Dear all This is to announce you the availability of a highly attractive field setting for future research on the interaction between phylogeny, species assembly and microevolution: A set of oak trees with phylogenetically closely and distantly related neighbors, with replicates established in a block design, 20 minutes from the city of Rennes, France (http://www.tourisme-rennes.com/en/home.aspx, http://www.brittanytourism.com/about-brittany/nature ).
This setting permits to study what happens when a host breaks with phylogenetic conservatism of niches and approaches distantly related species. We just now have extensive knowledge on what happens for phytophage assembly and phytophagy, on how this is transmitted to parasitoids and predators, on what happens to mycorrhiza assembly and activity, and to decomposition processes. We also know a full range of covariables like leaf chemistry, microclimate, phenology, soil parameters, canopy composition tree growth and spatial scaling. This project has already resulted in high ranking publications (Ecology Letters etc., see below list). Part of these data have been little explored so far and might be of intrest for some. More importantly, many other questions have not been treated so far such as reproductive success of the oaks; the dispersal loop; recruitment; nutrient fluxes within ecosystems; local adaptation and plasticity and drift in host, phytophages, parasitoids and the mycorrhiza; consequences for wood production or response to climatic fluctuations, etc. I consider this an exciting phase: an experimental setting with an exceptional availability of information permitting to study timely questions on the interaction between macroevolution, assembly of local communities and the microevolution within these communities – i.e. to look at true ecoevolutionary scenarios instead of using phylogeny only as a proxy to infer present ecological assembly processes. I hence want to invite others to participate in our local research. I can offer some degree of technical support and limited bench fees, and help in putting together proposals for individuals that want to come (invited PhD and invited docent positions are relatively straightforward to get, but there may be many other funding opportunities from your home countries/universities out there). If interested – please contact me (at [email protected]). Best regards Andreas Prinzing recent publications from the project Yguel, B., Bailey, R.; Everhart, D.; Vialatte, A., Vasseur, C., Vitrac, X. & Prinzing, A. (2011). Phytophagy on phylogenetically isolated trees: why hosts should escape their relatives. Ecology Letters, 14, 1117–1124 Vialatte, A., Bailey, R., Vasseur, C., Matocq, A., Goßner, M., Everhart, D., Vitrac, X., Belhadj, A., Ernoult, A.; & Prinzing, A. (2010) Phylogenetic isolation of host trees affects assembly of local Heteroptera communities. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B, 227, 2227-2236 Goßner, M., Chao, A., Bailey, R. & Prinzing, A. (2009) Native fauna on exotic trees: Phylogenetic conservatism and geographic contingency in two lineages of phytophages on two lineages of trees. American Naturalist, 173,599-614. [related:] Gerhold, P., Pärtel, M., Tackenberg, O., Hennekens, S.M., Bartish, I.V., Schaminée, J.H.J., Fergus, A.J.F. Ozinga, W.A., & Prinzing, A. (2011). Phylogenetically poor plant communities receive more alien species, which more easily coexist with natives. American Naturalist, 177, 668-680 ------------------------------ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Andreas Prinzing, Prof. Ecology of Diversification Research Unit "Ecobio" : Ecosystems - Biodiversity - Evolution Structure and Dynamics of Diversity team Université Rennes 1 / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A 35042 Rennes, France Tel : +33 2 23 23 67 12; fax: +33 2 23 23 50 26 [email protected] http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/Fiches_perso/Fiche.asp?pseudo=APrinzing http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/Fiches_perso/Banque/publi1_APrinzing.doc
