Research topics

The impact of planetary changes on biological diversity and their consequences for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems constitutes the general topic of our team. Our principle study models are plant communities, macroinvertebrates, and soil microorganisms in temperate, Mediterranean, and tropical ecosystems.

We use experimental and modelling approaches in both the field and in controlled conditions. These approaches allow us to better understand on one hand, the importance of biodiversity on carbon and nutrient fluxes in plant-soil systems and on the other hand, the importance of biological interactions in ecosystem functioning in different planetary change scenarios. We stress the processes aspect of our models and the mechanisms that underline the link between ecosystem biodiversity and functioning. We coordinate and participate in numerous national and international projects.

Key words

Ecosystem biodiversity and functioning | Climate changes | Nutrient cycles | Atmospheric CO2 increase | Decomposition | Detritivores | Macroinvertebrates | Functional diversity | Microbial ecology | Amazonian forest