BIODECODE - decoding biodiversity changes in the Anthropocene through functional, evolutionary, and species interaction dynamics across the Tree of Life.

Global change is affecting the biosphere at an unprecedented rate. To estimate the depths of biodiversity change, it is crucial to understand the trajectories of change in natural communities, considering multiple biodiversity dimensions. BIODECODE investigates biodiversity dynamics under global change, focusing on functional space, phylogenetic structure, and interaction networks in tetrapods and vascular plants in Europe. Specifically, it aims at i) determining the temporal dynamics in the occupation of the functional space and the change of phylogenetic structure across taxonomic groups; ii) building a meta-network for each group and across taxa and assessing whether global change is causing a rewiring of the meta-network, iii) forecasting the consequences of global change on multiple dimensions of biodiversity using cutting edge methods. This predictive framework will allow improved characterization of our natural communities and data-driven conservation and mitigation actions.