Benedicte Bachelot

The Bachelot lab focuses on the high tree diversity in the tropical forest. How can so many species coexist in the same forest? To address this question, I combine field observations, computer approached, and theoretical modeling. The majority of tropical tree species associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These mutualists can alter the effects of natural enemies (herbivores, pathogens, etc) on seedling dynamics. The research team investigates how natural enemies and fungi influence seedling dynamics and plant species coexistence. A second main question addressed by the group is how plant communities are responding to climate change. The team is currently collaborating on a tropical warming experiment in Puerto Rico to uncover some of the effects of warming on understory plant communities in a tropical rainforest.