|
|
The leaf is the main plant organ to make photosynthesis, the process to use the energy from sunlight, capturing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen to the atmosphere. Life on Earth, as we currently know it, is based on this conversion of sunlight energy and associated gas exchange. Leaf functional traits (structural and chemical […] 
Roots have a fundamental role in plant function (uptake and storage of water and nutrients), as well as in ecosystem properties (primary productivity). Root activities are related with structural traits, such as diameter, density and specific area. However, there are few studies about the importance of functional root traits in Mediterranean environments.
Understanding how different factors mediate the resistance of communities to climatic variability is a relevant question in ecology, to improve predictions about the impact of climate change on vegetation. Researchers from the IRNAS-CSIC (Ignacio Pérez-Ramos and Teodoro Marañón), in collaboration with University of Córdoba, Autonomous University of Barcelona and EBD-CSIC, have […] The SIFOMed group aims to study the dynamics and function of Mediterranean forest systems, with a special focus on their response to different Global Change drivers (mainly climate change and invasive species). We conduct basic and applied research in plant community and ecosystem ecology, with relevant implications for the restoration and conservation of […] Enrique García de la Riva has defended his doctoral thesis entitled “Composition and functional diversity of Mediterranean woody plants: from the leaf to the community” in the University of Córdoba (Spain), on April 11th 2016. The thesis has been supervised by Professor Rafael Villar (UCO) and by the IRNAS researchers Teodoro Marañón and […] Plants, like so many organisms, have several specialized organs for different functions. Thus, the main role of leaves is light capture, while roots are related with soil water and nutrient uptake, and stems supply these water and nutrients to the leaves. According with their functional diversification, differences among organ characteristics could be expected. […] Understanding which factors govern the processes in plant communities constitutes one of the main challenges in ecology. The functional approach is a broadly-known key tool to better understand these issues; is based on the functional trait variation along environmental gradients. Thus, the functional approach allows as to discern the filtering mechanisms and the […] |
Español