The Experts below are selected from a list of 231 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Delphine Moreau - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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trait based characterisation of soil exploitation strategies of banana weeds and Cover Plant species
PLOS ONE, 2017Co-Authors: Florence Tardy, Gaelle Damour, Marc Dorel, Delphine MoreauAbstract:Cover Plants can be introduced in cropping systems to provide agroecosystem services, including weed control via competition for resources. There is currently no consensus on how to identify the best Cover Plant species, while trait-based approaches are promising for screening Plant species due to their agroecosystem service provision potential. This study was carried out to characterize soil exploitation strategies of Cover Plant species in banana agroecosystems using a trait-based approach, and in turn identify Cover Plant species with a high weed control potential via competition for soil resources in banana cropping systems. A field experiment was conducted on 17 Cover Plant species, two weed species and two banana cultivars grown individually. Four functional traits were measured. Two of them (i.e., the size of the zone explored by roots and the root impact density) were used to characterize root system soil exploration patterns. Two other traits (i.e., specific root length and root diameter) were used to characterize resource acquisition within the soil zone explored by the roots. All studied traits exhibited marked variations among species. The findings suggested a trade-off between the abilities of species to develop a limited number of large diameter roots exploring a large soil zone versus many thin roots exploring a smaller soil zone. Three soil-resource exploitation strategies were identified among species: (i) with large diameter roots that explore a large soil zone; (ii) with small diameter roots and a high specific length that explore a smaller soil zone; and (iii) with a high total root-impact density and an intermediate specific root length that explore the uppermost soil layers. Interestingly, in our panel of species, no correlations with regard to belowground and aboveground strategies were noted: species with an acquisitive belowground strategy could display an acquisitive or a conservative aboveground strategy. The findings of this study illustrated that a trait-based approach could be used to identify Plant species with potential for competing with weeds, while minimising competition with banana. Six of the 17 studied Cover crop species were identified as having this potential. The next step will be to assess them for their weed control performances in banana cropping systems with low reliance on herbicides. (Resume d'auteur)
Anne Birgitte Nielsen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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pollen based quantitative reconstructions of holocene regional vegetation Cover Plant functional types and land Cover types in europe suitable for climate modelling
Global Change Biology, 2015Co-Authors: Annakari Trondman, Mariejose Gaillard, Florence Mazier, Shinya Sugita, Ralph Fyfe, Anne Birgitte Nielsen, Claire TwiddleAbstract:We present quantitative reconstructions of regional vegetation Cover in north-western Europe, western Europe north of the Alps, and eastern Europe for five time windows in the Holocene [around 6k, 3k, 0.5k, 0.2k, and 0.05k calendar years before present (BP)] at a 1° 9 1° spatial scale with the objective of producing vegetation descriptions suitable for climate modelling. The REVEALS model was applied on 636 pollen records from lakes and bogs to reconstruct the past Cover of 25 Plant taxa grouped into 10 Plant-functional types and three land-Cover types [evergreen trees,summer-green (deciduous) trees, and open land]. The model corrects for some of the biases in pollen percentages by using pollen productivity estimates and fall speeds of pollen, and by applying simple but robust models of pollen dispersal and deposition. The emerging patterns of tree migration and deforestation between 6k BP and modern time in the REVEALS estimates agree with our general understanding of the vegetation history of Europe based on pollen percentages. However, the degree of anthropogenic deforestation (i.e. Cover of cultivated and grazing land) at 3k, 0.5k, and 0.2k BP is significantly higher than deduced from pollen percentages. This is also the case at 6k in some parts of Europe, in particular Britain and Ireland. Furthermore, the relationship between summer-green and evergreen trees, and between individual tree taxa, differs significantly when expressed as pollen percentages or as REVEALS estimates of tree Cover. For instance, when Pinus is dominant over Picea as pollen percentages, Picea is dominant over Pinus as REVEALS estimates. These differences play a major role in the reconstruction of European landscapes and for the study of land Cover–climate interactions, biodiversity and human resources.
Begona Peco - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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spreading topsoil encourages ecological restoration on embankments soil fertility microbial activity and vegetation Cover
PLOS ONE, 2014Co-Authors: Desiree Rivera, Violeta Mejias, Berta M Jauregui, Marga Costatenorio, Ana I Lopezarchilla, Begona PecoAbstract:The construction of linear transport infrastructure has severe effects on ecosystem functions and properties, and the restoration of the associated roadslopes contributes to reduce its impact. This restoration is usually approached from the perspective of Plant Cover regeneration, ignoring Plant-soil interactions and the consequences for Plant growth. The addition of a 30 cm layer of topsoil is a common practice in roadslope restoration projects to increase vegetation reCovery. However topsoil is a scarce resource. This study assesses the effects of topsoil spreading and its depth (10 to 30 cm) on two surrogates of microbial activity (β-glucosidase and phosphatase enzymes activity and soil respiration), and on Plant Cover, Plant species richness and floristic composition of embankment vegetation. The study also evaluates the differences in selected physic-chemical properties related to soil fertility between topsoil and the original embankment substrate. Topsoil was found to have higher values of organic matter (11%), nitrogen (44%), assimilable phosphorous (50%) and silt content (54%) than the original embankment substrate. The topsoil spreading treatment increased microbial activity, and its application increased β-glucosidase activity (45%), phosphatase activity (57%) and soil respiration (60%). Depth seemed to affect soil respiration, β-glucosidase and phosphatase activity. Topsoil application also enhanced the species richness of restored embankments in relation to controls. Nevertheless, the depth of the spread topsoil did not significantly affect the resulting Plant Cover, species richness or floristic composition, suggesting that both depths could have similar effects on short-term reCovery of the vegetation Cover. A significant implication of these results is that it permits the application of thinner topsoil layers, with major savings in this scarce resource during the subsequent slope restoration work, but the quality of topsoil relative to the original substrate should be previously assessed on a site by site basis.
Kelly Wessell - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the relationships between Plant diversity Plant Cover Plant biomass and soil fertility vary with grassland type on qinghai tibetan plateau
Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2019Co-Authors: Moses Fayiah, Shikui Dong, Yu Li, Yudan Xu, Shuai Li, Hao Shen, Jiannan Xiao, Yunfeng Yang, Kelly WessellAbstract:Abstract Biodiversity studies of grassland communities on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) produced dynamic results due mainly to environmental factors and anthropogenic activities. This study was designed to compare the Plant diversity, Plant biomass, Plant tottal Cover across different types of grasslands on the QTP. The various relationships between Plant diversity indices such as Shannon-Weiner, Simpson, Evenness, and Plant biomass, Plant Cover and soil elements were examined through correlation analysis. Further investigation was performed to examine the Plant soil fertility-Plant biomass and Plant Cover-Plant biomass relationship using simple linear regression. We found a weak positive relationship between Evennes index and Plant biomass, while a positive relationship was detected between Plant Cover and Plant biomass. We suggested that grassland types and grazing affected the Plant diversity-biomass-Cover relationships on the QTP. Soil nitrogen (N), carbon (C), phosphorus (P) and Magnesium (Mg) were positively correlated with Plant biomass, suggesting that soil nutrients rather than Plant diversity played critical roles in regulating Plant biomass accumulation in alpine grasslands. For a comprehensive understanding of the interconnections between Plant diversity, Plant Cover, soil fertility and Plant biomass, more studies should be done to probe into these relations and hence make a decision along this path.
Florence Tardy - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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trait based characterisation of soil exploitation strategies of banana weeds and Cover Plant species
PLOS ONE, 2017Co-Authors: Florence Tardy, Gaelle Damour, Marc Dorel, Delphine MoreauAbstract:Cover Plants can be introduced in cropping systems to provide agroecosystem services, including weed control via competition for resources. There is currently no consensus on how to identify the best Cover Plant species, while trait-based approaches are promising for screening Plant species due to their agroecosystem service provision potential. This study was carried out to characterize soil exploitation strategies of Cover Plant species in banana agroecosystems using a trait-based approach, and in turn identify Cover Plant species with a high weed control potential via competition for soil resources in banana cropping systems. A field experiment was conducted on 17 Cover Plant species, two weed species and two banana cultivars grown individually. Four functional traits were measured. Two of them (i.e., the size of the zone explored by roots and the root impact density) were used to characterize root system soil exploration patterns. Two other traits (i.e., specific root length and root diameter) were used to characterize resource acquisition within the soil zone explored by the roots. All studied traits exhibited marked variations among species. The findings suggested a trade-off between the abilities of species to develop a limited number of large diameter roots exploring a large soil zone versus many thin roots exploring a smaller soil zone. Three soil-resource exploitation strategies were identified among species: (i) with large diameter roots that explore a large soil zone; (ii) with small diameter roots and a high specific length that explore a smaller soil zone; and (iii) with a high total root-impact density and an intermediate specific root length that explore the uppermost soil layers. Interestingly, in our panel of species, no correlations with regard to belowground and aboveground strategies were noted: species with an acquisitive belowground strategy could display an acquisitive or a conservative aboveground strategy. The findings of this study illustrated that a trait-based approach could be used to identify Plant species with potential for competing with weeds, while minimising competition with banana. Six of the 17 studied Cover crop species were identified as having this potential. The next step will be to assess them for their weed control performances in banana cropping systems with low reliance on herbicides. (Resume d'auteur)
