Long-term dynamics of tropical rainforests, climate, fire, human impact and land use in Indonesia

Siria Biagioni will focus on the long-term vegetation dynamics, plant phenology and plant-pollinator interactions in rainforest and rainforest transformations in central Sumatra.

Specific research goals are to:

  • Reconstruct the long-term vegetation and climate dynamics and human-landscape interactions using multi-proxy palaeoecological methods in rainforest ecosystems in the Jambi Province
  • Assess the ecosystems rate of change and plant diversity pattern and their links to climate, fires and human impact in order to provide an historical perspective on the future scenarios of change at the landscape level
  • Study the plant phenology, dispersal and reproductive strategies via analysis of pollen rain along a land-use transect and at different levels of biodiversity enrichment
  • Investigate the plant-pollinator interactions using pollen analysis in order to assess the effects of land-use changes on the pollination functions and networks at local and landscape level

Pollen
Sample of pollen