Seminars of Department of Botany and Centre of Excellence EcolChange
Speaker: Marina Semchenko is a senior researcher at our Department of Botany, in the Plant Ecology work group. Her main research focus is on biotic interactions between plants, including the role of root exudates and soil microbes in mediating plant-plant interactions, especially from an evolutionary point of view.
Title of the talk: Plant-soil feedbacks: current trends and known unknowns
Time: Thursday, 15. October 2020 at 14.15
Place: Tartu, Lai 40-218 (Vaga auditorium), or virtual link in the MS Teams group.
Summary: Environmental gradients and plant functional traits have been key to explaining local and global patterns of plant diversity and primary production. It is increasingly recognised that soil microorganisms also play a critical role in promoting plant species co-existence and regulating ecosystem functioning. Studies ranging from temperate grasslands to tropical forests suggest that these effects are driven by the accumulation of host-specific pathogenic fungi in soil and associated suppression of locally abundant plant species, a phenomenon known as negative plant-soil feedback. However, the identity and characteristics of pathogenic fungi involved in negative plant-soil feedback remain largely unknown, as do the links between plant-fungal interactions, plant traits and soil abiotic context.
For everyone to stay as healthy as possible, please be reminded that wearing a face mask is mandatory. Please bring your own mask. Most importantly, don’t attend when you feel sick.
EcolChange 