Objective
Lichen symbioses are stable mutualistic associations in which photoautotrophic algae and/or cyanobacteria provide carbohydrates for heterotrophic fungi. Lichens represent a highly successful nutritional strategy, which allows the symbiotic organisms to greatly expand their ecological range. In contrast to the macrolichens of boreal and temperate regions, tropical lichens are still fairly poorly known, and the application of molecular biology methods has recently revealed unprecedented diversity in Neotropical lichens. In Africa, however, even the basic descriptive work is just beginning. With this proposal we wish to initiate a major new research collaboration focusing on the lichens in East African mountains. In addition to biodiversity, in this proposal we concentrate in the effects of ecosystem disturbance to the symbiotic organisms. By using state-of-the-art molecular methods and comprehensive data analysis we aim to give a major contribution to a previously practically untouched field. This is done in the unique environmental setting in montane East Africa with expected high biodiversity and various ecosystems with established study plots in known conditions. The approach enables the unravelling of possible correlations between the environmental variables and the complex symbiotic associations, revealing the effects of ecosystem disturbance to lichen diversity and symbiotic associations, an issue of growing importance in the world of constantly diminishing natural habitats and global climate change. The results will greatly contribute to the known biodiversity, especially in Africa but even globally, since it is concentrated in the yet vastly understudied tropical lichens. The results are expected to be widely applicable also to other tropical montane forest ecosystems and advance our current understanding of the lichen symbiosis as a whole.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology ethnolichenology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-GF - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2015
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
00014 HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
Finland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.