Aims

We propose a global protocol to assess human impacts on forest ecosystems using experimental microcosms. The main question we aim to address is:

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How do current and future climatic conditions, forest habitat degradation and management, influence biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in water filled microcosms worldwide?

This general question can be answered by applying a multifaceted approach of diversity, including taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at different temporal and spatial scales. For example, are taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity affected by the same drivers? How do global drivers affect different diversity levels (alpha, beta, gamma)? For the phylogenetic approach, we will construct a barcoding database, upon submission of specific proposals to ask for funding for such molecular analyses. We will focus on invertebrates and vertebrates in the first step. In the future we plan to ask funds for metagenomic analyses, which would help answering similar questions on multifaceted approach of diversity also for micro-organisms. This project will focus on an important ecosystem function - detritus mass loss (decomposition of organic material), which can vary across latitudes and degrees of forest integrity (natural, managed in different degrees). It will also evaluate changes in several limnological variables (water pH, dissolved CO2 and O2, turbidity, CDOM, chlorophyll-a concentrations, ammonium and nitrate concentrations, temperature along the experiment using data loggers). These variables will help understanding the ecosystem functioning.