Co-ordinator : V. Wolters
DEGREE (Diversity Effects in Grassland Ecosystems of Europe) aims at investigating the modifications in the diversity of soil biota in typical European grassland ecosystems under climatic change, and the functional impact of these modifications on plant nutrient availability.
DEGREE focuses on a particular subsystem of the soil ecosystem, which consists of three major compartments:
This subsystem is seen as a model system for investigating diversity-function relationships. It is qualified for this purpose by its high functional and taxonomic diversity and redundance within the compartments, and by close links between the compartments.
Diversity of nematodes and microflora is measured at three levels of structural integration:
C and N-fluxes are assessed by analysing major element pools (total, soluble, microbial C and N), by measuring soil respiration, and by calculating metabolic rates for the recorded nematofauna.
Six research sites have been chosen corresponding to a classification of the six major European grassland ecosystem types:
These sites span a cross transect across Europe and cover a temperature (North-South) and an aridity (West-East) gradient.
contact :
Volkmar Wolters
Justus Liebig University,
Institute of Zoology
Stephanstrasse 24,
D-35390 Giessen,
Germany
Tel + 49 641 99 35620 / 35621
Fax + 49 641 99 35629
Volkmar.Wolters@allzool.bio.uni-giessen.de
web site :
http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gf1019/degree/deg-indx.htm