes consideration of theoretical, experimental, and observational studies examining individual and crossed effects of direct and indirect manipulation of both biodiversity and climate change. I present a novel large-scale experiment towards this end - BioCliVE. BioCliVE is designed to uncover the fundamental mechanisms by which grassland ecosystems are impacted by future precipitation scenarios and how biodiversity itself may buffer ecosystems against potentially negative impacts of seasonal and punctuated changes in climate extremes.This integrated approach will provide the necessary knowledge base for future management strategies.

Dr. Yann Hautier.

I am an assistant professor in Ecological Scaling at Utrecht University. My research focusses on investigating the underlying factors that drive changes in plant diversity in response to global environmental shifts, and how these changes impact the functioning of grassland ecosystems and the provision of ecological services across various spatial and temporal scales. To accomplish these goals, I utilize a range of cutting-edge methodologies, including observational and experimental techniques, advanced statistical analyses, and data synthesis of complex datasets, as well as mechanistic approaches applied at the local, regional, and global levels. The core of my research revolves around testing ecological theory, developing fundamental mechanisms, and providing insights for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. By conducting rigorous and interdisciplinary research, I aim to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of global environmental change, ultimately informing policies and management strategies aimed at safeguarding our planet's precious biodiversity.

Our seminars are hybrid. Please send an email to events-biodiversity(at)wsl.ch if you would like to get access to the live stream.

The Biodiversity Seminar Series are organized by the WSL Biodiversity Center. Every two weeks, we aim to host a seminar speaker that presents research or outreach on topics relevant to the biodiversity community at WSL. The seminars are public and are usually broadcasted online.

Find out more about the WSL Biodiversity Center and a complete list of events here.

Please send an email to events-biodiversity(at)wsl.ch if you would like to be updated on the activities of the WSL Biodiversity Center.