Project acronym PANTROP
Project Biodiversity and recovery of forest in tropical landscapes
Researcher (PI) Lourens POORTER
Host Institution (HI) WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2018-ADG
Summary The challenge- Tropical forests are global hotspots of biodiversity, play key roles in the global carbon and water cycle and deliver crucial ecosystem services but are threatened by human-induced climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss. I focus on forests that regrow after complete forest removal for agriculture (secondary forests), because they cover large areas, have great potential to recover biodiversity and carbon, and are the basis for ecosystem restoration. The key challenge is to understand and predict forest resilience: when, and under what conditions are regrowing forests able to recover and have the same quality and functioning as old-growth forests?
Aims- This study aims to understand and predict the resilience of tropical forests to human-driven disturbance by analyzing the effects of (1) continent and biogeography, (2) climate, (3) landscape, and (4) biodiversity on forest recovery rate.
Approach- I will use a pantropical approach by synthesizing current data and doing controlled experiments on three continents (Neotropics, Africa, and Australia) in climatically contrasting forest types (dry and wet forest). I will (1) assess long-term multidimensional resilience by expanding a unique Neotropical network of 60 sites to the pantropics, (2) analyse the role of the landscape on forest recovery by doing a natural experiment along forest cover gradients, (3) understand how different kinds of diversity affect succession and ecosystem functioning through a biodiversity removal experiment.
Impact- This study addresses key questions in ecology and advances our understanding how human-driven climate change, landscape degradation, and biodiversity loss affect forest resilience and succession. The insights can be applied to (1) reduce human impacts on tropical forests, (2) design resilient and multifunctional tropical landscapes, and (3) design effective forest restoration strategies.
Summary
The challenge- Tropical forests are global hotspots of biodiversity, play key roles in the global carbon and water cycle and deliver crucial ecosystem services but are threatened by human-induced climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss. I focus on forests that regrow after complete forest removal for agriculture (secondary forests), because they cover large areas, have great potential to recover biodiversity and carbon, and are the basis for ecosystem restoration. The key challenge is to understand and predict forest resilience: when, and under what conditions are regrowing forests able to recover and have the same quality and functioning as old-growth forests?
Aims- This study aims to understand and predict the resilience of tropical forests to human-driven disturbance by analyzing the effects of (1) continent and biogeography, (2) climate, (3) landscape, and (4) biodiversity on forest recovery rate.
Approach- I will use a pantropical approach by synthesizing current data and doing controlled experiments on three continents (Neotropics, Africa, and Australia) in climatically contrasting forest types (dry and wet forest). I will (1) assess long-term multidimensional resilience by expanding a unique Neotropical network of 60 sites to the pantropics, (2) analyse the role of the landscape on forest recovery by doing a natural experiment along forest cover gradients, (3) understand how different kinds of diversity affect succession and ecosystem functioning through a biodiversity removal experiment.
Impact- This study addresses key questions in ecology and advances our understanding how human-driven climate change, landscape degradation, and biodiversity loss affect forest resilience and succession. The insights can be applied to (1) reduce human impacts on tropical forests, (2) design resilient and multifunctional tropical landscapes, and (3) design effective forest restoration strategies.
Max ERC Funding
2 499 895 €
Duration
Start date: 2019-09-01, End date: 2024-08-31
Project acronym ParaEvolution
Project Parasponia to Crack Evolution of Rhizobium Symbiosis
Researcher (PI) Antonius Hendrikus Johannes Bisseling
Host Institution (HI) WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2011-ADG_20110310
Summary Mutualism is wide spread in nature and significantly impacts ecosystems. However, the principles governing its evolution have proved elusive. The rhizobium-legume symbiosis is one of the most sophisticated mutualistic interactions, as it results in the formation of a novel organ, the root nodule, where rhizobium is hosted intracellularly as nitrogen fixing ‘organelles’. These are named symbiosomes and produce ammonia from air.
The rhizobium legume symbiosis evolved shortly after the rise of the legume family; 60 million years ago. However, by convergent evolution it also evolved more recent in the non-legume Parasponia. Ever since the discovery of Parasponia as the only non-legume that independently evolved the nodule symbiosis with rhizobium, it has intrigued the scientific community. It has been clear that this ‘bridging species’ will provide insight in how this unique symbiosis could arise during evolution. Further, it can teach us how to transfer this important agricultural trait to non-legume crops. However, it is first now that we can fully exploit the potential of this unique genus. Major insight in molecular mechanisms underlying the rhizobium legume symbiosis has been obtained by studying model legumes. This has made the rhizobium legume symbiosis one of the best understood mutualistic interactions. This insight can now be exploited to determine the evolutionary trajectory of the Parasponia rhizobium symbiosis, and to identify the genetic constraints of this interaction. Further, the revolution brought about by so-called next generation sequence technologies has made it now possible to cost efficiently sequence genomes of plant species with key positions in rhizobium nodule evolution.
The overall objective of this project is to identify the evolutionary trajectory underlying rhizobium nodule evolution by using Parasponia. To validate the findings I will copy this evolutionary trajectory in Trema; the non-nodulating sister genus of Parasponia.
Summary
Mutualism is wide spread in nature and significantly impacts ecosystems. However, the principles governing its evolution have proved elusive. The rhizobium-legume symbiosis is one of the most sophisticated mutualistic interactions, as it results in the formation of a novel organ, the root nodule, where rhizobium is hosted intracellularly as nitrogen fixing ‘organelles’. These are named symbiosomes and produce ammonia from air.
The rhizobium legume symbiosis evolved shortly after the rise of the legume family; 60 million years ago. However, by convergent evolution it also evolved more recent in the non-legume Parasponia. Ever since the discovery of Parasponia as the only non-legume that independently evolved the nodule symbiosis with rhizobium, it has intrigued the scientific community. It has been clear that this ‘bridging species’ will provide insight in how this unique symbiosis could arise during evolution. Further, it can teach us how to transfer this important agricultural trait to non-legume crops. However, it is first now that we can fully exploit the potential of this unique genus. Major insight in molecular mechanisms underlying the rhizobium legume symbiosis has been obtained by studying model legumes. This has made the rhizobium legume symbiosis one of the best understood mutualistic interactions. This insight can now be exploited to determine the evolutionary trajectory of the Parasponia rhizobium symbiosis, and to identify the genetic constraints of this interaction. Further, the revolution brought about by so-called next generation sequence technologies has made it now possible to cost efficiently sequence genomes of plant species with key positions in rhizobium nodule evolution.
The overall objective of this project is to identify the evolutionary trajectory underlying rhizobium nodule evolution by using Parasponia. To validate the findings I will copy this evolutionary trajectory in Trema; the non-nodulating sister genus of Parasponia.
Max ERC Funding
2 498 951 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-05-01, End date: 2018-04-30
Project acronym PARASOL
Project The Paradox of Sulfur Bacteria in Soda Lakes
Researcher (PI) Gerardus Muijzer
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2012-ADG_20120314
Summary "Soda lakes are extreme environments with pH values between 9 and 11, and salt concentrations up to saturation. Despite these hostile conditions, most soda lakes are highly productive and harbor diverse microbial communities responsible for the cycling of chemical elements. The sulfur cycle, driven by haloalkaliphilic sulfur oxidizing bacteria and sulfidogenic bacteria, is one of the most active element cycles in soda lakes. In general, extreme environments are characterized by a low diversity of life. However, we have isolated more than 100 strains of sulfur bacteria from different soda lakes worldwide and detected additional uncultured diversity using molecular techniques. Because life at high salinities and high pH is extremely energy demanding, the enormous diversity of sulfur bacteria in this extreme habitat is a great paradox. The overall goal of the project is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the diversity and ecophysiology of sulfur bacteria in soda lakes, their niche differentiation, and the molecular mechanisms by which they adapt to extreme halo-alkaline conditions. To achieve this goal, the sulfur bacteria will be studied at the molecular, population and community level, and with a systems biology approach, combining incubation experiments under well-defined conditions, state-of-the-art ‘omics’ techniques, and mathematical modeling. This project will unravel the paradox of the sulfur bacteria in soda lakes, which is not only important for a comprehensive understanding of the success of life under extreme conditions, but also for the use of these bacteria in the sustainable removal of noxious sulfur compounds from our waste streams, which is essential for a clean and healthy environment."
Summary
"Soda lakes are extreme environments with pH values between 9 and 11, and salt concentrations up to saturation. Despite these hostile conditions, most soda lakes are highly productive and harbor diverse microbial communities responsible for the cycling of chemical elements. The sulfur cycle, driven by haloalkaliphilic sulfur oxidizing bacteria and sulfidogenic bacteria, is one of the most active element cycles in soda lakes. In general, extreme environments are characterized by a low diversity of life. However, we have isolated more than 100 strains of sulfur bacteria from different soda lakes worldwide and detected additional uncultured diversity using molecular techniques. Because life at high salinities and high pH is extremely energy demanding, the enormous diversity of sulfur bacteria in this extreme habitat is a great paradox. The overall goal of the project is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the diversity and ecophysiology of sulfur bacteria in soda lakes, their niche differentiation, and the molecular mechanisms by which they adapt to extreme halo-alkaline conditions. To achieve this goal, the sulfur bacteria will be studied at the molecular, population and community level, and with a systems biology approach, combining incubation experiments under well-defined conditions, state-of-the-art ‘omics’ techniques, and mathematical modeling. This project will unravel the paradox of the sulfur bacteria in soda lakes, which is not only important for a comprehensive understanding of the success of life under extreme conditions, but also for the use of these bacteria in the sustainable removal of noxious sulfur compounds from our waste streams, which is essential for a clean and healthy environment."
Max ERC Funding
2 242 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-06-01, End date: 2018-05-31
Project acronym PhotoPhage
Project The role of viral photosynthetic proteins in oceanic photosynthesis
Researcher (PI) Oded Beja
Host Institution (HI) TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2012-ADG_20120314
Summary Cyanobacteria play a key role in marine photosynthesis, contributing almost 50% of primary production in oligotrophic regions of the ocean. Marine cyanophages were recently discovered to carry photosystem II (PSII) genes, and it was suggested that these genes increase phage fitness by helping the phages to maintain photosynthesis in the infected bacterial cells. We recently showed evidence for the presence of photosystem I (PSI) genes in genomes of marine cyanophages [Sharon et al. 2009 Nature 461, 258-262]. Cyanobacterial core PSI gene cassettes, containing psaJFABCDEK, or psaDCAB gene cassettes forms unique clusters in cyanophage genomes, suggestive of selection for a distinct function in virus reproduction. Potentially, the proteins encoded by the viral genes are sufficient for forming intact monomeric PSI complexes. Projection of viral predicted peptides on the cyanobacterial PSI crystal structure suggests that the viral PSI components provide a unique way for funneling reducing power from respiratory and other electron transfer chains to PSI, therefore bypassing the need to rely solely on reducing power from the photosystem electron transfer chain.
The main goals of this proposal are:
(1) To determine how much of oceanic photosynthesis is actually performed with viral proteins.
(2) To establish a model system to understand the role of modified photosynthetic viral proteins in photosynthesis
We hypothesize that viral photosynthetic peptides are integrated into the bacterial photosynthetic membranes in order to maintain photosynthesis in infected cells, that otherwise stop to photosynthesize, and that changes are introduced to the system as a whole.
The proposed research will integrate concepts and techniques from metagenomics, metaproteomics and bioinformatics techniques to explore the interaction of viral PSII and PSI proteins with their host reaction center complexes, and to examine their influence on global marine photosynthesis production
Summary
Cyanobacteria play a key role in marine photosynthesis, contributing almost 50% of primary production in oligotrophic regions of the ocean. Marine cyanophages were recently discovered to carry photosystem II (PSII) genes, and it was suggested that these genes increase phage fitness by helping the phages to maintain photosynthesis in the infected bacterial cells. We recently showed evidence for the presence of photosystem I (PSI) genes in genomes of marine cyanophages [Sharon et al. 2009 Nature 461, 258-262]. Cyanobacterial core PSI gene cassettes, containing psaJFABCDEK, or psaDCAB gene cassettes forms unique clusters in cyanophage genomes, suggestive of selection for a distinct function in virus reproduction. Potentially, the proteins encoded by the viral genes are sufficient for forming intact monomeric PSI complexes. Projection of viral predicted peptides on the cyanobacterial PSI crystal structure suggests that the viral PSI components provide a unique way for funneling reducing power from respiratory and other electron transfer chains to PSI, therefore bypassing the need to rely solely on reducing power from the photosystem electron transfer chain.
The main goals of this proposal are:
(1) To determine how much of oceanic photosynthesis is actually performed with viral proteins.
(2) To establish a model system to understand the role of modified photosynthetic viral proteins in photosynthesis
We hypothesize that viral photosynthetic peptides are integrated into the bacterial photosynthetic membranes in order to maintain photosynthesis in infected cells, that otherwise stop to photosynthesize, and that changes are introduced to the system as a whole.
The proposed research will integrate concepts and techniques from metagenomics, metaproteomics and bioinformatics techniques to explore the interaction of viral PSII and PSI proteins with their host reaction center complexes, and to examine their influence on global marine photosynthesis production
Max ERC Funding
1 933 800 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31
Project acronym SPATIALDYNAMICS
Project Ecological, molecular, and evolutionary spatial dynamics
Researcher (PI) Ilkka Aulis Hanski
Host Institution (HI) HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2008-AdG
Summary The study of wild populations will benefit of increasing integration of ecological, molecular, genetic, and evolutionary approaches. The Glanville fritillary butterfly has a classic metapopulation in a network of 4,000 habitat patches in the Åland Islands, Finland, within an area of 50 by 70 km, across which population surveys have been conducted since 1993. Taking advantage of the opportunity to sample a few larvae from full-sib groups of gregarious larvae in hundreds of local populations, this project involves large-scale phenotyping and genotyping of individuals across the large metapopulation. The aim is to advance our general understanding of the genetic basis of variation in individual performance and life-time reproductive success (fitness), and the role of ongoing natural selection in population dynamics of species living in fragmented landscapes. For genotyping, we select ~1,000 SNPs from annotated genes in the recently sequenced transcriptome of this species. The same SNPs will be used to construct a pedigree for the entire metapopulation for 4 years. Two broad questions will be addressed: (1) Genetic basis of variation in dispersal, related life-history traits, and life-time reproductive success. This will be studied with association analyses, correlating individual phenotypes and genotypes to identify molecular variation with consequences for individual performance and fitness; and with pedigree analyses of natural populations, relating life-time reproductive success of individual larval groups to their phenotypic and genotypic composition. (2) Spatio-temporal population dynamics, the role of ongoing natural selection and consequences for regional adaptation. The purpose is to investigate the causes and consequences of spatio-temporal variation in population dynamics, including the role of ongoing natural selection. Mathematical modelling will be used to investigate the coupling of ecological and evolutionary dynamics in the spatial context.
Summary
The study of wild populations will benefit of increasing integration of ecological, molecular, genetic, and evolutionary approaches. The Glanville fritillary butterfly has a classic metapopulation in a network of 4,000 habitat patches in the Åland Islands, Finland, within an area of 50 by 70 km, across which population surveys have been conducted since 1993. Taking advantage of the opportunity to sample a few larvae from full-sib groups of gregarious larvae in hundreds of local populations, this project involves large-scale phenotyping and genotyping of individuals across the large metapopulation. The aim is to advance our general understanding of the genetic basis of variation in individual performance and life-time reproductive success (fitness), and the role of ongoing natural selection in population dynamics of species living in fragmented landscapes. For genotyping, we select ~1,000 SNPs from annotated genes in the recently sequenced transcriptome of this species. The same SNPs will be used to construct a pedigree for the entire metapopulation for 4 years. Two broad questions will be addressed: (1) Genetic basis of variation in dispersal, related life-history traits, and life-time reproductive success. This will be studied with association analyses, correlating individual phenotypes and genotypes to identify molecular variation with consequences for individual performance and fitness; and with pedigree analyses of natural populations, relating life-time reproductive success of individual larval groups to their phenotypic and genotypic composition. (2) Spatio-temporal population dynamics, the role of ongoing natural selection and consequences for regional adaptation. The purpose is to investigate the causes and consequences of spatio-temporal variation in population dynamics, including the role of ongoing natural selection. Mathematical modelling will be used to investigate the coupling of ecological and evolutionary dynamics in the spatial context.
Max ERC Funding
2 478 999 €
Duration
Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31
Project acronym SPECIALS
Project "Species range shifts, aboveground-belowground community reassembly and consequences for ecosystem functioning"
Researcher (PI) Wilhelmus Henricus Van Der Putten
Host Institution (HI) KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN - KNAW
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2012-ADG_20120314
Summary "Climate warming promotes intra-continental range shifts of plants, animals and microbes from lower to higher latitudes and altitudes. Plants may shift their ranges independent of their co-evolved aboveground and belowground biota, however little is known about how these communities re-assemble in the new range and how that process influences community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Thus far, predictions on species occurrences have been based exclusively on how niche conditions shift to higher latitudes and altitudes. Here, I will make the next step towards predicting how terrestrial systems respond to climate warming by evaluating interactions between plants, aboveground and belowground multi-trophic communities in the original and new ranges. My overall aim is to determine how aboveground and belowground multi-trophic level communities become disjointed and concomitantly re-assembled during plant range shifts. I will determine consequences for community dynamics and ecosystem functioning in the new range. My overall hypothesis is that due to time-lags in range shifts between plants, and their aboveground and belowground biota, novel communities may develop in the new range that will alter functioning of ecosystems, their stability and resilience. I will study range shifting plant species and determine: 1) aboveground-belowground multi-trophic community composition, 2) specificity of soil-borne pathogens and root-feeding nematodes, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and decomposer organisms, 3) bottom-up and top-down control of these biota by soil communities, and 4) dynamics, stability and resilience of original and novel communities and ecosystem functions under current and future climate conditions. My results will be the first to show how the disjunction and reassembly of aboveground-belowground communities influences plant performance, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. This will develop a new perspective on climate warming-induced range shifts."
Summary
"Climate warming promotes intra-continental range shifts of plants, animals and microbes from lower to higher latitudes and altitudes. Plants may shift their ranges independent of their co-evolved aboveground and belowground biota, however little is known about how these communities re-assemble in the new range and how that process influences community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Thus far, predictions on species occurrences have been based exclusively on how niche conditions shift to higher latitudes and altitudes. Here, I will make the next step towards predicting how terrestrial systems respond to climate warming by evaluating interactions between plants, aboveground and belowground multi-trophic communities in the original and new ranges. My overall aim is to determine how aboveground and belowground multi-trophic level communities become disjointed and concomitantly re-assembled during plant range shifts. I will determine consequences for community dynamics and ecosystem functioning in the new range. My overall hypothesis is that due to time-lags in range shifts between plants, and their aboveground and belowground biota, novel communities may develop in the new range that will alter functioning of ecosystems, their stability and resilience. I will study range shifting plant species and determine: 1) aboveground-belowground multi-trophic community composition, 2) specificity of soil-borne pathogens and root-feeding nematodes, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and decomposer organisms, 3) bottom-up and top-down control of these biota by soil communities, and 4) dynamics, stability and resilience of original and novel communities and ecosystem functions under current and future climate conditions. My results will be the first to show how the disjunction and reassembly of aboveground-belowground communities influences plant performance, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. This will develop a new perspective on climate warming-induced range shifts."
Max ERC Funding
1 960 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-06-01, End date: 2018-05-31
Project acronym VOLCANO
Project Microbiology of extremely acidic terrestrial volcanic ecosystems
Researcher (PI) Hubertus J.M. Op den camp
Host Institution (HI) STICHTING KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), LS8, ERC-2014-ADG
Summary Terrestrial mud volcanos are extreme environments with pH values below even 1, with temperatures up to 70 ºC. They represent ‘hotspots’ of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the hostile conditions, mud volcanos harbour very unique microbial communities involved in the cycling of elements like carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, and nitrogen. Microbial communities in extreme environments are characterized by low biodiversity and as a consequence serve as good models to study linkages between genomic potential and environmental parameters. Metagenome studies have shown that most of the microorganisms in extreme environments are only distantly related to cultivated bacteria. Therefore, state-of the-art enrichment techniques using chemostat and sequencing batch cultivation with inocula from geothermal sites and driven by physiological information from metagenomic/metatranscriptomic data have a high potential to result in novel isolates. This was already demonstrated by our isolation of both mesophilic and thermophilic acid-loving methanotrophs. The aim of this project is to obtain a fundamental understanding of the microbial ecology of extremely acid terrestrial mud volcanos with special emphasis on the elemental cycles of sulfur, methane and nitrogen. After identification and isolation, the microbial key players will be investigated to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which they adapt to extreme (thermo)acidophilic conditions. To achieve this, several parallel and complementary state-of-the-art-approaches will be combined, e.g. meta-omics, microbial ecophysiology, cultivation techniques, cell biology/biochemistry, metabolism/gene expression studies. The project will profoundly increase the understanding of these natural hotspots of greenhouse gas production/degradation and newly isolated strains have a high potential for finding sustainable solutions for the most pressing grand challenges of the European society e.g. new green enzymatic catalyst and technologies for industry.
Summary
Terrestrial mud volcanos are extreme environments with pH values below even 1, with temperatures up to 70 ºC. They represent ‘hotspots’ of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the hostile conditions, mud volcanos harbour very unique microbial communities involved in the cycling of elements like carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, and nitrogen. Microbial communities in extreme environments are characterized by low biodiversity and as a consequence serve as good models to study linkages between genomic potential and environmental parameters. Metagenome studies have shown that most of the microorganisms in extreme environments are only distantly related to cultivated bacteria. Therefore, state-of the-art enrichment techniques using chemostat and sequencing batch cultivation with inocula from geothermal sites and driven by physiological information from metagenomic/metatranscriptomic data have a high potential to result in novel isolates. This was already demonstrated by our isolation of both mesophilic and thermophilic acid-loving methanotrophs. The aim of this project is to obtain a fundamental understanding of the microbial ecology of extremely acid terrestrial mud volcanos with special emphasis on the elemental cycles of sulfur, methane and nitrogen. After identification and isolation, the microbial key players will be investigated to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which they adapt to extreme (thermo)acidophilic conditions. To achieve this, several parallel and complementary state-of-the-art-approaches will be combined, e.g. meta-omics, microbial ecophysiology, cultivation techniques, cell biology/biochemistry, metabolism/gene expression studies. The project will profoundly increase the understanding of these natural hotspots of greenhouse gas production/degradation and newly isolated strains have a high potential for finding sustainable solutions for the most pressing grand challenges of the European society e.g. new green enzymatic catalyst and technologies for industry.
Max ERC Funding
2 263 490 €
Duration
Start date: 2016-01-01, End date: 2020-12-31
