Crossing fields to future-proof multi-faceted landscapes
Casparus Crous
cE3c Post-doctoral Researcher
Biotic communities globally are increasingly being disturbed due to agricultural and urban expansion. The reality is that the multifaceted landscapes can function well, but there is often a lack of data supporting the management of such initiatives – across all hierarchies of needs. Thus, a knowledge-alliance is critical to more clearly articulate conservation priorities in changing environments. In this talk, I introduce my past and current research interests, and hope to explain how being a specialist generalist fits into sustaining agro-ecosystems.
I firstly discuss the concept of the mesofilter, which are considered biotic or abiotic ecosystem elements that are critical to the well-being of many species. These mesofilters are helpful in explaining spatial heterogeneity in communities across landscapes. Furthermore, they articulate the need to better manage landscape complexity. For example, should we manage certain ecosystem elements, which can be rare in the landscape, differently than the overall landscape?
I further discuss some interesting hypotheses related to why a non-native plant may establish in the first place, and why some may eventually also become invasive in a particular vegetation biome. I also discuss the use of ecophysiological approaches to obtain more mechanistic data when we predict the future dispersion patterns of native and non-native species.
Thursday, 17th March 2016
FCUL (C6 Building) – 12.00h-13.00h – Room 6.2.51
