Megporzás és növényi jellegek - Új cikk az Applied Vegetation Science-ben

 

Megjelent Edy Fantinato elsőszerzőségével legújabb közleményünk az Applied Vegetation Science hasábjain. A jelen cikk homoki szukcessziós vizsgálatainkhoz kapcsolódva arra keresi a választ, hogy vajon a vegetatív vagy a generatív jellegek által meghatározott jellegösszetétel áll-e gyorsabban helyre (illetve válik hasonlóvá a referencia gyepekhez képest) a spontán szukcessziós folyamatok során. Edy vendég doktoranduszként töltött egy hónapot a tanszékünkön. A megjelent közlemény ékes bizonyítéka annak, hogy igenis fontos lenne, ha a Ph.D. képzés időtartama alatt - az olasz vagy a cseh mintához hasonlóan - a hazai képzés által finanszírozott formában kötelezően el kellene tölteni  egy félévet vagy néhány hónapot külföldi partnerintézményben bekapcsolódva az ott zajló kutatási munkába. A közlemény összefoglalója az alábbiakban olvasható.

Pollination and dispersal trait spectra recover faster than growth form spectrum during the spontaneous succession in sandy old-fields

Edy Fantinato, Judit Sonkoly, Giulia Silan, Orsolya Valkó, Béla Tóthmérész, Balázs Deák, András Kelemen, Tamás Miglécz, Silvia Del Vecchio, Francesca Bettiol, Gabriella Buffa, Péter Török

Question. Spontaneous succession is the most natural and cost-effective solution for grassland restoration. However, little is known about the time required for the recovery of grassland functionality, i.e. for the recovery of reproductive and vegetative processes typical of pristine grasslands. Since these processes operate at different scales, we addressed the question: do reproductive and vegetative processes require different recovery times during spontaneous succession?

Location. Kiskunság sand region (Central Hungary).

Methods. As combinations of plant traits can be used to highlight general patterns in ecological processes, we compared reproductive (pollination- and dispersal-related) and vegetative (growth form) traits between recovered grasslands of different age (<10 yr old; 10–20 yr old; 20–40 yr old) and pristine grasslands.
 

Results. During spontaneous succession the reproductive trait spectra became similar to those of pristine grasslands earlier than the vegetative one. In arable land abandoned for ten years, pollination- and dispersal-related trait spectra did not show significant difference to those of pristine grasslands; anemophily and anemochory were the prevailing strategies. Contrarily, significant differences in the growth form spectrum could be observed even after forty years of abandonment; in recovered grasslands erect leafy species prevailed, while the fraction of dwarf shrubs and tussock-forming species was significantly lower than in pristine grasslands.
 

Conclusions. The recovery of the ecological processes of pristine grasslands might require different amounts of time, depending on the spatial scale at which they operate. Reproductive trait spectrum recovered earlier than the vegetative one, since reproductive attributes first determine plant species sorting at the regional level towards their respective habitats. The recovery of the vegetative trait spectrum needs more time as vegetative-based interactions operate on a smaller spatial scale. Thus, vegetative traits might be more effective in the long-term assessment of restoration success than the reproductive ones.

Az EDGG éves konferenciája (EGC 2019)

Az Nemzetközi Vegetációtudományi Társaság, Szárazgyepes Munkacsoportja (IAVS-EDGG) az éves konferenciáját Graz-ban rendezi, 2019. május 29 és június 5. között. A konferenciát Ausztria és Szlovénia kutatói közösen szervezik. A konferencián az egyik plenáris előadó Molnár Zsolt (MTA ÖK). A nemzetközi konferencia közel van és viszonylag olcsó, valamint rendszeresen van a fiatal kutatók számára részvételt támogató forrás.

Fontos dátumok:

Early Bird registration deadline –15 March
Late registration deadline – 29 March
Abstract submission deadline – 29 March
Acceptance of abstracts and type of presentation – 26 April
Post-conference excursion application – 22 March
Travel grant application deadline – 15 March
Travel grant allocation – 12 April

Részletes program és regisztráció az esemény honlapján.

IAVS Konferencia Brémában - szekciószervezés

Az idén a Nemzetközi Vegetációtudományi Társaság (IAVS) éves konferenciáját immár 62. alkalommal Brémában rendezi meg, 2019. július 14 és 19 között. A konferencia a vegetációökológiával és tágabban vett növényökológiával és vegetációtudománnyal foglalkozó kutatók legnagyobb nemzetközi seregszemléje. Az IAVS konferenciákon jellemzően számottevő a magyar jelenlét, a 40 fős vezetőségben is több magyar rendszeresen helyet kap. A vegetációtudományban aktívan kutatók számára érdemes lehet az IAVS-be belépni, hiszen a konferencia-részvételből jelentős -  a tagdíjat meghaladó kedvezményt kap regisztrációkor valamint pályázhat a főleg fiatal kutatókat megcélzó konferencia-részvételi támogatásra.

Fontosabb dátumok:

IAVS travel grant applications 24 March, 2019
End of regular abstract submission 24 March, 2019
Travel grant decisions announced ca 12 April, 2019
Decision letters on abstracts ca 12 April, 2019
Registration for workshops 15 April, 2019
Final date for early bird registration with reduced fees 10 May, 2019
Final date for standard registration 25 June, 2019

További információk és regisztráció a konferencia honlapján.

Aki tervezi a részvételt a témakörökbe illő kutatása és összefoglalója alapján az fontolja meg, hogy az összefoglalóját az alábbi magyar részvétellel szervezett szekciók valamelyikébe küldje be:

9) Plant reproduction and dispersal: A trait-based approach Traits related to dispersal processes in space and time (i.e., seed production, seed dispersal, persistence of generative propagules, dormancy and germination) are fundamental in determining how species pools assemble as a result of ecological filtering. Thus, studying these traits is crucial to understanding the maintenance of plant communities and biodiversity in general. There is a current trend of estimating / assessing the dispersal ability, persistence or germination characteristics of seeds based on functional traits such as seed size and shape, buoyancy, terminal velocity etc., but a clear link between the theoretical predictions / considerations and the results of experimental and observational studies is still missing. This special session aims at discussing the role of different functional traits in the dispersal, persistence and early establishment of plant species in various ecosystems, which provide important insights into vegetation dynamics and the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Thus, any trait-based analyses of processes related to plant reproduction, dispersal and regeneration are welcome in the session. 

 (organized by Leonid Rasran, Péter Török & Judit Sonkoly)

10) Patterns, drivers, and conservation opportunities of grassland biodiversity: Grasslands cover nearly 30% of all terrestrial surface, including diverse habitat types ranging from wet muddy slacks in lowlands to harsh rocky habitats in alpine environments. Grasslands harbor an extremely rich biodiversity, which is comparable at small scale to the richness of Atlantic rain forests. Grasslands provide essential ecosystem services and goods and, contributing with 70% to all agricultural land, sustain the livelihood of about 2 billion people worldwide. Grasslands face multiple threats, including area loss, altered management by intensification or the cessation of former management as the most important drivers of change. Describing biodiversity patterns and understanding key processes sustaining grassland biodiversity is essential for an effective conservation and restoration. The Eurasian Grassland Group (EDGG) is an official working group of the IAVS and aims to facilitate and coordinate grassland research and conservation in the Palaearctic Biogeographic Realm. With this special session we would like to draw attention to the latest advancements in grassland research, and facilitate the scientific communication of researchers working with different types of grasslands worldwide.

(organized by Didem Ambarli, Riccardo Guarrino, Alla Aleksanyan & Péter Török)

11) Using plant traits for the recovery of ecosystem functions and services: Trait-based ecosystem engineering?: For an effective restoration it is vital to know which mechanisms govern compositional and functional changes during the restoration process. Thus, the greatest challenge of ecological restoration is to restore healthy and functioning ecosystems resembling the restoration target. Ecosystem functions are well reflected in changes of functional trait composition, and the application of trait-based ecological theories and models may be especially useful in supporting practical restoration. It is crucial to test the explanatory power of plant traits from the point of view of usefulness during restoration actions, and it is also necessary for the development of predictive and general plant trait models. The planned innovative session focuses on functional plant traits and the possibilities of its application in conservation and restoration practice. Trait-based conservation and restoration actions may increase the success of conservation projects, and trait-based ecology may enable improved predictions of how plant communities respond to altered environmental conditions. To develop functional ecosystems promoting biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services related to restoration actions, we need the support of trait-based ecological theory.

(organized by Béla Tóthmérész & Péter Török)