Impacts of climate-driven evolution on plant-soil interactions and ecosystem functioning
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Institute of Integrative Biology
Abstract
Globally, we depend on grasslands to support biodiversity, ensure agricultural productivity, offer recreational areas, and provide a wide range of other valuable ecosystem services; e.g. the UK dairy industry depends on grasslands and is worth ~£4.27 billion per annum. At the same time, grasslands are among the most altered and least protected biomes, and will inevitably be subjected to the imminent effects of climate changes: warming, drought, flooding.
Organisms within grasslands may ultimately cope with climate change by adapting; either through evolution, where environmental change selects for individuals whose genes encode advantageous characteristics, or by reversible ("plastic") changes in physiology or growth pattern. Only evolution leads to lasting adaptive change. Thus, evolution has the potential to buffer populations against the adverse effects of climate change. However, the wider effects of evolutionary change, on coexisting species within ecosystems, and on important ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling, remain unresolved. "Grasslands", for instance, may seem to be composed of just plants, but beneath the surface there is a thriving microbial community (bacteria and fungi) that interacts with plants to influence the diversity and productivity of the vegetation, plant nutrition, and even evolution. With their rapid generation times and massive populations, these microbes evolve rapidly under pressures such as climate change. Consequently, to understand climate-driven impacts in grasslands, it is essential to integrate the effects of evolutionary and ecological processes that occur both above-, and belowground.
Our research will address these pressing issues, by placing climate-driven evolutionary change in an appropriate ecological context. For over two decades, we have exposed a natural UK grassland near Buxton to simulated climate change (warming, increased rainfall, and drought). Our published and preliminary research shows that simulated climate change has already altered plant and microbial communities and has driven evolutionary change within plants.
Building on these previous findings, our overarching goal is to use the Buxton climate change experiment to determine how above- and belowground communities co-evolve, and interact with each other during climate change, to shape ecosystem processes. In doing so, we aim to understand changes in the services that grasslands provide, and offer the means to predict and manage these changes.
We have designed a cohesive set of experiments to examine key issues at levels ranging from genes to ecosystem responses, using laboratory microcosms, growth-chamber experiments, and field manipulations. Over three years, we will: i) examine two ecologically important microbe species from the field site to determine how long-term climate change treatments drive evolution; ii) use microcosms that include microbes and plants to understand how microbial adaptation affects plant fitness and ecosystem function; iii) determine how evolutionary change in plants, in turn, alters microbial species in the soil. We will use a wide range of techniques to reach these goals, from genome sequencing, to identify the genetic basis of evolutionary change in soil microbes, to respiration measurements, to understand how evolution changes the way ecosystems "breathe". Our research will provide a unique, evolutionary view of how plants and soil organisms respond together to climate change, and of resulting shifts in ecosystem-level processes.
Organisms within grasslands may ultimately cope with climate change by adapting; either through evolution, where environmental change selects for individuals whose genes encode advantageous characteristics, or by reversible ("plastic") changes in physiology or growth pattern. Only evolution leads to lasting adaptive change. Thus, evolution has the potential to buffer populations against the adverse effects of climate change. However, the wider effects of evolutionary change, on coexisting species within ecosystems, and on important ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling, remain unresolved. "Grasslands", for instance, may seem to be composed of just plants, but beneath the surface there is a thriving microbial community (bacteria and fungi) that interacts with plants to influence the diversity and productivity of the vegetation, plant nutrition, and even evolution. With their rapid generation times and massive populations, these microbes evolve rapidly under pressures such as climate change. Consequently, to understand climate-driven impacts in grasslands, it is essential to integrate the effects of evolutionary and ecological processes that occur both above-, and belowground.
Our research will address these pressing issues, by placing climate-driven evolutionary change in an appropriate ecological context. For over two decades, we have exposed a natural UK grassland near Buxton to simulated climate change (warming, increased rainfall, and drought). Our published and preliminary research shows that simulated climate change has already altered plant and microbial communities and has driven evolutionary change within plants.
Building on these previous findings, our overarching goal is to use the Buxton climate change experiment to determine how above- and belowground communities co-evolve, and interact with each other during climate change, to shape ecosystem processes. In doing so, we aim to understand changes in the services that grasslands provide, and offer the means to predict and manage these changes.
We have designed a cohesive set of experiments to examine key issues at levels ranging from genes to ecosystem responses, using laboratory microcosms, growth-chamber experiments, and field manipulations. Over three years, we will: i) examine two ecologically important microbe species from the field site to determine how long-term climate change treatments drive evolution; ii) use microcosms that include microbes and plants to understand how microbial adaptation affects plant fitness and ecosystem function; iii) determine how evolutionary change in plants, in turn, alters microbial species in the soil. We will use a wide range of techniques to reach these goals, from genome sequencing, to identify the genetic basis of evolutionary change in soil microbes, to respiration measurements, to understand how evolution changes the way ecosystems "breathe". Our research will provide a unique, evolutionary view of how plants and soil organisms respond together to climate change, and of resulting shifts in ecosystem-level processes.
Planned Impact
Our proposed research will provide an integrated view of evolutionary and ecological responses to climate change. Results from this study will advance our understanding of how plants and soil microbes respond to climate change through evolutionary and ecological mechanisms, and how these responses affect ecosystem function. We will gain novel insights into i) which processes mediate adaptive responses to the climate in soil microbes, ii) what the ecological consequences of these responses may be, and iii) the importance of evolutionary changes in mediating ecological processes, relative to changes in plant and microbial community structure. Our study focuses on calcareous, species-rich grasslands, which support many rare plant species and a rich insect fauna.
Who might benefit from this research? We have identified three key non-academic stakeholder groups:
1: Conservation practitioners, statutory conservation agencies (including Project Partner, Natural England), and other conservation trusts and charities (e.g., the Peak Park Authority, Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, the National Trust) and UK policy-makers such as the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
2. Horticultural businesses and others involved in the production and sale of native seed. This market (£3-6 million value in 2011) is dominated by the production and sale of grassland wildflower mixes and is expected to grow strongly, likely doubling by 2020.
3: General public, who demonstrate a keen awareness of climate change issues and conservation of species-rich UK habitats.
How might they benefit from this research?
1: Practitioners and policy-makers will benefit through an improved understanding of how adaptive genetic variation enhances ecosystem resilience during climate change. Our results will provide an evidence-base to support policy decisions to optimise landscape management strategies and anticipate threats to ecosystem service provision. Our findings will also allow more sensitive modelling of both the current and future capacity of landscapes to provide ecosystem services by incorporating the effects of evolutionary change. By engaging these organisations in knowledge exchange throughout the programme of research, we can ensure that our work will be of value in terms of 'real-world' implementation and impact.
2: Horticultural businesses that supply native seed and seed mixes for habitat restoration could benefit from our project through an improved understanding of climatic impacts on seed restoration success. Our results have the potential to provide the knowledge-base for determining optimal approaches to match the microclimate of seed sources to restoration environments. This provides businesses with increased capacity to develop marketable stress-resistant seed mixtures.
3: The general public stand to gain educational and environmental knowledge benefits from our project, through (i) enhanced awareness of potential climatic impacts on biodiversity and the ecological supply chain that provides ecosystem services, and (ii) an improved understanding of the potential for genetic resilience within natural populations and ecosystems. Public engagement through a variety of media will provide many opportunities to promote the research and increase public interest in climate change adaptation. Our planned low-cost outreach centre and educational activities to promote field-based learning about climate change ecology aim to create a legacy that will outlast the project.
Who might benefit from this research? We have identified three key non-academic stakeholder groups:
1: Conservation practitioners, statutory conservation agencies (including Project Partner, Natural England), and other conservation trusts and charities (e.g., the Peak Park Authority, Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, the National Trust) and UK policy-makers such as the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
2. Horticultural businesses and others involved in the production and sale of native seed. This market (£3-6 million value in 2011) is dominated by the production and sale of grassland wildflower mixes and is expected to grow strongly, likely doubling by 2020.
3: General public, who demonstrate a keen awareness of climate change issues and conservation of species-rich UK habitats.
How might they benefit from this research?
1: Practitioners and policy-makers will benefit through an improved understanding of how adaptive genetic variation enhances ecosystem resilience during climate change. Our results will provide an evidence-base to support policy decisions to optimise landscape management strategies and anticipate threats to ecosystem service provision. Our findings will also allow more sensitive modelling of both the current and future capacity of landscapes to provide ecosystem services by incorporating the effects of evolutionary change. By engaging these organisations in knowledge exchange throughout the programme of research, we can ensure that our work will be of value in terms of 'real-world' implementation and impact.
2: Horticultural businesses that supply native seed and seed mixes for habitat restoration could benefit from our project through an improved understanding of climatic impacts on seed restoration success. Our results have the potential to provide the knowledge-base for determining optimal approaches to match the microclimate of seed sources to restoration environments. This provides businesses with increased capacity to develop marketable stress-resistant seed mixtures.
3: The general public stand to gain educational and environmental knowledge benefits from our project, through (i) enhanced awareness of potential climatic impacts on biodiversity and the ecological supply chain that provides ecosystem services, and (ii) an improved understanding of the potential for genetic resilience within natural populations and ecosystems. Public engagement through a variety of media will provide many opportunities to promote the research and increase public interest in climate change adaptation. Our planned low-cost outreach centre and educational activities to promote field-based learning about climate change ecology aim to create a legacy that will outlast the project.
Organisations
- University of Liverpool (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Manchester (Collaboration)
- University of California, Riverside (Collaboration)
- Lancaster University (Collaboration)
- Purdue University (Collaboration)
- Emorsgate Seeds (Collaboration)
- French National Institute of Agricultural Research (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Collaboration)
- Lund University (Collaboration)
- University of New Hampshire (Collaboration)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA (Collaboration)
- University of California, Irvine (Collaboration)
- University of Sheffield (Collaboration)
- University of Picardie Jules Verne (Collaboration)
- University of Maine (Collaboration)
- Natural England (Collaboration)
- University of Seville (Collaboration)
- University of Massachusetts (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON (Collaboration)
- Natural England (Project Partner)
- Syracuse University (Project Partner)
- Ecological Continuity Trust (Project Partner)
Publications
Sayer EJ
(2021)
Adaptation to chronic drought modifies soil microbial community responses to phytohormones.
in Communications biology
Description | There were three key objectives on this grant: (1) To determine how climate change drives evolutionary adaptation within soil microbes. (2) To determine how climate-driven microbial adaptation alters plant fitness and ecosystem function (3) To determine how climate-driven plant evolution affects the community of beneficial soil microbes. Our project sought to address these objectives using plants and microbial isolates from the UK's longest running climate manipulation experiment at the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab (Buxton). There are four major outcomes from the grant and associated data sets that are sufficient to address the project's objectives. 1. Research methods, linked to objective (1) were developed allowing field isolated microbes to be subjected to experimental evolution via cycles of simulated drought treatments in the lab, without plants. Using these methods, we have completed data collection under objective 1 by sequencing soil microbial isolates collected before and after experimental evolution under drought stress, and through sequencing a large collection of field isolates derived from long-term drought-treated and control plots at Buxton. Data analysis for Objective 1 is ongoing, but the data collected are expected to be sufficient to address the goals for this objective as originally proposed. Field isolates linked with this work are being retained as a long-term research resource. 2. We have used a plant soil microcosm experiment-as proposed under objective 2-to understand how microbial adaptation to chronic drought in the field shapes plant performance and ecosystem functioning. Microbial adaptation (microbes from drought treated or control plots) had weak effects on plant fitness traits. However, both microbial adaptation and plant adaptation shaped ecosystem processes (soil nutrient availability, soil respiration). In addition, plant adaptation modified the effects of microbial adaptation on soil respiration rates. These results suggest potentially intricate co-adaptation of microbial strains selected under chronic drought with locally adapted plant genotypes, and that this co-adaptation can alter important ecosystem processes. The research findings within this Outcome therefore substantively address Objective 2. 3. Research methods were optimised to carry out soil metabarcoding to evaluate soil microbial community structure in the plots at Buxton. Using these molecular methods we have applied bacterial and fungal metabarcoding to all 240 permanent quadrats within the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab. Sequencing data are currently under analysis and will reveal the impacts of chronic climate treatments on soil microbial community structure. This was an additional activity that was not originally proposed, but which will provide critical information on adaptation of soil microbes at the community level (through species sorting). Soil samples collected from the experiment in Objective 2 have been collected as a resource to allow us to address Objective 3 in follow-up research. 4. Together the outcomes of the grant will provide unique insight into the effects of long-term (multi-decadal) climate change on adaptation (through evolution and species sorting) in soil microbial communities, as well as an integrated view of how this microbial adaptation interacts with adaptation occurring in plants to shape ecosystem processes. |
Exploitation Route | There are two main ways that the outcomes from this funding could be put to use by others: 1. To improve the prediction of the future responses of grasslands and associated ecosystem functioning to climate change. Ecologists could use the findings of our research to more accurately model changes in grassland structure and functioning under future environmental change scenarios, and to understand the role of adaptive processes in buffering such changes. 2. To select or engineer bacterial strains that are resistant to drought. Agricultural scientists could use the knowledge of bacterial gene sequences conferring adaptation to drought to select or engineer plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that are drought resistant. Such bacteria could be used as a microbial amendment to crop plants to enhance food security. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
Description | I and staff on the project have taken part in a number of outreach activities, including The Ness Gardens Earth Sciences Fair and Family Science Fair, and the BBC Gardener's Question Time Summer Party also at Ness Gardens. I have also created a 3D virtual reality tour of the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab, which was exhibited at the British Ecological Society's Annual meeting in Belfast 2019, and a (2D) video film promoting the work at this site. Finally, I presented a public lecture on plants and climate change at Ness Botanic Gardens |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Environment |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | NERC Standard Grant |
Amount | £795,316 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/R011451/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2018 |
End | 11/2021 |
Description | Research-guided monitoring for climate-resilient grassland ecosystems |
Amount | £49,842 (GBP) |
Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for England |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2022 |
End | 07/2022 |
Description | The impacts climatic and microclimatic variation on calcareous grasslands: baseline monitoring to support the review of current conservation management practice |
Amount | £9,075 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural England |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 03/2023 |
Title | Drought adaptation modifies soil respiration and microbial community responses to phytohormones |
Description | Datasets used in: Sayer EJ, Crawford JA, Edgerley J, Askew AP, Hahn CZ, Whitlock R and Dodd IC (2021) Adaptation to chronic drought modifies soil microbial community responses to phytohormones. Communications Biology MS COMMSBIO-20-2294A File 1: SayerEtAl2021_CommsBiol_SoilResp.csv Respiration rates (CO2 efflux) following phytohormone additions at three molar concentrations or a standard root exudate solution, applied to soils from long-term climate change treatments at the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Study, UK. Respiration rates were measured using the Microresp method during 6-h incubations. Column headings: Block -> replicate block, determined by original experimental design in the field Climate.Plot -> climate treatment applied to field plots RE.add -> addition of standard root exudate solution (RE) or no addition (noRE) Hormone.Trt -> phytohormone treatment applied to the soils, where ABA is abscisic acid, ACC is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and JA is jasmonic acid Concentration-> molar concentration of the phytohormone solutions applied to soils, where 0M is a procedural control (deionised water) CO2efflux->total soil respiration in micrograms (ug) C File 2: SayerEtAl2021_CommsBiol_PLFAs.csv Soil properties and soil microbial biomarker groups in field soils (inc.Time = 0) and soil microbial biomarker groups after 24h incubation with phytohormone additions at 1M concentration; soils were sampled from long-term climate change treatments at the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Study, UK; biomarker functional groups were determined by phospholipid fatty acid analysis and are given as relative abundances. Column headings: Block -> replicate block, determined by original experimental design in the field Climate.Plot -> climate treatment applied to field plots Hormone.Trt -> phytohormone treatment applied to the soils at 1M concentration, where ABA is abscisic acid, ACC is 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and JA is jasmonic acid; CT is field soils before incubation and H2O is a procedural control (incubated with deionised water only). Inc.Time -> incubation time in hours, where 0 is field soils (pre-incubation) Total.Biomass -> total PLFA biomass in nM/g soil AM.Fungi-> arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (% relative abundance) Gram.Negative -> Gram negative bacteria (% relative abundance) Eukaryote-> Eukaryotes (% relative abundance) Fungi -> saprophytic fungi (% relative abundance) Gram.Positive -> Gram positive bacteria (% relative abundance) Actinomycetes -> Actinomycetes (% relative abundance) FBratio -> Fungal to bacterial ratio nMfungi -> saprophytic fungal biomass in nM/g soil nMbacteria -> bacterial biomass in nM/g soil Gram.Ratio -> ratio of Gram positive to Gram negative bacteria SWC.percent -> soil water content (%) at the time of sampling ExtrC.mg.g -> K2SO4-extractable soil carbon (mg/g dry weight) ExtrN.mg.g-> K2SO4-extractable soil nitrogen (mg/g dry weight) |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | None so far |
URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Drought_adaptation_modifies_soil_respiration_and_microbial_com... |
Description | Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab Steering Committee |
Organisation | Lancaster University |
Department | Lancaster Environment Centre |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I currently chair the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab Steering Committee, which oversees the running and scientific activities at the UK's longest-running scientific experiment, Buxton Cliamte Change Impacts Lab (BCCIL) |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Emma Sayer (Lancaster), and Dr Karl Evans (Sheffield) contribute to the project by providing input and advice at steering committee meetings, leading to joint management of the BCCIL site. |
Impact | We secured further funding from the ECT and from NERC to carry out additional scientific investigation at BCCIL and to keep the climate manipulations at Buxton running for a further four years. |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab Steering Committee |
Organisation | University of Sheffield |
Department | Department of Animal and Plant Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I currently chair the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab Steering Committee, which oversees the running and scientific activities at the UK's longest-running scientific experiment, Buxton Cliamte Change Impacts Lab (BCCIL) |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Emma Sayer (Lancaster), and Dr Karl Evans (Sheffield) contribute to the project by providing input and advice at steering committee meetings, leading to joint management of the BCCIL site. |
Impact | We secured further funding from the ECT and from NERC to carry out additional scientific investigation at BCCIL and to keep the climate manipulations at Buxton running for a further four years. |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | Purdue University |
Department | Department of Forestry and Natural Resources |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA |
Department | Agricultural Research Service |
Country | United States |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of California, Irvine |
Department | Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of California, Riverside |
Department | Department of Botany & Plant Sciences |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of Exeter |
Department | Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of Maine |
Department | School of Biology & Ecology |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of Massachusetts |
Department | Department of Environmental Conservation |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of New Hampshire |
Department | College of Life Sciences and Agriculture |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of Picardie Jules Verne |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of Seville |
Country | Spain |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Invasive species and climate change |
Organisation | University of Southampton |
Department | Ocean and Earth Science |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration involves: Cascade Sorte (University of California, Irvine) Regan Early (Exeter, UK) Amanda Bates (Southampton, UK) Bethany Bradley (University of Massachusetts) Montserrat Vilà (Seville) Jeffrey Diez (University of California, Riverside) Jeffrey Dukes (Purdue) Dana Blumenthal (USDA ARS Fort Collins) Jenica Allen (University of New Hapmshire) Jonathan Lenoir (Universite de Picardie) Jacquelyn Gill (University of Maine) This large collaboration involves several projects that aim to understand how the spread of invasive species may be enhanced or limited by climate change, and what the impacts of this will be on native ecosystems. My current contribution to one of the projects is in carrying out mixed model meta-analyses (statistical support). |
Collaborator Contribution | My partners within the meta-analysis project component of this collaboration have done literature searches and data extraction to prepare data for analysis. |
Impact | Bradley et al. 2019, PNAS 116 (20) 9919-9924. |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | Natural England - climate impacts on grasslands of conservation concern |
Organisation | Lancaster University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Sharing data and key messages arising from research at the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab. Co-planning and advising on research that can address current knowledge gaps in the conservation of grasslands in the context of climate change |
Collaborator Contribution | Identification of conservation practitioner needs, critical evaluation of research findings in the conservation context, co-planning future research to address the needs of conservation practice, hosting meetings virtually and providing meeting space for stakeholder meetings, support with field site identification and permissions |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Natural England - climate impacts on grasslands of conservation concern |
Organisation | Natural England |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Sharing data and key messages arising from research at the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab. Co-planning and advising on research that can address current knowledge gaps in the conservation of grasslands in the context of climate change |
Collaborator Contribution | Identification of conservation practitioner needs, critical evaluation of research findings in the conservation context, co-planning future research to address the needs of conservation practice, hosting meetings virtually and providing meeting space for stakeholder meetings, support with field site identification and permissions |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Natural England - climate impacts on grasslands of conservation concern |
Organisation | University of Sheffield |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Sharing data and key messages arising from research at the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab. Co-planning and advising on research that can address current knowledge gaps in the conservation of grasslands in the context of climate change |
Collaborator Contribution | Identification of conservation practitioner needs, critical evaluation of research findings in the conservation context, co-planning future research to address the needs of conservation practice, hosting meetings virtually and providing meeting space for stakeholder meetings, support with field site identification and permissions |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Plant-soil feedbacks under climatic and edaphic stress |
Organisation | Emorsgate Seeds |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | In this collaboration we wish to investigate the consequences of plant-soil-plant feedbacks for plant fitness and community structure. We are particularly interested in the effects of soil nutrient status and moisture availability on ecological structure. We have successfully applied for a small N8 AgriFood Fund grant to support this work, and have developed links with Emorsgate Seeds to establish an agronomically relevant study system. |
Collaborator Contribution | Marina Semchenko has led grant applications; Emorsgate Seeds have offered to provide material from possible study species that they hold in seed cultivation. |
Impact | None yet. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Plant-soil feedbacks under climatic and edaphic stress |
Organisation | University of Manchester |
Department | School of Earth and Environmental Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | In this collaboration we wish to investigate the consequences of plant-soil-plant feedbacks for plant fitness and community structure. We are particularly interested in the effects of soil nutrient status and moisture availability on ecological structure. We have successfully applied for a small N8 AgriFood Fund grant to support this work, and have developed links with Emorsgate Seeds to establish an agronomically relevant study system. |
Collaborator Contribution | Marina Semchenko has led grant applications; Emorsgate Seeds have offered to provide material from possible study species that they hold in seed cultivation. |
Impact | None yet. |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | Prof Honor C Prentice, Lund University, Sweden |
Organisation | Lund University |
Country | Sweden |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Drafting and contributing to joint grant proposals, commenting on manuscripts, knowledge exchange (methods and concepts). |
Collaborator Contribution | Drafting and contributing to joint grant proposals, commenting on manuscripts, knowledge exchange (methods and concepts). |
Impact | I won a British Ecological Society Early Career Project Grant (ECPG4011/4886; "Do geographically separated grassland plant populations share a common genetic response to selection by moisture stress?") to support work in collaboration with Prof Prentice. |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | Role of genetic diversity in determining grassland community structure under drought |
Organisation | French National Institute of Agricultural Research |
Department | Poitou-Charentes Research Center |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | I have collaborated with Dr Isabelle Litrico to investigate how genetic diversity within species from fertile grasslands alters grassland community structure. My role has been in guiding and carrying out data analyses. Together, we are discussing and refining possible mechanisms through which genetic diversity affects community structure. |
Collaborator Contribution | My partner at INRA has provided data from some of her experiments that have been run in Lusignan. |
Impact | No outputs as yet |
Start Year | 2016 |
Description | 3D Virtual Reality Tour of Buxton Cliamte Change Impacts Lab |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | In collaboration with the Ecological Continuity Trust and the media firm Stickee, Raj Whitlock created a 3D virtually reality tour of the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab. The video tour was edited and rendered by Stickee, and then loaded onto three virtual reality headsets. The headsets were exhibited at the British Ecological Society's Annual Meeting in Belfast in December 2019. More than 100 delegates took the VR tour. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | BBC Radio 4 Gardeners Question Time 16/09/17 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I and my group gave guided tours of climate change experiments, and led discussion sessions at BBC Radio 4's Gardeners Question Time 16/09/17, at Ness Gardens. Our tours and discussions were focussed on the responses of plant species to climate change. The intended purpose was to raise awareness in the general public, of how climate change impacts on plants, and the importance of plants and biodiversity to humans. The tours were well attended, and there were interesting questions at the end of the discussions. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Earth Sciences Fair, Ness Botanic Gardens 07/10/17 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We manned a stall in the Earth Sciences Fair, Ness Botanic Gardens 07/10/17. Members of the public were engaged with media commicating the amazing ways in which different plants disperse and move. Members of the public took part in a seed dispersal experiment, releasing seeds and seeing how far they could move or fly, and were also engaged with interactive media relating to plant movement. The aim was to increase awareness in the public of the importance of plants to humans, and to reveal the interesting ways in which plants can move. All, particularly children, were highly interested in and engaged with the stall. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Guided Tour of the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab for Sparsholt College Students |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | 14 Students from Sparsholt College visited the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab as part of their field course in the Derbyshire Dales. This led to an extended debate on the research findings from the site, and it was reported that the students found the experience valuable and inspiring. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Guided Tour of the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab for Sparsholt College Students, April 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Students from Sparsholt College visited the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab as part of their field course in the Derbyshire Dales. This led to an extended debate on the research findings from the site, and it was reported that the students found the experience valuable and inspiring. One student followed up the visit by participating in fieldwork with us during summer 2023 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Guided Tour of the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab for Sparsholt College Students, September 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Students from Sparsholt College visited the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab as part of their field course in the Derbyshire Dales. This led to an extended debate on the research findings from the site, and it was reported that the students found the experience valuable and inspiring. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Guided Tour of the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab for the Transition Buxton Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Members of the Transition Buxton group (https://www.transitionbuxton.co.uk/) visited the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab for a guided tour and discussion of research findings. There was a following debate on other local activities that researchers at the Climate Change Lab could become involved with, and we reached an agreement to meet again with a view to further interaction/ collaboration in 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.transitionbuxton.co.uk/ |
Description | Ness Family Science Fair for British Science Week 09/03/19 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Raj Whitlock's Research group ran outreach stalls in the Ness Botanic Gardens visitor centre. We ran make-a-plant and make-a-bug activities, magenetic games relating to molecular ecology and microbiology. We also ran botanical tours of Ness Gardens, led by Raj Whitlock |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar - Ness Family Science Fair 10/03/18 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | My research group hosted a stall at the Ness Family Science Fair 10/03/18 (Ness Botanic Gardens), where they engaged with the public under the theme of "plants, microbes and climate change". The public were engaged with activities, such as guess the number of bacteria in one millilitre of soil, and other interactive media. They showed lots of interest in the topic and related research work that my group are carrying out, and asked interesting, and sometimes challenging questions. The aim of the stall was to increase awareness of the importance of plants and soil microbes to humans, and and of how they may be impacted by cliamte change. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Public Lecture at Ness Botanic Gardens |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Raj Whitlock gave a public lecture on "plants and climate change: from genes to ecosystems" at Ness Botanic Gardens. About 60 members of the public attended the presentation. The audience asked probing questions afterwards, demonstrating that they had understood the content. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Supervision of a Nuffield scheme student |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | In 2018 and 2019, Christoph Hahn has taken on the supervision of a regional A-level student placed through the Nuffield foundation placement scheme. Students carried out small projects that relate to ongoing research in the field of climate change impacts. At the end of the project, each student presented their findings to the public in form of a poster presentation at the awards ceremony held at the University of Liverpool. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
Description | Video filming presentation on the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Raj Whitlock featured in a video/ film to promote the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab, and the research we do there |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTHxMcKKc6Q&feature=youtu.be |
Description | YouTube video Feature on Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab, November 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | YouTube video Feature on Buxton Climate Change Impacts Lab aired as part of "8 out of 10 Bats" with Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin, to launch the crowd funding campaign |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzqlrXWw0og |