• KiLi Sub Project 4:
Plant diversity and performance in relation to climate and land use on Mt. Kilimanjaro: communities, species, populations, ecological genetics
From 03/2010 to 07/2016
Project leader: Markus Fischer, Andreas Hemp
PhD student: Neduvoto Mollel, Andreas Enßlin, Gemma Rutten, Marion Renner
Other participating individuals: Reiner Zimmermann, Margaret Jonathan Mollel, Jouko Rikkinen
Plant diversity and biomass constitute the matrix for the diversity of all other organisms. We
address plant biodiversity and performance along altitudinal and land use gradients at
genetic, population, community and landscape levels. We record vegetation types
surrounding the 60 common study plots and inquire plot histories. We will repeatedly record
all plant species present on the 60 plots to address phylogenetic, functional and ethnobotanical
community composition and dynamics. In addition, we will study plant species
turnover by revisiting sites of >120 existing vegetation records. For all 60 plots, we will record
lichen species once, and complete estimates of horizontal and vertical community structure,
production and biomass, combining direct measurements with airborne LIDAR data and allometric approaches. To analyse soil-mediated frequency dependence, species responses
to different altitudes/climates, and local adaptation within species, we will perform plant-soil
feedback experiments, as well as common garden, reciprocal-transplant, and controlled
pollination experiments. We closely collaborate with all other subprojects and the National
Herbarium of Tanzania in Arusha. We provide important guidance and baseline data for all
other subprojects. Moreover, we provide relationships of plant diversity with altitude, climate
and disturbance, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, and estimates of resilience
and adaptive potential of plants to global change.