Theoretical and experimental integration of biogeography and ecosystem ecology

我的研究计划的长期目标是将生物地理学和生物多样性-生态系统功能的学科整合到一个连贯的理论框架中，以更好地理解全球变化对生态系统的影响。在过去的15年里，生物地理学在预测全球变化对范围转移、灭绝风险和生物多样性未来分布的影响方面取得了令人印象深刻的进展。然而，这些研究忽略了生物相互作用的影响，以及如何从种群扩展到生态系统。这种综合将有助于回答在何处、何时和为何会发生生物多样性变化，以及这些变化对提供生态系统服务的影响。我将在我之前关于营养元群落和生物多样性关系的工作的基础上，开发新的模型，并对它们的预测进行实证调查。本研究项目的中心假设是生态网络相互作用的结构决定了生态系统的功能。这表明，在全球变化的影响下，群落可以承受相当大的物种更替，但如果相互作用的结构得以维持，其功能将得以保留。将数学模型与猪笼草微生物食物网作为模型实验系统相结合，实现以下具体目标：1)建立生物地理学、群落学和生态系统生态学相结合的模型，更好地预测全球变化对群落结构和生态系统功能的影响；Ii)研究异质环境中复杂生态网络的空间结构；iii)了解这种结构如何影响功能；iv)这种空间异质性如何在不断变化的环境中提供进化保障。实证与理论相结合的研究方法将有助于我们更好地理解全球变化对关键生态系统服务的影响。

The long-term objective of my research program is to integrate the disciplines of biogeography and biodiversity-ecosystem functioning into a coherent theoretical framework to better understand the global change impacts on ecosystems. There has been impressive progress in biogeography over the last fifteen years to predict the impact of global changes on range shifts, extinction risks and the future distribution of biodiversity. These studies however ignore the impacts of biotic interactions, and consequently how to scale from populations to ecosystems. This synthesis will contribute answering where, when and why changes in biodiversity will occur and what are the impacts of those changes on the provision of ecosystem services. I will build upon my previous work on trophic metacommunities and on the biodiversity-relationship to develop new models and conduct empirical investigations of their predictions. The central hypothesis of this research project is that the structure of ecological networks of interactions determines ecosystem functioning. I this predict that communities could stand considerable species turnover following global changes, but the functioning will be preserved if the structure of interactions is maintained. I will combine mathematical models and the pitcher plant microbial food web as a model experimental system to fulfill the following specific objectives: i) develop a model integrating elements of biogeography, community and ecosystem ecology to better predict the impacts of global changes on community structure and ecosystem functioning; ii) study the spatial structure of complex ecological networks in a heterogeneous environment, iii) to understand how this structure affects functioning and iv) how this spatial heterogeneity could provide an evolutionary insurance in changing environments. The stimulating combination of empirical and theoretical approaches defining this research program is a strong asset to improve our understanding of the global change impacts on key ecosystem services.