|
My early work involved the impact of elevated CO2 and climate warming on grassland ecophysiology and productivity, in particular the interaction between these two concurrent global changes. From the mid-nineties I got interested in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships and how these relationships are affected by climate change. Recent work on climate change explores how extreme events affect plant communities. A wide array of studies are currently completed or ongoing on this subject, including the first experimental simulations of extreme events (heatwaves) in tundra ecosystems. A theme under development are interactions between climate change and alien plant invasions, which are studied in model ecosystems in order to complement the bioclimatic modelling which has governed this field until now. Technologywise I'm involved in developing and improving free-air techniques to simulate extreme climate events, using controlled infrared heating. The biomes I worked in include temperate grasslands, arctic tundra and deserts.
|