My research focuses on the functional ecology of soil-plant interactions in grassland ecosystems and agroecosystems. At the crossroads of ecology, soil science and agronomy, it combines fundamental and applied approaches to understand how plants respond to their environment and, in turn, shape it. By quantifying plant functional traits, I characterize their response to soil properties, climate and management practices, as well as their effects on soil functions (nutrient availability, structure, control of erosion and compaction, water infiltration). This response-effect framework makes it possible to design agroecosystems that are more resilient to climatic and environmental hazards.
A central challenge is to untangle the complexity of these interactions, in particular feedback loops and plant-plant interactions, under combined soil and climate constraints. My recent
work shows the key role of functional traits and their diversity in phosphorus availability and acquisition, as well as in reducing soil erosion and compaction (Functional Ecology, 2021; Geoderma, 2022; Advances in Agronomy, 2015; Trends in Plant Science, 2017). By identifying the traits and species combinations that improve soil functioning while buffering crops against climate variability, I aim to turn them into levers for stable and robust cropping systems. I have also contributed to linking agroecology and bioeconomy (Plant and Soil, 2023) and to work on the role of plants in global biogeochemical cycles (Science, 2020).
A growing part of my work addresses spatial, temporal and/or biological heterogeneity, which I characterize at fine scales, from the root zone to the field. Rather than averaging it out as noise, I consider it a driver of agroecosystem functioning and of their response to hazards, which opens up new research questions and new innovations for managing living systems.
This research now extends to an interdisciplinary, even transdisciplinary approach with territorial and sector stakeholders, notably through the TRANSITIONS program and the chair “Resilient farms beneficial to climate and biodiversity” (2024-2028, VIVESCIA). We complement controlled experiments with field data collected with and for farmers, and co-construct solutions that strengthen the resilience of farms and territories. This dialogue between science and society is embodied in Agroécologia, an immersive scenography that I created as a tool for educational innovation. It makes complex scientific knowledge accessible, without excessive simplification, to students, farmers, citizens and decision-makers.
- Author of more than 80 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, 7 chapters and more than 70 conference presentations.
- Section editor for Plant and Soil (Springer Nature).
- Expert for the evaluation of national and European projects and for companies.
