Forest Research - Eric Casella

Tel: +44 (0)1420 22255
Tel direct: +44 (0)1420 526284
Fax: +44 (0)1420 23563

Address:
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
UK

Dr Eric Casella joined Forest Research in 2000, where he has specialised in Functional-Structural Plant Models.

Eric was awarded a Ph.D. in plant Ecophysiology from Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand (France) in 1996.

From 1993 to 1997, he was assistant Researcher at the INRA Research Institute in Clermont-Ferrand, Department of Agronomy, where his research has focused on long-term effects of elevated CO₂ and temperature on re-growth and fluxes of water, carbon and nitrogen in grass (Lolium perenne L. & Trifolium repens L.) ecosystems.

From 1998 to 2000, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Antwerp (Belgium), Department of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, studying leaf morphological and physiological characteristics within poplar (Populus spp.) crop canopies.

In 2000, he joined Forest Research, Mensuration Branch, as postdoctoral fellow and was appointed project leader in February 2004. His research focuses on problems related to the description of the architecture of poplar canopies: key parameters needed to describe the radiation regime within vegetation for simulating the mass and energy exchanges between the vegetation and the atmosphere. His research has been supported by grants from the Forest Research and the European Community (Marie Curie Fellowship # QLK5-CT-2001-50583).

Current role

Researching into variations in foliage structure and function within poplar (Populus spp.) crop canopies in short-rotation system. A method to reconstruct the plant architecture of coppice poplar from an extensive set of allometric rules, derived from a hierarchical sampling in contrasting canopies, has been proposed (Casella & Sinoquet 2003). This research continues in order to provide a process-based growth model that will account for the variability in biomass accumulation and carbon storage observed between poplar clones at stand scale.

Current programmes

Affiliations and achievements

Research areas

Describing canopy architecture using a multi-scale biometric methodology for scaling physiological processes from single-leaf measurements up to stand level.

Main recent publications

Aylott M., Casella E., Tubby I., Street N.R., Smith P. & Taylor G. (2008). Yield and spatial supply of bioenergy poplar and willow short rotation coppice in the UK. New Phytologist, 178, 897-897.

Aylott M., Casella E., Tubby I., Street N.R., Smith P. & Taylor G. (2008). Yield and spatial supply of bioenergy poplar and willow short rotation coppice in the UK. New Phytologist, 178, 358-370.

Cochard H., Casella E. & Mencuccini M. (2007). Xylem vulnerability to cavitation varies among poplar and willow clones and correlates with yield. Tree Physiology 27, 1761-1767.

Casella, E. & Sinoquet, H. (2007). Botanical determinants of foliage clumping and light interception in two-year-old coppiced poplar canopies: assessment from 3-D plant mock-ups. Annals of Forest Science 64, 395-404.

Cochard H., Casella E. & Mencuccini M. (2007). Xylem vulnerability to cavitation varies among poplar and willow clones and correlates with yield. Tree Physiology (in press).

Casella, E. & Sinoquet, H. (2003). A method for describing the canopy architecture of coppice poplar with allometric relationships. Tree Physiology 23, 1153-1169.

Casella, E. & Ceulemans, R. (2002). Spatial distribution of leaf morphological and physiological characteristics in relation to local radiation regime within 3-year-old Populus clones under coppice culture. Tree Physiology 22, 1277-1288.

Soussana, J.F., Teyssonneyre, F., Picon-Cochard, C., Casella, E., Besle, J.M., Lherm, M. & Loiseau, P. (2002). Effects of climatic and atmospheric changes on grasslands and their production. Fourrages 169, 3-24.

Laureysens, I., Casella, E. & Ceulemans, R. (2000). Productivity, basal area and shoot density of different poplar clones in a coppice culture. In Topics in Ecology: Structure and Function in Plants and Ecosystems. (eds. Ceulemans R., Bogaert, J., Deckmyn G. & Nijs I.), pp. 29-38. University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.

Casella, E., Laureysens, I. & Ceulemans, R. (2000). Simulating carbon fluxes and biomass production in short rotation poplar coppice culture: Proposition for a dual-way modelling approach. In 1st World Conference on Biomass for Energy and Industry. James and James (Science Publishers) Ltd, London, 271-274.

Laureysens, I., Casella, E., Deraedt, W. & Ceulemans, R. (2000). High-density coppice culture of poplar: clonal differences in growth, mortality and biomass yield after a three-year rotation. In 1st World Conference on Biomass for Energy and Industry. James and James (Science Publishers) Ltd, London, 459-462.

Casella, E. & Soussana, J.F. (1997). Long-term effects of CO₂ enrichment and temperature increase on the carbon balance of a temperate grass sward. Journal of Experimental Botany 48, 1309-1321.

Casella, E., Soussana, J.F. & Loiseau, P. (1996). Long-term effects of CO₂ enrichment and temperature increase on a temperate grass sward. I. Productivity and water use. Plant and Soil 182, 83-99.

Soussana, J.F, Casella, E. & Loiseau, P. (1996). Long-term effects of CO₂ enrichment and temperature increase on a temperate grass sward. II. Plant nitrogen budgets and root fraction. Plant and Soil 182, 101-114.

Casella, E. (1996). Long-term effects of CO₂ enrichment and temperature increase on a temperate grass sward (Lolium perenne L.). Nitrogen interactions. Ph.D. Thesis. 122 pp. Blaise Pascal University of Clermont-Ferrand II, France.

Loiseau, P., Soussana, J.F., Chaussod, R. & Casella, E. (1995). Evolution des stocks de mati�res organiques sous prairies: quantification, �volution, mod�lisation. Perrier A. (Ed.). Ecosystems and global changes 10, 57-77.

Loiseau, P., Chaussod, R., Soussana, J.F. & Casella, E. (1995). Effect of climatic changes on partitioning of organic matter. Perrier A. and Saugier B. (Eds.). Ecosystems and global changes 8, 131-138.

Casella, E., Soussana, J.F. & Loiseau, P. (1995). Impact of climatic changes (carbon dioxide, temperature) on the carbon balance of prairie ecosystems with English ryegrass and white clover. Perrier A. and Saugier B. (Eds.). Ecosystems and global changes 8, 107-118.

Soussana, J.F., Casella, E. & Loiseau, P. (1995). Impact of climatic changes (carbon dioxide, temperature) on cultivated prairie ecosystems - Interactions with water and nutrients. Perrier A. and Saugier B. (Eds.) Ecosystems and global changes 8, 119-130.

Loiseau, P., Soussana, J.F. & Casella, E. (1994). Effect of climatic changes (CO₂, temperature) on grassland ecosystems. First 5 months experimental results. In Soil Responses to Climate Change. M.D.A. Rounsevell and P.J. Loveland Ed., NATO ASI Series Vol I 23, Springer Pub., Berlin, ISBN 3-540-58373-4, pp 223-228.

Soussana, J.F., Casella, E. & Loiseau, P. (1994). Regrowth components of perennial ryegrass swards under climate change. In Grassland and Society. Frame J. and L.'t Mannetje Ed., Wageningen Pers Pub., ISBN 90-74134-15-7, pp. 402-407.

Casella, E. (1992). Tree photosynthesis: control of photosynthesis in lemon (Citrus reticulata Blanco) tree species. Master. 36 pp. Henri Poincar� University of Nancy I, France.

Main recent seminar and conference presentations

Management Committee - COST Action E47. European Network for Forest Vegetation Management: Towards Environmental Sustainability. Iceland. 8-10 September 2008.

Management Committee - COST Action E47. European Network for Forest Vegetation Management: Towards Environmental Sustainability. Katarino – Razlog, Bulgaria. 21-23 May 2008.

16th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition. Future climate effects on the yields of C3 bioenergy crops grown as short rotation coppice. Modelling demand and supply of bioenergy from short rotation coppice and Miscanthus in the UK. Valencia, Spain. 2-6 June 2008.

5th International Workshop on Functional-Structural Plant Models. Napier, New Zealand, 04-09 November 2007.

Management Committee - COST Action E47. European Network for Forest Vegetation Management: Towards Environmental Sustainability. Florence, Italy. 18-22 September 2007.

15th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition. Assessing the productivity and spatial supply of short rotation coppice for the bioenergy industry in the UK. Berlin, Germany. 7-11 May 2007.

Conf�rences Jacques-Monod. Physico-chemical Ecology of Organisms. Canopy structure and light interception properties of trees: in search of the missing parameters. Roscoff, France, 24-28 September 2005.

90th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) held jointly with the IX International Congress of Ecology (INTERCOL). Ecology at multiple scales.� Determinants of foliage clumping in two-year-old short rotation coppice poplar canopies: assessment from 3-D plant mock-ups. Montr�al, Canada, 7-12 August 2005.

4th International Workshop on Functional-Structural Plant Models. Leaf expansion stage rather than irradiance drives the intra-canopy gradients of leaf nitrogen in two fast-growing Populus clones. LAI estimation from fisheye photographs: assessment from three-dimensional poplar plant mock-ups in short-rotation coppice crops. Montpellier, France, 07-11 June 2004.

Workshop on Plant growth Modelling (invitation for oral presentation). Applications of the multi-scale biometric methodology used in the 3-D CPCA model for the "Ligniculture-Qu�bec" project. University of Montreal, Department of biological sciences, Montr�al, Canada, 17-24 November 2003.

International Symposium on Plant growth Modelling, simulation, visualization and their Applications (chairman of plenary sessions). Session 6: Plant Growth Modelling, Applications Forestry. Beijing, P.R. China, 13-16 October 2003.

International Poplar Symposium III. Modelling the three-dimensional architecture of expanding short rotation coppice poplar clones using an empirical approach. Uppsala, Sweden. 26-29 August 2002.

First World Conference and Exhibition on Biomass for Energy and Industry. Simulating carbon fluxes and biomass production in short rotation poplar coppice culture: Proposition for a dual-way modelling approach. High-density coppice culture of poplar: clonal differences in growth, mortality and biomass yield after a three-year rotation. Sevilla, Spain. 5-9 June 2000.

International Poplar Symposium II. Simulating biomass production and energy conversion efficiency in short rotation coppice poplar culture using the FRACPO and RATP process models. Orl�ans, France. 13-17 September 1999.

Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems (PIGB). Long-term effects of CO2 enrichment and temperature increase on the carbon balance of a temperate grass sward. Plant acclimation to elevated CO2. California, USA. 15-18 June 1997.