Plant Community Ecology

Our research focuses on the mechanisms of plant interactions and on their consequences for biodiversity, with emphasis on positive (facilitative) interactions. We use observational and experimental methods and apply trait-based approaches to look into competition and facilitation processes and to investigate their consequences for species coexistence and community assembly. We are particularly interested in niche-based approaches to plant interactions and the potential evolutionary consequences of facilitation for the interacting species. We study plant interactions in alpine, semi-arid and agricultural ecosystems.

• Crop presence, but not genetic diversity, impacts on the rare arable plant Valerianella rimosa
  Rob W. Brooker, Alison J. Karley, Luna Morcillo, Adrian C. Newton, Robin J. Pakeman & Christian Schöb
  Plant Ecology & Diversity, 10:5-6, 495-507, DOI: 10.1080/17550874.2018.1437646  2017
• A trait-based approach to understand the consequences of specific plant interactions for community structure 
  Schoeb, Christian; Macek, Petr; Piston, Nuria; et al. 
  JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, 28 (4): 696-704, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12523 JUL 2017
• Species but not genotype diversity strongly impacts the establishment of rare colonisers 
  Schoeb, Christian; Hortal, Sara; Karley, Alison J.; et al. 
  FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, 31 (7): 1462-1470, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12848 JUL 2017
• Resistance of plant-plant networks to biodiversity loss and secondary extinctions following simulated environmental changes 
  Losapio, Gianalberto; Schoeb, Christian 
  FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, 31 (5): 1145-1152, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12839 MAY 2017
• Feedback effects between plant and flower-visiting insect communities along a primary succession gradient 
  Losapio, Gianalberto; Gobbi, Mauro; Marano, Giuseppe; et al. 
  ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS, 10 (6): 485-495, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-016-9444-x DEC 2016
• Beneficiary feedback effects on alpine cushion benefactors become more negative with increasing cover of graminoids and in dry conditions
  Michalet, Richard; Schoeb, Christian; Xiao, Sa; et al.
  FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY 30(1): 79-87 https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12507 JAN 2016
• Facilitation and sustainable agriculture: a mechanistic approach to reconciling crop production and conservation 
  Brooker, Rob W.; Karley, Alison J.; Newton, Adrian C.;  Pakeman, RJ ; Schoeb, Christian
  FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, 30 (1): 98-107 10.1111/1365-2435.12496 JAN 2016
• A global meta-analysis of the relative extent of intraspecific trait variation in plant communities
  Siefert, Andrew; Violle, Cyrille; Chalmandrier, Loic; et al.
  ECOLOGY LETTERS 18(12):1406-1419 10.1111/ele.12508  DEC 2015

• Plant community ecology
• Plant species coexistence
• Plant interactions
• Functional plant ecology
• Evolutionary plant ecology
• Alpine plant ecology

• Agriculture and food security
• Intercropping
• Climate change impact
• Plant-microbe interactions
• Biodiversity