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SUMMARY:Environmental drivers of tropical peat swamp forest vegetation pat
 terns - Beatrice Wedeux
DTSTART:20120607T153000Z
DTEND:20120607T160000Z
UID:TALK36377@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Suzy Stoodley
DESCRIPTION:In the tropics\, accumulation of plant material in poorly drai
 ned lowlands over thousands of years has led to the formation of peat dome
 s. These are naturally covered with peat swamp forest\, which shows a sequ
 ence of different communities associated with decreasing fertility and wat
 erlogging from the periphery of the dome to its centre. Tropical peatlands
  make an important contribution to the global carbon pool and are a haven 
 for endangered species. However\, they suffer from severe anthropogenic di
 sturbance in Southeast Asia\, where they cover extensive areas. Peat swamp
  forests have not received the same academic attention as other tropical f
 orest types despite the fact that they offer an interesting setting to stu
 dy how environment\, and in particular fertility and waterlogging gradient
 s\, shape vegetation communities. My PhD aims at gaining a better understa
 nding of the environmental drivers and biological processes leading to dif
 ferential vegetation patterns on untouched and disturbed peat domes. Durin
 g my first year talk\, I present initial findings on the relation between 
 environmental gradients and vegetation structure and composition in a prev
 iously undescribed peat dome in Borneo. These results are compared to desc
 riptive studies of other peat domes in SE Asia and serve as a basis to dis
 cuss future research addressing the role of functional groups in shaping p
 eat swamp forest communities.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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