Modelling biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relations in grasslands with special reference to mechanisms related to plasticity.

从2006年2月开始，耶拿实验的建模子项目TP15以GEMINI模型（Soussana et al. 2000）为基础，开发了一个机制草地模型，作为分析生物多样性-生态系统功能关系的核心工具。在最初的16个月里，重点是开发一种专门为草原功能生物多样性研究设计的新型建筑和物候模型。第一阶段的这些活动使我们现在能够代表表型可塑性，并解决其作为生物多样性-生态系统功能背景下被忽视的重要机制的作用。在这里，我们首先建立了一个概念模型，该模型表明：(a)导致积极的多样性-功能关系的不同机制需要不同类型的可塑性；(b)总体可塑性效应的强度受到可塑性程度、初始物种组成的功能多样性和环境异质性的影响。这些假设将用两种新的建模方法进行检验。塑性分析将辅以数值实验，确定同时优化几个生态系统功能的参数组合。此外，该项目还将为“碳储存”和“营养循环”项目中的建模组件做出重大贡献。总之，该项目将在很大程度上有助于生物多样性与生态系统功能关系的整体数据综合，同时有助于更好地了解其潜在机制。

Starting in February 2006, the modelling subproject TP15 of the Jena Experiment has been developing a mechanistic grassland model based on the GEMINI model (Soussana et al. 2000) as central tool for the analysis of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. During the initial 16 month the focus was on the development of a novel architectural and phenological model specifically designed for functional biodiversity research in grasslands. These activities of the first phase allow us now to represent phenotypic plasticity and to address its so far neglected role as important mechanism in the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning context. Here, we first develop a conceptual model that suggests (a) that different mechanisms leading to positive diversity-functioning relationships require different types of plasticity and (b) that the strength of the overall plasticity effect is modified by extent of plasticity, the functional diversity of the initial species composition and environmental heterogeneity. The hypotheses will be tested with two novel modelling approaches. The analysis of plasticity will be complemented by numerical experiments identifying parameter combinations that simultaneously optimize several ecosystem functions. In addition, this project will also contribute significantly to the modelling components within the projects on ‘Carbon Storage’ and ‘Nutrient Cycling’. In conclusion, this project will largely contribute to the overall data synthesis of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships and at the same time to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.