Started research on the experimental sites
Several research projects have already started on the site, they are listed below. Due to the relatively slow development of forest ecosystems, only the first research results of the experimental sites are becoming available now. On the longer run, this experiment will potentially keep on yielding very valuable outputs.
| Monitoring of survival and growth rate of trees in FORBIO sites | |
|---|---|
| Starting point | 2011 |
| Goal | To check the survival and growth rate of trees at the plots and to explain possible patterns in mortality or growth differentiation (link with tree diversity level?). |
| Kind of research | Follow-up study, by Ghent University and University of Louvain-la-Neuve |
| More information | Prof. Kris Verheyen and Prof. Quentin Ponette |
| Characterization of understorey vegetation of FORBIO sites | |
|---|---|
| Starting point | 2011 |
| Goal | To make an inventory of the vegetation on the different FORBIO-sites. In this way, a foundation and a basis of comparison is layed for future research. |
| Kind of research | Follow-up study, by Ghent University |
| More information | Prof. Kris Verheyen |
Related research
Besides the research on the FORBIO sites, there is also related research going on about forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Some examples are listed below:
| Nutritional interactions in mixed forest: occurrence and mechanisms | |
|---|---|
| Starting point | 2010 |
| Goal |
This research will focus on the quantification of nutritional interactions in mixed-species forest stands and on the corresponding traits involved at tree level. It will combine statistical and functional approaches in order to reach three goals: 1) To assess the relative importance of site versus tree species composition in the mineral nutrition of two target broadleaf tree species (Quercus Petraea Lieblein and Fagus sylvatica L.), a correlation analysis between selected nutritional variables and neighbourhood tree species composition will be carried out on several sites. More precisely, two nutritional variables have been selected: leaf nutrient content and nutrient accumulation on resins placed at the interface between mineral and holorganic horizons at least over one year. 2) To investigate the diversity of tree nutrient strategies at the tree level by measuring functional indicators (Nutrient Use Efficiency, resorption efficiency and internal nutrient distribution) on a range of tree species associated with the various successional stages of selected successions on mesic acid soils of Western-Central Europe. Results will allow interpreting possible correlations observed in 1). 3) To link tree nutrient strategies with a set of traits defining the niche occupied by the corresponding species |
| Kind of research | PhD research, at University of Louvain-La-Neuve |
| More information | Jordan Guiz |
| Promoters | Prof. Quentin Ponette and Prof. Kris Verheyen |
| Experimental assessment of early tree diversity effects on tree growth, litter decomposition and herbivory | |
|---|---|
| Starting point | 2011 |
| Goal |
The loss of biodiversity may affect ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service provisioning, since ecosystem processes depend on the presence of specific number of functional groups, species, and genotypes of organisms. Recent studies in the grassland ecosystem showed that increasing plant diversity may have various positive effects, e.g. a higher productivity, higher turnover rates of organic matter through decomposition and nutrient cycling, increased resistance to pests and diseases, also reduced herbivory. However, little is known about the effects of biodiversity in forest ecosystem. This research aimed to investigate the developing relationships between tree diversity and tree growth, litter decomposition and herbivory in a recently established, large-scaled biodiversity experiment (FORBIO; see www.forbio.biodiversity.be for more info) in Belgium. The research will be divided into four main work package : 1) Assessment of early tree growth patterns of different species in monocultures and mixed plots, 2) Estimation of leaf decomposition rates by measuring leaf mass loss in litter bags composed of single species and increasingly diverse mixtures, 3) Assessment of early patterns and diversity of invertebrate herbivory on monoculture and mixed plots, and 4) Assessment of understorey-overstorey interactions using a herbaceous phytometer. |
| Kind of research | PhD research, at Ghent University |
| More information | Nuri Nurlaila Setiawan |
| Promoter | Prof. Kris Verheyen |
FunDivEUROPE
The FORBIO experimental sites are part of the experimental platform of the FunDivEUROPE project, a large-scale project about the functional significance of forest biodiversity in Europe that combines the strengths of experimental (e.g., FORBIO), observational and modelling approaches.
More information about FunDivEUROPE can be found at the project's website: http://www.fundiveurope.eu/.
Your thesis research?
It is possible to do research on the FORBIO sites and write your master thesis about it, following proposals are available:
| Does a young tree’s neighbourhood affect its growth and performance? | |
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| About | The growth and performance of the individual planted trees will shape the developing forest stands in the different plots. The growth of an individual tree is driven by its own growth characteristics and the interaction with its neighbours. FORBIO’s set-up allows testing the effects of the species richness and species identity of a tree’s local neighbours. In this thesis, a tree’s performance will be investigated based on basic dendrometric measures and leaf traits that reflect the ‘happiness’ of the growing tree, e.g., nutrient content or leaf mass per area. The fieldwork will be done at the Zedelgem or Gedinne site. The results of the thesis will provide insight in the neighbourhood effects on early tree growth and will be particularly relevant for the design of future mixed tree plantations. |
| Kind of research | Master thesis |
| Institute | Ghent University, University of Louvain-la-Neuve |
| More information | |
| Can NIRS help to distinguish fine roots of different tree species? | |
|---|---|
| About | Both above- and belowground interactions between individual trees will affect tree growth and stand development in the different plots. The investigation of belowground interactions in mixed forests has, however, been largely constrained by the difficulties in distinguishing the roots of different species. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a technique that has been recently used for the first time to predict the proportion of woody fine roots in mixed root samples. The objective of this thesis is to test whether the fine roots of the FORBIO tree species can be distinguished with NIRS. Root samples will be collected at the Zedelgem or Gedinne site. |
| Kind of research | Master thesis |
| Institute | Ghent University |
| More information | |
| Assessment of early patterns of pest and pathogen in monoculture and mixed forest plantations | |
|---|---|
| About | Mixed tree species stands are considered more resistant to pest and diseases and show reduced levels of herbivory. One possible explanation for this lower susceptibility to herbivory is the resource concentration hypothesis where in more diverse tree communities, individual tree species are less easy to find by the herbivore. The objective of this master thesis is to observe the patterns and damage caused by pest and pathogen attacks in plots with increasing tree species diversity. The damage assessment will be done using a scoring system of three damage symptoms, i.e., defoliation, discoloration, and shoot damage, during early summer (July 2013). The causal agent for the defoliation symptoms will be estimated based on different groups, i.e., fungi, leaf chewers, and skeletonizers. |
| Kind of research | Master thesis |
| Institute | Ghent University |
| More information | |
| Does arthropod diversity differ between monoculture and mixed forest plantations? | |
|---|---|
| About | The underlying mechanism behind the functional role of plant biodiversity can be divided into two different effects. The “complementarity effect” is caused by niche differentiation and facilitation processes that can increase the performance of the communities. The second effect relates to selective process that can cause the dominance of species with particular traits. The objective of this research is to observe the patterns and diversity of arthropod communities along a tree species diversity gradient. The assessment of arthropod diversity will be done by vacuum sampling in mid-summer (July-August) 2013. |
| Kind of research | Master thesis |
| Institute | Ghent University |
| More information | |
Within given site conditions, individual tree growth is influenced by its own characteristics, as well as by those of its neighborhood. Mixed-species stands offer a potentially wide range of neighborhoods, which may result in quite contrasting growth patterns for individuals of similar species. Using existing height and diameter growth data of carefully selected target trees, this master thesis will further document relevant tree and neighborhood characteristics as candidate variables to explain the variability of tree response. Individual trees will be characterized in terms of leaf area, leaf area ratio, and growing period. In addition to basic dendrometric measurements, the light conditions of the neighborhood will be characterized in details. This work will be carried out either in the Gedinne or in the Zedelgem site.
How is individual tree growth affected by its neigborhood in mixed-species stands?
About
Kind of research
Master thesis
Institute
University of Louvain-la-Neuve
More information
Prof Quentin Ponette
Please feel free to contact us if you are interested. It is also possible to propose a subject yourself!
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Are you interested to do research within the FORBIO framework? Contact one of our partners to talk about research options! |
