Article
Environmental Sciences
Zelin Hou, Qixing Zhou, Yingying Xie, Fan Mo, Weilu Kang, Qi Wang
Summary: Urban lakes play a crucial role in the cycling of elements and stabilization of regional climate. However, the impacts of extreme weather events on carbon-nitrogen cycling in these ecosystems are unclear. A microcosm experiment using Chlorella vulgaris showed that sandstorm events increased dissolved inorganic carbon and affected photosynthesis pathways. Plant biomass accumulation and metabolism enriched carbon into residues, which served as an energy source for decomposers. This study provides insight into the formation of water carbon pools and challenges the traditional theory of dissolved carbonates as carbon sinks.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladimir V. Matichenkov, Elena A. Bocharnikova
Summary: Saltgrass and barley are recognized as silicon accumulative plants. The distribution and accumulation of silicon in different parts of these plants are extremely variable. Salt increases silicon content in stress-exposed plant parts through additional uptake from the soil and redistribution from less affected organs. Higher salt concentration enhances stress-induced silicon accumulation and localization in shoots.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nitin K. Singh, Kimberly J. Van Meter, Nandita B. Basu
Summary: Analyses of phosphorus concentrations in more than 370 watersheds of the Great Lakes Basin from 2003 to 2019 suggest widespread increases in soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations, despite often decreasing or non-significant trends in total phosphorus. Small, forested watersheds at higher latitudes are experiencing the largest relative increases in soluble phosphorus concentrations, and winter temperatures are identified as a key driver of concentration trends. The rising soluble phosphorus concentrations, coupled with warming temperatures, may contribute to the increasing frequency and intensity of algal blooms, highlighting the need for management strategies to prevent further water-quality degradation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Weiling Niu, Hui Chen, Jianshuang Wu
Summary: Changing precipitation and temperature are key drivers affecting nutrient cycling dynamics in drylands. Foliar isotopic composition (delta C-13 and delta N-15) can reflect water use efficiency and nitrogen strategies of plants, with soil properties, wet-dry climate change, and species identity playing important roles in high-elevation deserts on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Erik P. Hamerlynck, Rory C. O'Connor
Summary: Soil-water availability affects the ecophysiology of reproductive structures in crested wheatgrass and squirreltail wild rye. Watering can increase photosynthetic efficiency, particularly in seed heads. The photosynthetic characteristics of seed heads may contribute to the differential ability of these species to establish from seed.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
A. L. Mayo, D. G. Tingey
Summary: Research shows that in Pilot Valley, an endorheic basin in the Great Basin of the United States, groundwater evolves from fresh to saline in a process influenced by clay filtration. The dissolution of sulfate and chloride minerals drives the evolution of groundwater in interface and basin areas. Evaporation only impacts groundwater quality in certain areas, where capillary action and flooding play a role in the accumulation of salt crust.
HYDROGEOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hannah May, Sarah Rixon, Scott Gardner, Pradeep Goel, Jana Levison, Andrew Binns
Summary: This study focuses on the transport of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in low permeability agricultural watersheds. Results show that both surface water and tile drain discharge contribute to nutrient release, with sediment quality and hyporheic exchange also playing a role. Best management practices should aim to reduce agricultural nutrient sources at the watershed scale.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul D. Nabity, Greg A. Barron-Gafford, Noah K. Whiteman
Summary: The study found evidence of intraspecific competition among parasitic plants for xylem resources, including competition for host carbon. Competition strength and virulence were altered by host performance and seasonal climate variation, and hosts were able to improve resource utilization efficiency in remaining parasitic plants by reducing their autotrophic growth.
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel Mok, Arthur Leung, Peter Searles, Tammy L. Sage, Rowan F. Sage
Summary: Bulnesia retama is a weak to modest C3 + CAM plant that can persist in arid habitats of South America.
Article
Ecology
Sean. M. M. Sultaire, Yuki Kawai-Harada, Ashley Kimmel, Emily. M. M. Greeson, Patrick. J. J. Jackson, Christopher. H. H. Contag, Carl. W. W. Lackey, Jon. P. P. Beckmann, Joshua. J. J. Millspaugh, Robert. A. A. Montgomery
Summary: In the first two decades of the 21st century, the population of American black bear (Ursus americanus) has rebounded and expanded its range into previously extinct areas. Habitat quality and availability are crucial factors limiting the range expansion, especially in western Nevada, USA. Through various data collection methods, including cameras, hair sampling, genotyping, and GPS tracking, we found that black bears preferred the Sierra Nevada with conifer land cover over the Great Basin Desert. The population density of black bears in the Sierra Nevada was over 4 times higher than in desert mountain ranges, indicating limited range expansion into the western Great Basin due to habitat quality and availability.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jinxia Xiang, Kaiyun Qian, Yuyue Zhang, Jinkiat Chew, Jing Liang, Jingwen Zhu, Yong Zhang, Xiaorong Fan
Summary: The study revealed that the OsLSD1.1 gene in rice may affect photosynthesis and nitrogen allocation, thereby influencing plant growth.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Li Jiang, Zhibin Wen, Yunling Zhang, Zhenyong Zhao, Mohsin Tanveer, Changyan Tian, Lei Wang
Summary: The study found that maternal water treatment can significantly impact progeny seed variation, but the transgenerational effects depend on the water conditions of progeny plants.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pierluigi Bombi, Daniele Salvi, Titus Shuuya, Leonardo Vignoli, Theo Wassenaar
Summary: Deserts are predicted to be highly responsive to global climate change, and this study focuses on the spatial and demographic responses of the keystone endemic plant in the Namib Desert, the Welwitschia mirabilis. The research shows that the historically realized thermal niche of the plant will be almost completely unavailable in the next 30 years in northern Namibia, and reductions in climatic suitability are strongly associated with negative population conditions. This makes Welwitschia a suitable bioindicator for climate change effects in Namib Desert ecosystems.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guangpo Geng, Rui Yang, Leizhen Liu
Summary: Satellite solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is a useful tool for studying the photosynthetic characteristics and stress response of vegetation dynamics to drought. This study analyzed the drought in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) using a new global SIF data set and investigated the correlation between drought and vegetation dynamics. The results showed that the YRB was generally dry but showed a wetting trend.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Qin Shi, Jianfeng Hua, Yunlong Yin, David Creech, Zhiguo Lu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different nitrogen fertilizer application on the physiology, photosynthesis and mineral element contents of plants. It was found that moderate nitrogen application significantly improved photosynthesis and plant growth under low salt stress, alleviating the adverse effects of salt stress.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Noortje H. Grijseels, Martin Buchert, Paul D. Brooks, Diane E. Pataki
Summary: The study quantified the 3D structure and woody species composition of riparian forests in Utah, USA, revealing patterns of vegetation influenced by topography, hydrology, and human land use. Urbanized areas had more introduced and upland species compared to natural areas, with exceptionally tall trees in older residential neighborhoods. LiDAR data, combined with ground observations, can provide insight into the influence of hydrology and land use on riparian forest canopy layers.
Article
Agronomy
Carolina Gomez-Navarro, Diane E. Pataki, Eric R. Pardyjak, David R. Bowling
Summary: Land cover characteristics, such as turfgrass cover and tree shading, have an impact on urban microclimates. While tree shading is associated with higher spatial variability of temperature during the day, turfgrass cover is associated with higher spatial variability at night, with a cooling effect. Mixed tree and grass landscapes may help alleviate the urban heat island effect.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
S. A. Billings, K. Lajtha, A. Malhotra, A. A. Berhe, M. -A. deGraaff, S. Earl, J. Fraterrigo, K. Georgiou, S. Grandy, S. E. Hobbie, J. A. M. Moore, K. Nadelhoffer, D. Pierson, C. Rasmussen, W. L. Silver, B. N. Sulman, S. Weintraub, W. Wieder
Summary: Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a crucial role in regulating terrestrial ecosystem functioning, and standardized sampling of SOC data is helpful for research in various disciplines. With robust technologies available for managing large data sets, efforts to expand SOC data sets through standardized protocols are important in advancing ecological research.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Jennifer J. Follstad Shah, Ryan Bares, Brenda B. Bowen, Gabriel J. Bowen, David R. Bowling, David P. Eiriksson, Benjamin Fasoli, Richard P. Fiorella, Anna Gannet Hallar, Sarah J. Hinners, John D. Horel, Alexander A. Jacques, Logan R. Jamison, John C. Lin, Daniel L. Mendoza, Logan E. Mitchell, Diane E. Pataki, Sarah McKenzie Skiles, Rose M. Smith, Margaret A. Wolf, Paul D. Brooks
Summary: The passage introduces the Wasatch Environmental Observatory (WEO) in the Jordan River Basin, covering 2085 km(2) and its seven sub-catchments. It mentions the diverse research infrastructure in hydrology, atmospheric sciences, climatology, and chemistry, as well as the geological variations due to elevation differences in the region. The WEO serves as a unique natural laboratory for studying research questions related to seasonally snow-covered, semi-arid regions and offers opportunities for student education and research training.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Meghan L. Avolio, Christopher Swan, Diane E. Pataki, G. Darrel Jenerette
Summary: Human behaviors have complex impacts on the distribution and persistence of plant and wildlife in urban areas, necessitating the incorporation of human factors into urban community assembly theories. By integrating human behaviors into traditional filter frameworks and developing testable hypotheses, we can predict patterns of urban diversity and guide future research on urban biodiversity in the face of environmental, social, and land use change.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ligia F. T. de Souza, Sharon A. Billings
Summary: The impacts of temperature and pH on enzyme activity and their role in changing the flow ratios of released resources during decay were studied in this paper. It was found that these factors can have biosphere-scale significance on the stoichiometry of bioavailable soil resources. The study highlights the importance of incorporating well-defined kinetic constraints of microbes' exoenzymes into models for projecting terrestrial ecosystem functioning in a changing climate.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Allison Blanchette, Tara L. E. Trammell, Diane E. Pataki, Joanna Endter-Wada, Meghan L. Avolio
Summary: Most residents in the Salt Lake Valley prefer plant variety in their yards rather than biodiversity specifically; higher income households have more plant diversity, but lower lawn species biodiversity.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
L. A. E. Cobley, D. E. Pataki, F. R. Adler, S. J. Hinners
Summary: High traffic density roads have higher NOx concentrations and lower O-3 concentrations, with NOx concentrations being higher in low-income neighborhoods. Foliar %N is highest in low-income neighborhoods and is correlated with NOx and O-3 concentrations.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hang Wen, Pamela L. Sullivan, Sharon A. Billings, Hoori Ajami, Alejandro Cueva, Alejandro Flores, Daniel R. Hirmas, Aaron N. Koop, Katie Murenbeeld, Xi Zhang, Li Li
Summary: Soil biota generates carbon that is released into the atmosphere and transported to streams and rivers. The processes involved in this carbon export depend on flow paths and chemical weathering. This study used a reactive transport model to investigate the differences in carbon transformation, weathering, and solute export across different hydrological and subsurface structures. The results show that droughts promote deeper flow paths, carbonate precipitation, and mineralization of organic carbon, while storms lead to carbonate dissolution, reduced mineralization of organic carbon, and increased lateral fluxes of inorganic carbon. Differences in permeability contrasts also affect the lateral fluxes, with high permeability contrasts enhancing the fluxes. Overall, this study provides insights into the complex interactions between hydrological processes, subsurface structures, and carbon dynamics.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emma Hauser, Pamela L. Sullivan, Alejandro N. Flores, Daniel Hirmas, Sharon A. Billings
Summary: Rooting depth is an ecosystem trait that is influenced by changes in land cover due to agricultural expansion and climate change. These changes in rooting depth have implications for water, carbon, and nutrient cycling in the hydrosphere-atmosphere-lithosphere feedback system.
Article
Soil Science
Emma Hauser, Jon Chorover, Charles W. Cook, Daniel Markewitz, Craig Rasmussen, Daniel D. Richter, Sharon A. Billings
Summary: Nearly 50 years ago, Walker and Syers proposed the hypothesis that the sources of most terrestrial nutrients shift from mineral to organic matter as soils weather over millennia. By combining this soil development framework with vegetation dynamics, we investigated how it offers insights into ecosystem functioning. Our findings suggest that the dominant sources of tree phosphorus may shift from organic matter to minerals as roots expand during forest growth and encounter deeper soils. This highlights the importance of the interaction between dominant phosphorus form and root system growth for ecosystem phosphorus nutrition and soil development.
Article
Ecology
Frances A. Podrebarac, Sharon A. Billings, Kate A. Edwards, Jerome Laganiere, Matthew J. Norwood, Susan E. Ziegler
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of soil horizon connectivity on microbial C and N substrate use and its relationship to the temperature sensitivity of respiration. The results showed that cross-horizon exchange within whole soil profiles enhanced soil respiratory responses to temperature. Specifically, the impact of a labile C priming mechanism was most evident in soils from warmer regions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brenda B. Lin, Alessandro Ossola, Marina Alberti, Erik Andersson, Xuemei Bai, Cynnamon Dobbs, Thomas Elmqvist, Karl L. Evans, Niki Frantzeskaki, Richard A. Fuller, Kevin J. Gaston, Dagmar Haase, Chi Yung Jim, Cecil Konijnendijk, Harini Nagendra, Jari Niemela, Timon McPhearson, William R. Moomaw, Susan Parnell, Diane Pataki, William J. Ripple, Puay Yok Tan
Summary: Record climate extremes are reducing urban liveability and threatening infrastructure in cities worldwide. Integrating technological, nature-based, and social solutions can provide multiple co-benefits and increase resilience to potential impacts. Challenges remain in developing and implementing integrated solutions, but systematic research and prioritizing disadvantaged countries are key to successful adaptation to climate change.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Diane E. Pataki, Carlos G. Santana, Sarah J. Hinners, Alexander J. Felson, Jesse Engebretson
Summary: As urban ecological design and planning become more prominent, scientists and practitioners need to expand their ethical considerations to ensure that residents, communities, and non-human entities are not harmed during research and practice. An integrated ethical framework is required to guide the development of ethical codes for research, practice, and education in integrated urban ecology, socioenvironmental sciences, and design and planning.
PLANTS PEOPLE PLANET
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
William R. Wieder, Derek Pierson, Stevan Earl, Kate Lajtha, Sara G. Baer, Ford Ballantyne, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Sharon A. Billings, Laurel M. Brigham, Stephany S. Chacon, Jennifer Fraterrigo, Serita D. Frey, Katerina Georgiou, Marie-Anne de Graaff, A. Stuart Grandy, Melannie D. Hartman, Sarah E. Hobbie, Chris Johnson, Jason Kaye, Emily Kyker-Snowman, Marcy E. Litvak, Michelle C. Mack, Avni Malhotra, Jessica A. M. Moore, Knute Nadelhoffer, Craig Rasmussen, Whendee L. Silver, Benjamin N. Sulman, Xanthe Walker, Samantha Weintraub
Summary: Data collected from research networks offer opportunities to test theories and develop models on the factors affecting long-term persistence and vulnerability of soil organic matter. However, synthesizing these diverse datasets is challenging due to the legacy of existing soil data and the expansion of new network science initiatives. The Soils Data Harmonization database (SoDaH) aims to address this challenge by providing a flexible platform to harmonize soil carbon data from multiple research networks and facilitate synthesis across ecosystems.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2021)
