Thesis supervisor: Sándor Bartha
Location of studies (in Hungarian): SZIE MKK Abbreviation of location of studies: SZIE
Description of the research topic:
Grasslands are characterized with high spatiotemporal variability especially at fine scales. We will study the dynamic consequences of this dynamic heterogeneity by State-Transition Modelling (STM). STM provides a synthesis of states and transformations in non-equilibrium ecosystems and it is widely used in rangeland ecology and management. We will construct STM for various dry and mesic Hungarian grasslands where repeated fine-scale vegetation maps and long-term microcoenological monitoring data are available. Using STM we will predict responses of particular grasslands to climatic stress or disturbances. We will use simple field experiments and long-term retrospective data to compare functional responses of grasslands with contrasting local land use history and contrasting initial states. Vegetation responses will be interpreted by plant functional traits.
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