Call For Abstracts: Session 401002

1. Session Title

Soil food web structure and function under global change

2. Session Organizers

· Manqiang Liu, Lanzhou University, liumq@njau.edu.cn (primary contact person)

· Joann Whalen, McGill University, joann.whalen@mcgill.ca

· Shenglei Fu, Henan University, sfu@scbg.ac.cn

3. Session Description (401002)

Soil organisms, including macrofauna, mesofauna and microorganisms, are involved in many soil processes and contribute to soil health and ecosystem services. This session provides scope for critical discussions on how taxonomic and functional diversity, the abundance of soil organisms and their biotic interactions within the soil food web influence multiple ecosystem functions, including soil carbon cycling, nutrient cycling, plant productivity and biocontrol. The focus will be on theoretical studies that use models to represent the spatio-temporal dynamics of populations and communities across regional, landscape and ecosystem scales. It will also feature practical studies on managing soil food-web functions and developing soil biodiversity conservation strategies for both natural and agricultural soils. In addition, the impacts of environmental changes, such as land conversion, pollution and climate change, on soil organisms and the ecosystem functions they support will be explored, along with research on bio-indicators for assessing environmental and management practices. Contributions employing novel technologies, including molecular methods and trait-based approaches, are welcome.

4. Proposed Speakers

· Uffe N. Nielsen, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia

· Ting Liu, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China

· Chongzhe Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

· To be continued…