Chargé de Recherche CNRS

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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Felix-De-Tombeur-2

Research interests

Soil scientist fascinated by plant ecophysiology, my research focusses on soil-plant interactions in both natural and controlled conditions. I am particularly interested in silicon (Si), a major component of the Earth’s crust and soils, that is increasingly considered as a key element in plant ecology and agriculture through the fantastic process of biosilicification (mineral deposits in plant organs as seen on the left).

Research thematic

I combine expertise in soil science and plant ecophysiology to work on three different research axes:

• The influence of soil properties, and in particular their evolution over time through the use of long-term chronosequences, on silicon cycling (e.g., soil Si pools and fluxes, Si availability for plants, Si uptake by plants and silicification, biological versus lithological control on Si cycling)
• The control of overlooked biotic factors on soil-plant Si mobility (e.g., soil microorganisms, large herbivores, root exudates), and how they could be leveraged to increase crop Si status through specific agricultural practices.
• Developing functional trait-based approaches to better understand the role and functions of Si and silicification in plant ecophysiology, and how it aligns with major ecological theories (plant growth/defense tradeoff, plant economics spectrum, resource availability hypothesis, etc.).

Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QZdjQjwAAAAJ&hl=fr