Pamela Medina-van Berkum: Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defences in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Pamela Medina-van Berkum discusses her paper “Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defences in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: About the paper Plants face many challenges when they spread to new places. Our research focused on a plant called ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), which is common across … Continue reading Pamela Medina-van Berkum: Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defences in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations

Tuğcan Alınç: Exploring multitrophic interactions: How beneficial soil microbes boost indirect plant defenses against herbivores

In our new post, Tuğcan Alınç, postdoctoral research at University of Palermo, presents his work ‘Root inoculation with beneficial soil microbes enhances indirect plant defenses induced by insect feeding and egg deposition’. He unveils the wonderful complexity of biotic interactions, discusses the importance of indirect paths for sustainable agriculture, and shares his inspiring visits to his grandfather’s farm.  About the paper  Plants have evolved various … Continue reading Tuğcan Alınç: Exploring multitrophic interactions: How beneficial soil microbes boost indirect plant defenses against herbivores

Pablo Castro Sánchez-Bermejo, Henriette Christel, Michael Köhler, Julia Imola Piko, Lena Sachsenmaier: TreeDì—Understanding tree diversity effects on Chinese subtropical forests

In this new post, the group – PhD students at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany – discuss their experiences working on the BEF-China experiment, the joys of fieldwork, and what the future holds for them. Profile We are a group of PhD students—at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Germany—interested in diverse facets of Biodiversity-Ecosystem-Functioning (BEF) research … Continue reading Pablo Castro Sánchez-Bermejo, Henriette Christel, Michael Köhler, Julia Imola Piko, Lena Sachsenmaier: TreeDì—Understanding tree diversity effects on Chinese subtropical forests