Article
Plant Sciences
Konsta Happonen, Anna-Maria Virkkala, Julia Kemppinen, Pekka Niittynen, Miska Luoto
Summary: The trait composition and diversity of plant communities have globally applicable predictive effects on ecosystem functioning. This study focuses on how plant traits influence carbon cycling in tundra ecosystems and concludes that plant height, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA) have clear effects on carbon cycling in the tundra. The study also highlights the importance of within-community trait variability in controlling the vast tundra carbon pools.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Zhaogang Liu, Ming Zhao, Zhengkuan Lu, Hongxiang Zhang
Summary: Research on seed traits has experienced rapid growth in the past 30 years, particularly in the field of germination. Crop Science is the most productive journal, and the United States, China, and Australia are the most productive countries and institutions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lifeng Zhou, Hongwei Yu, Kaiwen Yang, Li Chen, Wandong Yin, Jianqing Ding
Summary: This study demonstrates that invasive plant Ambrosia artemisiifolia adapts its seed traits in response to climate variations along latitudes and longitudes. Germination time is delayed with increasing latitude and longitude, while germination rate shows a reversed pattern. Temperature is identified as the dominant driver of the variability in seed traits and germination.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Barnabas H. Daru, T. Jonathan Davies, Charles G. Willis, Emily K. Meineke, Argo Ronk, Martin Zobel, Meelis Partel, Alexandre Antonelli, Charles C. Davis
Summary: The study reveals a widespread and temporal decrease in species and phylogenetic turnover, leading to increased biotic homogenization at different scales and spatial extents. The homogenization within major biomes is largely driven by non-native species introductions, with Asia and North America being major sources. However, Australia, the Pacific and Europe contribute disproportionately to phylogenetic diversity in the global pool of non-native species.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Emanuele Fanfarillo, Claudia Angiolini, Enrico Tordoni, Giovanni Bacaro, Erika Bazzato, Maurizio Castaldini, Maria A. Cucu, Martina Grattacaso, Stefano Loppi, Michela Marignani, Stefano Mocali, Lucia Muggia, Elena Salerni, Simona Maccherini
Summary: Soil microbiota is important for agroecosystem biodiversity and has a significant impact on plant growth and agricultural services. This study found that arable plant communities can serve as a surrogate for bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of Elephant Garlic. The composition of plant communities was correlated with the composition of bacterial and fungal communities, with similar responses to geographic and environmental factors, and biotic interactions playing a role in fungal community composition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter W. Guiden, Nicholas A. Barber, Ryan Blackburn, Anna Farrell, Jessica Fliginger, Sheryl C. Hosler, Richard B. King, Melissa Nelson, Erin G. Rowland, Kirstie Savage, John P. Vanek, Holly P. Jones
Summary: The primary goal of ecological restoration is to increase biodiversity in degraded ecosystems. However, the success of restoration is often assessed by measuring the response of a single functional group, without considering multitrophic interactions. Studies find that management-driven effects on animal communities are stronger than plant-driven effects, and restoration can have both positive and negative effects on biodiversity simultaneously. Further attention to multiple dimensions of animal biodiversity may be beneficial in restoration plans.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Fletcher W. Halliday, Mikko Jalo, Anna-Liisa Laine
Summary: Research shows that increasing temperature associated with lower elevation can increase disease transmission by relaxing constraints on parasite growth and reproduction, determining which host species are present, and strengthening the positive effect of host community pace-of-life on disease.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gianalberto Losapio, Christian Schoeb, Phillip P. A. Staniczenko, Francesco Carrara, Gian Marco Palamara, Consuelo M. De Moraes, Mark C. Mescher, Rob W. Brooker, Bradley J. Butterfield, Ragan M. Callaway, Lohengrin A. Cavieres, Zaal Kikvidze, Christopher J. Lortie, Richard Michalet, Francisco Pugnaire, Jordi Bascompte
Summary: The study found that patterns of positive and negative associations among species in alpine plant populations have a positive impact on species diversity globally, contributing to the persistence of local communities. This highlights the importance of competition and facilitation in maintaining biodiversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jason C. S. Chan, Mark K. J. Ooi, Lydia K. Guja
Summary: Ploidy and species range size or threat status are associated with variation in seed and seedling traits, but their ecological outcomes are not well understood. The study found that polyploids have larger seeds, faster germination rates, and larger and taller seedlings compared to diploids. However, there is no clear relationship between range size and seed or seedling traits. These findings suggest that polyploids have a competitive advantage during the regeneration phase in fire-prone environments.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kai Feng, Wenbo Deng, Yinzhe Zhang, Kun Tao, Jing Yuan, Jiashou Liu, Zhongjie Li, Sovan Lek, Qidong Wang, Bernard Hugueny
Summary: Rapid anthropogenic nutrient enrichment has caused widespread ecological problems in aquatic ecosystems and has dramatically changed fish communities worldwide. However, little research has investigated how these communities respond to eutrophication in terms of functional and taxonomic structure. This study examined the effects of eutrophication on fish species composition, community metrics, and functional traits in 26 shallow lakes in the Yangtze River basin. The results showed that eutrophication plays a significant role in shaping fish community structure, favoring higher biomass and lower functional diversity, while having little impact on species richness. The study highlights the importance of considering specific evolutionary histories when studying the relationships between functional traits and eutrophication.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Samuel R. P. -J. Ross, Jorge Garcia Molinos, Atsushi Okuda, Jackson Johnstone, Keisuke Atsumi, Ryo Futamura, Maureen A. Williams, Yuichi Matsuoka, Jiro Uchida, Shoji Kumikawa, Hiroshi Sugiyama, Osamu Kishida, Ian Donohue
Summary: The research shows that the loss of predator species can interact with heatwaves to moderate the compositional stability of ecosystems. Heatwaves homogenize algal communities in space, but only when predators are absent. The presence of predators can help to buffer the impacts of heatwaves, underscoring the importance of conserving trophic structure and how species extinctions can amplify the effects of climate change and extreme events.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Silvia Del Vecchio, Efisio Mattana, Tiziana Ulian, Gabriella Buffa
Summary: This study explored the link between seed germination niche and plant community ecology in the foredune community of the Veneto coast, Italy. Different seed germination strategies were identified, with implications for species coexistence and potential impacts of climate events on community structure.
Article
Ecology
Na Huang, Xinyuan Sun, Yanfang Song, Zhiyong Yuan, Weiwei Zhou
Summary: This article discusses two issues: the decline of amphibian populations and the lack of morphological trait data for amphibians. To address these problems, the authors collected morphological trait data for global amphibians and created a database.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joao Vitor S. Messeder, Fernando A. O. Silveira, Tatiana G. Cornelissen, Lisieux F. Fuzessy, Tadeu J. Guerra
Summary: The study focused on the role of Miconia, a hyperdiverse plant clade in the Neotropics, in seed dispersal through interactions with a diverse range of animal frugivores. The results highlighted the key role of Miconia in facilitating seed dispersal in the Neotropics by providing fruits accessible to a wide range of animal vectors, sustaining entire frugivore assemblages.
Article
Forestry
Muhammet Tonguc, Sercan Onder, Nesrin Gulcemal, Fatih Tonguc
Summary: Turkish red pine, an important pine species, grows at a wide range of altitudes in the eastern Mediterranean area. The study found that altitudinal gradients have significant effects on the morphological and biochemical traits of the seeds, as well as the germination variables of Turkish red pine.
JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
William Gladstone, Brad R. Murray, Pat Hutchings
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aaron C. Greenville, Thomas M. Newsome, Glenda M. Wardle, Chris R. Dickman, William J. Ripple, Brad R. Murray
Summary: The research found that species facing more threats do not necessarily have a higher risk of extinction, and different combinations of threats do not predict extinction risk in the same way across different spatial scales. The only exception is cartilaginous fishes, which face higher extinction risk with increasing numbers of threats.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
D. W. Krix, M. L. Murray, B. R. Murray
Summary: The study demonstrates that leaf flammability is significantly influenced by increasing radiant heat flux, with important implications. As radiant heat flux increases, ignition and flame durations decrease, while the proportion of leaves entering flaming combustion increases. Differences among species in these flammability attributes decrease, making species more similar to each other.
Article
Forestry
Daniel W. Krix, Brad R. Murray
Summary: The differential flammability of individual plant species in landscape-scale fire behaviour is often overlooked due to a lack of available plant flammability data. In this study, a predictive model based on leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf area (LA), and radiant heat flux was developed and validated using species from fire-prone forests in southeastern Australia. The model accurately predicts leaf flaming with potential applications in future fire behaviour models. Given the abundance of data on LMA and LA, our model has the potential to improve understanding of forest flammability in the absence of leaf flammability information.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kieran P. Young, Brad R. Murray, Leigh J. Martin, Megan L. Murray
Summary: Environmental databases are crucial for managing land and communities, but comprehensive databases of closed and abandoned mine sites are lacking in many regions. The integrated framework developed in this study successfully identified abandoned mines that were not accounted for in registries, showcasing its potential utility in national and international contexts for identifying historic and unmarked environmental hazards.
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Bronwyn Hemsley, Simon Darcy, Fiona Given, Brad R. Murray, Susan Balandin
Summary: This paper explores the competing demands of protecting the world's oceans and sea life from plastic straw waste and meeting the health and social needs of people with swallowing or physical disability. Collaborative and interdisciplinary innovation approaches are needed to find suitable alternatives to plastic straws that meet both Sustainable Development Goal 14 and Better Health and Well-Being (SDG 3). These alternatives should be durable, flexible, easy to clean, widely available, and environmentally sustainable. Conclusion: Plastic straws are critical for the social inclusion of people with disability, and policy decisions regarding their provision should include input from individuals with disabilities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jessi J. Drew-Smythe, Yvonne C. Davila, Christopher M. McLean, Matthew C. Hingee, Megan L. Murray, Jonathan K. Webb, Daniel W. Krix, Brad R. Murray
Summary: The planting of trees is crucial for urban greening and climate change adaptation. Urban trees provide various ecosystem services, but also pose risks such as infrastructure damage and injury. A survey in eastern Australia found that residents highly value the benefits of urban trees, but are concerned about their potential harm.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Brad R. Murray, Thomas Hawthorne, Timothy J. Curran, Daniel W. Krix, Molly I. Wallace, Kieran Young, Megan L. Murray, Elisabeth Morley, Nicola Huber-Smith, Jonathan K. Webb
Summary: This study aimed to compare the flammability of wildland native, urban native, and urban exotic ornamental plants, quantify the relationships between shoot traits and flammability, and establish flammability scores to distinguish low- from high-flammability species. The study found that urban exotic plants had lower flammability compared to wildland and urban native plants. It is recommended that low-flammability native species be used for plantings at the wildland-urban interface.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Nicola K. Huber-Smith, Elisabeth S. Morley, Daniel W. Krix, Megan L. Murray, Jonathan K. Webb, Leigh J. Martin, Kieran Young, Christopher M. McLean, Matthew C. Hingee, Brad R. Murray
Summary: Street trees provide both ecosystem services and ecosystem disservices, with potential impacts on urban wildfire risks. By studying the shoot flammability of 10 street tree species, significant differences were found in flammability attributes, and low-flammability species were identified. High leafing intensity was strongly correlated with flammability. Further research should focus on native species to identify low-flammability street trees.
Article
Zoology
Reannan Honey, Christopher M. McLean, Brad R. Murray, Michael N. Callan, Jonathan K. Webb
Summary: A study in central west of New South Wales examined the usage of 150 chainsaw carved hollows by cavity-dependent fauna, finding that cameras detected more species, especially in breeding site usage. This highlights how artificial hollows are not a substitute for naturally occurring hollows in large trees and revegetation programs.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Megan L. Murray, Soeren M. Poulsen, Brad R. Murray
Article
Ecology
Brad R. Murray, Colin Brown, Megan L. Murray, Daniel W. Krix, Leigh J. Martin, Thomas Hawthorne, Molly I. Wallace, Summer A. Potvin, Jonathan K. Webb
Article
Forestry
Elise M. Verhoeven, Brad R. Murray, Chris R. Dickman, Glenda M. Wardle, Aaron C. Greenville
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE
(2020)