Article
Biology
Glen Ray Hood, Devin Blankinship, Meredith M. Doellman, Jeffrey L. Feder
Summary: The study reveals that temporal resource partitioning through variation in oviposition timing can mitigate interspecific competition between insect parasitoids sharing the same host, promoting species coexistence. By adjusting oviposition timing, inferior competitors can gain a survival advantage, with larger intervals between oviposition times helping alleviate competition. These findings suggest that temporal resource partitioning plays a critical role in facilitating species coexistence and structuring diverse insect communities.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Angelos Mouratidis, Ada Leman, Erik H. Poelman, Gerben Messelink
Summary: The introduction of heterospecific Dicyphus species can effectively suppress the population growth of Nesidiocoris tenuis in tomato crops, which is significant for the prevention of damage to tomato crops.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Francesco Ferretti, Raquel Oliveira, Mariana Rossa, Irene Belardi, Giada Pacini, Sara Mugnai, Niccolo Fattorini, Lorenzo Lazzeri
Summary: This study investigated the feeding habits of wolves on small carnivores and found that there was temporal and spatial overlap between the two, which suggests that the negative impact of wolves on small carnivores is limited.
FRONTIERS IN ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ben Goodheart, Scott Creel, Matthew S. Becker, Milan Vinks, Paul Schuette, Kambwiri Banda, Carolyn Sanguinetti, Elias Rosenblatt, Chase Dart, Anna Kusler, Kim Young-Overton, Xia Stevens, Alstone Mwanza, Chuma Simukonda
Summary: The study found that the population of African wild dogs in the study area was not competitively released due to the low density of lions, but rather impacted by prey scarcity, indicating that the number of wild dogs is influenced by an optimal balance of prey and competitors.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Mariana Rossa, Sandro Lovari, Francesco Ferretti
Summary: The study found that wolves had the greatest temporal overlap with wild boar and the least with roe deer; fallow deer showed more daytime activity in sites with high wolf activity, with lower temporal overlap; red fox had extensive temporal overlap with wolves, especially in sites intensively used by the apex predator.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Liang Song, Bin Yang, Lu-Lu Liu, Yu-Xuan Mo, Wen-Jie Liu, Xian-Jing Meng, Hua-Zheng Lu, Yuan Li, Sissou Zakari, Zheng-Hong Tan, Ze-Xin Fan, Yong-Jiang Zhang
Summary: This study investigated water uptake depths and leaf traits of dominant tree species in a subtropical forest in China. The findings suggest that interspecific competition for water sources may increase the risk of tree dieback in drought years, highlighting the importance of understanding water use patterns for predicting forest response.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jaime M. Anaya-Rojas, Ronald D. Bassar, Tomos Potter, Allison Blanchette, Shay Callahan, Nick Framstead, David Reznick, Joseph Travis
Summary: Theory suggests that competing species can coexist in a community when intraspecific competition is stronger than interspecific competition. This study found that the evolution of species- and size-dependent competitive asymmetries increased the likelihood of coexistence between interacting species. Furthermore, the research highlights the importance of integrating evolution and trait-based interactions into studies on species coexistence.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Margarita Rocca, Maria Florencia Diaz Lucas, Nancy Mabel Greco
Summary: This study found that the coexistence of Eriopis connexa and Cycloneda sanguinea in sweet-pepper crops can be explained by temporal niche complementarity. Although they cooccur spatially, they are segregated at the leaf level to prevent negative trophic interactions. Under semifield conditions, possible negative trophic interactions did not affect aphid control, but the density of C. sanguinea was reduced.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Austin Z. T. Allison, Courtney J. Conway, Amanda R. Goldberg
Summary: Ecologists have discovered that weather has an important impact on the competitive interactions between animals. This study focuses on two coexisting mammalian species and finds that weather conditions affect their survival probabilities. Additionally, the larger competitor negatively impacts the survival probability of the smaller competitor, especially when precipitation increases.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Shawn McEachin, Jonathan P. Drury, Christopher N. Anderson, Gregory F. Grether
Summary: Species can avoid costly fights by differentiating territorial signals and microhabitat preferences.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Goncalo Curveira-Santos, Laura Gigliotti, Andre P. Silva, Chris Sutherland, Stefan Foord, Margarida Santos-Reis, Lourens H. Swanepoel
Summary: The study revisited existing theories on intraguild killing among African carnivores using online photographs, revealing a wider range of species and interactions than previously thought. It suggests that the current IGK theory underestimates the alternative competition pathways and the role of predatory and incidental killing, highlighting the potential for IGK-mediated cascades in species-rich assemblages and community-wide suppressive effects of large carnivores.
Article
Ornithology
Yuanxing Ye, Canshi Hu, Yiting Jiang, Geoffrey W. H. Davison, Changqing Ding
Summary: The study found that niche partitioning is a mechanism for coexistence among ecologically similar species. In two coexisting egret species, niche partitioning is multidimensional, with the two species occupying differing ecological space based on all three temporal, spatial and trophic niche dimensions.
Article
Ecology
Shaun S. Killen, Lauren E. Nadler, Kathryn Grazioso, Amy Cox, Mark I. McCormick
Summary: The study suggests that individuals with higher metabolic rates may be more social, but not necessarily prefer larger groups; however, the impact on group size choice is weak. Furthermore, variations in food availability and predation risk could further alter the effects of metabolism on group size choice.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amanda M. Veals, John L. Koprowski, David L. Bergman, Kurt C. VerCauteren, David B. Wester
Summary: Mesocarnivores like gray foxes, skunks, bobcats, and coyotes in a regional rabies hotspot in the southwestern United States are found to influence each other's space use and compete for resources seasonally. The study also reveals the effects of elevation, season, and temperature on detection probability of these species, with understory height and canopy cover influencing gray foxes and skunks.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Francesco Ferretti, Giada Pacini, Irene Belardi, Bouke Ten Cate, Marco Sensi, Raquel Oliveira, Mariana Rossa, Lucia Burrini, Sandro Lovari
Summary: The study assessed the interactions between wolves and foxes in a coastal Mediterranean area, revealing extensive spatial and temporal overlaps but low dietary overlap. It found that the recovery of wolves affected the food habits of foxes, with an increase in the volume of large mammals in the foxes' diet. Despite this, foxes did not avoid wolves and benefited from additional food resources provided by the apex predator. In a rich community, the presence of wolves may expand the food spectrum of foxes.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joop W. P. Coolen, Arjen R. Boon, Richard Crooijmans, Hilde van Pelt, Frank Kleissen, Daan Gerla, Jan Beermann, Silvana N. R. Birchenough, Leontine E. Becking, Pieternella C. Luttikhuizen
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
K. Teschke, R. Karez, P. R. Schubert, J. Beermann
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jan Beermann, Allison K. Hall-Mullen, Charlotte Havermans, Joop W. P. Cooler, Richard P. M. A. Crooijmans, Bert Dibbits, Christoph Held, Andrea Desiderato
Article
Zoology
Kathleen E. Conlan, Andrea Desiderato, Jan Beermann
Summary: The genus Jassa, comprising 24 species, is widely distributed globally, with some species transported by human vectors due to their colonial habit. New species have been described, and efforts are being made to assist researchers in identifying different species within the genus for further ecological research.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Desiderato, Jan Beermann, Maria Angelica Haddad, Luciano Felicio Fernandes
Summary: Epibiotic associations can lead to the introduction of non-indigenous species, such as diatoms found on amphipods in fouling communities in three estuaries in southern Brazil. The presence of diverse diatom species, including the first report of Amphora helenensis in Brazilian waters, suggests a possible regional spread aided by the amphipods. The potential impact of this amphipod-diatom association on animals and ecosystems remains to be investigated.
Article
Environmental Sciences
James Taylor, Colin Devey, Morgane Le Saout, Sven Petersen, Tom Kwasnitschka, Inmaculada Frutos, Katrin Linse, Anne-Nina Loerz, Dominik Palgan, Anne H. Tandberg, Jorundur Svavarsson, Daniel Thorhallsson, Adrianna Tomkowicz, Hronn Egilsdottir, Stefan A. Ragnarsson, Jasmin Renz, Elena L. Markhaseva, Sabine Gollner, Eva Paulus, Jon Kongsrud, Jan Beermann, Kevin M. Kocot, Karin Meissner, Alexander Bartholomae, Leon Hoffman, Pauline Vannier, Viggo P. Marteinsson, Hans T. Rapp, Guillermo Diaz-Agras, Ramiro Tato, Saskia Brix
Summary: During the RV MS Merian expedition MSM75, an international team discovered three new hydrothermal vent sites on the Reykjanes Ridge, with unique fauna including potentially new species and familiar ones. The hydrothermal vent areas showed a lack of megafauna compared to similar sites, suggesting a distinct ecological community with some opportunistic species.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ninon Mavraki, Joop W. P. Coolen, Danae-Athena Kapasakali, Steven Degraer, Jan Vanaverbeke, Jan Beermann
Summary: The establishment of artificial hard substrates on marine soft sediments increases the available habitat for invertebrate communities, with suspension feeding crustacean Jassa herdmani dominating the structures in the southern North Sea. Despite their small size, J. herdmani has a significant impact on neighboring communities through its high abundances and effective suspension feeding abilities. The study shows that J. herdmani can clear a significant amount of water and release carbon through defecation, enriching the surrounding sediments with organic matter. These findings highlight the importance of tiny amphipods in mediating the indirect effects of manmade structures in the North Sea.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joop W. P. Coolen, Jan Vanaverbeke, Jennifer Dannheim, Clement Garcia, Silvana N. R. Birchenough, Roland Krone, Jan Beermann
Summary: Through a meta-analysis of monitoring data from offshore wind farms in the southern North Sea, we identified the impacts of offshore wind farms on marine biodiversity. Our results indicate that depth, season, and distance to structures are key factors influencing biodiversity and abundance. We also found that age and country affiliation play a significant role in certain indices. We propose that meta-analyses should be an essential tool for managing the effects of offshore wind farms in the future.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katharina Teschke, Casper Kraan, Paul Kloss, Henrike Andresen, Jan Beermann, Dario Fiorentino, Manuela Gusky, Miriam L. S. Hansen, Rebecca Konijnenberg, Roland Koppe, Hendrik Pehlke, Dieter Piepenburg, Tawfik Sabbagh, Alexa Wrede, Thomas Brey, Jennifer Dannheim
Summary: CRITTERBASE is a publicly accessible data warehouse and interactive portal that hosts marine biota data in various formats and sources. It aims to facilitate scientific analysis and long-term utilization through quality control and taxonomic standardization.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sheng Wang, Alexa Wrede, Nelly Tremblay, Jan Beermann
Summary: The study examined the effects of low-frequency noise on sediment reworking activities of selected macrobenthic invertebrates. It found that one species of crustacean was negatively affected by the noise, while the effects on two other species remained inconclusive. More research is needed to understand the impacts of anthropogenic noise pollution on marine fauna and their ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Lars Gutow, Manuela Gusky, Jan Beermann, Luis Gimenez, Roland Pesch, Tim Bildstein, Kathrin Heinicke, Brigitte Ebbe
Summary: Large-scale surveys with low spatial resolution have limited capture of specific smaller-scale biotopes with scattered distribution, leading to limited knowledge regarding the environmental characteristics and species inventories of certain biotopes. This study investigated a spatially restricted, patchy coarse sediment biotope in the German Bight and revealed considerable fluctuations in grain size distribution, identifying 243 infauna taxa over three years.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Eilish M. Farrell, Jan Beermann, Andreas Neumann, Alexa Wrede
Summary: Bioturbation is a central transport process for ecosystem functioning, especially in large soft sediment habitats like the Wadden Sea. The amphipod C. volutator is a dominant bioturbator in the Wadden Sea. The experiments conducted in this study found that temperature and organic enrichment have significant effects on the bioturbation rate of C. volutator.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jan Beermann, Lars Gutow, Steffen Wuehrdemann, Rebecca Konijnenberg, Kathrin Heinicke, Tim Bildstein, Sandra Jaklin, Manuela Gusky, Michael L. Zettler, Jennifer Dannheim, Roland Pesch
Summary: Marine sublittoral sandbanks in the southern North Sea serve as important feeding grounds for larger crustaceans, fish, and seabirds. However, sandbanks in the southeastern North Sea have been poorly studied until now. Through analyzing extensive datasets, it was found that these sandbanks have complex spatial structuring and share common structural features in their benthic communities. The presence of the sea urchin Echinocardium cordatum in the sandbanks may promote sediment-bound biogeochemical activity, highlighting their high ecological value and the need for marine conservation.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Lutz Bachmann, Jan Beermann, Thomas Brey, Hugo J. de Boer, Jennifer Dannheim, Bente Edvardsen, Per G. P. Ericson, Kevin C. Holston, Veronika A. Johansson, Paul Kloss, Rebecca Konijnenberg, Karen J. Osborn, Paula Pappalardo, Hendrik Pehlke, Dieter Piepenburg, Torsten H. Struck, Per Sundberg, Stine Svalheim Markussen, Katharina Teschke, Maarten P. M. Vanhove
Summary: On August 25th, 2022, the Zoologica Scripta - An International Journal of Systematic Zoology and the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters held a symposium titled 'The role of systematics for understanding ecosystem functions' in Oslo, Norway. The symposium aimed to provide a platform for exploring and discussing trends and future developments in the field of systematics. Eleven international experts contributed their expertise on various global challenges, including biodiversity assessments, databases, cutting-edge analysis tools, and the consequences of the taxonomic impediment. In this paper, we compiled a proceedings paper that includes the contributions of the symposium, organized into chapters, presenting the content and key conclusions of the majority of the presentations.
Article
Ecology
Guido Bonthond, Jan Beermann, Lars Gutow, Andreas Neumann, Francisco Rafael Barboza, Andrea Desiderato, Vera Fofonova, Stephanie B. Helber, Sahar Khodami, Casper Kraan, Hermann Neumann, Sven Rohde, Peter J. Schupp
Summary: The microbial composition and diversity in marine sediments are influenced by various environmental factors, biological processes, and human activities. This study used 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the benthic microbial communities in the North Sea. Spatially explicit statistical models were employed to examine the effects of different predictors, including bottom trawling intensity, on the diversity, structure, and potential metabolism of the microbial communities. The results showed that sediment properties were the main determinants of microbial diversity, with diversity increasing with sediment permeability and mud content. Additionally, diversity and structure varied with total organic matter content, temperature, bottom shear stress, and bottom trawling. The study also revealed that increasing bottom trawling intensity led to shifts in predicted energy metabolism. This research provides valuable insights into the biogeography of benthic microbial communities on a large spatial scale and highlights the impact of anthropogenic activities, such as bottom trawling, on the distribution and abundances of microbes and their potential metabolism.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)