A multi-scale approach to determine patterns and drivers of grassland plant diversity

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The main goal of my research is to understand the mechanics of community and ecosystem functions in temperate grasslands to provide tools to enable their restoration and conservation. I propose to study stress (through climate change) and disturbance (grazing) and how these factors affect plant species composition and diversity. The major stress in temperate grasslands is drought. Global climate change scenarios suggest that temperature will increase and that precipitation patterns will be altered, with a reduction in rainfall during the hottest months in the summer. The research I propose is unique. At a local scale, on grasslands located in the Thompson Plateau in Southern BC, I plan to alter micro-climatic conditions along a natural environmental productivity gradient by manipulating water supply through rainout shelters. I will test local effects of drought on community and ecosystem processes, such as plant trait functions, plant diversity, nutrient cycling and primary productivity dynamics. At a regional scale, I will test the effects of grazing, a pervasive disturbance in grassland ecosystems. While the effects of grazing are well-documented, there are few comprehensive standardized studies across different grassland types. I will test grazing response of the different grassland types found in the interior of British Columbia, with particular attention to plant diversity, plant species composition, and soil carbon sequestration. At a global scale, I will connect my research with two international networks, HerbDivNet (the Herbaceous Diversity Network) and DroughtNet, to encompass a broad array of grassland types from temperate to tropical with respect to diversity patterns and response to drought.