Article
Forestry
Benedicto Vargas-Larreta, Jorge Omar Lopez-Martinez, Edgar J. Gonzalez, Jose Javier Corral-Rivas, Francisco Javier Hernandez
Summary: The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem productivity in temperate mixed-species and uneven-aged forests of northern Mexico was investigated, showing that species richness, maximum height, functional richness, functional dispersion, and RaoQ indices are related to above-ground biomass production. A hump-shaped relationship between above-ground biomass and species richness was observed, with functional diversity explaining biomass production better than classical taxonomic diversity. Community weighted mean traits, particularly maximum tree height, play a key role in explaining stand biomass accumulation in these forests. The impact of forest management on biodiversity did not change the relationship between above-ground biomass and diversity in the forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dominik Thom, Anthony R. Taylor, Rupert Seidl, Wilfried Thuiller, Jiejie Wang, Mary Robideau, William S. Keeton
Summary: Our study fills knowledge gaps by mapping current FD distribution and analyzing FD drivers across northeastern North America. We identified temperate forests and the boreal-temperate ecotone east and northeast of the Great Lakes as FD hotspots, with forest structure explaining most of the FD distribution of tree species in northeastern North America.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lulu Zhang, Wenming Bai, Yunhai Zhang, Hans Lambers, Wen-Hao Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the effects of mowing on grassland ecosystem stability and finds that increasing mowing duration and decreasing stubble height can enhance stability. It also highlights the important role of plant defence traits in stabilizing ecosystem functions under human-induced environmental changes.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Liping Wei, Nelson Thiffault, Martin Barrette, Nicole J. Fenton, Yves Bergeron
Summary: The study found that different functional traits and diversity levels of understory vegetation have varying effects on tree growth. Morphological traits and regeneration strategies of understory plants significantly influence tree growth, while different harvesting methods also impact this relationship.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Julien Mocq, Pavel R. Soukup, Joacim Naslund, David S. Boukal
Summary: The structural complexity of habitats plays a crucial role in modifying trophic interactions. In this study, it was found that attack rate and handling time showed nonlinear dependencies on habitat complexity, highlighting the importance of understanding these effects on food web dynamics and community structure.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Bianca Burger, Karl-Heinz Nenning, Ernst Schwartz, Daniel S. Margulies, Alexandros Goulas, Hesheng Liu, Simon Neubauer, Justin Dauwels, Daniela Prayer, Georg Langs
Summary: This study investigated the genetic and environmental influences on the strength and topography of functional connectivity in the human brain. Results showed that genes predominantly affect the topography of networks in heteromodal areas, while connectivity strength is primarily shaped by random environmental influences such as learning. The findings provide a detailed map of the diverse contribution of heritability and individual experience to the functional brain architecture.
Article
Ecology
Emma Dawson-Glass, Charlotte R. Hewins, David J. Burke, Lara Souza, Katharine L. Stuble
Summary: Climate warming is impacting plant and soil microbial communities, leading to changes in litter decomposition. The shifts in plant composition and microbial activity/composition are not fully understood in terms of their effects on decomposition.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhaoju Zheng, Bernhard Schmid, Yuan Zeng, Meredith C. Schuman, Dan Zhao, Michael E. Schaepman, Felix Morsdorf
Summary: Functional diversity plays a critical role in ecosystem functioning. Spatially explicit data on plant functional traits and diversity are necessary for understanding the impact of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. This study used data from airborne laser scanning and multispectral Sentinel-2 imagery to retrieve morphological and physiological traits, which were then used to estimate functional diversity indices in a subtropical mountainous forest. The study found that functional traits were important predictors of aboveground ecosystem carbon stocks and primary productivity, highlighting the potential of remotely-sensed functional traits in assessing the relationship between trait diversity and ecosystem functioning.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Guang Zhou, Jing Wan, Zhenjun Gu, Wei Ding, Shan Hu, Qiang Du, Shengwang Meng, Chunxia Yang
Summary: The biodiversity of litter can regulate carbon and nutrient cycling during mixed decomposition. The decomposition rates of mixed litters often deviate from those predicted for individual litter species. This study found that different carbon fractions in mixed litter responded differently to litter diversity, with soluble carbon fractions decomposing more slowly and lignin fractions decaying more quickly than expected. Furthermore, the relative mixing effects of bulk litter decomposition may be determined by the decomposition of the lignin fraction.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuming Jiang, Jie Sun, Caiqiao Xiong, Huihui Liu, Yuze Li, Xiao Wang, Zongxiu Nie
Summary: In this study, a label-free mass spectrometry imaging method was proposed to visualize and quantify the behavior of carbonaceous aerosol (CA) in organs. The release behavior of organic carbon (OC) from CA in circulation to specific organs was revealed by comparing the ratio of OC to elemental carbon (EC). This technique provides deeper insights for understanding the systemic health effects of aerosol particles.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Hong Lin, Yinong Li, Helge Bruelheide, Sirong Zhang, Haibao Ren, Naili Zhang, Keping Ma
Summary: The study found that leaf litter species composition affects decomposition rates, with a stronger impact over time. Additionally, above-ground tree species richness plays a critical role in regulating litter decomposition, particularly in the late stage.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Yanan Wang, FrankYonghong Li, Yang Liu, Jianwei Cheng, Yadong Wang, Jiayue Liu, Xinyu Wang, Yanlong Li
Summary: This study conducted an experiment in semi-arid grassland in China to examine the mass loss rates and chemical composition changes of plant litter and animal dung. The results showed that mixing plant litter and dung can promote litter decomposition, but may also inhibit dung decomposition.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Li-Qiu Wang, Arshad Ali
Summary: The study reveals that the relationships between plant functional traits and aboveground biomass in global forests are influenced by climate and soil conditions. Conservative traits are sensitive to climate change, while the mass ratio effect of functional dominance has a positive impact on aboveground biomass stock.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Italo Favoreto Campanharo, Sebastiao V. Martins, Pedro M. Villa, Gabriel Correa Kruschewsky, Andreia Aparecida Dias, Fabio Haruki Nabeta
Summary: Functional composition and restoration methods are key predictors of ecosystem functioning during forest restoration, reversing the effects of species richness and abundance on aboveground biomass, tenting the mass ratio hypotheses. High wood density and active restoration methods are found to determine higher aboveground biomass stock on mining tailings.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mengyu Wang, Nan Lu, Nannan An, Bojie Fu
Summary: The study finds that functional and phylogenetic diversity are more important than taxonomic diversity in predicting the ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). Additionally, stand age, soil water content, and diversity indices have significant effects on the variation of EMF.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Ecology
J. Hans C. Cornelissen, William K. Cornwell, Gregoire T. Freschet, James T. Weedon, Matty P. Berg, Amy E. Zanne
Summary: Coevolution has played a significant role in driving speciation and evolutionary innovation in functional traits throughout the Tree of Life. While classic coevolutionary syndromes have focused on the fitness consequences during the lifetime of interacting partners, less is known about the impact of coevolved traits on ecosystem-level processes, such as litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. This review explores the mechanisms by which coevolution between plants and their consumers, microbial symbionts, or humans, as well as between microbial decomposers and invertebrates, shape plant litter decomposition pathways and rates, highlighting the global legacy of coevolution.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chenhui Chang, Matty P. Berg, Richardus S. P. van Logtestijn, Juan Zuo, Li Lin, Cynthia Bom, Jesper Wolters, Maarten Biesbroeck, Pepijn de Ruijter, Mariet M. Hefting, Ute Sass-Klaassen, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen
Summary: Previous studies have shown that bark cover at early-decay stage has a significant influence on invertebrate assemblages in bark and wood, and may affect the decomposition process. However, it has been difficult to determine the independent effects of bark and wood traits on invertebrate communities due to variation between tree species. This study used reciprocal bark transplantation to investigate how bark and wood traits influence invertebrate communities in mid-decay logs of different tree species.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Inger K. de Jonge, Michiel P. Veldhuis, J. Hans C. Cornelissen, Matty P. Berg, Han Olff
Summary: The metamicrobiome is a concept that studies carbon and nutrient recycling in ecosystems. Mutualistic associations between microbes, plants, and animals reduce the sensitivity of recycling pathways to global change, allowing continued recycling of plant matter even in unfavorable conditions. Understanding the structure and functioning of the metamicrobiome is important for understanding environmental change.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Joost J. Vogels, Dedmer B. Van de Waal, Michiel F. WallisDeVries, Arnold B. Van den Burg, Marijn Nijssen, Roland Bobbink, Matty P. Berg, Harry Olde Venterink, Henk Siepel
Summary: Nitrogen deposition has increased significantly due to human activities since the second half of the 20th century, leading to major implications for ecosystem functioning and the decline of insects. However, the mechanistic understanding of the effects of high N deposition on individual fitness and community structure of consumers is currently lacking.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Javier Pacheco-Labrador, Francesco de Bello, Mirco Migliavacca, Xuanlong Ma, Nuno Carvalhais, Christian Wirth
Summary: Remote sensing aims to produce global-coverage maps of plant functional diversity (PFD) across scales. We propose a generalizable normalization approach based on the maximum potential dissimilarity and compare it to traditional methods. By simulating plant communities and comparing remote sensing-based diversity measurements, we find that this approach enables comparison of different remote sensing data.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Andres A. Salazar-Fillippo, Janani Srinivasan, A. U. van der Bij, Ladislav Miko, Jan Frouz, Matty P. Berg, Rudy van Diggelen
Summary: Restoration of nutrient-enriched heathlands and similar dry habitats requires the re-assembly of above and belowground communities. This study focused on the belowground part, specifically the oribatid mite communities, and found that moisture preferences, concealability, and body length were the dominant traits structuring these communities. Dispersal and environmental filters shaped the assembly of these communities, but their influence varied at different stages of succession.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Kerry A. A. Brown, M. Jane Bunting, Fabio Carvalho, Francesco de Bello, Luke Mander, Katarzyna Marcisz, Ondrej Mottl, Triin Reitalu, Jens-Christian Svenning
Summary: Research has shown that quantifying spatial variation in ecosystem properties is effective for investigating the effects of environmental change, but there is a need for better understanding of temporal variation. Trait-based approaches can be used to reconstruct long-term variation in ecosystems, but there are challenges in translating palaeoecological datasets into functional traits. Despite these challenges, palaeo-trait research offers insights into ecosystem functioning and environmental change across time and can improve understanding of present-day and future ecosystem management.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ralph Simon, Alrike Dreissen, Helene Leroy, Matty P. Berg, Wouter Halfwerk
Summary: Body size is important in predator-prey dynamics as it affects detection and success in capture or escape. Larger prey are at higher risk of detection by predators, leading to stronger selection pressure on their anti-predator traits. Nocturnal moths vary in body size and bigger moths return stronger echoes for echolocating bats. To compensate for increased predation risk, larger moths are expected to have improved anti-predator defenses. Moths have scales that can absorb ultrasound, providing acoustic camouflage. This study investigated whether moths differ in their acoustic camouflage in a size-dependent way.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pedro Henrique Medeiros Rajao, Matty P. Berg, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen, Andre Tavares Correa Dias
Summary: We revealed the direct and indirect effects of species leaf size and hydraulic traits on litter rainfall interception, runoff and soil loss. We propose a new litter-soil ecohydrological model, by using structural equation models, which can be used as a tool to predict ecosystem functioning, and guide management and restoration actions with water and soil conservation targets.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Jan Leps, Francesco de Bello
Summary: One of J.P. Grime's greatest achievements was demonstrating the importance of the relationship between the environment and plant functional traits. The community weighted means (CWMs) method, which evaluates changes in communities' average trait values along gradients, is well-established but has been criticized for inflated Type I errors. Different approaches exist that test different trait-environment relationships, each with different null hypotheses and ecological questions.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Vit Latzel, Javier Puy, Michael Thieme, Etienne Bucher, Lars Gotzenberger, Francesco de Bello
Summary: An accumulating body of evidence indicates that natural plant populations harbour a large diversity of transposable elements (TEs). TEs provide genetic and epigenetic variation that can result in a diversity of plant phenotypes within populations. This study explores the potential ecological effects of diversity in TEs and demonstrates that TE-generated variation increases the phenotypic and functional diversity of populations, enhancing their functioning and impacting coexistence.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Greta La Bella, Marta Carboni, Marta Gaia Sperandii, Francesco de Bello, Angela Stanisci, Alicia T. R. Acosta
Summary: Global change pressures call for a better understanding of the mechanisms driving the temporal stability of natural communities. Species richness helps communities withstand environmental fluctuations and stabilise over time. The mechanisms through which richness promotes stability are still debated.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anna E-Vojtko, Francesco de Bello, Zdenka Lososova, Lars Gotzenberger
Summary: The ecological differences between coexisting species in plant communities can be measured by analyzing their functional and phylogenetic diversities. The relationship between phylogenetic signal and the overlap between functional and phylogenetic diversities is dependent on functional traits and vegetation types.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Francisco J. Perez-Invernon, Jose V. Moris, Francisco J. Gordillo-Vazquez, Martin Fullekrug, Gianni Boris Pezzatti, Marco Conedera, Jeff Lapierre, Heidi Huntrieser
Summary: Lightning flashes with continuing currents have been proposed to play a significant role in igniting wildfires. This study analyzes the optical and radio signals of lightning-ignited wildfires in the United States during the summer of 2018, as well as a confirmed fire-igniting lightning flash in the Swiss Alps. The results suggest that lightning with continuing current has a higher probability of igniting wildfires, and the existence of long-lasting continuing currents and optical signals in a fire-igniting lightning flash is confirmed.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Saori Fujii, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen, Richard S. P. van Logtestijn, Jurgen van Hal, Matty P. Berg
Summary: Habitat heterogeneity is a significant driver of biodiversity. This study found that downed dead wood plays an important role in providing habitat heterogeneity, promoting soil animal diversity, and contributing to heterogeneity in food sources.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
