Hi Everyone, The 2017 ESA theme is "Linking Linking biodiversity, material cycling and ecosystem services in a changing world" and I am excited to propose an organised oral session for that will explore an important related topic. I am hoping to gather three more contributed talks for this proposed session. Please email me as soon as possible if you think your research speaks to this theme and would like to take part. The session description and information is below, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you, Alicia Title: Illuminating the role of roots in plant competition and coexistence Principal Organizer & Moderator: Alicia Foxx, Northwestern University and The Chicago Botanic Garden [email protected] Session Description: In most biomes, the majority of plant biomass is found belowground, and the intensity and outcomes of plant-plant interactions driven strongly by roots and belowground processes. For this reason, the role that roots and their niches play in determining competitive ability and outcomes, and thus maintaining biodiversity, is critically important but poorly understood. Correspondingly, modern coexistence theory and community assembly frameworks that seek to disentangle the processes involved in biodiversity maintenance have long acknowledged the role of competition, but we lack a clear understanding of how roots are implicated in these mechanisms. Much of what is known has been ascertained through studies that focus on aboveground competition and processes. However, the environment experienced by roots and shoots significantly differs over space and time, and thus differing responses are required for the plant to persist. Furthermore, with remarkable amounts of root plasticity and evidence of cooperation, these aspects may have interesting implications on the resultant community diversity. This session is proposed to review contemporary studies by root biologists, mycologists, and workers in the phyllosphere, in competition, coexistence, and community assembly to identify new findings, gaps in knowledge, and the direction of future research to improve our understanding of the maintenance of diversity in plant communities by incorporating a more comprehensive understanding of what is going on belowground. This session will cover the role of roots in competition, moving towards their impact on communities and how different traits affect coexistence through competitive outcomes. We will also explore recent advances in coexistence theory from aboveground research as a launching point to incorporate the role of belowground traits and interactions. Furthermore, we will explore how associations with mycorrhizae interact with roots to determine competitive outcomes and influence coexistence in plant communities. We will also explore ecosystem processes and links to coexistence – further integrating the Ecological Society of America’s 102nd conference theme. This session seeks to add to the knowledge base of contemporary and persistent issues in ecology, and includes speakers from broad research areas who will speak on theoretical and applied implications. This lends itself to being of interest to many attendees. ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------- *Alicia Foxx* PhD Student Plant Biology and Conservation Northwestern University & The Chicago Botanic Garden http://www.plantbiology.northwestern.edu/peo ple/graduate-students/alicia-foxx.html <http://www.plantbiology.northwestern.edu/people/graduate-students/alicia-foxx.html>
