Digging deeper: contribution of belowground plant traits to the functioning of tropical old-growth grasslands

• Grant number: 16/13232-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal researcher: Alessandra Tomaselli Fidelis
• Grantee: Soizig Anne Le Stradic
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/06743-0 - How does fire season affect Cerrado vegetation?, AP.JP
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/03755-6 - Impact of fire history on root architectural and morphological functional parameters in campo sujo communities, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Misperceptions and lack of knowledge about the tropical Old-Growth Grasslands (OGGs) contribute to their destruction, especially due to projects promoting their conversion for agriculture or tree plantations according current carbon compensation policies. First objective of this project is to assess distribution and diversity of root Functional Parameters (FP), including architectural and morphological FP, and Underground Storage Organ (USO) diversity, at the community level, between different OGGs occurring along a productivity gradient and along different fire regimes, and in the context of the resource economic spectrum. The second objective aims to better understand biomass allocation in OGGs and to examine how root functional structure can impact on ecosystem functioning, specifically soil carbon inputs and its consequence for carbon stock in the selected OGGs. We selected three different OGGs from South America, occurring along a productivity gradient: the campos rupestres, the campos sujos, and the campos úmidos. Experimental protocol will include vegetation survey, aboveground biomass assessment, and underground storage organs analysis, analysis of root architecture and morphological FP and soil analysis using the sequential coring method. Fifteen sites will be selected and five plots per site will be randomly defined. Soil core samples will be carried out each 10 cm depth from the surface to the maximum soil depth (or up to 2m for deeper soils) for soil analysis and root trait measures. This project is designed for 2 years, aims to publish at least 4 scientific papers and intents also to contribute to provide data to global root databases. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LE STRADIC, SOIZIG; ROUMET, CATHERINE; DURIGAN, GISELDA; CANCIAN, LEONARDO; FIDELIS, ALESSANDRA. Variation in biomass allocation and root functional parameters in response to fire history in Brazilian savannas. JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, v. 109, n. 12, OCT 2021. (16/13232-5, 15/06743-0, 18/03755-6)

BUISSON, ELISE; LE STRADIC, SOIZIG; SILVEIRA, FERNANDO A. O.; DURIGAN, GISELDA; OVERBECK, GERHARD E.; FIDELIS, ALESSANDRA; WILSON FERNANDES, G.; BOND, WILLIAM J.; HERMANN, JULIA-MARIA; MAHY, GREGORY; et al. Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and grassy woodlands. BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, v. 94, n. 2, p. 590-609, APR 2019. (16/13232-5, 18/03755-6, 17/14236-7, 15/06743-0, 14/12728-1)

LE STRADIC, SOIZIG; FERNANDES, GERALDO W.; BUISSON, ELISE. No recovery of campo rupestre grasslands after gravel extraction: implications for conservation and restoration. RESTORATION ECOLOGY, v. 26, n. 2, SI, p. S151-S159, JUN 2018. (16/13232-5)