Exploring the Diversity-Productivity Relationship
Class
Article
Department
Wildland Resources
Faculty Mentor
Andrew Kulmatiski
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Polycultures tend to be more productive than monocultures. For example, experimental plots with 16-species communities are capable of producing twice as much biomass as monocultures. Our research seeks to explore this phenomenon by examining plant-soil feedbacks as a factor in the diversity-productivity relationship. Our goals with this research are to: 1. Measure plant-soil feedbacks on several sites which have a history of diversity-productivity studies. 2. Use our plant-soil feedback measurements in conjunction with diversity-productivity measurements to model plant productivity and to test plant-soil feedback effects. 3. Use next-generation genetic techniques to describe the soil microbes and fungi associated with each plant species.
Start Date
4-9-2015 3:00 PM
Exploring the Diversity-Productivity Relationship
Polycultures tend to be more productive than monocultures. For example, experimental plots with 16-species communities are capable of producing twice as much biomass as monocultures. Our research seeks to explore this phenomenon by examining plant-soil feedbacks as a factor in the diversity-productivity relationship. Our goals with this research are to: 1. Measure plant-soil feedbacks on several sites which have a history of diversity-productivity studies. 2. Use our plant-soil feedback measurements in conjunction with diversity-productivity measurements to model plant productivity and to test plant-soil feedback effects. 3. Use next-generation genetic techniques to describe the soil microbes and fungi associated with each plant species.