Article
Biology
Patrick L. Thompson, Sonia Kefi, Yuval R. Zelnik, Laura E. Dee, Shaopeng Wang, Claire de Mazancourt, Michel Loreau, Andrew Gonzalez
Summary: The study used a Lotka-Volterra competition model to simulate the scale dependence of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, finding that more biodiversity is required to maintain functioning at larger spatial and temporal scales, with the autocorrelation of environmental heterogeneity influencing the rate at which the number of species needed increases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Xiaohua Wan, Zaipeng Yu, Mengjuan Wang, Yu Zhang, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Zhiqun Huang
Summary: This study explored how tree species richness affects soil microbial biomass and community composition through functional trait variation and community-weighted trait means. The findings indicated that an increase in tree species richness decreased total microbial biomass in the soil, with implications on gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria ratio and fungi to bacteria ratio based on leaf nitrogen content and leaf dry matter content traits.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jakob Runge
Summary: Detecting and quantifying causal relations in ecosystem functioning is challenging and involves reasoning about underlying assumptions. A global study on grasslands highlights the importance of considering confounding, nonlinearity, and determinism in modern causal inference approaches in ecology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Jie Lan, Xiangdong Lei, Xiao He, Wenqiang Gao, Hong Guo
Summary: Biodiversity plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF), but the ecological mechanisms and their variation with EMF gradients remain poorly understood. This study examined three mechanisms (mass ratio, ecological niche complementarity, and green soup) using a dataset from Jilin Province, China. The results showed that stand biomass, structural diversity, and age had significant effects on EMF. The green soup hypothesis was found to be the dominant mechanism explaining EMF. Recommendations for forest management to maximize EMF were discussed.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alexander Feckler, Jacob Schnurr, Gabriela Kalcikova, Amelie Truchy, Brendan G. McKie, Ralf B. Schaefer, Ralf Schulz, Mirco Bundschuh
Summary: Leaf litter decomposition is an important ecosystem process in streams, and its efficiency is affected by leaf litter diversity, agricultural intensity, habitat characteristics, water quality, and invertebrate composition. The study found that increasing agricultural intensity weakens the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship, which could threaten carbon cycling and food web integrity in streams.
Article
Ecology
Shinichi Tatsumi, Michel Loreau
Summary: Plant density and size are crucial factors affecting plant survival, growth and yield. However, their explicit analysis in the context of biodiversity-productivity relationships is rare. In this study, we derive equations to partition the effects of biodiversity into components that reflect diversity-induced changes in plant density and size, and find contrasting ways in which plant density and size regulate yield in species mixtures.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alejandro Berlinches de Gea, Yann Hautier, Stefan Geisen
Summary: Biodiversity, both aboveground and belowground, is negatively affected by global changes such as drought or warming. This article highlights the need to understand the relationship between soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under the influence of interactive global change drivers. The results from scarce studies studying interactive effects range from antagonistic to additive to synergistic, indicating the importance of quantitatively accounting for the impacts of interactive global change drivers on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relationships.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Bo Wu, Xiaotong Guan, Ting Deng, Xueqin Yang, Juan Li, Min Zhou, Cheng Wang, Shanquan Wang, Qingyun Yan, Longfei Shu, Qiang He, Zhili He
Summary: Biodiversity is crucial for ecosystem functions and services. While there have been many studies on biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships in plant and animal systems, it remains unclear if such a relationship exists and how it evolves in microbial systems. In this study, synthetic denitrifying communities (SDCs) were constructed using 12 Shewanella denitrifiers with varying species richness. The results showed a positive correlation between community richness and functions, but this correlation was only significant in earlier stages of the evolution experiment. Additionally, community functions generally increased throughout the experiment, with lower richness communities showing greater increases and positive BEF relationships largely attributable to complementary effects.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Biology
Dae-Young Kim, Surendra Krushna Shinde, Avinash Ashok Kadam, Rijuta Ganesh Saratale, Ganesh Dattatraya Saratale, Manu Kumar, Asad Syed, Ali H. Bahkali, Gajanan Sampatrao Ghodake
Summary: The aquaculture industry must have a solid foundation for robust and sustainable development in the future. Innovative strategies are needed to enhance profitability, resilience, and conservation. Polyculture and integrated aquaculture practices can promote synergies, resilience, conservation, and social benefits.
Article
Forestry
Lei Su, Mehdi Heydari, Reza Omidipour, Forough Soheili, Javad Cheraghi, Pedro Manuel Villa, Bernard Prevosto
Summary: The effects of abiotic factors on the relationship between aboveground biomass and plant species diversity in semiarid forests of western Iran were investigated. It was found that elevation had a significant impact on aboveground biomass and diversity indices.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qinyuan Zhang, Qing Zhang, Yinuo Zhai, Wenjun Yang, Yan Zhang, Hongxiang Liu, Kun Zhang, Xiao Liu, Kening Cui, Hui Wang, Peiming Zheng, Renqing Wang
Summary: A better understanding of the ecological mechanisms underlying diversity-biomass relationships in forest layers is crucial for understanding the importance of vertical stratification in forest ecosystems. This study investigated the effects of multiple abiotic and biological factors on aboveground biomass in different forest strata using data from North China. The results revealed that different factors determined the biomass of the overstory and understory, indicating different ecological mechanisms in temperate forests.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine DuBois, Susan L. Williams, John J. Stachowicz
Summary: The study found that mixtures of genotypes can lead to overyielding under warming conditions, driven by positive complementarity resulting from shifts in the relative performance of genotypes. Maintaining genetic diversity could significantly improve the resilience of coastal foundation species to future ocean warming.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Seraina L. Cappelli, Noemie A. Pichon, Tosca Mannall, Eric Allan
Summary: This study calculated and analyzed the diversity effects on three functions (aboveground biomass, insect herbivory, and pathogen infection) in a grassland experiment. The results showed that complementarity effects were generally positive while selection effects were generally negative. Different species had different effects on different functions. Diversity effects were less pronounced for herbivory.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Laura J. Williams, Ethan E. Butler, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Artur Stefanski, Karen E. Rice, Christian Messier, Alain Paquette, Peter B. Reich
Summary: The study found that in mixed-species communities, species with higher light interception and light use efficiency are more likely to exhibit greater productivity compared to monocultures.
Article
Biology
Mathew Seymour, Francois K. Edwards, Bernard J. Cosby, Iliana Bista, Peter M. Scarlett, Francesca L. Brailsford, Helen C. Glanville, Mark de Bruyn, Gary R. Carvalho, Simon Creer
Summary: The study compared eDNA and traditional sampling methods to assess biodiversity, finding that eDNA has higher temporal and spatial resolution. Seasonality has a significant impact on community richness, with regional resource availability driving community formation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Michael P. Acquafredda, Ximing Guo, Daphne Munroe
Summary: Selective breeding can enhance heat tolerance in cultivated bivalves vulnerable to heat stress, as shown by the study on adult farmed Atlantic surfclams. The research found that exposure to high temperatures during the juvenile stage led to improved heat tolerance in adult survivors, and this trait could be passed on to subsequent generations through selective breeding. Additionally, the growth of heat-selected progeny was similar to control Atlantic surfclams, indicating the potential of selective breeding as a strategy to enhance survival in bivalve aquaculture facing climate change challenges.
NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUACULTURE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
S. Borsetti, P. R. Hollyman, D. Munroe
Summary: This study modeled the size-at-age relationship for waved whelk populations in the Mid-Atlantic Bight using growth rings in statoliths. Differences were found in growth curve fitting compared to other populations, attributed to a timing difference in hatching. Higher summer temperatures positively influenced growth, but specific seasonal bottom temperatures had varying effects on growth.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Jui-Han Chang, Deborah R. Hart, Daphne M. Munroe, Enrique N. Curchitser
Summary: This study proposes using regression kriging to correct biased spatial patterns in climate and circulation model simulation output, and applies it to ocean temperature and salinity data. The regression kriging method was found to effectively reduce the spatial autocorrelation of biases compared to simpler methods like ordinary kriging and quantile mapping.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Craig Paukert, Julian D. Olden, Abigail J. Lynch, David D. Breshears, R. Christopher Chambers, Cindy Chu, Margaret Daly, Kimberly L. Dibble, Jeff Falke, Dan Issak, Peter Jacobson, Olaf P. Jensen, Daphne Munroe
Summary: Climate change poses a persistent threat to fish and fish habitats in North America, with increased water temperature, changes in precipitation, sea level rise, and ocean acidification being common stressors. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial, adaptation strategies developed by local agencies and stakeholders help mitigate the effects of climate change on vulnerable fish and fisheries.
Article
Fisheries
Kathryn A. Ashton-Alcox, Jason M. Morson, Eric N. Powell, Jennifer E. Gius, Daphne M. Munroe, David Bushek
Summary: Shell planting activities in the Delaware Bay fishery, funded since 2005, have been evaluated through annual sampling and shown to contribute to oyster growth and productivity maintenance. The long-lasting enhancement benefits of shell planting in oyster reefs, particularly in the early stages of oyster growth, have been demonstrated.
JOURNAL OF SHELLFISH RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emilien Pousse, Daphne Munroe, Deborah Hart, Daniel Hennen, Louise P. Cameron, Jennie E. Rheuban, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Gary H. Wikfors, Shannon L. Meseck
Summary: A dynamic energy budget model was used to study the effects of ocean acidification on Atlantic surfclam bioenergetics. The simulation results showed that future warming and acidification conditions would result in faster growth and increased energy allocation for reproduction in young surfclams, but a reduction in maximum shell length and energy allocated to reproduction was observed by the beginning of the 22nd century according to the RCP 8.5 scenario.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Andrew M. Scheld, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, Sarah Borsetti, Eileen E. Hofmann, John M. Klinck
Summary: This study applied an existing integrated bioeconomic model to evaluate the potential economic effects of offshore wind development on the Atlantic surfclam fishery. By simulating fishing activity and economic outcomes under different offshore wind energy development scenarios, the study found that spatial restrictions and changes in fishing effort distribution would decrease revenues for fishing vessels and processors and increase fishing costs.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Andrew M. Scheld, Sarah Borsetti, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Eileen E. Hofmann
Summary: This study successfully simulated the dynamics of the Atlantic surfclam fishery using a spatially explicit ecological-economic agent-based model. The simulations showed that the captain's decision-making and knowledge, as well as the distribution of fishing grounds, have a significant impact on the landed catch. This model provides a framework for studying other resources facing similar pressures.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Michael P. Acquafredda, Nathan Morris, Lisa Calvo, Michael De Luca, Daphne Munroe
Summary: The Atlantic surfclam is a promising candidate for species diversification in the US Northeast. However, gaps in the literature have left aquaculture practitioners without a complete understanding of how to best cultivate this species. Controlled experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different gear types and conditions, and results showed that multiple methods can effectively produce commercial-scale quantities of surfclams.
AQUACULTURE REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Daphne Munroe, Jason Morson, Sarah Borsetti, Daniel Hennen
Summary: Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs are large-bodied clams that dominate the biomass on the Mid-Atlantic continental shelf. However, their numerical abundance is not dominant in the benthic community and they tend to be patchily distributed. Estimating overall abundance and biomass is challenging due to the unique characteristics of individual clams and their distribution habits. Proper sampling and survey strategies are crucial to prevent undersampling and bias. Moreover, consistent sample collection methods are essential to compare data across multiple surveys, improving regional assessments of population status and changes. This paper provides recommendations to enhance the quality of surveys and facilitate direct comparison of data among different surveys and teams.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Joseph C. Caracappa, Daphne M. Munroe, Heidi L. Fuchs, Robert J. Chant
Summary: Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the US mid-Atlantic Bight have unpredictable and variable recruitment, so understanding their larval development and dispersal is important. This study used a simulation model to investigate the effects of swimming behavior, current systems, and mixing on larval transport. Results showed that larval transport is mainly influenced by wind speed, but behavioral traits also play a significant role. Swimming larvae can maintain a near-surface position and have more control over their vertical distribution compared to passive particles. These findings highlight the importance of larval swimming ability and behavioral variability in blue crab larval dispersal.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Emily C. Manuel, Matthew P. Hare, Daphne Munroe
Summary: Estuaries provide important habitat for eastern oysters, with varying salinity conditions affecting oyster growth. Experiment 1 found that transplantation to higher salinity led to increased growth, while oyster spat from the lowest salinity had the highest overall growth. Shell morphology did not affect growth. Experiment 2 showed that higher initial salinity and lower final salinity led to increased growth, highlighting the importance of early postsettlement salinity stress on oyster growth. These findings have significant implications for understanding oyster stock resilience in the face of climate change.
JOURNAL OF SHELLFISH RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Stephanie Stromp, Andrew M. Scheld, John M. Klinck, Daphne M. Munroe, Eric N. Powell, Roger Mann, Sarah Borsetti, Eileen E. Hofmann
Summary: Rising water temperatures have caused the Atlantic surfclam to shift its range to areas where ocean quahogs are already present, resulting in restrictions on fishing activities and potential economic disruption. Wind energy development further limits the fishery, and simulations demonstrate the consequences of species overlap and fishing constraints. The study highlights the challenges faced by the Atlantic surfclam fishery as climate change and ocean management evolve.
MARINE AND COASTAL FISHERIES
(2023)
Article
Fisheries
Sarah Borsetti, Daphne M. Munroe, Andrew M. Scheld, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Eileen E. Hofmann
Summary: The Atlantic surfclam fishery in the U.S. Northeast continental shelf is highly vulnerable to the impacts of offshore wind energy development due to overlapping fishing grounds and wind energy lease areas. The installation of wind energy turbines and cables can restrict or eliminate federal assessment surveys, leading to changes in stock assessments and increased uncertainty in setting fishing quotas. A modeling framework was used to assess the impact of excluding the surveys from wind energy lease areas, which resulted in lower spawning stock biomass estimates and increased fishing mortality.
MARINE AND COASTAL FISHERIES
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Ocean
Travis Miles, Sarah Murphy, Josh Kohut, Sarah Borsetti, Daphne Munroe
Summary: The paper reviews existing literature on how offshore wind farms may alter oceanographic processes and emphasizes the potential impacts of changes in stratification on the Cold Pool setup and degradation. Research priorities should be identified to determine thresholds at which turbines and wind farm arrays may affect oceanographic processes.
MARINE TECHNOLOGY SOCIETY JOURNAL
(2021)