The impact of ash-dieback on food webs in ash plantations and natural forests
Public support
Provider
Czech Science Foundation
Programme
Standard projects
Call for proposals
SGA0202600001
Main participants
Mendelova univerzita v Brně / Lesnická a dřevařská fakulta
Contest type
VS - Public tender
Contract ID
26-20951S
Alternative language
Project name in Czech
The impact of ash-dieback on food webs in ash plantations and natural forests
Annotation in Czech
Invasive species are among the major threats to biodiversity. Yet only few studies have investigated how invasive species affect native species that are more than two trophic links apart in food-webs. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus is a pathogenic fungus of ash trees that become invasive in Europe and it causes massive dieback mostly of the common ash Fraxinus excelsior. As common ash is an ecosystem engineer, H. fraxineus holds the potential to affect the whole food-webs and ecosystem functioning, but minimum information exists on this topic. Such knowledge is essential for developing effective management practices to control this invasive species. This project therefore aims to investigate how H. fraxineus affects multitrophic diversity, selected ecosystem functions (predation, herbivory, and decomposition), structure and stability of arthropod predator-prey food-webs, and trophic cascade in commercial ash plantations and natural ash-dominated forests.
Scientific branches
R&D category
ZV - Basic research
OECD FORD - main branch
10619 - Biodiversity conservation
OECD FORD - secondary branch
10618 - Ecology
OECD FORD - another secondary branch
40102 - Forestry
CEP - equivalent branches <br>(according to the <a href="http://www.vyzkum.cz/storage/att/E6EF7938F0E854BAE520AC119FB22E8D/Prevodnik_oboru_Frascati.pdf">converter</a>)
EH - Ecology - communities<br>GK - Forestry
Solution timeline
Realization period - beginning
Jan 1, 2026
Realization period - end
Dec 31, 2028
Project status
Z - Beginning multi-year project
Latest support payment
—
Data delivery to CEP
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data delivery code
CEP26-GA0-GA-R
Data delivery date
Apr 29, 2026
Finance
Total approved costs
9,825 thou. CZK
Public financial support
9,825 thou. CZK
Other public sources
0 thou. CZK
Non public and foreign sources
0 thou. CZK