Light availability is a key but often overlooked driver of plant diversity. In this webinar, we will present the first pan-European assessment of light regimes, defined by mean light availability and spatial heterogeneity, and show how they shape plant diversity across scales.
We will also discuss how recent changes in woody vegetation structure, driven by farmland abandonment and forest management, may reshape light environments across Europe, revealing a growing mismatch between current light regimes and those that support high plant diversity.
Speakers
Wanben Wu is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Aarhus University. His current research focuses on the patterns, drivers, and biodiversity consequences of vegetation structural change, with particular attention to land abandonment, forest management, and disturbance as key underlying drivers.
Robert Buitenwerf is an associate professor at the Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), Aarhus University, he is a broadly interested ecologist, combing curiosity-driven research with a strong motivation to contribute to better Earth stewardship. Main research interests include quantifying and understanding human impacts on ecosystems across large scales, with a focus on disturbance regimes. Using remote sensing and other large data, Robert Buitenwerf studies ecosystem dynamics at continental to global scales, with field-based research on various continents including Africa, South America and Europe.
This webinar is part of the wildE Green Shoots series, bringing together youth and experience to explore how rewilding can address the climate and biodiversity crises.