Article
Agronomy
Dandan Liu, Haitao Wu, Hongxian Yu, Dong Liu
Summary: This study investigated the diversity and community structure of soil oribatid mites in different vegetation zones of the Changbai Mountains. The results showed significant differences in community composition and diversity among vegetation zones, but not among habitats. Soil pH was identified as the main factor influencing oribatid mite diversity.
Article
Forestry
Remigijus Bakys, Alfas Pliura, Gintare Bajerkeviciene, Adas Marciulynas, Diana Marciulyniene, Jurate Lynikiene, Audrius Menkis
Summary: Ash dieback caused by the alien fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus has led to the decline of European ash in Lithuania. However, recent inventories have found naturally regenerated ash stands. A study on these stands revealed that the fungal communities associated with ash were mainly composed of endophytic fungi, some of which may limit the infection rate or spread of H. fraxineus. The diversity of fungal taxa was found to be higher in natural ash habitats compared to planted trials, highlighting the importance of natural habitats in ash restoration programs.
Article
Forestry
Tadeusz Kowalski, Piotr Bilanski
Summary: In 2017, a study on fungal communities in previous year's leaf petioles of Fraxinus excelsior found in litter in five ash stands in southern Poland was conducted. Fungi were identified through isolation and in situ inventory, revealing the diversity of harmful fungi affecting Fraxinus. The study discussed the possible contribution of saprotrophic fungi in limiting the expansion of Hymenoscyphus fraxineus in ash leaf petioles, which could lead to a reduction in the inoculum of ash dieback causal agent.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hamzat O. Fajana, Tara Rozka, Olukayode Jegede, Katherine Stewart, Steven D. Siciliano
Summary: Metal-impacted sites often require aggressive ecorestoration strategies. The use of biological soil crusts for soil stabilization and nutrient input is becoming more common.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Mark Maraun, Tanja Thomas, Elisabeth Fast, Nico Treibert, Tancredi Caruso, Ina Schaefer, Jing-Zhong Lu, Stefan Scheu
Summary: Knowledge of the trophic ecology of soil animals is important for understanding their diversity and functional role in soil food webs. Stable isotope analysis has revolutionized the study of trophic ecology, providing insights into the feeding habits and niche differentiation of oribatid mites. These mites can be classified into six trophic groups, with some species showing trophic plasticity. However, stable isotope analysis has limitations, and other methods such as fatty acid and gut content analyses can complement the study of oribatid mite trophic ecology.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katharina S. Haupt, Katharina Mausolf, Jessica Richter, Joachim Schrautzer, Alexandra Erfmeier
Summary: European ash-rich forest ecosystems are undergoing rapid transformation, posing risks to many associated species. The FraDivexp project in Germany aims to counteract the detrimental effects of ash decline by testing alternative tree species in a Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning experiment. This study demonstrates the feasibility of combining the BEF approach with silvicultural management practices and provides initial data on the survival of planted saplings.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yanli Jing, Xuechao Zhao, Shengen Liu, Peng Tian, Zhaolin Sun, Longchi Chen, Qingkui Wang
Summary: The tree species have a significant influence on the accumulation and distribution of soil microbial residues, with Schima superba showing the highest stability.
ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Katja Wehner, Romina Schuster, Nadja K. Simons, Roy A. Norton, Nico Bluethgen, Michael Heethoff
Summary: Intensive land use affects the composition and functioning of soil communities, particularly impacting oribatid mites due to their low dispersal ability. Diversity and abundance of oribatid mites are higher in forests compared to grasslands. The response of oribatid mite species to land-use intensity varies depending on the specific parameters and regions, with some species declining and others remaining unaffected.
EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
(2021)
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)
Article
Forestry
Xavier Serra-Maluquer, Antonio Gazol, Jose M. Igual, J. Julio Camarero
Summary: The complex interactions between trees and the intricate relationships between tree characteristics and soil properties significantly impact the response of trees to drought in mixed forests. Different types of neighborhood environments can affect tree growth and drought recovery rate, and are associated with soil biological characteristics.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Min Huang, Shuyuan Zhang, Dong Liu
Summary: This study describes two new species of the genus Mesotritia from Tibet and Xinjiang in China, and provides an identification key for Chinese species of Mesotritia to facilitate further study on this group.
SYSTEMATIC AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jianqing Wang, Jiaoyan Mao, Yunyan Tan, Shu Kee Lam, Qiling Guo, Xiuzhen Shi
Summary: This study investigated the impacts of seven sub-tropical tree species on soil nematode communities. It found that deciduous trees significantly increased the abundance of soil nematodes, and both evergreen and arbuscular mycorrhizal trees increased soil nematode diversity. Root traits and soil properties were the best predictors of the community composition of soil nematodes.
Review
Ecology
Mathieu Levesque, Jose Ignacio Bustamante Eduardo, Valentin Queloz
Summary: Common ash trees in Europe have been experiencing widespread decline and mortality due to ash dieback and the invasive emerald ash borer. This review summarizes the potential alternative tree species to common ash, but no native species alone or in combination can fully replace its ecological niche and associated ecosystem services. While some non-native ash species may have similar ecological characteristics and tolerance to ash dieback and emerald ash borer, their performance and invasiveness potential in European forests are still unknown.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Guodong Jia, Lixin Chen, Xinxiao Yu, Ziqiang Liu
Summary: In cold semi-arid regions, the growth patterns of forest plantations are uncertain due to the counteractive effect of atmospheric CO2 enrichment and drought stress. The study on Populus simonii plantations in northern China found that while rising CO2 concentration and temperature had a stimulating effect on growth, they failed to alleviate the negative impacts of drought. Drought episodes led to a reversal in growth acceleration, mainly caused by the inaccessibility of roots to deep soil water. The site-specific soil moisture conditions determined the sensitivity of growth to global warming and resulted in decline episodes in drought-prone areas.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andres A. Salazar-Fillippo, Bert Teunkens, Herwig Leirs, Jan Frouz, Rudy van Diggelen, Ladislav Miko
Summary: This study investigated the dispersal of oribatid mites via small rodents in restored heathland sites. The results showed that rodents contribute to the assembly processes of oribatid communities, especially in early successional stages, through short-distance dispersal.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lorenzo Pecoraro, Tancredi Caruso, Vijai Kumar Gupta, Robert P. Borris, Yun-Chun Zhang, Lei Cai
Summary: Research showed a significant correlation between plant species richness and fungal richness. Variation in vegetation and plant community structure accounted for approximately 20% of variance in fungal community structure. Tree and shrub vegetation played a dominant role in shaping the analyzed fungal communities.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Tancredi Caruso, Viesturs Melecis, Ugis Kagainis, Tom Bolger
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Dario A. Fornara, David Flynn, Tancredi Caruso
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johan van den Hoogen, Stefan Geisen, Diana H. Wall, David A. Wardle, Walter Traunspurger, Ron G. M. de Goede, Byron J. Adams, Wasim Ahmad, Howard Ferris, Richard D. Bardgett, Michael Bonkowski, Raquel Campos-Herrera, Juvenil E. Cares, Tancredi Caruso, Larissa de Brito Caixeta, Xiaoyun Chen, Sofia R. Costa, Rachel Creamer, Jose Mauro da Cunha e Castro Castro, Marie Dam, Djibril Djigal, Miguel Escuer, Bryan S. Griffiths, Carmen Gutierrez, Karin Hohberg, Daria Kalinkina, Paul Kardol, Alan Kergunteuil, Gerard Korthals, Valentyna Krashevska, Alexey A. Kudrin, Qi Li, Wenju Liang, Matthew Magilton, Mariette Marais, Jose Antonio Rodriguez Martin, Elizaveta Matveeva, El Hassan Mayad, E. Mzough, Christian Mulder, Peter Mullin, Roy Neilson, T. A. Duong Nguyen, Uffe N. Nielsen, Hiroaki Okada, Juan Emilio Palomares Rius, Kaiwen Pan, Vlada Peneva, Loic Pellissier, Julio Carlos Pereira da Silva, Camille Pitteloud, Thomas O. Powers, Kirsten Powers, Casper W. Quist, Sergio Rasmann, Sara Sanchez Moreno, Stefan Scheu, Heikki Setala, Anna Sushchuk, Alexei V. Tiunov, Jean Trap, Mette Vestergard, Cecile Villenave, Lieven Waeyenberge, Rutger A. Wilschut, Daniel G. Wright, Aidan M. Keith, Jiue-in Yang, Olaf Schmidt, R. Bouharroud, Z. Ferji, Wim H. van der Putten, Devin Routh, Thomas W. Crowther
Review
Ecology
Ian Montgomery, Tancredi Caruso, Neil Reid
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS, VOL 51, 2020
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Marco O. Ilardi, Sheena C. Cotter, Edith C. Hammer, Gillian Riddell, Tancredi Caruso
Summary: The study demonstrates that burying beetles breeding in carcasses regulate key components of the soil food web, impacting microbial biomass, relative abundances of dominant microarthropods, and soil organic matter and pH. This suggests that the distribution of these beetles is a key driver of variation in soil nutrient cycling in woodlands.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Amy Arnott, Gillian Riddell, Mark Emmerson, Tancredi Caruso, Neil Reid
Summary: The study found that the impact of agri-environment measures on soil microarthropods in upland grasslands is context-dependent and varies between different grassland types and microarthropod species. Environmental variation caused by overall management of grassland fields is a key factor influencing the responses of soil microarthropods.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Matthew L. Meehan, Tancredi Caruso, Zoe Lindo
Summary: The study tested the effects of short-term intensive warming on Mesostigmata communities in boreal forests, finding that warming led to a shift in Mesostigmata communities, driven primarily by an increase in parthenogenetic species.
Article
Ecology
Tancredi Caruso, Richard D. Bardgett
Summary: Current research on soil microbial communities and their response to global change perturbations mainly relies on controlled experiments, surveys, and manipulative studies. Microbial communities fluctuate over time and respond temporarily to perturbations, often experiencing multiple perturbations simultaneously. Challenges include measuring the effects of perturbations on the structure and functions of soil microbial communities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elizabeth A. Finch, Eric T. Rajoelison, Matthew T. Hamer, Tancredi Caruso, Keith D. Farnsworth, Brian L. Fisher, Alison Cameron
Summary: This study investigated the impacts of land degradation from swidden agriculture on ant species diversity, finding that as land degradation increased, there was a reduction in overall and native species richness, with a subsequent increase in introduced species. Degraded fallow habitats were found to harbor unique and endemic species, potentially important for biodiversity conservation in tropical agricultural landscapes. The results highlight the potential detrimental effects of further spread and increased intensification of swidden systems in tropical ecosystems.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Francisco de Castro, Sina M. Adl, Stefano Allesina, Richard D. Bardgett, Thomas Bolger, Johnathan J. Dalzell, Mark Emmerson, Thomas Fleming, Diego Garlaschelli, Jacopo Grilli, Silja Emilia Hannula, Franciska de Vries, Zoe Lindo, Aaron G. Maule, Maarja Opik, Matthias C. Rillig, Stavros D. Veresoglou, Diana H. Wall, Tancredi Caruso
Summary: The stability of soil food webs is largely influenced by strong correlations between interaction strengths and the nonrandom trophic structure of the web. This suggests that stability may emerge from the hierarchical structure of the functional organization of the web. Disruption of the functional structure and distribution pattern of interaction strengths in real-world soil food webs can destabilize the system, leading to species extinction and major changes in species abundances.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Mark Maraun, Paul S. P. Bischof, Finn L. Klemp, Jule Pollack, Linnea Raab, Jan Schmerbach, Ina Schaefer, Stefan Scheu, Tancredi Caruso
Summary: Sexual reproduction is more costly than asexual reproduction, but why asexual reproduction is more common in some animal lineages remains a mystery. By studying oribatid mites, it was found that asexual species possess a widely adapted general-purpose genotype, supporting the general-purpose genotype hypothesis.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Tancredi Caruso, Matthias C. Rillig
Summary: This study investigates the impact of environmental stochasticity on plant species competition in the presence of soil feedback using a stochastic version of a deterministic model. The findings suggest that negative plant-soil feedback can counteract the increase in extinction probability caused by environmental stochasticity.
Review
Ecology
Tancredi Caruso, Giulio Virginio Clemente, Matthias C. Rillig, Diego Garlaschelli
Summary: Variability in ecological networks can significantly affect higher-order features, and this review introduces maximum-entropy methods as a new approach to consider this variability. The methods allow for fluctuating constraints and offer a statistically robust set of tools to understand ecological networks.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mathilde Chomel, Jocelyn M. Lavallee, Nil Alvarez-Segura, Elizabeth M. Baggs, Tancredi Caruso, Francisco de Castro, Mark C. Emmerson, Matthew Magilton, Jennifer M. Rhymes, Franciska T. de Vries, David Johnson, Richard D. Bardgett
Summary: Land use intensification could reduce the recovery ability of soil food webs from drought. Intensive grassland management impairs the transfer of recent photosynthates to roots and soil biota after drought, while extensive grassland management buffers the impact of drought. This study provides insights into the interaction between grassland management and drought on carbon transfer pathways.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
C. Beraud, F. Piola, J. Gervaix, G. Meiffren, C. Creuze des Chatelliers, A. Delort, C. Boisselet, S. Poussineau, E. Lacroix, A. A. M. Cantarel
Summary: This study investigated the soil factors influencing the development of biological denitrification inhibition (BDI) and found that initial soil moisture, ammonium concentration, and the initial abundance of certain microbial genes play significant roles in BDI development. Additionally, the research highlighted the relevance of biotic factors in explaining BDI and proposed the use of procyanidin concentration from plant belowground system as a new proxy for measuring BDI intensity.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Yizhu Qiao, Tingting Wang, Qiwei Huang, Hanyue Guo, He Zhang, Qicheng Xu, Qirong Shen, Ning Ling
Summary: Soil microbial community coalescence, the mixing and interaction of microbial communities, has been found to enhance the stability and complexity of rhizobacterial networks, leading to improved plant health and biomass. This study investigated the effects of different degrees of bacterial community coalescence on plant disease resistance by mixing soils from healthy and diseased habitats for watermelon planting. The results showed that mixing in more healthy soil reduced the plant disease index and increased biomass by improving the stability and complexity of the rhizobacterial network. Core taxa Nitrospirillum and Singulisphaera were enriched in the rhizosphere from healthy soils and played important roles in disease suppression and regulating the positive cohesion and modularity of the networks. Overall, these findings provide insights into the potential mechanism of microbial community coalescence for improving plant microbial community function and suggest new tools for enhancing plant fitness via soil microbiota mixing.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Mengqiu He, Shending Chen, Lei Meng, Xiaoqian Dan, Wenjie Wang, Qinying Zhu, Zucong Cai, Jinbo Zhang, Pierfrancesco Nardi, Christoph Mueller
Summary: Maize genotypes directly affect gene expression and nitrogen uptake capacity. The feedback between maize genotypes and soil nitrogen transformations, as well as their regulations on nitrogen uptake capacity, have been studied. The findings suggest that maize genotypes play a central role in regulating these feedbacks, which are important for maize breeding and enhancing maize production.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Ke Shi, Jiahui Liao, Xiaoming Zou, Han Y. H. Chen, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Zhengming Yan, Tingting Ren, Honghua Ruan
Summary: Through rewilding, microbial extracellular and cellular residues can continuously accumulate in soils and significantly contribute to soil organic carbon sequestration. Extracellular residues are mainly driven by fine root biomass, while cellular residues are mainly driven by soil nitrogen and organic carbon content.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Sensen Chen, Ying Teng, Yongming Luo, Eiko Kuramae, Wenjie Ren
Summary: This study comprehensively assesses the effects of NMs on the soil microbiome through a global meta-analysis. The results reveal significant negative impacts of NMs on soil microbial diversity, biomass, activity, and function. Metal NMs, especially Ag NMs, have the most pronounced negative effects on various soil microbial community metrics.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Shareen K. D. Sanders, Gerard Martinez-De Leon, Ludovico Formenti, Madhav P. Thakur
Summary: Collembolans, the diverse group of soil invertebrates, are affected by anthropogenic climate warming, which alters their diversity and density. In addition to abiotic stressors, changes in food availability, specifically the abundance of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi, influence Collembola responses to climate warming. Collembolans prefer saprotrophic fungi but rely on mycorrhizal fungi when food sources are scarce. Understanding the mechanisms behind these dietary shifts in warm-dry and warm-wet soil conditions is crucial for predicting the impact of climate change on Collembola-fungal interactions.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Wimonsiri Pingthaisong, Sergey Blagodatsky, Patma Vityakon, Georg Cadisch
Summary: A study found that mixing high-C/N ratio rice straw with low-C/N ratio groundnut stover can improve the chemical composition of the input, stimulate microbial growth, decrease the loss of residue-derived carbon in the soil, and reduce native soil carbon and nitrogen consumption.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Soil Science
Jiachen Wang, Jie Zhao, Rong Yang, Xin Liu, Xuyuan Zhang, Wei Zhang, Xiaoyong Chen, Wende Yan, Kelin Wang
Summary: Nitrogen is vital for ecosystem productivity, restoration, and succession processes. This study found that legume intercropping was more effective than chemical nitrogen fertilizers in promoting the complexity and stability of the soil micro-food web, as it increased microbial and nematode communities and enhanced energy flow patterns.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2024)