Ph D Thesis inEnvironmental Physics / Functional Ecology

EcoleDoctorale 304: Sciences et Environnements

Simulation of alternative management practices for perennial plantation adaptation to global changes

Main supervisor:Guerric le Maire (UMR ECO & SOLS) - Tel : 04 99 61 21 15 - Fax : 04 99 61 21 19.

UMR ECO&SOLS, Supagro-Cirad-INRA-IRD, 2 place Viala - Bât. 12, Montpellier Cedex 2, France, 34060

Second supervisor:Denis Loustau (UMR ISPA, INRA) 06 78 19 73 99

Location: UnitEcoSols, Montpellier (G. LeMaire)with prolonged stays (2-5 month) in unit ISPA (Bordeaux, Dr. D. Loustau) and Universities of Sao Paulo (Brazil, Dr G. Lemaire) and McQuarie (Sydney, Australia, Pr B.E. Medlyn and Dr; R. Duursma)

Typical Applicant Profile:

  • Master in Functional Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics Ecosystem Physiology, Geosciences, Environmental sciences.
  • High Engineer School in Agronomy or Scientific Engineering (Ingénieur grandes Ecoles scientifiques)
  • Ecoles Normales en Biologie ou Physique,

Funding

Ph D. fellowship co-funded by CIRAD and ANR (project MACCAC).

Application

  • CV and motivation letter (1.5 pages) including two supervisor references should be sent by email at: copy to
  • Final selection after face-to-face interview to be proposed to applicants selected short list, (skype acceptable).

Deadline for application: ...... 1st July, 2014.

Start: 1st October 2014

End: 30stSeptember 2017

Key Words: Process model, perennial plantations, adaptation to global changes

Abstract.

The thesis will be part of the ANR project MACCAC which aims at improving management practices in agroforestry based upon 3D canopy modelling and facing theexpected impacts of climate changes. Three case studies are considered: coffee plantation in Costa Rica, maritime Pine forest in South-western France and Eucalyptus short rotations in Brazil as pure stands or mixture. The research subject proposed aims at designing an optimal type of canopy in terms of structure, composition and dynamics for optimizing the sustainable production of ecosystem services and maximizing the adaptive potential of cropping systems to global changes.

The proposed approach is essentially based upon process based 3-dimensional modelling the cycles of energy, carbon, water and nitrogen at the ecosystem level, with emphasis on the production of ecosystem services: yield and commercial harvest, climateand hydrological regulations, biodiversity.

The research project will rely upon the data obtained from field experiments and long term monitoring sites and will use data from downscaled climate scenarios, soil maps, ground inventories and remote sensing products. Datawillbe used for e.g. parameterisingand calibrating the MAESPA model at the tree and stand levels for the three cases studied.The model will then be used for investigating different options of canopy composition and structure and their effects on canopy microclimate, stand carbon balance, surface energy balance and hydrology under a range of climate scenarios.

Supervision committee:

Main: Guerric le Maire – (UMR Eco&Sols)

Co-supervisor: Denis Loustau – HDR (UMR ISPA)

Participants: Olivier Roupsard (UMR Eco & Sols / CATIE), Jean Dauzat (UMR AMAP), Marc Corbeels (UMR AIDA),

International partners:

R. Duursma & Pr B.E. Medlyn, U. of Western Sydney & Macquarie University NSW Australia 2109.

CATIE (Costa-Rica): Climate scenarios, Agroforestry management operations

References

Charbonnier, F., le Maire, G., Dreyer, E., Casanoves, F., Christina, M., Dauzat, J., Eitel, J.U.H., Vaast, P., Vierling, L.A., & Roupsard, O. (2013). Competition for light in heterogeneous canopies: Application of MAESTRA to a coffee (Coffea arabica L.) agroforestry system. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 181, 152-169

Duursma, R.A., & Medlyn, B.E. (2012). MAESPA: a model to study interactions between water limitation, environmental drivers and vegetation function at tree and stand levels, with an example application to [CO2] x drought interactions. Geoscientific Model Development, 5, 919-940

Dybzinski, R., Farrior, C., Wolf, A., Reich, P.B., & Pacala, S.W. (2011). Evolutionarily stable strategy carbon allocation to foliage, wood, and fine roots in trees competing for light and nitrogen: an analytically tractable, individual-based model and quantitative comparisons to data. American Naturalist, 177, 153-166

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IPCC (2013). IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Available on internet at

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le Maire, G., Nouvellon, Y., Christina, M., Ponzoni, F.J., Gonçalves, J.L.M., Bouillet, J.P., & Laclau, J.P. (2013). Tree and stand light use efficiencies over a full rotation of single- and mixed-species Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium plantations. Forest Ecology and Management, 288, 31-42

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Marsden, C., Nouvellon, Y., Laclau, J.-P., Corbeels, M., McMurtrie, R.E., Stape, J.L., Epron, D., & le Maire, G. (2013). Modifying the G’DAY process-based model to simulate the spatial variability of Eucalyptus plantation growth on deep tropical soils. Forest Ecology and Management, 301, 112-128

McCarthy, J., Canziani, O.F., Leary, N.A., Dokken, D.J., & White, C. (2001). Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

McMurtrie, R.E., & Dewar, R.C. (2013). New insights into carbon allocation by trees from the hypothesis that annual wood production is maximized. New Phytologist, 199, 981-990

Medlyn, B. (2004). A MAESTRO Retrospective. In M. Mencuccini, J. Moncrieff, K. McNaughton & J. Grace (Eds.), Forests at the Land-Atmosphere Interface: CABI Publishing

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