Universiteit Leiden

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Xiangyu Liu-

Postdoc

Name
X. Liu-
Telephone
+31 71 527 2727
E-mail
x.liu@biology.leidenuniv.nl

Neighboring plants can decrease or increase the vulnerability of a focal plant to herbivores and microbiomes, which are called associational effects. I focus on these associational effects belowground.

More information about Xiangyu Liu-

Research

Associational effects have been demonstrated as widespread ecological interactions which are defined as reduced or increased consumer effects in a neighbourhood with non-focal neighbours relative to a monoculture of the focal organism. To date, these type of associational effects has been documented in many systems for aboveground plant-herbivore interactions. Herbivory by soil-dwelling organisms can also greatly influence plant performance, but there is a dearth of experimental studies that examine such belowground associational effects and little is known about the ecological importance of these effects. In many plant communities, the degree of herbivory on a focal plant depends on the identity, diversity and traits of the neighbouring plants. Moreover, plant-soil feedbacks, where a plant influences the soil, which subsequently influences a plant that grows later in the soil, can also alter the performance of competing species and feeding performance of herbivores. Therefore, plant-soil feedbacks could also affect belowground associational effects. Furthermore, despite being separated in space, aboveground and belowground organisms influence each other. Hence, belowground AR and AS can influence aboveground AR and AS on the same plant. My research will highlight the ecological importance of belowground AR and AS and shed light on the mechanisms of these widespread interactions.

Brief biography

2020-present: PhD project on Unravelling plant-soil interactions: The ecological importance of belowground associational resistance and susceptibility. Supervisor: Prof.dr. Martijn Bezemer; Co-supervisors: Dr Klaas Vrieling; Dr Suzanne Lommen.

2015-2019: MSc Ecology at East China Normal University

2011-2015: BSc Ecology at Lanzhou University

PhD candidate / guest

  • Science
  • Instituut Biologie Leiden
  • IBL Plant Sciences

Work address

Sylvius
Sylviusweg 72
2333 BE Leiden
Room number 3.5.16

Contact

Postdoc

  • Science
  • Instituut Biologie Leiden
  • IBL Plant Sciences

Work address

Sylvius
Sylviusweg 72
2333 BE Leiden

Contact

Publications

No relevant ancillary activities

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