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Project

Interactive effects of local and landscape scale restoration of semi-natural grasslands and agricultural fields on species interactions and ecosystem functions in different social-ecological systems (InterRest)

This project will investigate species interactions across different trophic levels including (1) plant-soil, (2) plant-pollinator and (3) bird-food resource interactions, in restored and degraded calcareous grasslands that are embedded in different socio-ecological and landscape contexts in three countries (Germany, Spain and  Estonia).  Additionally, it will measure ecosystem functions including soil functions, pollination and predation.  InterRest hypothesizes that local restoration measures will lead to more complex and stable interactions and improved ecosystem functions compared to degraded sites.  Moreover, InterRest will investigate whether landscape-sclae restoration with agri-environment schemes can make local restoration more effective through additive or synergistic effects.  InterRest expects that agri-environment schemes increase the connectivity of calcareous grasslands, especially in isolated sites with no other calcareous grasslands in hte surroundings.  Moreover, InterRest will analyse the social contexts of the restoration prgrams and identify key actors who are necessary to achieve local and landscape restoration goals.  Importantly, interRest will investigate how social interdependencies impact biological interactions as indirect drivers.  To synthesize the results of this project interRest will use metanetwork, multifunctional and social-ecological network approaces; e.g. to identify conservation priorities and possible trade-offs.

Date:1 May 2022 →  Today
Keywords:plant pollinator
Disciplines:Plant ecology