The "Functional Ecology and Ecosystem Stability" group focuses on the study of the temporal dynamics of ecosystems and plant communities. On the one hand, we focus on the temporal dynamics of communities and their effect on the stability of ecosystem functioning, particularly resistance and resilience to global changes. The ecological mechanisms that control ecosystem resilience or resistance to environmental change have traditionally been attributed to species diversity effects, although in reality they are seen to operate through differences in functional traits among species. We propose to study the importance of different stability mechanisms with long-term data sets using permanent plots and data from long-term biodiversity experiments. We also develop novel data analysis frameworks based on functional traits within and between species.

Projects: Currently a project funded by the Government of Spain (PGC2018-099027-B-I00) and Fundación Biodiversidad (BT2019/108) is supporting this line of research. Previously, a project funded by the Czech research agency (GA16-15012S) supported these activities.

Websites: https://lotvs.csic.es/, https://functionaldiversitylab.com/

Francesco de Bello (Tenured Researcher, CSIC)

Taking samples at the Tinença de Benifassà	Oak Grove Quercus Faginea, Tinença de Benifassà	Mediterranean Pine Forest, Pinaster in Sierra Calderona