Dear all [sorry for cross posting, nearest deadline of the differnt options is 11/June for a thesis fellowship competition on "Responding to environmental change by leaving its ancestral niche: a recruitment problem?", see below]
This is to inform you about the opportunity to develop research with me and my collaborators at Rennes, using existing extensive data sets, well studied field settings and my support to put together a proposal for one of the multiple French/European/outside funding opportunities. I will below present (i) some of the data or field settings exploitable; (ii) a very incomplete list of possible research questions to be developed and for which databases or field setting would be available; (iii) the research environment at Rennes and Rennes per se; (iv) a list of different funding opportunities from the Rennes/French/European side - but you may have many others from your own locality/country/continent; (v) a list of my recent publications showing (hopefully) the competences in the field. Please do not hesitate to transmit or contact me if interested. Best regards Andreas Prinzing (i) DATA and FIELD SETTINGS potentially available (data are in part assembled from freely available sources and any publication project will of course need to acknowledge these sources, many other data are available via/due to internal or external collaboration and any publication project will of course need to find the agreement of, and involve, these collaborators) - descriptions of tens of thousands of local plant species communities - niche requirements of most plant species from field measurements for an entire region (Netherlands) - dated phylogeny of all Angiosperm plant species of an entire regional species pool resolved to at least genus level (Netherlands; > 500 genera) - dozens of functional traits of many to all plant species of an entire regional pool (Central Eruope) - composition of arthropod communities (oribatid mites, heteroptera, coleoptera, galls, lepidoptera, miners, parasitoid groups) of canopy trees, linked to measurements of soil biota (mycorrhiza and their activity, invertebrates, microbial biomass) and of biotic and abiotic environmental factors on the same trees, as well as the composition of the ambient forest canopy, notably the phylogenetic distance of the neighbours. - the trees from which many of the above data stem - descendents of plants whose ancestors grew in different community neighbourhoods, and morphological and biochemical characterizations - community compositions of plants, their ant mutualists, their services and the role of cheaters along environmental disturbance gradients (ii) Possible QUESTIONS to be developed with the data or field settings already available in my group. For some of them, projects are already written and can serve as a basis for proposal writing. Of course many other questions would be equally interesting and possible to develop, and again partly even with available data.***: - Microevolution on macroevolutionary islands: accelerated evolution of colonizers on phylogenetically isolated host trees? - Leaving its ancestral niche to respond to environmental change: a problem of recruitment limitation? - Does phylogenetic heritage of different vegetation types control decomposer assembly and decomposition? - Does phylogenetic heritage of different vegetation types control productivity? - Is niche conservatism a blessing under environmental change due increased evolution of hybrids? Is it a blessing due to improved nutrient cycling in communities composed of closely related species? - How does plant neighbourhood influence plant traits? - What are the steps involved in the expression of local adaptation? - How does patch age and patch isolation control community assembly in the canopy? - What is the role of phenotypic integration for the response to environmental change? (iii) The host lab here is the UNITE MIXTE DE RECHERCHE (UMR) ECOBIO - ECOSYSTEMES , BIODIVERSITE , EVOLUTION, co-funded by University of Rennes 1 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, is a large institution with several dozen CNRS-researchers, docents and professors, plus technical staff. See http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr/. Ecobio was ranked A in the national evaluation of research institutions. Ecobio has particular expertise in Integrative Ecology, such as: mechanisms of speciation, life history evolution, and adaptation, expertise at the interface between macroevolution and macroecology, expertise in ecophysiology, landscape ecology and behavioral ecology, environmental genomics (very strong), community assembly and plant/herbivore interactions. Among others, Ecobio has given itself a Research Axis on "Species communities: assembly rules, evolutionary diversification, ecosystem functioning" (animated by A. Prinzing). Several further research institutions in ecology and evolutionary biology exist at Rennes. Note that we are well equipped with analytical labs, servers etc. and to some degree technical personnel and have space and do not charge for this (except, inevitably, for consumables such as chemicals). RENNES has approximately 200 000 inhabitants and is the capitol of the Bretagne region with exceptional coastal and mainland landscapes, and a french-celtic heritage (http://www.bretagne.fr/internet/jcms/TF071112_5061/tourisme). It is situated some 2 hours by train from Paris. English is spoken everywhere in Academia, but not necessarily outside, and French should be learned. Like in any French city, child care is excellent (almost for free, no waiting list, nearby). Several bilingual French-English schools are available at all levels of education, as well as one French-German grammar school. Note that the university has personnel to technically and administratively facilitate the settling of a foreign researcher. (iv) Incomplete list of FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES from Rennes/France/Europe - I can help in putting together proposals - competition for funding of PhD projects at Rennes doctoral school, see http://www.vas.univ-rennes1.fr/fr/Concours_annuel/Profils/Ecologie/, project 98: "Responding to environmental change by leaving its ancestral niche: a recruitment problem?", deadline June 11 (http://www.vas.univ- rennes1.fr/en/home/competitive-admission-process/Calendar/) - invited PhD student positions at Rennes (calls in spring and autumn) - invited docent positions at Rennes (calls in autumn) - chairs of excellence funded by different French funding bodies, with calls in autumn (preparation should start now) or winter - fellowships for students from emerging and/or French speaking countries e.g. http://www.egide.asso.fr/jahia/Jahia/accueil/appels/eiffel (call in winter) - exchange fellowships covering travels and mostly quite restricted stays see http://www.egide.asso.fr/jahia/Jahia/accueil/appels/phc - exchange programs with stays of longer durations e.g. with Argentina, Brasil, S/SE/E-Asia (call in June), China: http://www.egide.asso.fr/jahia/Jahia/accueil/appels/houssay , http://www.egide.asso.fr/jahia/Jahia/accueil/appels/cofecub , http://www.egide.asso.fr/jahia/Jahia/site/egide/lang/fr/caiyuanpei, http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/enjeux-internationaux/echanges- scientifiques-recherche/partenariats-scientifiques-20601/partenariats- scientifiques-20152/article/technologies-de-l-information-et, Number 3795 at http://en.univ-toulouse.fr/research/phd-programs - fellowships from the European Union, both for postdocs residing in Europe, Europeans residing outside of Europe, and (quite advanced) non- Europeans residing outside of Europe (deadline in August, preparation should start now). see http://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/ (v) recent PUBLICATIONS + macroecology / macroevolution * population ecology / microevolution ° community ecology / functional aspects of biodiversity ^ applied ecology (note that implications to conservation biology are also discussed in most other papers) + ^ Ozinga, W., Colles, A., Hennion, F., Poschlod, P., Bartish, I., Hermant, M. & Prinzing, A. Specialists leave less descendants within a region than generalists. In press in Global Ecology and Biogeography, [Impact factor (2010) 5.3; Impact factor rank: 10/129 in “Ecology”]. + Hermant M., Hennion F., Bartish I.V. & Prinzing A. Disparate relatives: life histories vary more in genera occupying intermediate environments. In press in Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics [4.5; 13/188 in “Plant Sciences”]. +° ^ Mouquet, N., Devictor, V., Meynard, C.N., Munoz, M., Bersier, L.-F., Chave, J. Couteron, P., Dalecky, A., Fontaine, C., Gravel, D., Hardy, O.J., Jabot, F. Lavergne, S. Leibold, M., Mouillot, D., Münkemüller, T. Pavoine, S., Prinzing, A., Rodrigues, A.S.L., Rohr, R.P., Thébault, E., & Thuiller, W. (in press) Ecophylogenetics: advances and perspectives. Biological Reviews. [6.5; 2/86 in “Biology”] +* Hennion F., Bouchereau A., Gauthier C., Brumbt C., Hermant M. & Prinzing A. 2012. Variation in amine composition in plant species: how it integrates macroevolutionary and environmental signals. American Journal of Botany, 99(1): 36–45 [3.1; 27/188 in “Plant Sciences”] ° Yan, B., Zhang, J., Liu, Y., Li, Z. Huang, X. Yang, W. & Prinzing, A. (in press) Trait assembly of woody plants in communities across subalpine gradients: Identifying the role of limiting similarity within a guild. Journal of Vegetation Science. [2.5; 39/188 in “Plant Sciences”] *° Yguel, B., Bailey, R.; Everhart, D.; Vialatte, A., Vasseur, C., Vitrac, X. & Prinzing, A. (2011). Phytophagy on phylogenetically isolated trees: why hosts should escape their relatives. Ecology Letters, 14, 1117–1124 [15.3; 1/129 in “Ecology”] + ° Kattge, J. and 133 others (in press) TRY – a global database of plant traits. Global Change Biology [6.3; 6/129 in “Ecology”] + ^ Gerhold, P., Pärtel, M., Tackenberg, O., Hennekens, S.M., Bartish, I.V., Schaminée, J.H.J., Fergus, A.J.F. Ozinga, W.A., & Prinzing, A. (2011). Phylogenetically poor plant communities receive more alien species, which more easily coexist with natives. American Naturalist, 177, 668-680 [4.7; 17/129 in “Ecology”] +° Bartish, I., Hennekens S., Aidoud A., Hennion, F. & Prinzing, A. (2010). Species pools along contemporary environmental gradients represent different levels of diversification. Journal of Biogeography, 37, 2317-2331 [4.3; 24/129 in “Ecology”] °* Vialatte, A., Bailey, R., Vasseur, C., Matocq, A., Goßner, M., Everhart, D., Vitrac, X., Belhadj, A., Ernoult, A.; & Prinzing, A. (2010) Phylogenetic isolation of host trees affects assembly of local Heteroptera communities. Proceedings of the Royal Society, Series B, 227, 2227-2236 [5.1; 9/85 in “Biology”] +* ^ Colles, A., Liow, L.H. & Prinzing, A. (2009) Are specialists at risk under environmental change? – Neoecological, paleoecological and phylogenetic approaches. Ecology Letters, 8, 849 - 863 [15.3; 1/129 in “Ecology”] +° Goßner, M., Chao, A., Bailey, R. & Prinzing, A. (2009) Native fauna on exotic trees: Phylogenetic conservatism and geographic contingency in two lineages of phytophages on two lineages of trees. American Naturalist, 173,599-614 [4.7; 17/129 in “Ecology”] + Ozinga, W.A., Römermann, C., Bekker, R.M., Prinzing, A., Tamis, W.L.M., Schaminee, J.H.J., Hennekens, S.M., Thompson, K., Poschlod, P., Kleyer M., Bakker, J.P. & van Groenendael, J.M.. (2009) Dispersal failure contributes to plant losses in NW Europe. Ecology Letters, 12, 66-74. [15.3; 1/129 in “Ecology”] *° Jung, F., Böhning-Gaese, K. & Prinzing, A. (2008): Intermediate levels of habitat disturbance favour sexual reproduction in the ant-dispersed clonal herb Ranunculus ficaria. Ecography, 6, 776 – 786 [4.4; 22/129 in “Ecology”]. + °^ Gerhold, P., Pärtel, M, Liira, J, Zobel, K. & Prinzing, A. (2008): Species pool size and phylogenetic structure in ecological communities. Journal of Ecology, 96, 709-712. [5.3; 11/129 in “Ecology”]. + ° Prinzing A., Reiffers, R., Braakhekke, W.G., Hennekens, S.M., Tackenberg, O., Ozinga, W.A., Schaminée, J.H.J. & van Groenendael, J.M. (2008): Less lineages – more trait variation: phylogenetically clustered plant communities are functionally more diverse. Ecology Letters, 11, 809– 819. [15.3; 1/129 in “Ecology”]. *° Boedeltje, G., Ozinga, W.A.. & Prinzing, A. (2008): Diaspore pressure across landscapes: constrained by the trade-off between vegetative and generative reproduction? Global Ecology and Biogeography, 17, 50-58. [5.3; 10/129 in “Ecology”]. +*°^ Filser, J., Koehler, H., Ruf, A., Römbke, J., Prinzing, A. & Schaefer, H. (2008): Ecological theory meets terrestrial ecotoxicology:a challenge and a chance. Basic and Applied Ecology, 9, 346-355. [2.2; 52/129 in “Ecology”] *° Prinzing, A., Dauber, J., Hammer, E., & Böhning-Gaese, K. (2008): Does an ant-dispersed plant, Viola reichenbachiana, suffer from reduced seed dispersal under inundation disturbances? Basic and Applied Ecology, 9, 108- 116. [2.2; 52/129 in “Ecology”] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Andreas Prinzing, Prof. Ecology of Diversification Team "Structure and Dynamics of Diversity" Research Unit "Ecobio" : Ecosystems - Biodiversity - Evolution Université Rennes 1 / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14 A 35042 Rennes, France Tel : +33 2 23 23 67 12; fax: +33 2 23 23 50 26 andreas.prinzing@univ- rennes1.fr http://ecobio.univ-rennes1.fr http://ecobio.univ- rennes1.fr/Fiches_perso/Banque/publi1_APrinzing.doc
