LegacyNet and
DI Models
Hi there!
This month’s blog post will be dedicated to the LegacyNet conference that took place in the beginning of March in Dublin, Ireland. If you have read our previous blog post (or this month’s newsletter), you know that LegacyNet is a partner consortium of LegumeLegacy. We know… the project names can be confusing sometimes. But let us elaborate a bit more on the LegacyNet consortium and the conference!
What is LegacyNet exactly?
LegacyNet is a voluntary (!) network of 30 experimental sites located across Europe, China, Canada, USA, and New Zealand. All sites follow the same core design to investigate yield benefits of multispecies grassland leys and their legacy effects on follow-on crops in crop rotation systems.
What differentiates our LegumeLegacy project from our partner LegacyNet? Well, the main difference is that we dive deeper into the mechanisms of the observed results from LegacyNet. We try to disentangle the black box of the effects of multispecies grassland leys.
DI modelling
During the LegacyNet conference, all collaborators had the opportunity to undergo training on Diversity-Interactions (DI) models. DI models are a statistical tool that will be key in analyzing the outcomes from the LegacyNet and LegumeLegacy experiments.
They are based on multiple regression models that allow us to isolate factors such as species-specific identity effects and species interaction, while considering species richness, composition and proportion of the plant communities. In this way, we are able to explore in depth the relationship between biodiversity and the measured ecosystem function responses.
Moreover, DI models are a great example of the complementarity between agricultural experiments and statistics. By understanding the joint effects of richness, composition and proportion, the DI models allow for predictions of ecosystem functions with the grassland species mixtures.
For further reading, please check the DI models website by clicking here: DI Models .
To wrap things up
It was wonderful to see such a large network collaborating all together on a voluntary basis to enhance scientific knowledge. If you are excited about the LegacyNet consortium, we kindly invite you to visit the website of LegacyNet .
What’s next?!
Prepare to embark on an exciting journey with our upcoming event in Switzerland this April! We will go for a special training focused on DNA extraction techniques, along with fascinating visits to field experiments set against Switzerland's breathtaking scenery. This unique event offers us the chance to explore DNA extraction while immersing ourselves in the stunning natural landscapes of Switzerland. Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we'll delve into the intriguing world of DNA extraction.
Responsible for the contents of this blog post are the Doctoral Researchers Ellen Baekelmans, Die Hu and Sopia Philadelphi.