Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Functional Ecology: Understanding Ecosystem Dynamics in a Changing World – Sandra Lavorel

Functional ecology aims to shed light on the links between the structure of organisms and their functions, from the individual level up to the ecosystem and the planet Earth. The objective of this course is to present the main aspects and stages of functional ecology, enabling students to establish mechanistic links between environmental changes—whether geographic or driven by global shifts—Biodiversity and Ecosystems. These links are facilitated by functional traits—the morphological, physiological, biochemical, or reproductive characteristics of individuals—which determine their response to environmental variables and their effects on ecosystem functioning, such as nutrient cycling or trophic interactions. They also make it possible to establish and quantify relationships between changes in biodiversity and human well-being through the effects of ecological communities on production and regulatory functions, as well as on components of biodiversity that hold cultural value. The session will conclude with a Spotlight on the contributions of biodiversity to societies’ adaptation to climate change and on the implications for landscape structure management.

The Biodiversity and Ecosystems Annual Chair is supported by the Jean-François de Clermont-Tonnerre Foundation.