Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Juping Ji, Genghong Lin, Lin Wang
Summary: Predators play a crucial role in the coexistence of competing prey species, with a large dispersal rate leading to the collapse of species coexistence. However, when the dispersal rate is smaller, three modes of species coexistence are possible.
APPLIED MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Sanower Warsi, Ana M. Chicas-Mosier, Rammohan R. Balusu, Alana L. Jacobson, Henry Y. Fadamiro
Summary: This study examined the interaction between two egg parasitoids, Paratelenomus saccharalis and Ooencyrtus nezarae. The results showed that simultaneous release of both parasitoids led to higher total host egg parasitism compared to sequential release. P. saccharalis displayed aggressive competitive behavior, while O. nezarae larvae outcompeted in multiparasitized eggs. These findings have important implications for the success of biological control programs targeting the kudzu bug.
Article
Entomology
Julia R. Tituskin, Shane M. Waddell, Karen E. Mabry
Summary: Species are responding to global climate change in varied ways, and understanding the impact of species-specific responses on interactions among species is crucial. This study examined how simulated warming affects larval intraguild predation rates and adult assemblage composition in three species of North American dragonflies. Results showed that while Pachydiplax longipennis is competitively dominant under current conditions, warming may alter this dynamic and influence the resulting assemblage composition.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jun Da, Yilong Xi, Yunshan Cheng, Hu He, Yanru Liu, Huabing Li, Qinglong L. Wu
Summary: The effects of predators (fish and shrimp) on the composition and diversity of phytoplankton were studied using outdoor mesocosms and high-throughput sequencing. The presence of fish increased phytoplankton diversity and the abundance of Chlorophyceae, while shrimp decreased diversity and increased the abundance of Chlorophyceae. When both predators were present, the collective effects on phytoplankton were weaker than the individual effects. This study provides insights into the impact of predator-prey interactions on lake biodiversity.
Article
Ecology
Ashwini Ramesh, Spencer R. R. Hall
Summary: Why do parasites exhibit a wide dynamical range within their hosts? This study aims to answer this question and gain insights into parasite dose, dynamics, and diversity governing within-host infection through niche models. The study explores the competition between parasites and immune cells for host energy and discovers the mechanisms behind oscillatory dynamics, immune clearance, coexistence, and priority effects. The findings offer a new perspective and potential improvements in individual health.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yingying X. G. Wang, Kevin D. Matson, Herbert H. T. Prins, Yanjie Xu, Zheng Y. X. Huang, Willem F. de Boer
Summary: Biodiversity can influence disease risk through mechanisms such as the dilution effect and phylogenetic diversity. The relationship between diversity and disease is scale-dependent and should consider the phylogenetic relatedness of host species.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jai Prakash Tripathi, Partha Sarathi Mandal, Ashish Poonia, Vijay Pal Bajiya
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of a food web system with Allee effect and intraguild predation, examining how parameters affect the persistence, extinction, and co-existence regions of species. It outlines conditions for different equilibria and stability, explores bi-stable dynamics, and discusses the impacts of Allee effect on species' co-existence, stability, and extinction. The introduction of Allee effect and intraguild predation leads to more rich dynamics and increased sensitivity to initial population densities in the system.
APPLIED MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Yifei Song, Xianming Yang, Hui Li, Kongming Wu
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of the invasive fall armyworm on the Asiatic corn borer and found that the fall armyworm can outcompete the corn borer at both the individual and population levels, potentially becoming the dominant pest.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alena Samkova, Jan Raska, Jiri Hadrava, Jiri Skuhrovec
Summary: Herbivorous insects can escape parasitoids by switching to new host plants, but the adaptation of parasitoids may impact their preferences and performance. Fitness changes in gregarious parasitoids may not be observable in the F1 generation but might appear in the F2 generation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Xiaoxiao Li, Wei Yang, Ursula Gaedke, Peter C. Ruiter
Summary: Food web stability and resilience are crucial for understanding ecosystem functioning, with empirical food webs shown to be more stable than random ones due to the presence of strong interactions within weak interactions. Analysis of trophic interaction loops reveals that patterns of interaction strengths can prevent destabilizing loops, enhancing resilience. The mechanisms behind these patterns that enhance food web resilience are still unknown.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Shenglai Yin, Ning Li, Wenjie Xu, Daniel J. Becker, Willem F. de Boer, Chi Xu, Taej Mundkur, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, Chunlin Li, Guan-zhu Han, Qiang Wu, Diann J. Prosser, Lijuan Cui, Zheng Y. X. Huang
Summary: Species functional traits can affect pathogen transmission, host status, and infection risk. Our study on European waterbird species found that traits like diet guild and dispersal ability influence host status and pathogen diversity. We also discovered a correlation between community-level risk of HPAI H5Nx occurrence and the community-weighted means of functional traits. Additionally, we found that functional diversity can reduce infection risk. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating trait-based ecology in understanding diversity-disease relationships and provide insights for HPAI prediction and prevention.
Article
Biology
Mario Garrido, Snir Halle, Ron Flatau, Carmit Cohen, Alvaro Navarro-Castilla, Isabel Barja, Hadas Hawlena
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between species diversity and disease risk using a model system of rodents and Mycoplasma pathogens. The results suggest that one host acts as a pathogen amplifier while the other two hosts serve as diluters, reducing the overall number of infected hosts by clearing the infection faster. This highlights the importance of experimental studies exploring different aspects of host-pathogen interactions in multiple hosts in diversity-disease research.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lars Rod-Eriksen, Siw T. Killengreen, Dorothee Ehrich, Rolf A. Ims, Ivar Herfindal, Arild M. Landa, Nina E. Eide
Summary: Large carnivores play a crucial role in influencing ecosystem dynamics through their impact on meso-carnivores and scavengers. Loss of large carnivores can lead to an increase in meso-carnivores, such as the red fox, and changes in their interactions. In the Scandinavian tundra, the presence of wolverine and golden eagles affects the co-occurrence of the Arctic fox and red fox, with the Arctic fox more likely to co-occur with the red fox when wolverines are present but less likely to co-occur when golden eagles are present. Small rodent abundance also influences the occupancy patterns of these predator species, with the Arctic fox responding more strongly to rodent abundance than the red fox.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melanie Thierry, Nicholas A. Pardikes, Chia-Hua Lue, Owen T. Lewis, Jan Hrcek
Summary: The experimental warming decreased parasitism significantly for all host-parasitoid pairs, but the effects of parasitism and competition on host abundance and frequency did not vary across temperatures. The results show that temperature directly shapes the Drosophila host community through differences in species' thermal performance, rather than through its influences on biotic interactions.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Gamaliel Ble, Claudia Isabel Guzman-Arellano, Ivan Loreto-Hernandez
Summary: The dynamics of an intraguild predation system were analyzed, showing conditions for coexistence, equilibrium points, and different limit sets for a wide range of functional responses. These results highlight the complex interactions within the system.
CHAOS SOLITONS & FRACTALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mario Mairal, Steven L. Chown, Justine Shaw, Desalegn Chala, John H. Chau, Cang Hui, Jesse M. Kalwij, Zuzana Munzbergova, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Johannes J. Le Roux
Summary: The study reveals that human activity significantly impacts the post-introduction dynamics of invasive species, leading to high genetic diversity and admixture of P. annua on Marion Island, while populations on unoccupied Prince Edward Island show low genetic diversity and structure. High genetic variation and admixture facilitated by human activity, coupled with high habitat suitability, suggest that P. annua is likely to increase its distribution and abundance in the future.
Article
Ecology
David C. Deane, Dingliang Xing, Cang Hui, Melodie McGeoch, Fangliang He
Summary: This study aims to derive null models for the expected number of species shared among multiple samples or habitat patches, exploring the geometric effects of subdivision on species diversity. Results show that the geometric effects of subdivision depend on patterns of spatial distribution of species and evenness of species abundance. Increasing subdivision decreases shared species, increases beta diversity, and results in higher total species richness in subdivided habitat. The models explain why fragmented habitat could have higher diversity than continuous habitat of equal area but predict a threshold patch-size.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Chuan Yan, Yongjun Zhang, Rui Liu, Cang Hui
Summary: This study investigates the patterns and associations of net interaction effects with network topologies in food webs. Results show a right-skewed distribution of net interaction strengths and their significant correlations with various topological structures. The emergence of net mutualism and competition effects due to indirect effects plays a crucial role in changing signs from direct to net interaction effects in species-rich and highly connected food webs.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roberto Cazzolla Gatti, Peter B. Reich, Javier G. P. Gamarra, Tom Crowther, Cang Hui, Albert Morera, Jean-Francois Bastin, Sergio de-Miguel, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Jens-Christian Svenning, Josep M. Serra-Diaz, Cory Merow, Brian Enquist, Maria Kamenetsky, Junho Lee, Jun Zhu, Jinyun Fang, Douglass F. Jacobs, Bryan Pijanowski, Arindam Banerjee, Robert A. Giaquinto, Giorgio Alberti, Angelica Maria Almeyda Zambrano, Esteban Alvarez-Davila, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Valerio Avitabile, Gerardo A. Aymard, Radomir Balazy, Chris Baraloto, Jorcely G. Barroso, Meredith L. Bastian, Philippe Birnbaum, Robert Bitariho, Jan Bogaert, Frans Bongers, Olivier Bouriaud, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Francis Q. Brearley, Eben North Broadbent, Filippo Bussotti, Wendeson Castro da Silva, Ricardo Gomes Cesar, Goran Cesljar, Victor Chama Moscoso, Han Y. H. Chen, Emil Cienciala, Connie J. Clark, David A. Coomes, Selvadurai Dayanandan, Mathieu Decuyper, Laura E. Dee, Jhon Del Aguila Pasquel, Geraldine Derroire, Marie Noel Kamdem Djuikouo, Tran Van Do, Jiri Dolezal, Ilija D. Dordevic, Julien Engel, Tom M. Fayle, Ted R. Feldpausch, Jonas K. Fridman, David J. Harris, Andreas Hemp, Geerten Hengeveld, Bruno Herault, Martin Herold, Thomas Ibanez, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Kathryn J. Jeffery, Vivian Kvist Johannsen, Tommaso Jucker, Ahto Kangur, Victor N. Karminov, Kuswata Kartawinata, Deborah K. Kennard, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Gunnar Keppel, Mohammed Latif Khan, Pramod Kumar Khare, Timothy J. Kileen, Hyun Seok Kim, Henn Korjus, Amit Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Diana Laarmann, Nicolas Labriere, Mait Lang, Simon L. Lewis, Natalia Lukina, Brian S. Maitner, Yadvinder Malhi, Andrew R. Marshall, Olga V. Martynenko, Abel L. Monteagudo Mendoza, Petr V. Ontikov, Edgar Ortiz-Malavasi, Nadir C. Pallqui Camacho, Alain Paquette, Minjee Park, Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy, Pablo Luis Peri, Pascal Petronelli, Sebastian Pfautsch, Oliver L. Phillips, Nicolas Picard, Daniel Piotto, Lourens Poorter, John R. Poulsen, Hans Pretzsch, Hirma Ramirez-Angulo, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, Mirco Rodeghiero, Rocio Del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Samir G. Rolim, Francesco Rovero, Ervan Rutishauser, Purabi Saikia, Christian Salas-Eljatib, Dmitry Schepaschenko, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Vladimir Seben, Marcos Silveira, Ferry Slik, Bonaventure Sonke, Alexandre F. Souza, Krzysztof Jan Sterenczak, Miroslav Svoboda, Hermann Taedoumg, Nadja Tchebakova, John Terborgh, Elena Tikhonova, Armando Torres-Lezama, Fons van der Plas, Rodolfo Vasquez, Helder Viana, Alexander C. Vibrans, Emilio Vilanova, Vincent A. Vos, Hua-Feng Wang, Bertil Westerlund, Lee J. T. White, Susan K. Wiser, Tomasz Zawila-Niedzwiecki, Lise Zemagho, Zhi-Xin Zhu, Irie C. Zo-Bi, Jingjing Liang
Summary: One of the fundamental questions in ecology is how many species exist on Earth. This study estimated the total number of tree species globally, using global crowdsourced data. The findings suggest that there are approximately 73,000 tree species globally, with around 9,000 species yet to be discovered. These results highlight the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity to human-induced changes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Genevieve Diedericks, Chris Broeckhoven, Sophie von der Heyden, Olaf L. F. Weyl, Cang Hui
Summary: Dispersal is a crucial trait for species persistence and diversification, especially in fluctuating environments like freshwater habitats. Directed dispersal allows species to adaptively modify their genetic and phenotypic variation in response to environmental changes. By studying smallmouth bass populations, researchers found a clear correlation between environmental variation and morphological traits.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Qingqing Zhang, Xingyuan Men, Cang Hui, Feng Ge, Fang Ouyang
Summary: This article reports on an experiment-based quantitative assessment of wheat yield losses in China caused by pests and pathogens from 2000 to 2018. The study found that different regions had varying levels of yield losses, and the proportions of losses caused by certain pests and pathogens were increasing. The results highlight the need for future breeding research to focus on developing varieties resistant to these new pests and pathogens.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sarah Reeve, David C. Deane, Chris McGrannachan, Gillis Horner, Cang Hui, Melodie McGeoch
Summary: Biological invasions pose a major threat to global biodiversity. Different alien and native plant species respond differently to environmental factors. In four national parks in Australia, the diversity and turnover of alien species are mainly influenced by abiotic conditions, while the diversity and turnover of native species are affected by both distance and abiotic conditions.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Min Su, Zhengjun Jiang, Cang Hui
Summary: This study explores the effects of ecological networks on the transmission of infectious diseases and the relationship between disease and community diversity. The results show that the composition of networks can influence disease spreading and the diversity-disease relationship. Communities with more mutualistic interactions tend to have higher disease prevalence, while communities with a higher diversity from competition and predation can impede disease prevalence.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Cang Hui
Summary: Invasion dynamics are influenced by various factors and cannot be accurately predicted. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been used to assess invasion risk, but relying solely on SDMs may lead to biased conclusions. This Editorial calls for a more cautious approach in using SDMs for predicting invasion dynamics.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mario Mairal, Carlos Garcia-Verdugo, Johannes J. Le Roux, John H. Chau, Bettine Jansen van Vuuren, Cang Hui, Zuzana Munzbergova, Steven L. Chown, Justine D. Shaw
Summary: This study investigates the invasive plant species Poa annua in the isolated islands of the Southern Ocean. The results show that P. annua exhibits high genetic diversity, low population structure, and low selfing rates in the sub-Antarctic archipelagos. It suggests multiple independent introductions of P. annua into the sub-Antarctic and convergent reproductive strategies in each major archipelago.
Article
Ecology
David C. Deane, Cang Hui, Melodie McGeoch
Summary: The number of species shared between sites decreases as more sites are included in the comparison, with a rate dependent on the most widespread species. In over 80% of empirical communities, the decline in shared species follows either an exponential or power law form, which are largely untested and poorly understood. Simulation results show that the distribution of widespread species differentiates the two forms, with the power law form favored when such species occupy more than 75% of sites. Empirical data confirms that the form of multisite similarity decline can predict community structures and competitive interactions.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Isabella W. W. de Beer, Cang Hui, Christophe Botella, David M. M. Richardson
Summary: Alien trees and shrubs are increasingly common invaders globally and have caused major negative impacts. In South Africa, non-native woody plants contribute significantly to recorded negative impacts. It is important to understand the macroecological processes that mediate the assembly of alien taxa, which are influenced by anthropogenic and bioclimatic factors. Citizen scientist efforts provide large occurrence datasets that can be utilized for scientific investigations.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zihua Zhao, Cang Hui, Shuo Peng, Shanqing Yi, Zhihong Li, Gadi V. P. Reddy, Mark van Kleunen
Summary: Through comparing the characteristics of invasive and non-invasive insects, it is found that invasive insects have more pathways of introduction, occur in more habitats, have higher fecundities, higher voltinism, more genes, shorted lifespans and faster development from egg to adult. The study can guide the improvement of screening tools for assessing the invasion potential of alien insects.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Dylan C. Geldenhuys, Shane H. Josias, Willie Brink, Mulanga H. Makhubele, Cang Hui, Pietro H. Landi, Jeremy Bingham, John H. Hargrove, Marijn Hazelbag
Summary: We have successfully developed a method for automatically positioning landmarks on tsetse wings, enabling morphometric analysis of tsetse populations and providing a starting point for studying the wings of other insect species.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lichao Huang, David A. Ratkowsky, Cang Hui, Johan Gielis, Meng Lian, Weihao Yao, Qiying Li, Liuyue Zhang, Peijian Shi
Summary: This paper measures the inequality of leaf area distribution per plant (ILAD) by comparing four inequality indices. The results show that these indices are closely related and can be used interchangeably to quantify ILAD.
Article
Biology
Iain Hunter, Raz Leib
Summary: Natural movement is related to health, but it is difficult to measure. Existing methods cannot capture the full range of natural movement. Comparing movement across different species helps identify common biomechanical and computational principles. Developing a system to quantify movement in freely moving animals in natural environments and relating it to life quality is crucial. This study proposes a theoretical framework based on movement ability and validates it in Drosophila.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Andy Gardner
Summary: Fisher's geometric model is a useful tool for predicting key properties of Darwinian adaptation, and here it is applied to predict differences between the evolution of altruistic versus nonsocial phenotypes. The results suggest that the effect size maximizing probability of fixation is smaller in the context of altruism and larger in the context of nonsocial phenotypes, leading to lower overall probability of fixation for altruism and higher overall probability of fixation for nonsocial phenotypes.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Thomas F. Pak, Joe Pitt-Francis, Ruth E. Baker
Summary: Cell competition is a process where cells interact in multicellular organisms to determine a winner or loser status, with loser cells being eliminated through programmed cell death. The winner cells then populate the tissue. The outcome of cell competition is context-dependent, as the same cell type can win or lose depending on the competing cell type. This paper proposes a mathematical framework to study the emergence of winner or loser status, highlighting the role of active cell death and identifying the factors that drive cell competition in a cell-based modeling context.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Haruto Tomizuka, Yuuya Tachiki
Summary: Batesian mimicry is a strategy in which palatable prey species resemble unpalatable prey species to avoid predation. The evolution of this mimicry plays a crucial role in protecting the unpalatable species from extinction.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Jason W. Olejarz, Martin A. Nowak
Summary: Gene drive technology shows potential for population control, but its release may have unpredictable consequences. The study suggests that the failure of suppression is a natural outcome, and there are complex dynamics among wild populations.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Hamid Ravaee, Mohammad Hossein Manshaei, Mehran Safayani, Javad Salimi Sartakhti
Summary: Gene expression analysis is valuable for cancer classification and phenotype identification. IP3G, based on Generative Adversarial Networks, enhances gene expression data and discovers phenotypes in an unsupervised manner. By converting gene expression profiles into images and utilizing IP3G, new phenotype profiles can be generated, improving classification accuracy.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Beatrix Rahnsch, Leila Taghizadeh
Summary: This study forecasts the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany using a network-based inference method and compares it with other approaches. The results show that the network-inference based approach outperforms other methods in short-to mid-term predictions, even with limited information about the new disease. Furthermore, predictions based on the estimation of the reproduction number in Germany can yield more reliable results with increasing data availability, but still cannot surpass the network-inference based algorithm.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Rongsheng Huang, Qiaojun Situ, Jinzhi Lei
Summary: Maintaining tissue homeostasis requires appropriate regulation of stem cell differentiation. Random inheritance of epigenetic states plays a pivotal role in stem cell differentiation. This computational model provides valuable insights into the intricate mechanism governing stem cell differentiation and cell reprogramming, offering a promising path for enhancing the field of regenerative medicine.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Patrick Vincent N. Lubenia, Eduardo R. Mendoza, Angelyn R. Lao
Summary: This study compares insulin signaling in healthy and type 2 diabetes states using reaction network analysis. The results show similarities and differences between the two conditions, providing insights into the mechanisms of insulin resistance, including the involvement of other complexes, less restrictive interplay between species, and loss of concentration robustness in GLUT4.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Nuverah Mohsin, Heiko Enderling, Renee Brady-Nicholls, Mohammad U. Zahid
Summary: Mathematical modeling is crucial in understanding radiobiology and designing treatment approaches in radiotherapy for cancer. This study compares three tumor volume dynamics models and analyzes the implications of model selection. A new metric, the point of maximum reduction of tumor volume (MRV), is introduced to quantify the impact of radiotherapy. The results emphasize the importance of caution in selecting models of response to radiotherapy due to the artifacts imposed by each model.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biology
Armindo Salvador
Summary: Michael Savageau's Biochemical Systems Analysis papers have had a significant impact on Systems Biology, generating core concepts and tools. This article provides a brief summary of these papers and discusses the most relevant developments in Biochemical Systems Theory since their publication.
JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
