Plant responses to warming
Title: Forest plant responses to increase in air temperature on the example of the yellow archangel (Galeobdolon luteum)
Supervisor: dr hab. Tomasz Durak, prof. UR, e-mail: tdurak@ur.edu.pl
Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszow, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland
Project description:
At the global scale, the climate is warming and this results in shifts in the forest herb layer communities. However, little is known on the possible directions of changes in the structure and functioning of forest plant communities, and the consequences of these changes for processes under way in ecosystems. Climate change is currently one of the most important factors determining transformations in plant communities. Forest plant response to warming is not easy to predict, as it depends on microhabitat conditions, which interact with different plants live strategies. Exploring the herbaceous forest plants reaction to the changes in temperature will thus enable one to (1) more reliably predict changes in the species composition of communities and in the way they function, and (2) conduct better management of plant communities and ecosystems by means of intentionally transforming microhabitat conditions. The aim of the PhD project will be a characterization of the physiological reaction of forest plants for increase in air temperature on the example of the yellow archangel (Galeobdolon luteum). As a result, for herbabeous forest species, first comprehensive insight into species-level response to changes in temperature will be obtained.
Requirements:
- knowledge of plant ecology and biochemistry,
- experience in laboratory techniques and plant breeding,
- high motivation to work,
- ability to work in collaboration,
- good command of the English language.