Abstract:
Global change drivers restructure communities, are major drivers of biodiversity decline, and thus destabilize ecosystems. Nonetheless, some individuals, species, and communities better tolerate environmental stresses than others suggesting specific mechanisms increasing their resilience and resistance. In my talk I will explore two mechanisms underlying ecosystem stability and plant tolerance: 1) Response diversity, which is the ability of some species to compensate for the loss of others due to different responses to environmental changes, has been identified as an important but understudied component of biodiversity that facilitates ecosystem stability. 2) Rapid natural modulations of the plant microbiome within or across plant individuals affect plant phenotype and performance, and thus increase plant tolerance to environmental stresses. Understanding these mechanisms will help to inform conservation efforts protecting natural or restoring degraded ecosystems.
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Robert R. Junker
Affiliation: Marburg University, Germany
Time: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Venue: The Conference Hall in XTBG
Online: Tencent Meeting Platform, ID: 856 320 793
