Elena Kazakou is Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biology & Ecology at Institut Agro – Montpellier SupAgro.
Vinifera Teaching:
Elena lectures during the M1 on weed ecology and management, within the viticulture module.
Research Interests:
Professor Kazakou obtained a PhD in 2006 and a HDR diploma in 2015. She has written 31 scientific papers, 2 book chapters and participated in 20 international and national scientific conferences.
Her research focuses on the analysis of the ecological consequences on the variability of species functioning via the use of plant functional traits.
More precisely the main objectives of her research are:
to characterize species responses (growth, performance) and species ecological strategies across environmental gradients (cultural abandon cultural intensification, grazing, fertilization, concentration on heavy metals on soil);
the description of the links between species functional traits and ecosystem functioning (litter decomposition, biomass digestibility) in a context of land use change. She is especially interested in determining the links between species traits and their palatability and digestibility.
Her further research centres on identifying the above-below ground links in response to herbivory: testing the after-life hypothesis in different contexts and with different herbivores (mammals, mollusks, insects). She seeks to identify if the same traits protecting leaves against herbivory are affecting their rate of decomposition.
Lastly, Professor Kazakou studies how to characterize communities’ responses to different innovation of agricultural systems, especially in vineyards.
International Development :
Elena is responsible in France for the international Erasmus Mundus master “Plant Health”.
Contact: elena.kazakou@supagro.fr
