Article
Ecology
Rajeev Pillay, Michelle Venter, Jose Aragon-Osejo, Pamela Gonzalez-del-Pliego, Andrew J. Hansen, James Em Watson, Oscar Venter
Summary: Tropical forests are home to the majority of terrestrial vertebrate species on Earth, with a significant proportion being endemic and at risk of extinction. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect these ecosystems from deforestation and other anthropogenic threats in order to safeguard the biodiversity that supports essential ecosystem functions and services.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexia Dubuc, Juan Pablo Quimbayo, Juan Jose Alvarado, Tatiana Araya-Arce, Andrea Arriaga, Arturo Ayala-Bocos, Jose Julio Casas-Maldonado, Luis Chasqui, Jorge Cortes, Amilcar Cupul-Magana, Damien Olivier, Manuel Olan-Gonzalez, Alberto Gonzalez-Leiva, Hector Reyes-Bonilla, Franz Smith, Fernando Rivera, Fabian A. Rodriguez-Zaragoza, Jenny Carolina Rodriguez-Villalobos, Johanna Segovia, Fernando A. Zapata, Sonia Bejarano
Summary: This study investigates the distribution patterns of reef fish species richness and functional diversity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) and reveals that species richness and functional richness peak towards the center of the ETP. Additionally, functional evenness is highest at higher latitudes whereas functional dispersion is homogeneous throughout the ETP. The study also shows that species richness is influenced by shelf area, distance from mainland, sea surface temperature (SST), and conservation status, while functional evenness is influenced by human population gravity and functional dispersion is influenced by shelf area.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xia-Lan Cheng, Josep Padulles Cubino, Kelly Balfour, Zhi-Xin Zhu, Hua-Feng Wang
Summary: Urban plant diversity affects the social functioning and well-being of urban dwellers. In this study, the patterns and drivers of plant diversity were investigated in Zhanjiang, China. The results showed that human maintenance practices positively influenced the richness and diversity of both spontaneous and cultivated plant species.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dan Fu, Ping Chang, Christina M. Patricola, R. Saravanan, Xue Liu, Hylke E. Beck
Summary: The Central American mountains play a role in reducing tropical cyclone activity in the eastern North Pacific by interrupting moisture transport from the Caribbean Sea on a seasonal timescale, reducing TC activity by up to 35%.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jana-Sophie Ette, Thomas Geburek
Summary: Research indicates that countries in Europe do not select biodiversity indicators based on their national geographic and socioeconomic characteristics when reporting to CBD, leading to unreliable trends in monitoring systems. Therefore, there is a need to revisit national biodiversity monitoring systems.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mir Muhammad Nizamani, Josep Padulles Cubino, A. J. Harris, Lin-Yuan Guo, Hua-Feng Wang
Summary: We investigated plant diversity within the city of Sanya in southern China and found significant differences in species richness and phylogenetic diversity among different urban functional units. Our results showed that management measures were better predictors of plant diversity than socioeconomic variables. This study provides clear guidelines for improved management strategies in Sanya and contributes to the scarce literature on drivers of urban plant diversity in tropical cities worldwide.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Marius H. Eisele, Sergio Madrigal-Mora, Mario Espinoza
Summary: This study investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region in the North Pacific of Costa Rica using BRUVS and UVC, and found that upwelling played an important role in shaping reef fish assemblages in the region, with significant interactions between upwelling and location, as well as effects from habitat complexity and composition on reef fish abundances and species. This is the first study in the Eastern Tropical Pacific that combines BRUVS and UVC to monitor reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region, providing detailed information to assess the state of reef ecosystems in response to multiple threats and changing ocean conditions.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joeri Morpurgo, W. Daniel Kissling, Peter Tyrrell, Pablo J. Negret, Peter M. van Bodegom, James R. Allan
Summary: Tropical forests, which support a wide range of biodiversity and provide essential services, are facing high rates of deforestation. Elections may potentially drive deforestation by motivating politicians to exploit forests for political gain. A study on 55 tropical nations from 2001 to 2018 found that deforestation was significantly lower during uncompetitive elections compared to competitive ones.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zachary L. Steel, Brandon M. Collins, David B. Sapsis, Scott L. Stephens
Summary: Pyrodiversity, or the variation in spatio-temporal fire patterns, is recognized as an important determinant of ecological pattern and process. This study presents a generalizable functional diversity approach for measuring pyrodiversity and tests the socioecological drivers of pyrodiversity in western United States forests. The results suggest that pyrodiversity is influenced by factors such as climate, topography, and human population density.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Manichanh Satdichanh, Gbadamassi G. O. Dossa, Kai Yan, Kyle W. Tomlinson, Kasey E. Barton, Susan E. Crow, Leigh Winowiecki, Tor-G Vagen, Jianchu Xu, Rhett D. Harrison
Summary: Soil organic matter contributes to productivity and contains more carbon than the atmosphere. Understanding SOC sequestration during forest succession is limited. Our study investigated the effects of plant diversity, functional traits, phylogenetic diversity, above-ground biomass, and environmental factors on SOC sequestration. Our results suggest that increasing functional trait diversity through a trait-based approach can enhance SOC sequestration and accelerate soil recovery.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stefano Zorzal-Almeida, Elaine C. Rodrigues Bartozek, Denise C. Bicudo
Summary: Eutrophication leads to biotic homogenization in tropical reservoirs, with an increase in total beta diversity, no change in turnover with eutrophication, but a positive relationship between nutrient enrichment and the nestedness component.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Monika Wagner, Georg Brunauer, Arne C. Bathke, S. Craig Cary, Roman Fuchs, Leopoldo G. Sancho, Roman Turk, Ulrike Ruprecht
Summary: Lecideoid lichens in the climatically harsh areas of southern continental Antarctica exhibit clear preferences for environmental conditions. Species diversity is non-linear with latitude, with highest diversity in milder areas and lowest in arid and cold regions. The specificity of mycobiont species towards their photobionts decreases in more severe climates, with certain lichen species serving as bioindicators of climate conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eric Chraibi, Haley Arnold, Sandra Luque, Amy Deacon, Anne E. Magurran, Jean-Baptiste Feret
Summary: Monitoring biodiversity on a global scale is challenging, with field assessments being costly and limited to small spatial scales. This study explored the use of remote sensing to assess tree biodiversity changes in cacao agroforests and primary forests, highlighting the potential of remote sensing to detect compositional changes in forests and expand on field data for better understanding landscape-level patterns of forest diversity.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Martin J. P. Sullivan, Philip J. Platts, Simon L. Lewis, Rob Marchant, Gerard Imani, Wannes Hubau, Iveren Abiem, Hari Adhikari, Tomas Albrecht, Jan Altman, Christian Amani, Abreham B. Aneseyee, Valerio Avitabile, Lindsay Banin, Rodrigue Batumike, Marijn Bauters, Hans Beeckman, Serge K. Begne, Amy C. Bennett, Robert Bitariho, Pascal Boeckx, Jan Bogaert, Achim Braeuning, Franklin Bulonvu, Neil D. Burgess, Kim Calders, Colin Chapman, Hazel Chapman, James Comiskey, Thales de Haulleville, Mathieu Decuyper, Ben DeVries, Jiri Dolezal, Vincent Droissart, Corneille Ewango, Senbeta Feyera, Aster Gebrekirstos, Roy Gereau, Martin Gilpin, Dismas Hakizimana, Jefferson Hall, Alan Hamilton, Olivier Hardy, Terese Hart, Janne Heiskanen, Andreas Hemp, Martin Herold, Ulrike Hiltner, David Horak, Marie-Noel Kamdem, Charles Kayijamahe, David Kenfack, Mwangi J. Kinyanjui, Julia Klein, Janvier Lisingo, Jon Lovett, Mark Lung, Jean-Remy Makana, Yadvinder Malhi, Andrew Marshall, Emanuel H. Martin, Edward T. A. Mitchard, Alexandra Morel, John T. Mukendi, Tom Muller, Felix Nchu, Brigitte Nyirambangutse, Joseph Okello, Kelvin S. -H. Peh, Petri Pellikka, Oliver L. Phillips, Andrew Plumptre, Lan Qie, Francesco Rovero, Moses N. Sainge, Christine B. Schmitt, Ondrej Sedlacek, Alain S. K. Ngute, Douglas Sheil, Demisse Sheleme, Tibebu Y. Simegn, Murielle Simo-Droissart, Bonaventure Sonke, Teshome Soromessa, Terry Sunderland, Miroslav Svoboda, Hermann Taedoumg, James Taplin, David Taylor, Sean C. Thomas, Jonathan Timberlake, Darlington Tuagben, Peter Umunay, Eustrate Uzabaho, Hans Verbeeck, Jason Vleminckx, Goran Wallin, Charlotte Wheeler, Simon Willcock, John T. Woods, Etienne Zibera
Summary: The study reveals that the aboveground carbon stock of a montane African forest network is comparable to that of a lowland African forest network, and is two-thirds higher than default values for these montane forests. The research provides country-specific montane forest AGC stock estimates modeled from the plot network, aiming to guide forest conservation and reforestation interventions. The findings emphasize the need to conserve these biodiverse and carbon-rich ecosystems.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lewis A. Jones, Philip D. Mannion, Alexander Farnsworth, Fran Bragg, Daniel J. Lunt
Summary: This study investigates the role of climate and palaeogeography in shaping the distribution of coral reefs over geological timescales. It finds that coral reefs had a wider latitudinal distribution in the past, but became more concentrated in tropical regions from the late Paleogene due to global cooling and tectonic evolution. While global warming might allow for poleward range expansions, coral reef ecosystems are unlikely to keep pace with anthropogenic climate change.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nana Liu, Huifeng Hu, Wenhong Ma, Ye Deng, Dimitar Dimitrov, Qinggang Wang, Nawal Shrestha, Xiangyan Su, Kai Feng, Yuqing Liu, Baihui Hao, Xinying Zhang, Xiaojuan Feng, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: This study assessed the relationships between the diversity and abundance of bacteria, fungi, and archaea in arid regions and found positive correlations among microbial functional groups. Studying microbial diversity patterns from the perspective of functional groups and co-occurrence networks can provide additional insights.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huanhuan Xie, Yigong Tang, Jiao Fu, Xiulian Chi, Weihua Du, Dimitar Dimitrov, Jianquan Liu, Zhenxiang Xi, Jianyong Wu, Xiaoting Xu
Summary: In this study, the diversity patterns of Magnoliaceae species in China were explored using multiple diversity indices and algorithms. The results identified diversity hotspots and conservation gaps, providing a scientific basis for the conservation of Magnoliaceae in the future.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Giulio Formenti, Kathrin Theissinger, Carlos Fernandes, Iliana Bista, Aureliano Bombarely, Christoph Bleidorn, Claudio Ciofi, Angelica Crottini, Jose A. Godoy, Jacob Hoglund, Joanna Malukiewicz, Alice Mouton, Rebekah A. Oomen, Sadye Paez, Per J. Palsboll, Christophe Pampoulie, Maria J. Ruiz-Lopez, Hannes Svardal, Constantina Theofanopoulou, Jan de Vries, Ann-Marie Waldvogel, Guojie Zhang, Camila J. Mazzoni, Erich D. Jarvis, Miklos Balint
Summary: Progress in genome sequencing has enabled the generation of large-scale reference genomes, representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, allowing comprehensive analyses in population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ao Luo, Xiaoting Xu, Yunpeng Liu, Yaoqi Li, Xiangyan Su, Yichao Li, Tong Lyu, Dimitar Dimitrov, Markku Larjavaara, Shijia Peng, Yongsheng Chen, Qinggang Wang, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Loic Pellissier, Bernhard Schmid, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: The aim of this study is to demonstrate the global spatio-temporal patterns in angiosperm woodiness and their relationship with environmental factors. Using data on the growth forms and distributions of around 300,000 angiosperm species and an angiosperm phylogeny, the researchers mapped the current global geographical patterns in angiosperm woodiness and reconstructed ancestral states of growth forms. They found that temperature was the best predictor of the spatio-temporal decline in woodiness and was positively correlated with woodiness. The study highlights the role of temperature in maintaining the growth form composition of ecosystems and calls for attention to growth form transitions in temperate drylands.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan R. Germain, Shaohong Feng, Lucas Buffan, Carlos P. Carmona, Guangii Chen, Gary R. Graves, Joseph A. Tobias, Carsten Rahbek, Fumin Lei, Jon Fjeldsa, Peter A. Hosner, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Guojie Zhang, David Nogues-Bravo
Summary: By combining morphological, ecological, and life-history trait data with genomic-based estimates of changing effective population size, this study explores the demographic-based shifts in avian functional diversity over the past million years and under pre-anthropogenic climate warming. The results show that functional diversity remained relatively stable over this period, but significant changes occurred in some key areas of trait space due to changing species abundances. Furthermore, the study identifies the vulnerability of different regions of functional space among taxa, enhancing our understanding of losses of biosphere integrity before human disturbances and contemporary biodiversity loss.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ke Jiang, Qinggang Wang, Dimitar Dimitrov, Ao Luo, Xiaoting Xu, Xiangyan Su, Yunpeng Liu, Yaoqi Li, Yichao Li, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: This study uses global distribution data and phylogenetic analysis to find that temperature seasonality is the main factor affecting global angiosperm diversity; closely related families have more similar species richness-climate relationships; the discrepancy between current and ancestral niches has a greater impact on species richness-climate relationships than diversification rates and time for speciation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carles Ribera, Dimitar Dimitrov
Summary: Nesticidae is a small family of spiders with worldwide distribution. They are mainly found in caves in Europe, with 56 species known. This study provides the first molecular phylogeny of Nesticidae in Europe, revealing four main lineages.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kirk R. Johnson, Ian F. P. Owens
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Torsten H. Struck, Anja Golombek, Christoph Hoesel, Dimitar Dimitrov, Asmaa Haris Elgetany
Summary: The variability and evolution of the annelid gene order were investigated using a comprehensive and systematic approach. The study found that the gene order with and without tRNAs is generally conserved, but individual taxa exhibit higher degrees of variability. Molecular evolutionary aspects, such as substitution rate and base composition, were found to be the main driving forces behind gene order evolution. Life history and ecological factors did not explain the observed variability. The study also discussed the molecular properties of annelid mitochondrial genomes and potential reasons for the discrepancies with canonical views on gene evolution.
SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Christian M. O. Rasmussen, Thijs R. A. Vandenbroucke, David Nogues-Bravo, Seth Finnegan
Summary: The Late Ordovician mass extinction event, although initially regarded as an outlier, is now recognized as a prolonged and punctuated decline in biodiversity, affected by changes in atmospheric composition, ocean chemistry, and viable habitat area. This evolving view suggests similarities in extinction drivers to other major extinctions and offers important lessons about the current human-induced biodiversity crisis. Even this very ancient and exceptional event provides insights into the intensifying 'sixth mass extinction'.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yunpeng Liu, Xiaoting Xu, Dimitar Dimitrov, Loic Pellissier, Michael K. Borregaard, Nawal Shrestha, Xiangyan Su, Ao Luo, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Carsten Rahbek, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: By integrating global distributions and a phylogeny of 12,664 angiosperm genera, the study updates global floristic regions and explores their temporal changes. Most floristic realms have formed since the Paleogene, primarily due to geographic isolation induced by plate tectonics.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yunyun Wang, Yichun Li, Ao Luo, Tong Lyu, Robert P. Freckleton, Dimitar Dimitrov, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: This study investigated the biogeographic patterns of pollination mode frequency in China and found the importance of climate and evolutionary history in pollination mode variation.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Filippo Castellucci, Nikolaj Scharff, Andrea Luchetti
Summary: The palearctic spider genus Mastigusa Menge, 1854 has diverse ecological variability and a complex taxonomic history. This study uses molecular phylogenetic analysis to confirm its placement within the family Cybaeidae and establish its sister relationship with the genus Cryphoeca Thorell, 1870. It also discovers a high genetic diversity with six distinct lineages showing a geographic pattern across the distribution range of the genus. This research lays the groundwork for a taxonomic revision of Mastigusa species.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yunyun Wang, Tong Lyu, Ao Luo, Dimitar Dimitrov, Zhiheng Wang
Summary: The geographic range size of endemic angiosperm species in China is influenced by both historical and contemporary climate, as well as species' functional traits associated with dispersal ability. Narrow-ranged endemic species are clustered in Southwest China, which has the highest angiosperm species richness. Winter temperature and climate seasonality have contrasting effects on the range size of narrow-ranged and wide-ranged endemic species. The range size variations show little phylogenetic signal, indicating that phylogenetic conservatism plays a minor role in range size variations.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Spyros Theodoridis, Evangelia G. Drakou, Thomas Hickler, Marco Thines, David Nogues-Bravo
Summary: This article discusses the significance of medicinal plants and their bioactive molecules in supporting human health and highlights the need to shift from viewing medicinal biodiversity solely as a commercial natural resource to appreciating it from a planetary health perspective. The authors propose a transdisciplinary framework and spatial indicators to evaluate the capacity and vulnerability of native medicinal plant resources to global environmental change. This framework can guide decision-making in addressing multiple Sustainable Development Goals and could contribute to accessible global healthcare and habitat protection and restoration.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2023)
