News 2010
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December 2010 Ecological Society of Australia meeting and field work in Australia
Postdoctoral researcher Jodi Price travelled to Australia (her homeland) to present at the Ecological Society of Australia Annual Conference. Jodi also collected data from herb-rich woodlands in southern Australia; with colleague John Morgan, as part of a global data set she is collecting to examine community assembly processes in ecologically similar herbaceous communities. Herb-rich woodlands in Australia are very species-rich at small-scales (~30 species/0.25m2, and are comparable to alvar grasslands in Estonia. The above-average rainfall conditions in Australia meant great conditions for floristic sampling.
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November 2010 Macroecology workgroup meeting
Our workgroup seminar was held on November 11-12 in Setumaa in South-Estonia. This year we had scientific presentations on both days, mixed with discussions, social activities and excursions.
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October 2010 New post-doc Antonio Gazol and a fieldtrip to the alvars
We recently welcomed a new post doc in our group, Antonio Gazol from Spain. Antonio will research the influence of environmental heterogeneity and biotic processes on plant community patterns. Antonio will conduct his fieldwork in alvar grasslands and this gave the alvar group an opportunity to visit studies sites on the islands of Saaremaa and Muhu. It was great to see the study sites, especially for the two international researchers who came to Estonia to work in alvar grasslands, but it was disappointing to see the extent of woody plant encroachment and subsequent dramatic reduction in area of alvar grasslands. Management is urgently needed for the conservation of these biologically important communities. See pictures:[node:128]
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August 2010 Massive fieldwork in the alvars of Saaremaa and Muhu islands
During August, a large part of our workgroup conducted laborious fieldworks on Saaremaa and Muhu alvar grasslands. Lasting for three long weeks, altogether eleven participants got a very good overview of the current status of alvar grasslands as well as spent joyful evenings (and also one day, when the car was broken) in Saaremaa's nicest tourist locations. During fieldworks, permanent plots were marked for long-term studies, extensive data about alvar soil properties, juniper coverage and species richness were collected. Most interestingly, samples from a number of alvar grassland plant species were gathered to investigate the current condition of their populations. Photos.
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June 2010 Field trip to the small islets of Hiiumaa
In the beginning of June some members of our workgroup had the chance to visit small islets of Hiiumaa and local alvars and coastal meadows. The trip was organised and excellently guided by Elle Roosaluste and Martin Zobel. The early Summer of Hiiumaa had much to offer - fascinating flora and fauna rearly seen on the mainland. We visited Sarve and Kassari Peninsulas, Salinõmme salt marsh and Hanikatsi islet, which exhibit endangered seminatural communities. See pictures: [node:133]
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April 2010 53rd IAVS meeting in Mexico
Our Ph.D student Inga Hiiesalu presented an oral talk at the annual meeting of The International Association for Vegetation Science in Ensenada, Mexico. Together with some other colleagues from our department we experienced the exeptional "El Nino" year. During the pre-symposium excursion in South-California we visited Mojave and Sonoran desert and the surroundings which were in full flower. Unfortunately the plans of several workgroup members to join the symposium was ruined by the Islandic ash cloud. See pictures: [node:134]
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March 2010 A new publication about our spatial heterogeneity topic
We studied the relationship between environmental heterogeneity and species diversity at different spatial scales. It is widely accepted concept that environmental heterogeneity promotes species richness. This is usually explained by niche theory. However, using previously published studies in meta-analysis we found that at smaller spatial scales the heterogeneity-diversity relationship is often negative. We also propose three novel theories to explain both positive and negative heterogeneity-diversity relationships.
Tamme, R., Hiiesalu, I., Laanisto, L., Szava-Kovats, R., Pärtel, M. 2010. Environmental heterogeneity, species diversity and co-existence at different spatial scales. Journal Of Vegetation Science 21: 796-801.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01185.x/abstract
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December 2010 Ecological Society of Australia meeting and field work in Australia
Postdoctoral researcher Jodi Price travelled to Australia (her homeland) to present at the Ecological Society of Australia Annual Conference. Jodi also collected data from herb-rich woodlands in southern Australia; with colleague John Morgan, as part of a global data set she is collecting to examine community assembly processes in ecologically similar herbaceous communities. Herb-rich woodlands in Australia are very species-rich at small-scales (~30 species/0.25m2, and are comparable to alvar grasslands in Estonia. The above-average rainfall conditions in Australia meant great conditions for floristic sampling.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 2010 Macroecology workgroup meeting
Our workgroup seminar was held on November 11-12 in Setumaa in South-Estonia. This year we had scientific presentations on both days, mixed with discussions, social activities and excursions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2010 New post-doc Antonio Gazol and a fieldtrip to the alvars
We recently welcomed a new post doc in our group, Antonio Gazol from Spain. Antonio will research the influence of environmental heterogeneity and biotic processes on plant community patterns. Antonio will conduct his fieldwork in alvar grasslands and this gave the alvar group an opportunity to visit studies sites on the islands of Saaremaa and Muhu. It was great to see the study sites, especially for the two international researchers who came to Estonia to work in alvar grasslands, but it was disappointing to see the extent of woody plant encroachment and subsequent dramatic reduction in area of alvar grasslands. Management is urgently needed for the conservation of these biologically important communities. See pictures:[node:128]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 2010 Massive fieldwork in the alvars of Saaremaa and Muhu islands
During August, a large part of our workgroup conducted laborious fieldworks on Saaremaa and Muhu alvar grasslands. Lasting for three long weeks, altogether eleven participants got a very good overview of the current status of alvar grasslands as well as spent joyful evenings (and also one day, when the car was broken) in Saaremaa's nicest tourist locations. During fieldworks, permanent plots were marked for long-term studies, extensive data about alvar soil properties, juniper coverage and species richness were collected. Most interestingly, samples from a number of alvar grassland plant species were gathered to investigate the current condition of their populations. Photos.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 2010 Field trip to the small islets of Hiiumaa
In the beginning of June some members of our workgroup had the chance to visit small islets of Hiiumaa and local alvars and coastal meadows. The trip was organised and excellently guided by Elle Roosaluste and Martin Zobel. The early Summer of Hiiumaa had much to offer - fascinating flora and fauna rearly seen on the mainland. We visited Sarve and Kassari Peninsulas, Salinõmme salt marsh and Hanikatsi islet, which exhibit endangered seminatural communities. See pictures: [node:133]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 2010 53rd IAVS meeting in Mexico
Our Ph.D student Inga Hiiesalu presented an oral talk at the annual meeting of The International Association for Vegetation Science in Ensenada, Mexico. Together with some other colleagues from our department we experienced the exeptional "El Nino" year. During the pre-symposium excursion in South-California we visited Mojave and Sonoran desert and the surroundings which were in full flower. Unfortunately the plans of several workgroup members to join the symposium was ruined by the Islandic ash cloud. See pictures: [node:134]
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March 2010 A new publication about our spatial heterogeneity topic
We studied the relationship between environmental heterogeneity and species diversity at different spatial scales. It is widely accepted concept that environmental heterogeneity promotes species richness. This is usually explained by niche theory. However, using previously published studies in meta-analysis we found that at smaller spatial scales the heterogeneity-diversity relationship is often negative. We also propose three novel theories to explain both positive and negative heterogeneity-diversity relationships.
Tamme, R., Hiiesalu, I., Laanisto, L., Szava-Kovats, R., Pärtel, M. 2010. Environmental heterogeneity, species diversity and co-existence at different spatial scales. Journal Of Vegetation Science 21: 796-801.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01185.x/abstract
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