Drivers of vegetation in insular systems: Towards an integrative approach for functional island biogeography

• Applicant: Dr. Julian Schrader
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2020 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 440779035

This project investigates how vegetation responds to landscape fragmentation, invasive species, and disturbances through the lens of plant functional traits, using the Fijian islands as a model system. Functional traits characterise species ecological adaptations and directly link to ecosystem processes. In principle, islands are ideal models as their plant communities are easily observed and the vegetation dynamics resemble those of fragmented landscapes. However, no comprehensive attempt has yet been made to connect plant traits with species occurrences in an island system. This project addresses this gap by interlinking plant species occurrences at different spatial scales on the islands of Fiji with functional traits, thereby building new understanding of fundamental ecological processes, with clear implications for conservation practice.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Australia, Spain
• Hosts: Professor Dr. José Maria Fernández-Palacios; Professor Dr. Mark Westoby; Professor Dr. Ian Wright