Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haroldo Ribeiro, Matthew R. Acre, Jacob D. Faulkner, Leonardo R. da Cunha, Katelyn M. Lawson, James J. Wamboldt, Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, Robin D. Calfee
Summary: This study investigates the effects of shady environments on the behavior of Silver Carp fish through time series analysis and complex network tools. The findings show that shade influences fish residence, movement speed, and schooling behavior.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kyana N. Pike, Stephen Blake, Iain J. Gordon, Freddy Cabrera, Ainoa Nieto-Claudin, Sharon L. Deem, Anne Guezou, Lin Schwarzkopf
Summary: One of the most pressing dilemmas of our time is how to balance the demands of a growing human population with the need to conserve biodiversity. This study examines the relationship between land modification for human resource needs and declines in wildlife populations. The findings suggest that agriculture, as a major driver of land modification, could also play a role in conserving biodiversity by supporting critically endangered species that use farms. Understanding wildlife preferences in human-dominated areas is crucial for achieving this balance.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Noemie Ostandie, Lucile Muneret, Brice Giffard, Denis Thiery, Adrien Rusch
Summary: The study shows that in vineyard landscapes, the shape of biomass distribution in predator communities affects the level of biological pest control services, mainly provided by species with low biomass. Lower levels of predation result from increased proportions of large biomass species and more evenly distributed biomass values in the communities.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lolita Ammann, Aliette Bosem-Baillod, Philipp W. Eckerter, Martin H. Entling, Matthias Albrecht, Felix Herzog
Summary: Predatory insects play a crucial role in natural pest control in agriculture, utilizing plant pollen or nectar as supplementary food sources. Land cover maps were effective in predicting predator abundance, particularly showing positive effects of forest edges. However, floral resource maps may not be as effective in predicting predators due to the potential importance of other resources such as overwintering sites or alternative prey. Further research is needed to enhance understanding of resource requirements beyond floral resources for aphid predators at the landscape scale.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Da-Yeong Lee, Dae-Seong Lee, Soon-Jin Hwang, Kyung-Lak Lee, Young-Seuk Park
Summary: The study assessed the distribution patterns and environmental characteristics of plecopteran assemblages in South Korean streams. The results showed that plecopteran species were diverse and abundant, preferring cold and undisturbed running water on rocky substrates near mountain forests. However, their habitat preferences varied depending on the species, with different sensitivities and responses to temperature and hydrological flow conditions. The majority of plecopteran species in South Korea are vulnerable and endangered.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Shawn McEachin, Jonathan P. Drury, Christopher N. Anderson, Gregory F. Grether
Summary: Species can avoid costly fights by differentiating territorial signals and microhabitat preferences.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
T. Duchesne, E. Graitson, O. Lourdais, S. Ursenbacher, M. Dufrene
Summary: Human activities in Western Europe have significant impacts on habitats, affecting the characteristics of the habitat and leading to changes in predation pressure on snake species. This study focused on the common adder and found that increasing vegetation complexity reduced predation pressure, while habitat linearity increased attack risk. Mammalian predators showed reduced risk in non-linear habitats with increasing structural complexity, while bird predators had reduced attack probabilities with increased structural complexity. Management practices should prioritize high structural complexity in semi-natural habitats to conserve snake populations.
JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pavel R. Soukup, Joacim Naslund, Johan Hojesjo, David S. Boukal
Summary: Habitat complexity influences aquatic ecosystems at multiple levels but there are research gaps and limitations hindering a full synthesis of its effects. High-resolution studies and consideration of ecological feedback are needed to better understand the role of habitat complexity in aquatic communities and ecosystems. Future research should focus on non-linear responses and incorporate multi-level experiments and monitoring to improve our knowledge in this area.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-WATER
(2022)
Review
Agronomy
Andrzej Bieganowski, Karl-Heinz Dammer, Anna Siedliska, Malgorzata Bzowska-Bakalarz, Pawel K. Beres, Katarzyna Dabrowska-Zielinska, Michael Pflanz, Michael Schirrmann, Andreas Garz
Summary: The implementation of precision farming technologies requires precise determination of insect infestation in farmer's fields, which is currently done manually with low efficiency. Scientists and practitioners are working on automating this process through two complementary approaches: direct insect identification and indirect monitoring of insect damage. The goal is to develop real-time and cost-effective systems that can be widely used among farmers, possibly through integrating various techniques into a single measurement system.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Martin Salek, Karolina Kalinova, Renata Dankova, Stanislav Grill, Michal Zmihorski
Summary: This study compared farmland bird communities in Austria and the Czech Republic, finding significantly higher abundance and species richness of farmland birds in Austria compared to the Czech Republic, likely due to differences in agricultural systems and landscape structures.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Wandong Yin, Ary A. Hoffmann, Chunming Bai, Chun-Sen Ma
Summary: This study found that females of spider leaf mites tend to choose oviposition sites with complex structures to increase survival, even if it comes with costs.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Wandong Yin, Ary A. Hoffmann, Chunming Bai, Chun-Sen Ma
Summary: The study demonstrates that females tend to prefer pubescent over glabrous leaf surfaces for oviposition, even in the presence of predators. This suggests that females have evolved a simple and conservative preference behavior to increase survival under unpredictable predation stress.
ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALIS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexander H. Murray, A. Justin Nowakowski, Luke O. Frishkoff
Summary: The study investigates how species traits respond to habitat conversion, finding that arboreal species with high vertical niche positions are more sensitive when forests are converted to simple agriculture, while terrestrial species are more sensitive when habitats are converted to complex agriculture. Climate variables can alter how species' traits determine abundance patterns.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yuna Seo, Shotaro Umeda
Summary: The study focuses on the effectiveness and efficiency of UAV crop spraying for pest control in rice fields in Japan. By comparing different types of sprayers, it was found that UAVs had lower costs and higher management efficiency than boom sprayers and RC helicopters, making them a suitable replacement to save cost and time.
Article
Ecology
Daniel J. Bradley, Jordi Boada, William Gladstone, Timothy M. Glasby, Paul E. Gribben
Summary: The study reveals that as the opportunistic macrophyte C. filiformis becomes more abundant, the distribution and life-history traits of the herbivore H. erythrogramma are negatively impacted in the surrounding areas, potentially leading to further spread of C. filiformis.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Radek Michalko, Klaus Birkhofer, Stano Pekar
Summary: Intraguild predation (IGP) is a common interaction between generalist predators where they competitively exploit similar resources and prey on each other. The importance of hunting strategies and habitat properties on the potential outcome of IGP remains poorly understood. Research on spider communities shows that the functional distance between predators determines predation levels, and hunting strategies may influence the distribution of predation and exploitation.
Article
Biology
Anton M. Potapov, Frederic Beaulieu, Klaus Birkhofer, Sarah L. Bluhm, Maxim Degtyarev, Miloslav Devetter, Anton A. Goncharov, Konstantin B. Gongalsky, Bernhard Klarner, Daniil Korobushkin, Dana F. Liebke, Mark Maraun, Rory J. Mc Donnell, Melanie M. Pollierer, Ina Schaefer, Julia Shrubovych, Irina I. Semenyuk, Alberto Sendra, Jiri Tuma, Michala Tumova, Anna B. Vassilieva, Ting-Wen Chen, Stefan Geisen, Olaf Schmidt, Alexei Tiunov, Stefan Scheu
Summary: Soil organisms play a crucial role in ecosystem functions by mineralizing carbon and releasing nutrients, which supports plant growth, biodiversity, and human nutrition. The feeding habits of soil organisms have been studied using molecular, biochemical, and isotopic tools, revealing new insights into their trophic relationships and food resource preferences. This comprehensive review provides a multifunctional classification of soil-associated consumers, integrating existing knowledge and novel methods, and highlights the importance of adopting these tools for future soil food-web research.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jorg Mueller, Roland Brandl, Marc W. Cadotte, Christoph Heibl, Claus Bassler, Ingmar Weiss, Klaus Birkhofer, Simon Thorn, Sebastian Seibold
Summary: Understanding the drivers of spider community assembly in temperate forests is important for ecology. This study analyzed two independent data sets covering gradients in elevation and forest succession and found that local environmental conditions have a dominant influence on species composition, while resource availability, biotic interactions, and dispersal play a minor role.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Frederick Gyasi Damptey, Klaus Birkhofer, Imma Oliveras Menor, Enrique G. de la Riva
Summary: Plant functional traits are important for tracking environmental changes and determining ecosystem functioning. This study examined the effects of functional structure and soil parameters on ecosystem services in different forest ecosystems in Ghana. The results showed that functional composition and soil properties varied between different ecosystem types, and were related to ecosystem service provision and multifunctionality.
Article
Microbiology
Johannes Sikorski, Vanessa Baumgartner, Klaus Birkhofer, Runa S. Boeddinghaus, Boyke Bunk, Markus Fischer, Baerbel U. Foesel, Michael W. Friedrich, Markus Goeker, Norbert Hoelzel, Sixing Huang, Katharina J. Huber, Ellen Kandeler, Valentin H. Klaus, Till Kleinebecker, Sven Marhan, Christian von Mering, Yvonne Oelmann, Daniel Prati, Kathleen M. Regan, Tim Richter-Heitmann, Joao F. Matias Rodrigues, Barbara Schmitt, Ingo Schoening, Marion Schrumpf, Elisabeth Schurig, Emily F. Solly, Volkmar Wolters, Joerg Overmann
Summary: This study used a culture-independent niche modeling approach to investigate the ecological adaptations and evolution of Acidobacteria in grassland soils in Germany. The results revealed a pronounced ecological diversification among acidobacterial sister clades and showed that the high diversity of soil acidobacterial communities is largely sustained by differential habitat adaptation. The niche modeling approach correctly predicted the physiological properties of cultivated species of Acidobacteria and provided novel information on ecological adaptations that cannot be inferred from standard taxonomic descriptions.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Svenja Meyer, Dominika Kundel, Klaus Birkhofer, Andreas Fliessbach, Stefan Scheu
Summary: This study predicts that higher frequencies of summer droughts will change soil conditions in the future, thus affecting soil fauna communities and their interactions. The effects of drought on soil biota in agroecosystems can be influenced by different management practices that alter the availability of food resources. The study focuses on the effect of drought on soil microarthropods and their trophic niches, using stable isotope analysis. The results suggest that plant litter, root exudates, and older plant material are important resources for certain species of Collembola and Oribatida. Drought and farming systems did not affect the abundance of species, but some species showed increased isotope values in organically managed fields, indicating a higher proportion of microorganisms in their diet. Overall, the study suggests that the flexible usage of resources can buffer the effects of drought and management practices on microarthropods in agricultural systems.
Article
Microbiology
Nadja Heitmann, Michael Glemnitz, Klaus Birkhofer, Marina E. H. Mueller
Summary: The dispersal of plant pathogens by ground-dwelling arthropods can connect and shape communities. The Fusarium community on the body surface of these arthropods is more diverse compared to litter and soil communities, and is related to the composition observed in litter and soil.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Klaus Birkhofer, El Aziz Djoudi, Benjamin Schnerch, Radek Michalko
Summary: This meta-analysis examines the impact of global change on the relative importance of different prey groups in spider diets. It finds that climatic conditions, land-use types, and functional traits of spider species all play a role in determining the importance of Hemiptera, Araneae, and Collembola prey. Future increases in temperature seasonality and conversion of non-agricultural to agricultural land are predicted to increase the importance of Collembola prey in spider diets.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lutz Philip Hecker, Frank Waetzold, Xueyan Yang, Klaus Birkhofer
Summary: This study examines the impact of conditioners on arthropod loss in agricultural landscapes. The use of conditioners increases physical damage to arthropods during the mowing process, particularly affecting aphids, beetles, thrips, and mites. The study also found that over 20% of grasslands in the region use conditioners, potentially resulting in additional arthropod loss. The authors suggest focusing on disincentivizing the use of conditioners in extensively managed grasslands for insect conservation.
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Klaus Birkhofer, Dennis Baulechner, Tim Diekoetter, Andrey Zaitsev, Volkmar Wolters
Summary: Nitrogen fertilization of permanent grasslands significantly affects the taxonomic composition, richness, and total abundance of soil mesofauna communities under long-term nutrient management, while the impact of experimental fertilization on feeding activity is limited. Rapid reduction in feeding activity of soil mesofauna is observed with nitrogen pulses, suggesting a strong functional response of soil mesofauna to immediate nutrient inputs.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Lanya Feng, Bartosz Lysakowski, Jenny Eisenschmidt, Klaus Birkhofer
Summary: Wildfires affect insect communities and the re-colonisation of species from burnt soils, but the impact on carrion-associated scavenging species has been neglected.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Warbota Khum, Ondrej Kosulic, Klaus Birkhofer, Radek Michalko
Summary: This study found that infestation by the invasive pathogenic fungus changed the regulatory mechanisms in arthropod food webs of young ash plantations. In low infestation levels, bottom-up and top-down regulation were relatively balanced, but in highly infested plantations, spiders were bottom-up limited and there was a top-down effect of herbivores on ash leaves. As a result, the invasive fungus affected ecosystem functioning through a reduction of functional complementarity and intensification of negative intraguild interactions among predators.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
M. Pilar Gavin-Centol, Diego Serrano-Carnero, Marta Montserrat, Svenja Meyer, Stefan Scheu, Dominika Kundel, Andreas Fliessbach, Jaak Truu, Klaus Birkhofer, Sara Sanchez-Moreno, Jordi Moya-Larano
Summary: Soil invertebrates play a crucial role in decomposition and their activity is affected by climate change. However, data on the impact of rainfall pattern shifts on soil biota and ecosystem processes are lacking. This study found that extreme drought and conventional farming reduced the feeding activity of detritivores, and soil water and mineral nitrogen contents strongly influenced their activity.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Werner Gerwin, Thomas Raab, Klaus Birkhofer, Christoph Hinz, Peter Letmathe, Michael Leuchner, Martina Ross-Nickoll, Thomas Ruede, Katja Trachte, Frank Waetzold, Frank Lehmkuhl
Summary: The German federal government's decision to cease lignite mining until 2038 or earlier will lead to various transition processes in the remaining lignite mining districts of Germany. The Rhineland and Lusatia, the two largest districts, will experience significant socioeconomic and environmental changes. This paper compares the natural and cultural settings of these regions and highlights the differences in economic situations and mining technologies, emphasizing the need for knowledge exchange and experience transfer between the two regions for successful transformation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Zoology
Chefor Fotang, Udo Broering, Klaus Birkhofer
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY
(2022)