Review
Ecology
Gianalberto Losapio, Luisa Genes, Christopher J. Knight, Tyler N. McFadden, Lucas Pavan
Summary: Biodiversity is vital for ecosystem functioning, and ecosystem engineers are species that have a significant impact on ecological processes. However, their role is often overlooked and difficult to measure. Understanding ecosystem engineers is crucial for mitigating biodiversity loss and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jian-Yu Dong, Xin Sun, Yuyang Zhang, Qipeng Zhan, Xiumei Zhang
Summary: Evaluation of the benthic ecological status in the coastal waters of Sanshandao, China using sensitivity/tolerance-based indices showed good quality but differences in classification. It is recommended to use different indices, especially sensitivity/tolerance-based indices, for more accurate assessment of similar marine ecosystems in China's coastal waters.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Review
Ecology
James E. Byers
Summary: Ecosystem engineers play a crucial role in restoration by influencing ecosystems through their impact on abiotic properties. This article discusses the importance of selecting and incorporating ecosystem engineers based on utility, ease of establishment, and recognition of their engineering functions. Understanding these aspects helps make purposeful and efficient choices in restoration.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Steven R. Schill, Valerie Pietsch McNulty, F. Joseph Pollock, Fritjof Luethje, Jiwei Li, David E. Knapp, Joe D. Kington, Trevor McDonald, George T. Raber, Ximena Escovar-Fadul, Gregory P. Asner
Summary: High-resolution benthic habitat data play a crucial role in marine conservation planning, but many countries lack the resources to create these products. By utilizing high-resolution satellite data, a first-of-its-kind regional thirteen-class benthic habitat map of the Caribbean was developed, providing a baseline for ecological data development and execution.
Article
Forestry
Sofia Cortes-Calderon, Francisco Mora, Felipe Arreola-Villa, Patricia Balvanera
Summary: Secondary forests are expected to dominate future tropical landscapes, providing crucial ecosystem services to humanity. A study in a Mexican Pacific coast site showed rapid recovery of multiple forest resources provision, microclimate regulation, and carbon storage within the first two decades of succession. While carbon sequestration slightly increased over time, the supply of forage did not show a clear trend. The interactions among different ecosystem services varied over time, with higher strength in farmlands and old-growth forests. These findings highlight the importance of adaptive forest management practices to recover critical ecosystem services in tropical dry forests.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Bradley A. Strickland, Peter J. Flood, Jeffrey L. Kline, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michael R. Heithaus, Joel C. Trexler
Summary: The American Alligator acts as an ecosystem engineer by creating and maintaining "alligator ponds," which increase nutrient availability and alter community structure. These engineered habitats provide nutrient-rich hotspots, habitat heterogeneity, and refuges for other fauna. This study emphasizes the importance of considering animal-mediated bottom-up processes in modeling community dynamics.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Lindsey K. Albertson, Michael J. MacDonald, Benjamin B. Tumolo, Michelle A. Briggs, Zachary Maguire, Sierra Quinn, Jose A. Sanchez-Ruiz, Jaris Veneros, Laura A. Burkle
Summary: The study found that positive interactions in freshwater habitats can significantly increase the number of beneficiaries, especially mollusks and amphibians. Invasive facilitators have stronger positive effects on beneficiaries compared to non-invasive facilitators.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arthur Escalas, Amandine Avouac, Jonathan Belmaker, Thierry Bouvier, Valentin Cledassou, Franck Ferraton, Fabien Rieuvilleneuve, Gil Rilov, Anna Rovirosa Mulet, Daphna Shapiro Goldberg, Sebastien Villeger
Summary: This study provides evidence that invasive rabbitfish can affect both planktonic and benthic microbial communities through the release of dissolved nutrients and feces, leading to changes in community structure and diversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Neil E. Coughlan, James W. E. Dickey, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Vincent Medoc, Monica McCard, Gerard Lacroix, Sarah Fiorini, Alexis Millot, Ross N. Cuthbert
Summary: Interactions between multiple invasive alien species may increase their ecological impacts. This study found that the invasive fish was able to tolerate higher densities of invasive bivalve and suggested the occurrence of an important facilitative interaction.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xueying Mei, Shanshan Gao, Yang Liu, Jie Hu, Vladimir Razlustkij, Lars G. Rudstam, Erik Jeppesen, Zhengwen Liu, Xiufeng Zhang
Summary: Climate warming is a serious global environmental problem that poses a major threat to aquatic ecosystems. This study found that elevated temperatures can increase the growth of planktonic algae and decrease benthic algal biomass, leading to a decline in water quality.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zhoubao Shen, Ying Yang, Lisha Ai, Chunxue Yu, Meirong Su
Summary: This study introduces the CART-GAMs model to effectively evaluate the suitability of benthic macroinvertebrates in estuarine habitats. The model removes data redundancy using the CART model, quantifies the nonlinear relationships between critical habitat factors and species using the GAM model, and determines suitable critical habitat factor ranges based on the response curves fitted by the GAM model.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Florian Roth, Yusuf C. El-Khaled, Denis B. Karcher, Nils Raedecker, Susana Carvalho, Carlos M. Duarte, Luis Silva, Maria Ll. Calleja, Xose Anxelu G. Moran, Burton H. Jones, Christian R. Voolstra, Christian Wild
Summary: The study found that nutrient enrichment in degraded algae-dominated reef patches in the central Red Sea led to increased gross productivity and a shift from net calcification to dissolution, while neighboring coral communities were unaffected by the nutrients. Both community types changed from net dissolved organic nitrogen sinks to sources, but the increase in net release was significantly higher in algae-dominated communities.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rui Xue, Chong Wang, Dong Zhang
Summary: The study investigated the relationships between soil properties, microbial network stability, and plant nutrient content in orchard ecosystems. The results showed that microbial network stability had a significant impact on plant nutrient content, and driver taxa played a key role in this process.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yi Sun, Hongjun Li, Xiaocheng Wang, Hongbo Li, Ye Deng
Summary: Seaweed cultivation, as an important carbon sink, plays a vital role in controlling global climate change. However, limited studies have focused on the dynamics of bacterioplankton in seaweed cultivation activities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peter M. Almond, Katrin Linse, Simon Dreutter, Susie M. Grant, Huw J. Griffiths, Rowan J. Whittle, Melanie Mackenzie, William D. K. Reid
Summary: Habitat heterogeneity plays a crucial role in maintaining high levels of benthic biodiversity in the Prince Gustav Channel, with hard substrates supporting greater abundances and diversity. The collapse of the Prince Gustav Ice Shelf has had lasting impacts on the benthic communities, with implications for the establishment of marine protected areas in the region.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Erick Mateus-Barros, Michaela L. de Melo, Inessa L. Bagatini, Adriano Caliman, Hugo Sarmento
Summary: The study examined the distribution patterns of core and satellite species of freshwater bacteria under different environmental conditions, revealing the significant influence of environmental factors on their abundance and dispersion.
Article
Ecology
Camille Bonhomme, Regis Cereghino, Jean-Francois Carrias, Arthur Compin, Bruno Corbara, Vincent E. J. Jassey, Josephine Leflaive, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Nicholas A. C. Marino, Thibaut Rota, Diane S. Srivastava, Celine Leroy
Summary: The research found that drought intensity negatively affected the resistance of aquatic invertebrate communities, but had a positive influence on community recovery post-drought. Community resilience mostly relied on in situ tolerance-resistance traits, while the rescue effect of immigration after a drought event was weak and mostly apparent under extreme droughts.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Raquel M. G. Costa, Joseph L. S. Ferro, Vinicius F. Farjalla
Summary: Reductions in aquatic habitat size can lead to increased predation rates and changes in functional response curves of predators. The reduction in water volume was found to be the main factor influencing predator-prey interactions, with ambush predators benefiting the most and highly mobile prey being the most consumed.
Article
Ecology
Regis Cereghino, Mark Kurtis Trzcinski, A. Andrew M. MacDonald, Nicholas A. C. Marino, Dimaris Acosta Mercado, Celine Leroy, Bruno Corbara, Gustavo Q. Romero, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Ignacio M. Barberis, Olivier Dezerald, Edd Hammill, Trisha B. Atwood, Gustavo C. O. Piccoli, Fabiola Ospina Bautista, Jean-Francois Carrias, Juliana S. Leal, Guillermo Montero, Pablo A. P. Antiqueira, Rodrigo Freire, Emilio Realpe, Sarah L. Amundrud, Paula M. de Omena, Alice B. A. Campos, Diane S. Srivastava
Summary: This study found that geographic variation in the response of animal communities to climate change is influenced by differences in physiological matching to local conditions and functional redundancy within species pools.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Francisco Diogo R. Sousa, Lourdes Maria A. Elmoor-Loureiro, Raquel Fontoura Freiry, Juan Pablo Alvarez-Silva, Cristina Stenert, Leonardo Maltchik, Paloma M. Lopes, Reinaldo Luiz Bozelli
Summary: Acantholeberis smirnovi, a new species of cladocera, was recently discovered in the Andean habitats of South America. This species differs morphologically, ecologically, and biogeographically from other species in the region. It is adapted to live in acidic water bodies, but the newly discovered species is found in temporary ponds near the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil, which is unique compared to other species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rafael Dettogni Guariento, Guilherme Dalponti, Luciana Silva Carneiro, Adriano Caliman
Summary: The emphasis on understanding the interaction among predators and the effects on prey survival has led to a lack of theoretical understanding on prey defence mechanisms in complex multi-predator scenarios. This study used a mathematical approach to evaluate the prevalence of defended prey phenotypes and their ecological consequences. The results showed that the emergence of defended phenotypes depends on predator-induced mortality rates, phenotype costs, and their effect on predator performance. The study also highlighted the importance of defensive strategies in mediating trophic cascades.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Mery I. G. de Alencar, Andre Y. S. P. Belo, Jose L. A. Silva, Ana E. B. Asato, Eduarda F. Gomes, Valeria S. de Oliveira, Jesiel de O. Teixeira, Otavio de S. Monte, Adriano S. Mota, Vitoria M. L. Pereira, Sibele S. Dantas, Gabriel H. S. Silva, Bruno T. Goto, Alexandre F. Souza, Adriano Caliman
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of home-field advantage on the leaf litter decomposition of M. ramuliflora and found that positive and negative effects occurred with similar frequency and magnitude. Among all predictors tested, only the C/N ratio of the litterfall input was associated with home-field effects.
JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Priscila Oliveira-Cunha, Peter B. McIntyre, Vinicius Neres-Lima, Adriano Caliman, Beatriz Moreira-Ferreira, Eugenia Zandona
Summary: Ecological Stoichiometry (ES) and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) are the main theories used to explain consumers' nutrient recycling. A study on fish species in a Brazilian stream found that body size primarily predicts nutrient excretion rates, supporting the MTE as the primary framework for predicting nutrient excretion rates.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Juliana S. Leal, Angelica L. Gonzalez, Bruno E. Soares, Clarice Casa Nova, Nicholas A. C. Marino, Vinicius F. Farjalla
Summary: The quantity and source of organic matter play a crucial role in determining the energy flow in freshwater food webs. Allochthonous material is the main resource for freshwater consumers, while autochthonous OM can also contribute to aquatic communities due to its higher nutritional quality. Through a meta-analytical approach, we found that the relative importance of allochthonous and autochthonous OM varies depending on environmental factors, with lotic systems being more influenced by autochthonous OM.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guilherme Sena, Alan M. Tonin, Adriano Caliman, Marcos Callisto, Neusa Hamada, Luiz U. Hepp, Vania L. Kowalczuk, Renato T. Martins, Adriana O. Medeiros, Paula B. Morais, Marcelo Moretti, Yara Moretto, Mauricio M. Petrucio, Lais Salgueiro, Luciana S. Carneiro, Gisele M. dos Santos, Edson S. A. Junior, Lorrane A. M. Feitoza, Jose F. Goncalves Jr
Summary: Riparian forests provide plant litter for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and this study explored the traits of litter from riparian forests in three South American biomes. The findings showed similarities and differences in litter traits, with litter from drier biomes being more chemically defended and lower in nutritional quality than litter from humid biomes. The study also found that trait differences across biomes were primarily determined by environmental factors rather than phylogenetics.
Article
Ecology
Rodrigo Weber Felix, Andre Tavares Correa Dias, Maria Silvina Bevilacqua, Maria Paula Facanha da Silva, Reinaldo Luiz Bozelli, Marcos Paulo Figueiredo de Barros
Summary: Riverscape aggradation caused by deposition of fine particles on forest litter can have detrimental effects on soil, sediment, and water properties, as well as riparian vegetation. The addition of forest litter can mitigate erosive processes and improve water quality in disturbed areas, representing a sustainable and low-cost nature-based solution for riparian restoration.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Viviane Dib, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Sin Chan Chou, Miguel Cooper, David Ellison, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Solange Filoso, Paula Meli, Aliny P. F. Pires, Daniel A. Rodriguez, Alvaro Iribarrem, Agnieszka Ewa Latawiec, Fabio R. Scarano, Adrian L. Vogl, Carlos Eduardo de Viveiros Grelle, Bernardo Strassburg
Summary: Although native vegetation plays a crucial role in maintaining aquatic ecosystems, forest restoration efforts have been found to decrease water yields worldwide. This study clarifies the connection between forest restoration and water services and identifies gaps in the literature that hinder the assessment of the benefits of forest restoration on water yields. The authors suggest strategies to improve forest restoration planning and implementation and emphasize the need for future research to consider hydrologic parameters beyond annual streamflow and encompass broader spatial-temporal scales.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anna C. Fornero Aguiar, Fabio R. Scarano, Reinaldo L. Bozelli, Paulo D. Branco, Paula Ceotto, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Rafael Loyola, Jose Maria C. da Silva
Summary: Official reports and academic studies are calling for transformative changes in business practices related to biodiversity. Brazil, with its rich biodiversity and significant economy, should be a prime candidate for innovative developments. However, the lack of academic-business engagement in the country may hinder progress. This study proposes six biodiversity-related innovation fronts and opportunities for collaboration between higher education institutions and companies in Brazil.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Valeria S. De Oliveira, Mery I. G. Alencar, Andre Y. S. P. Belo, Eduarda F. Gomes, Jesiel De Oliveira Teixeira, Jose Luiz Alves Silva, Ana Elizabeth Bonato Asato, Vitoria M. L. Pereira, Adriano S. Mota, Otavio de Sena Monte, Gabriel Silva, Adriano Caliman
Summary: Litter plays a crucial role in tropical forests, and secondary compounds are identified as the main drivers of litter decomposition in tropical rainforests. However, the importance of secondary compounds is low in tropical heath vegetation, suggesting the influence of other factors in litter decomposition.
Article
Entomology
Otavio Sena, Luciana Silva Carneiro, Mery Ingrid Guimaraes de Alencar, Guilherme Cavalcanti, Pedro Vitor Vale Bezerra, Adriano Caliman
Summary: The quality and diversity of leaf litter have significant impacts on the oviposition behavior of mosquitoes, with high-quality litter attracting more female mosquitoes for egg-laying and litter diversity negatively affecting the magnitude of egg-laying.
NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
