Functional differentiation in response to environmental variability in two shrub line species of high-altitude Himalaya (2021-2023)
Dinesh Thakur, Zuzana Münzbergová
Funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions
The major aim of the proposal is to obtain novel insights into the ability of plant species to adapt to changing climatic conditions by exploring their functional differentiation along natural gradients. Specifically, we will elucidate adaptive strategies of long-lived shrub-line forming species with contrasting strategies to changing climatic conditions (in natural experimental settings). The study will allow disentangling the independent and combined effects of temperature and water availability on functional traits (morphological and biochemical) without confounding effects of other factors. The study will also enable to analyse the direction and magnitude of shift in trait values (as per trait driver theory) along climatic gradients and elucidate the relative role of various factors (e.g. climatic, spatial) causing functional trait variability (e.g. intra-individual to inter-population). We will get insights into specific traits that are favoured at particular climate (e.g. at colder and drier, colder and wet etc.). Further, combination gradients and virtual transplant experiment will allow to verify the direct link between species of traits and climatic conditions, at short and long temporal scales, respectively.
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101038052
Collaborators:
The Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Germany – Prof. Dr. Ingolf Kühn
CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT), India