Article
Plant Sciences
Karen De Pauw, Camille Meeussen, Sanne Govaert, Pieter Sanczuk, Thomas Vanneste, Markus Bernhardt-Romermann, Kurt Bollmann, Jorg Brunet, Kim Calders, Sara A. O. Cousins, Martin Diekmann, Per-Ola Hedwall, Giovanni Iacopetti, Jonathan Lenoir, Sigrid Lindmo, Anna Orczewska, Quentin Ponette, Jan Plue, Federico Selvi, Fabien Spicher, Hans Verbeeck, Pieter Vermeir, Florian Zellweger, Kris Verheyen, Pieter Vangansbeke, Pieter De Frenne
Summary: Forest edges harbor a significant amount of terrestrial biodiversity, especially in the understorey, but the functional and phylogenetic diversity of the edges have never been studied simultaneously at a continental scale. Research shows that taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of understorey communities in forest edges respond differently to environmental conditions, providing insights into different community assembly mechanisms and interactions. Therefore, looking beyond species richness with phylogenetic and functional diversity approaches is crucial when focusing on forest understorey biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zahed Shakeri, Daniel Simberloff, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Rolf Lutz Eckstein
Summary: The study demonstrates that both light and grazing intensities significantly impact species pool, single traits, and functional diversity in temperate forests. Cattle grazing can mediate the filtering effect of light and enhance functional diversity in both low-light and high-light sites.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Alberto Bentes Brasil Neto, Nilza Martins de Queiroz Xavier Brasil, Paulo Ivan Lima de Andrade, Augusto Cesar Falca Sampaio, Norberto Cornejo Noronha, Eduardo Jorge Maklouf Carvalho, Arystides Resende Silva, Gustavo Schwartz
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effects of planting D. odorata on soil physical and biological attributes in abandoned pastures in the Eastern Amazon. The results showed that the plantation improved soil quality, organic matter accumulation, and macrofauna density, making it an effective alternative for forest recovery in degraded areas.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Josephine Esaete, Vincent B. Muwanika, Rogers Musiba, Christopher Mawa, John R. S. Tabuti
Summary: Seedling banks play a crucial role in forest regeneration. This study found differences in seedling bank diversity and density among blocks with different recovery times, but no significant differences in species richness. Proximity to intact forest was found to aid forest recovery.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Cecilia Cacciatori, Giovanni Bacaro, Ewa Checko, Jakub Zaremba, Jerzy Szwagrzyk
Summary: This study investigated the impact of wind disturbance on functional diversity, trait values, and species richness of herbaceous species, revealing that the effects of wind disturbance vary across different forest habitat types.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Craig C. Brelsford, M. Trasser, T. Paris, Saara M. Hartikainen, T. Matthew Robson
Summary: Forest understorey plants show different responses to blue light and UV radiation based on their functional strategies. Species with higher light demand are more sensitive to seasonal changes in light quality and have a stronger response to blue light. A reduction in understorey blue light and UV radiation delays leaf senescence in autumn niche species.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2022)
Article
Ecology
O. A. Hernandez-Davila, V. J. Sosa, J. Laborde
Summary: The study reveals that human activities in tropical montane cloud forest areas have led to land cover changes. The attributes of bird communities in riparian belts are influenced by vegetation and landscape structure. Tree height and the amount of urban area in the vicinity are positively correlated with bird abundance, while the abundance of forest interior birds is negatively correlated.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Feng Liu, Chang Tan, Zhigao Yang, Jianjun Li, Huashun Xiao, Yao Tong
Summary: Gap-based silvicultural systems are important for secondary forest management due to their association with regeneration and tree species diversity. This study found that small gaps had the highest seedling densities, while medium gaps had the highest sapling densities and diversity. Gap partitioning was observed within medium and large gaps.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiaozhuang Zhang, Ying Xue, Chongliang Zhang, Yiping Ren, Binduo Xu, Yong Chen
Summary: Functional diversity has become an essential component of biodiversity in the past two decades, used to evaluate the health of aquatic ecosystems and predict fish community responses to disturbances. Sampling intensity can impact the estimation of functional diversity indices, with accuracy and precision increasing with higher sampling intensity. Functional richness and functional divergence indices are less sensitive to sampling intensity compared to functional evenness indices, and there is seasonal variability in the effects of sampling intensity on the estimation of functional diversity indices.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Filipe Ferreira de Deus, Karl-L. Schuchmann, Marinez Isaac Marques
Summary: Seasonal changes significantly impact the environment in the Pantanal, particularly during wet and dry seasons. Inundation and drought affect the flowering, fruiting, and insect occurrence. Avian functional diversity also changes due to resource variations. However, the diversity of functional groups remains relatively stable across seasons.
STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Lin Li, Zhifeng Wen, Shiguang Wei, Juyu Lian, Wanhui Ye
Summary: Functional diversity is crucial for the connection between ecosystem functions and biodiversity, and its understanding is important for community diversity conservation strategies. In this study, a subtropical forest community in China was investigated, and functional diversity indices were calculated based on functional traits of plant species. The results showed significant differences in functional diversity and species diversity indices based on plant habit, as well as correlations among different functional richness and divergence indices. Altitude and other environmental factors also influenced the functional diversity of the community. Soil total phosphorus was identified as the most critical environmental factor. These findings contribute to our understanding of functional diversity in subtropical forests and provide insights for biodiversity conservation in the region.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ying Li, Jihua Hou, Li Xu, Mingxu Li, Zhi Chen, Zihao Zhang, Nianpeng He
Summary: This study explored the spatial variation in functional diversity in natural forests in China and found that functional diversity is crucial for determining large-scale variations in GPP and should be integrated into ecological models.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Ana Paula Portela, Isabelle Durance, Cristiana Vieira, Joao Honrado
Summary: Riparian plant communities are crucial for ecosystem functioning and provide important ecosystem services. Understanding the processes of community assembly and functional patterns is essential for ecosystem stability. This study assessed the functional diversity patterns of riparian plant communities in north Portugal and found that environmental filtering and limiting similarity play dominant roles in community assembly, with a shift between them along environmental gradients. These findings highlight the importance of large-scale environmental stress gradients and community assembly in influencing riparian functional diversity.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Robert Schneider, Tony Franceschini, Emmanuel Duchateau, Alexa Berube-Deschenes, Laurie Dupont-Leduc, Sophie Proudfoot, Hugues Power, Francois de Coligny
Summary: New silvicultural practices are being adopted in eastern Quebec to meet the requirements of ecosystem-based forest management, with a novel individual tree-level simulator showing promising results in predicting stand development. The simulator allows users to choose competition indices based on distance dependence or independence, and has been found to perform well in operational scenarios.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Isabel Cantera, Celine Jezequel, Tony Dejean, Jerome Murienne, Regis Vigouroux, Alice Valentini, Sebastien Brosse
Summary: The study investigates how deforestation impacts fish communities in French Guiana rivers and streams using environmental DNA metabarcoding. The results show that deforestation alters the functional diversity of freshwater fish communities, affecting the amount, identity, and internal structure of functional traits. Stream fish assemblages experience a reduction in functional redundancy, while river fish faunas experience a decline in functional richness and a loss of species with extreme functions. These findings suggest that deforestation can negatively impact the functioning and stability of neotropical freshwater ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Helge Bruelheide, Florian Jansen, Ute Jandt, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Aletta Bonn, Diana Bowler, Juergen Dengler, David Eichenberg, Volker Grescho, David Harter, Matthias Jugelt, Simon Kellner, Martin Ludwig, Karsten Wesche, Silke Luett
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Florian Zellweger, Pieter De Frenne, Jonathan Lenoir, Pieter Vangansbeke, Kris Verheyen, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Lander Baeten, Radim Hedl, Imre Berki, Jorg Brunet, Hans Van Calster, Marketa Chudomelova, Guillaume Decocq, Thomas Dirnboeck, Tomasz Durak, Thilo Heinken, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Martin Kopecky, Frantisek Malis, Martin Macek, Marek Malicki, Tobias Naaf, Thomas A. Nagel, Adrienne Ortmann-Ajkai, Petr Petrik, Remigiusz Pielech, Kamila Reczynska, Wolfgang Schmidt, Tibor Standovar, Krzysztof Swierkosz, Balazs Teleki, Ondrej Vild, Monika Wulf, David Coomes
Article
Ecology
Ingmar R. Staude, Donald M. Waller, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Anne D. Bjorkman, Jorg Brunet, Pieter De Frenne, Radim Hedl, Ute Jandt, Jonathan Lenoir, Frantisek Malis, Kris Verheyen, Monika Wulf, Henrique M. Pereira, Pieter Vangansbeke, Adrienne Ortmann-Ajkai, Remigiusz Pielech, Imre Berki, Marketa Chudomelova, Guillaume Decocq, Thomas Dirnboeck, Tomasz Durak, Thilo Heinken, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Martin Kopecky, Martin Macek, Marek Malicki, Tobias Naaf, Thomas A. Nagel, Petr Petrik, Kamila Reczynska, Fride Hoistad Schei, Wolfgang Schmidt, Tibor Standovar, Krzysztof swierkosz, Balazs Teleki, Hans Van Calster, Ondrej Vild, Lander Baeten
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Forestry
Florian Achilles, Alexander Tischer, Markus Bernhardt-Romermann, Martin Heinze, Frank Reinhardt, Franz Makeschin, Beate Michalzik
Summary: The study shows that European beech has a positive impact on improving forest floor quality, resulting in more active humus formation and higher forest floor pH. Over the past 20 years, European beech has had a significant effect on bio-acidification of the subsoil, possibly contributing to the development of more acidic conditions.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Helge Bruelheide, Florian Jansen, Ute Jandt, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Aletta Bonn, Diana Bowler, Juergen Dengler, David Eichenberg, Volker Grescho, Simon Kellner, Reinhard A. Klenke, Silke Luett, Lina Luettgert, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Karsten Wesche
Summary: Christensen et al. criticized the use of Beals' index for adjusting incomplete species lists when comparing repeated surveys, arguing that it systematically underestimates biodiversity change. However, their criticism is unfounded for species sufficiently represented in the reference data set.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Karen De Pauw, Camille Meeussen, Sanne Govaert, Pieter Sanczuk, Thomas Vanneste, Markus Bernhardt-Romermann, Kurt Bollmann, Jorg Brunet, Kim Calders, Sara A. O. Cousins, Martin Diekmann, Per-Ola Hedwall, Giovanni Iacopetti, Jonathan Lenoir, Sigrid Lindmo, Anna Orczewska, Quentin Ponette, Jan Plue, Federico Selvi, Fabien Spicher, Hans Verbeeck, Pieter Vermeir, Florian Zellweger, Kris Verheyen, Pieter Vangansbeke, Pieter De Frenne
Summary: Forest edges harbor a significant amount of terrestrial biodiversity, especially in the understorey, but the functional and phylogenetic diversity of the edges have never been studied simultaneously at a continental scale. Research shows that taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of understorey communities in forest edges respond differently to environmental conditions, providing insights into different community assembly mechanisms and interactions. Therefore, looking beyond species richness with phylogenetic and functional diversity approaches is crucial when focusing on forest understorey biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Florian Achilles, Alexander Tischer, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Ines Chmara, Mareike Achilles, Beate Michalzik
Summary: The study revealed significant differences between coniferous stands and European beech under moderate N deposition rates, with higher water fluxes and concentrations of nitrate nitrogen and sulfate ions in the deeper mineral soil of coniferous stands. In European beech, foliar litter fall was found to be the main pathway for nutrient return, while at coniferous stands, the input of base cations through litter fall and depositions were at the same magnitude.
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Mercedes Caron, Florian Zellweger, Kris Verheyen, Lander Baeten, Radim Hedl, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Imre Berki, Jorg Brunet, Guillaume Decocq, Sandra Diaz, Thomas Dirnboeck, Tomasz Durak, Thilo Heinken, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Martin Kopecky, Jonathan Lenoir, Martin Macek, Marek Malicki, Frantisek Malis, Thomas A. Nagel, Michael P. Perring, Petr Petrik, Kamila Reczynska, Remigiusz Pielech, Wolfgang Schmidt, Krzysztof Swierkosz, Balazs Teleki, Monika Wulf, Pieter De Frenne
Summary: The study revealed that climate change has led to an increased difference in temperature experienced by adults and juveniles of trees, with some species showing more pronounced effects. The specific temperature differences varied between different tree species and were found to be related to key functional traits such as leaf area.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Trevor S. Fristoe, Milan Chytry, Wayne Dawson, Franz Essl, Ruben Heleno, Holger Kreft, Noelie Maurel, Jan Pergl, Petr Pysek, Hanno Seebens, Patrick Weigelt, Pablo Vargas, Qiang Yang, Fabio Attorre, Erwin Bergmeier, Markus Bernhardt-Romermann, Idoia Biurrun, Steffen Boch, Gianmaria Bonari, Zoltan Botta-Dukat, Hans Henrik Bruun, Chaeho Byun, Andraz Carni, Maria Laura Carranza, Jane A. Catford, Bruno E. L. Cerabolini, Eduardo Chacon-Madrigal, Daniela Ciccarelli, Renata Custerevska, Iris de Ronde, Jurgen Dengler, Valentin Golub, Rense Haveman, Nate Hough-Snee, Ute Jandt, Florian Jansen, Anna Kuzemko, Filip Kuzmic, Jonathan Lenoir, Armin Macanovic, Corrado Marceno, Adam R. Martin, Sean T. Michaletz, Akira S. Mori, Ulo Niinemets, Tomas Peterka, Remigiusz Pielech, Valerijus Rasomavicius, Solvita Rusina, Arildo S. Dias, Maria Sibikova, Urban Silc, Angela Stanisci, Steven Jansen, Jens-Christian Svenning, Grzegorz Swacha, Fons van der Plas, Kiril Vassilev, Mark van Kleunen
Summary: Understanding the factors driving success for alien species is important for predicting future invasions. Recent advancements in conceptual frameworks suggest that invasive species can be defined by their local abundance, geographic range size, and habitat breadth. By analyzing data from over one million vegetation plots in Europe, researchers found a continuum of invasiveness dimensions ranging from poor invaders to super invaders, with early introduction dates and species from other continents being associated with higher success. Furthermore, unique patterns of success were identified in specific habitats and traits, showing the importance of considering invasiveness within a multidimensional framework.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ingmar R. Staude, Henrique M. Pereira, Gergana N. Daskalova, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Martin Diekmann, Harald Pauli, Hans Van Calster, Mark Vellend, Anne D. Bjorkman, Jorg Brunet, Pieter De Frenne, Radim Hedl, Ute Jandt, Jonathan Lenoir, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Kris Verheyen, Sonja Wipf, Monika Wulf, Christopher Andrews, Peter Barancok, Elena Barni, Jose-Luis Benito-Alonso, Jonathan Bennie, Imre Berki, Volker Blueml, Marketa Chudomelova, Guillaume Decocq, Jan Dick, Thomas Dirnboeck, Tomasz Durak, Ove Eriksson, Brigitta Erschbamer, Bente Jessen Graae, Thilo Heinken, Fride Hoistad Schei, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Martin Kopecky, Thomas Kudernatsch, Martin Macek, Marek Malicki, Frantisek Malis, Ottar Michelsen, Tobias Naaf, Thomas A. Nagel, Adrian C. Newton, Lena Nicklas, Ludovica Oddi, Adrienne Ortmann-Ajkai, Andrej Palaj, Alessandro Petraglia, Petr Petrik, Remigiusz Pielech, Francesco Porro, Mihai Puscas, Kamila Reczynska, Christian Rixen, Wolfgang Schmidt, Tibor Standovar, Klaus Steinbauer, Krzysztof Swierkosz, Balazs Teleki, Jean-Paul Theurillat, Pavel Dan Turtureanu, Tudor-Mihai Ursu, Thomas Vanneste, Philippine Vergeer, Ondrej Vild, Luis Villar, Pascal Vittoz, Manuela Winkler, Lander Baeten
Summary: The study reveals a pattern of species turnover across different habitats, with smaller-ranged species being replaced by larger-ranged species, and communities shifting towards more nutrient-demanding species. Species from nutrient-rich habitats tend to have larger ranges.
Article
Environmental Sciences
David Schellenberger Costa, Johanna Otto, Ines Chmara, Markus Bernhardt-Romermann
Summary: Research has shown that deposition of reactive nitrogen and sulphur has profound effects on ecosystem functioning. While monitoring networks providing high resolution spatio-temporal deposition estimates have been established in recent decades, equivalent information on historic deposition is mostly missing. However, by combining different data sources, estimates of historic deposition can be provided for forested ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ute Jandt, Helge Bruelheide, Florian Jansen, Aletta Bonn, Volker Grescho, Reinhard A. Klenke, Francesco Maria Sabatini, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Volker Blueml, Jurgen Dengler, Martin Diekmann, Inken Doerfler, Ute Doering, Stefan Dullinger, Sylvia Haider, Thilo Heinken, Peter Horchler, Gisbert Kuhn, Martin Lindner, Katrin Metze, Norbert Mueller, Tobias Naaf, Cord Peppler-Lisbach, Peter Poschlod, Christiane Roscher, Gert Rosenthal, Sabine B. Rumpf, Wolfgang Schmidt, Joachim Schrautzer, Angelika Schwabe, Peter Schwartze, Thomas Sperle, Nils Stanik, Christian Storm, Winfried Voigt, Uwe Wegener, Karsten Wesche, Burghard Wittig, Monika Wulf
Summary: Long-term analyses suggest substantial turnover of species in biological communities over the past century, while changes in species richness remain marginal. Decrements in species cover are more common than increments, leading to potential losses of species at both local and regional scales.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ute Jandt, Helge Bruelheide, Christian Berg, Markus Bernhardt-Romermann, Volker Bluml, Frank Bode, Juergen Dengler, Martin Diekmann, Hartmut Dierschke, Inken Doerfler, Ute Doring, Stefan Dullinger, Werner Hardtle, Sylvia Haider, Thilo Heinken, Peter Horchler, Florian Jansen, Thomas Kudernatsch, Gisbert Kuhn, Martin Lindner, Silvia Matesanz, Katrin Metze, Stefan Meyer, Frank Muller, Norbert Muller, Tobias Naaf, Cord Peppler-Lisbach, Peter Poschlod, Christiane Roscher, Gert Rosenthal, Sabine B. Rumpf, Wolfgang Schmidt, Joachim Schrautzer, Angelika Schwabe, Peter Schwartze, Thomas Sperle, Nils Stanik, Hans-Georg Stroh, Christian Storm, Winfried Voigt, Andreas von Hessberg, Goddert von Oheimb, Eva-Rosa Wagner, Uwe Wegener, Karsten Wesche, Burghard Wittig, Monika Wulf
Summary: This article presents vegetation-plot resurvey data from Germany spanning almost 100 years, providing detailed information on spatial, temporal, and species distribution aspects. The data are crucial for understanding the mechanisms and drivers behind plant diversity change over the past century.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Josiane Segar, Henrique M. Pereira, Lander Baeten, Markus Bernhardt-Roemermann, Pieter De Frenne, Nestor Fernandez, Frank S. Gilliam, Jonathan Lenoir, Adrienne Ortmann-Ajkai, Kris Verheyen, Donald Waller, Balazs Teleki, Jorg Brunet, Marketa Chudomelova, Guillaume Decocq, Thomas Dirnbock, Radim Hedl, Thilo Heinken, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Martin Kopecky, Martin Macek, Frantisek Malis, Tobias Naaf, Anna Orczewska, Kamila Reczynska, Wolfgang Schmidt, Jan Sebesta, Alina Stachurska-Swakon, Tibor Standovar, Krzysztof Swierkosz, Ondrej Vild, Monika Wulf, Ingmar R. Staude
Summary: Ungulate populations are increasing in Europe, while atmospheric nitrogen deposition is eutrophying forests. The increase in herbivory is associated with elevated species turnover over time, but this turnover depends on nitrogen levels. Under low nitrogen deposition, herbivory benefits threatened and small-ranged species, but this trend is reversed under high nitrogen deposition. Herbivores also reduce shrub cover, increasing light levels and exacerbating nitrogen effects.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)