Review
Ecology
Gianalberto Losapio, Luisa Genes, Christopher J. Knight, Tyler N. McFadden, Lucas Pavan
Summary: Biodiversity is vital for ecosystem functioning, and ecosystem engineers are species that have a significant impact on ecological processes. However, their role is often overlooked and difficult to measure. Understanding ecosystem engineers is crucial for mitigating biodiversity loss and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Apolline Auclerc, Lea Beaumelle, Sandra Barantal, Matthieu Chauvat, Jerome Corte, Tania De Almeida, Anne-Maimiti Dulaurentg, Thierry Dutoit, Sophie Joimel, Geoffroy Sere, Olivier Blight
Summary: Ecological engineering in degraded ecosystems often manipulates plants and soil biota for restoration. However, soil invertebrates have been underused in restoration efforts, despite their important role in soil ecological processes and plant-soil feedback. This review highlights the potential of using soil invertebrate functional traits for ecosystem restoration, focusing on traits related to nutrient and carbon cycling, pollutant detoxification, soil structure arrangement, and biological control. The paper proposes guidelines for integrating soil organism traits into ecological engineering and identifies knowledge gaps and limitations.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guang Song, Rong Hui, Haotian Yang, Bingyao Wang, Xinrong Li
Summary: This study explores the effects of biocrusts on the introduction and establishment of different plant species in dryland ecosystems. The results show that biocrusts have significant impacts on seed germination and survival of tested plant species. They also play a filtering role in plant species introduction and establishment, promoting the survival of certain plant species while filtering out others.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(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
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
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
O. Crompton, G. Katul, D. Lapides, S. Thompson
Summary: In drylands, runoff redistribution during storms from bare soil areas to vegetated patches is important for vegetation growth. The interaction of surface roughness and permeability determines the extent of this redistribution. Virtual experiments and the use of the 2D Saint Venant Equations were employed to measure runoff connectivity and identify landscapes likely to shed water.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Zhao, Chong Jiang, Xinling Dong, Zhiyuan Yang, Meili Wen, Ji Yang
Summary: ERP is a crucial practice for achieving LDN targets, but a lack of understanding in balancing the food-water-ecosystem nexus leads to ineffective outcomes. Revegetation in drylands significantly boosts ecosystem restoration, but excessive reliance on converting cropland to woodland and grassland should be avoided.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Stefano Benvenuti
Summary: The biodiversity restoration of the agroecosystem through wildflower strips has become an important agro-nomic strategy. However, inadequate knowledge of wildflower species often leads to suboptimal performance due to seed germination and seedling emergence issues caused by soil texture. A two-year experiment found that certain wildflower species emerged earlier or more effectively than others and provided valuable ecosystem services to pollinators. Seed weight and clay particles in the soil played a role in the inhibition of smaller-seeded species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Fons van der Plas, Justus Hennecke, Jonathan M. Chase, Jasper van Ruijven, Kathryn E. Barry
Summary: Widespread evidence suggests that the loss of local species richness (a-diversity) hampers biomass production and ecosystem stability. However, studies on the impact of 3-diversity (variation in species compositions among ecological communities) on ecosystem functioning have produced mixed results. To better understand the importance of 3-diversity, it is necessary to consider it in different contexts. By examining three scenarios that create gradients in 3-diversity, namely changes in abiotic heterogeneity, habitat isolation, and species pool richness, it is demonstrated that there are not universally positive relationships between 3-diversity, production, and ecosystem stability. Nevertheless, predictable relationships exist in specific contexts, which can reconcile seemingly contrasting empirical relationships.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sergei Schaub, Robert Finger, Nina Buchmann, Vera Steiner, Valentin H. Klaus
Summary: The study reveals that increasing plant diversity in grasslands can be expensive, as seed mixtures with higher diversity tend to have higher prices. The origin of plant provenance and the diversity of seed mixtures significantly impact the price, highlighting the need to consider these costs when making recommendations to farmers and stakeholders.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
April D. Ridlon, Kerstin Wasson, Tiffany Waters, John Adams, Jamie Donatuto, Gary Fleener, Halley Froehlich, Rhona Govender, Aaron Kornbluth, Julio Lorda, Betsy Peabody, Gifford Pinchot Iv, Steven S. Rumrill, Elizabeth Tobin, Chela J. Zabin, Danielle Zacherl, Edwin D. Grosholz
Summary: Conservation aquaculture is a crucial tool to support the recovery of declining marine species, but it comes with risks and rewards that need to be carefully evaluated. Strategic planning at the species level and range-wide approaches are essential for promoting recovery efforts of species like the Olympia oyster, while considering the diverse needs of stakeholders and potential ecological impacts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amelia A. Wolf, Jennifer L. Funk, Paul C. Selmants, Connor N. Morozumi, Daniel L. Hernandez, Jae R. Pasari, Erika S. Zavaleta
Summary: Biodiversity losses have a significant impact on ecosystem functioning, with realistic species losses due to factors like drought leading to higher invasion resistance but lower productivity compared to randomized losses. The response traits of remaining species play a key role in mediating these effects, highlighting the importance of considering trait-mediated effects in studies on biodiversity change.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Max R. Piana, Clara C. Pregitzer, Richard A. Hallett
Summary: Cities worldwide are implementing large-scale greening projects to tap into the ecological, economic, and social benefits of urban forests. Urban forested natural areas, though crucial, often lack formal management frameworks and are overshadowed. By adapting traditional silviculture practices with modifications for urban settings, cities can improve the long-term sustainability of urban forests.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hao Guo, Xiao-bing Zhou, Ye Tao, Jin-fei Yin, Lan Zhang, Xing Guo, Chao-hong Liu, Yuan-ming Zhang
Summary: This study found that the diversity of different life form groups of herbs has significant effects on ecosystem multifunctionality. The richness of annual herbs and the dominance of perennial herbs are crucial factors driving multifunctionality. The multiple attributes (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional) of herb diversity enhance the multifunctionality, with functional diversity playing a more important role than taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity. The multiple attribute diversity of perennial herbs contributes more to multifunctionality than that of annual herbs.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Pubin Hong, Bernhard Schmid, Frederik De Laender, Nico Eisenhauer, Xingwen Zhang, Haozhen Chen, Dylan Craven, Hans J. De Boeck, Yann Hautier, Owen L. Petchey, Peter B. Reich, Bastian Steudel, Maren Striebel, Madhav P. Thakur, Shaopeng Wang
Summary: The research shows that biodiversity has a positive impact on ecosystem functioning, especially in high-stress environments affected by global environmental change factors. This positive impact is mainly driven by interspecific complementarity and increases over time.
Article
Ecology
Audrey J. Rader, Lindsay P. Chiquoine, James F. Weigand, Judy L. Perkins, Seth M. Munson, Scott R. Abella
Summary: The study found that in plant restoration treatments, inexpensive and low-input abiotic treatments are more effective than resource-intensive biotic treatments; even if a major treatment component fails, restoration work can still achieve key benefits within a few growing seasons; and incorporating multiple treatment types as a bet-hedging strategy can buffer against treatment failures.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ben Yang, Kathleen R. Balazs, Bradley J. Butterfield, Katherine M. Laushman, Seth M. Munson, Elise S. Gornish, Albert Barberan
Summary: Despite the limited impact of plant community-based restoration practices on soil micro-organisms in the short term, our results emphasize the importance of considering site-specific targeted microbiome restoration to establish desired microbial communities quickly in dryland ecosystems where soil micro-organisms play crucial roles.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Kathleen R. Balazs, Seth M. Munson, Caroline A. Havrilla, Bradley J. Butterfield
Summary: The match between species trait values and local abiotic filters can limit community membership. This study found that opportunistic strategies allowing for rapid water acquisition improved survival at warmer sites. Contrary to expectations, directional selection was primarily found in warm species pools, while disruptive selection was more common in cool and intermediate species pools.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Jennifer R. Gremer
Summary: The sensitivity of plant functional types to extreme precipitation events varies with elevation in dryland ecosystems of the southwestern United States. C-4 perennial grasses are the most responsive, while perennial forbs and shrubs show weak or no responses. Both low and high elevation sites exhibit different patterns of response to extreme drought, and multi-year water addition has delayed effects. These findings have important implications for vegetation and carbon cycling in dryland ecosystems.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Caroline A. Havrilla, John B. Bradford, Charles B. Yackulic, Seth M. Munson
Summary: This study evaluates the distributional responses of C-3 and C-4 perennial grasses to climate change and finds that they have divergent responses, which could lead to changes in grassland ecosystem composition and functioning.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hui Yang, Seth M. Munson, Chris Huntingford, Nuno Carvalhais, Alan K. Knapp, Xiangyi Li, Josep Penuelas, Jakob Zscheischler, Anping Chen
Summary: This study uses satellite data and tree-ring data to find that 70% of negative extreme anomalies in vegetation growth (NEGs) across the global land surface from 1981 to 2015 are attributed to five types of climate extremes and their combinations. The dominant climate extremes responsible for NEGs vary by region and biome. The findings have important implications for climate-specific disaster prevention and mitigation planning.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yue M. Li, Seth M. Munson, Ya-Ching Lin, Perry Grissom
Summary: The invasion of nonnative grasses poses a global threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function, affecting native plant species and increasing wildfire frequency and intensity. In Saguaro National Park, chemical and mechanical treatments have been used for over two decades to reduce the cover of the invasive perennial grass, Pennisetum ciliare. The effectiveness of these treatments was influenced by the stage of invasion, treatment type and intensity, and environmental conditions. Overall, the treatments were most effective in areas with high initial cover of P. ciliare and shorter treatment interruptions, as well as in patches on shallow slopes, north- and east-facing aspects, and higher elevations.
INVASIVE PLANT SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Correction
Ecology
Adam G. G. Wells, Seth M. M. Munson, Steven E. E. Sesnie, Miguel L. L. Villarreal
Article
Ecology
Hannah L. Farrell, Seth M. Munson, Bradley J. Butterfield, Michael C. Duniway, Akasha M. Faist, Elise S. Gornish, Caroline A. Havrilla, Loralee Larios, Sasha C. Reed, Helen I. Rowe, Katherine M. Laushman, Molly L. McCormick
Summary: Restoration in dryland ecosystems often fails due to limited water availability and poor soil conditions. However, the use of seeding and soil surface treatments can enhance seedling establishment and improve restoration success. It is important to consider the timing of precipitation and the type of seed mix used when implementing these treatments.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bradley J. J. Butterfield, Seth M. M. Munson, Hannah L. L. Farrell
Summary: Plant strategies for coping with water limitation are important for restoration in dryland ecosystems. However, it is difficult to isolate the effects of drought responses from other factors and identify the specific traits that influence restoration success.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Elise S. Gornish, Carianne Campbell, Lauren Svejcar, Seth M. Munson, Kurt Vaughn, Michael K. Spaeth, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Ashlee Wolf, Rachel Mitchell
Summary: A recent article in Restoration Ecology suggests that practitioners do not regularly use functional traits in restoration planning, but we argue that they do in different ways. We provide a comprehensive perspective that incorporates practitioner voices to assess how traits are used in restoration practice. One major challenge is the disconnect between researchers and practitioners due to different knowledge systems, goals, incentives, and limitations. We suggest approaches for researchers to connect with practitioners and leverage their knowledge.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tanner Corless Smith, Tara B. B. Bishop, Michael C. Duniway, Miguel L. Villarreal, Anna C. Knight, Seth M. Munson, Eric K. Waller, Ryan Jensen, Richard A. Gill
Summary: Invasive annual grasses can cause changes in the ecosystem and habitat loss in the American Southwest. Non-native annual grasses have invaded the Mojave Desert and degraded habitat through increased fire occurrence, severity, and shifting plant community composition. Identifying persistent invasion areas and subsequent habitat degradation is crucial.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Diana Bertuol-Garcia, Emma Ladouceur, Lars A. Brudvig, Daniel C. Laughlin, Seth M. Munson, Michael F. Curran, Kirk W. Davies, Lauren N. Svejcar, Nancy Shackelford
Summary: Ecological restoration is crucial for recovering degraded ecosystems, but its success and predictability are often low. This study analyzed data from 11 grassland restoration projects and found that the predictability of restoration outcomes did not follow a decreasing order from physical structure to taxonomic composition, and predictability did not consistently increase with more severe environmental conditions. Restoration outcomes related to dominant species were more predictable, while those relating to rare species were harder to predict.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Adam G. Wells, Seth M. Munson, Miguel L. Villarreal, Steven E. Sesnie, Katherine M. Laushman
Summary: By connecting high-resolution estimates of fine fuel to climatic, biophysical, and land-use factors, we provide a proactive and adaptive framework for fire risk management within highly variable and rapidly changing dryland landscapes.