Article
Microbiology
Andrew N. Miller, Jason Karakehian, Daniel B. Raudabaugh
Summary: Fungaria is an important resource for genetic data, especially for type specimens. However, ancient specimens often have fragmented and contaminated DNA, making sequencing difficult. This study successfully extracted and sequenced DNA from recent and ancient specimens, generating correct sequences for five samples. The results contribute to ongoing systematic studies.
Article
Forestry
Robert Reuter, Olga Ferlian, Mika Tarkka, Nico Eisenhauer, Karin Pritsch, Judy Simon
Summary: The inorganic and organic nitrogen acquisition of temperate tree species is found to be influenced more by the competitive environment and availability of specific nitrogen sources in the soil rather than the type of mycorrhizal association.
Article
Agronomy
Sabrina Ongaratto, Edson L. L. Baldin, Thomas E. Hunt, Debora G. Montezano, Emily A. Robinson, Maria C. dos Santos
Summary: The study found that the velvetbean caterpillar had a competitive advantage over the soybean looper, affecting the survival and behavior of the latter. Additional research is recommended to further understand the effects of interactions, especially in field conditions.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Bangli Wu, Yun Guo, Minhong He, Xu Han, Lipeng Zang, Qingfu Liu, Danmei Chen, Tingting Xia, Kaiping Shen, Liling Kang, Yuejun He
Summary: Intraspecific competition significantly promotes nutrient release via AM fungi, while interspecific competition interacting with AM fungi benefits biomass accumulation of B. papyrifera and improves soil nutrients under litter. The addition of litter increases mycorrhizal colonization in intraspecific competition and AM fungus enhances biomass and nitrogen release, altering litter characteristics and improving soil nitrogen content under litter.
Article
Plant Sciences
R. P. de Farias, L. E. N. da Costa, E. C. P. de Arruda, A. F. M. de Oliveira, T. Cornelissen, K. Mehltreter
Summary: Host plant selection by herbivores is influenced by a complex array of cues, including leaf traits and previous leaf damage. The study on Cyathea phalerata investigated the effects of a galling insect on repellent or attractant cues for sawfly feeding and the role of leaf size on herbivory levels. Results showed differences in nutritional quality, phenolic concentration, and C/N ratio between galled and non-galled leaf samples, but chewer damage did not differ significantly.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Guizong Zhang, Hao Yang, Weiping Zhang, T. Martijn Bezemer, Wenju Liang, Qi Li, Long Li
Summary: A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of intercropping systems on soil biota. It was found that intercropped maize soils had increased complexity and robustness of soil networks, while densities of plant parasitic nematodes and β-glucosidase activity were reduced. Intercropped soybean soils had lower C availability, but showed an increase in saprophytic fungi and plant parasitic nematodes compared to monoculture soils.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
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)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bei Gao, Liang Chi, Yixin Zhu, Xiaochun Shi, Pengcheng Tu, Bing Li, Jun Yin, Nan Gao, Weishou Shen, Bernd Schnabl
Summary: This review summarizes commonly used computational tools for gut microbiome data analysis, which have expanded our understanding of the gut microbiome in health and diseases.
Article
Oncology
Tyler Shugg, Reynold C. Ly, Wilberforce Osei, Elizabeth J. Rowe, Caitlin A. Granfield, Ty C. Lynnes, Elizabeth B. Medeiros, Jennelle C. Hodge, Amy M. Breman, Bryan P. Schneider, S. Cenk Sahinalp, Ibrahim Numanagic, Benjamin A. Salisbury, Steven M. Bray, Ryan Ratcliff, Todd C. Skaar
Summary: This study assessed the accuracy of the Aldy computational method in extracting pharmacogenomics genotypes from whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) data. The results showed that Aldy achieved over 99% accuracy in calling diplotypes for major pharmacogenes from both WGS and WES data, supporting its importance in clinical applications.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ilayda Akacin, Seymanur Ersoy, Osman Doluca, Mine Gungormusler
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent literature on the utilization of TGS and NGS technologies in microbial metagenomics research. It discusses the advantages and limitations of these technologies and presents real-time examples of novel applications in clinical microbiology and public health, food and agriculture, energy and environment, arts and space.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Seiya Okamoto, Masaki Takenaka, Koji Tojo
Summary: Niche differentiation between closely related species leads to differentiation of their habitats, allowing more species to coexist in the same geographic space. A study on sister species in Japanese river systems revealed that habitat preference and seasonal changes in distribution patterns play important roles in their coexistence.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ruohui Zhang, Shanmin Qu, Bin Zhang, Ying Gao, Fu Xing
Summary: The interaction between poisonous weeds and neighboring plants is complex. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant pathogenic fungi (PPF) play important roles in the interspecific relationships of plants. This study found that the interaction between Leymus chinensis and Stellera chamaejasme significantly inhibited aboveground growth but promoted underground growth. As the proportion of S. chamaejasme increased, the nitrogen content and pH in the rhizosphere soil of L. chinensis decreased, while the relative abundance of AMF in L. chinensis rhizosphere soil increased. The study also revealed the regulatory role of AMF and PPF in the interactive effects of both plants.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Samuel Roy Proulx, Alain Leduc, Nelson Thiffault, Aitor Ameztegui
Summary: This study investigated the growth interactions between black spruce and tamarack and found that the size of neighbouring trees was the main parameter influencing competition between these two species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brandon S. Schamp, Riley Gridzak, Danielle A. Greco, Thomas Michael Lavender, Anusha Kunasingam, Joanna A. Murtha, Ashley M. Jensen, Aksel Pollari, Lidianne Santos
Summary: This study examines the changes in functional trait and co-occurrence patterns over time following a herbicide-based disturbance. The results show that negative co-occurrence patterns are most pronounced one year after disturbance, indicating a strong impact of dispersal on composition and co-occurrence patterns. Over time, co-occurrence patterns in disturbed plots decrease and become more similar to undisturbed plots. Functional traits related to dispersal and competitive ability do not differ significantly across treatments.
Article
Biology
Maria Kalambokidis, Michael Travisano
Summary: The origin of multicellularity transformed the adaptive landscape on Earth and opened up diverse opportunities for further innovation. This study explores how interspecific competition shapes the emergence of multicellularity, and finds that it slows down the transition and impacts community composition. Multicellular organisms emerge first and dominate populations in monocultures faster than in co-cultures, and the competitive dynamics between species shift following the transition.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriel Reuben Smith, Lucy C. Edy, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: Wildfires affect the biogeochemistry of the planet by burning biomass and driving changes in ecological communities and landcover. Different ecosystems may host unique, fire-resistant fungal communities, leading to divergent responses to fire.
Article
Ecology
Adam F. A. Pellegrini, Tyler Refsland, Colin Averill, Cesar Terrer, A. Carla Staver, Dale G. Brockway, Anthony Caprio, Wayne Clatterbuck, Corli Coetsee, James D. Haywood, Sarah E. Hobbie, William A. Hoffmann, John Kush, Tom Lewis, W. Keith Moser, Steven T. Overby, William A. Patterson, Kabir G. Peay, Peter B. Reich, Casey Ryan, Mary Anne S. Sayer, Bryant C. Scharenbroch, Tania Schoennagel, Gabriel Reuben Smith, Kirsten Stephan, Chris Swanston, Monica G. Turner, J. Morgan Varner, Robert B. Jackson
Summary: This study examines the impacts of changes in fire frequency on tree communities in 29 different sites, revealing that repeated burning generally reduces stem density and basal area. The most pronounced effects are observed in savanna ecosystems and sites with strong wet or dry seasons.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gabriel Reuben Smith, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: Decomposition of wood is more influenced by variation in fungal communities than by climate, with diverse fungal communities leading to slower decomposition rates. There are multiple links between microbes and ecosystem function across different spatial scales, with dispersal-driven stochasticity in small-scale community assembly being nested within large-scale turnover in the regional species pool.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
R. K. Braghiere, J. B. Fisher, R. A. Fisher, M. Shi, B. S. Steidinger, B. N. Sulman, N. A. Soudzilovskaia, X. Yang, J. Liang, K. G. Peay, T. W. Crowther, R. P. Phillips
Summary: The study found that the distribution of mycorrhizal fungi has a significant impact on global carbon and nutrient cycling. As soil nitrogen becomes more limited, the costs for plants to acquire nitrogen through mycorrhizae have increased at a faster rate, suggesting that nutrient acquisition will increasingly rely on a higher portion of assimilated carbon to support productivity.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Letter
Plant Sciences
Sonya R. Erlandson, Rogerio Margis, Andrea Ramirez, Nhu Nguyen, Lotus A. Lofgren, Hui-Ling Liao, Rytas Vilgalys, Peter G. Kennedy, Kabir G. Peay
Article
Plant Sciences
Laura M. Bogar, Oceana S. Tavasieff, Ted K. Raab, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: The exchange of ectomycorrhizal resources depends on competitive and nutritional context, with plants able to exchange carbon for fungal nitrogen depending on the fungal species and soil nitrogen levels. Understanding the diversity of fungal strategies and how they change with environmental context reveals mechanisms driving this important symbiosis.
Article
Ecology
R. Max Segnitz, Sabrina E. Russo, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: Seedling recruitment can be influenced by the composition of nearby plant species. Adult conspecifics can modify soil chemistry and the presence of host microbes, while seedling density can affect resource competition. The study found that recruitment neighborhood and seedling density influenced the growth and survival of the dominant tree species Dryobalanops aromatica.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juhyung Lee, Maria Cristina Gambi, Kristy J. Kroeker, Marco Munari, Kabir Peay, Fiorenza Micheli
Summary: This study examines the impact of ocean acidification on seagrass decomposition in a naturally acidified seagrass ecosystem. The results show that acidification reduces the richness and diversity of seagrass detritivores, but increases the abundance of dominant detritivores. These changes lead to a more than threefold increase in detritivore abundance in lower pH zones, and acidification accelerates the decomposition of seagrass detritus. The findings suggest that ocean acidification can restructure consumer assemblages and modify plant decomposition in blue carbon ecosystems, with implications for carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, and trophic transfer.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael E. E. Van Nuland, Po-Ju Ke, Joe Wan, Kabir G. G. Peay
Summary: Mycorrhizal fungi with different nutrient acquisition strategies influence plant species performance and physiology, thereby defining their trophic niche. This study tests how variation in mycorrhizal strategies and nutrient conditions affects plant competitive outcomes.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Plant Sciences
Hagai Shemesh, Thomas D. Bruns, Kabir G. Peay, Peter G. Kennedy, Nhu H. Nguyen
Article
Ecology
Gabriel Reuben Smith, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: Self-reinforcing differences in fire frequency allow closed-canopy forests and open woodlands to co-occur stably. Fire affects the availability of symbionts and the potential for symbiont sharing between trees and woodland vegetation. In a soil bioassay experiment, fire and ecosystem type were found to significantly influence fungal root community assembly, and neighboring heterospecific seedlings also played a role in fungal colonization.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Andressa M. Venturini, Julia B. Gontijo, Jessica A. Mandro, Erika Berenguer, Kabir G. Peay, Siu M. Tsai, Brendan J. M. Bohannan
Summary: Soil microorganisms in the Amazon play a crucial role in indicating land-use and climate change, including greenhouse gas production. However, they have been overlooked in conservation and management initiatives, and therefore there is a need to integrate soil biodiversity with other disciplines and expand sampling efforts and targeted microbial groups.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Louis Berrios, Jay Yeam, Lindsey Holm, Wallis Robinson, Peter T. Pellitier, Mei Lin Chin, Terry W. Henkel, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: Bacteria, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and land plants have coevolved for nearly 200 million years, but the nature of their interactions across landscapes and within individual plant hosts remains unclear. This study investigates the impact of select bacterial taxa on the abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi and identifies common mechanisms that facilitate multipartite symbioses.
Article
Ecology
Cong Wang, Gabriel Reuben Smith, Cheng Gao, Kabir G. Peay
Summary: Although microbes play a major role in wood decomposition, it is not clear how microbial community dynamics affect this process. This study investigates the impact of stochastic variation in community assembly on wood decomposition rates. The researchers manipulated microbial dispersal into laboratory microcosms and found that it significantly affected microbial community composition, biogeochemical cycles, and wood decomposition. The results suggest that dispersal plays a crucial role in structuring soil microbial community and its ecosystem functions.
ISME COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Devin R. Leopold, Kabir G. Peay, Peter M. Vitousek, Tadashi Fukami
Summary: The study found that with increasing soil age, fungal diversity increases, largely influenced by ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. Fertilization with nitrogen and phosphorus had different effects on fungal diversity.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)