FunTraits · Scaling the impacts of anthropogenic stressors from molecules to ecosystem FUNctioning using TRAIT distributionS

Biodiversity loss driven by human-induced stressors threatens global ecosystem functioning and resilience, yet the mechanisms linking biodiversity change to ecosystem functioning remain unclear. Traditional approaches focusing on species identity or mean trait values often miss the complexity of trait–environment interaction, thereby limiting predictive power. A promising alternative is to quantify how stressors reshape functional trait distributions, described via four statistical moments (mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis). FunTraits will deliver a conceptual break-through in trait-based ecology by revealing how shifts in trait distributions propagate from molecules to ecosystem functioning. Using freshwater zooplankton communities as a model system, I will combine laboratory and mesocosm experiments with state-of-the-art imaging, multi-omics, and bioinformatics to: (i) test how population-level trait moments shape physiological responses to heatwaves, (ii) determine how community-level trait distributions mediate trophic interactions and ecosystem processes, and (iii) link molecular responses to changes in community physiology and biogeochemical cycling. FunTraits integrates molecular biology, physiology, ecology, computer-vision, and bioinformatics to establish the first comprehensive mechanistic framework linking trait distributions to ecosystem functioning. This fellowship will be a key career milestone, as I will develop cutting-edge molecular and bioinformatic skills, expand my scientific network, and successfully implement a research project, thereby supporting my transition to an independent researcher. Outcomes will advance ecological theory, improve predictions of ecosystem vulnerability, and provide a transferable framework to support aquatic ecosystem management in alignment with the Water Framework Directive and EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. Results will be disseminated to scientists, aquatic management stakeholders, and the general public.