Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shokoofeh Kamali, Ali Javadmanesh, Lukasz L. Stelinski, Tina Kyndt, Alireza Seifi, Monireh Cheniany, Mohammad Zaki-Aghl, Mojtaba Hosseini, Mahyar Heydarpour, Javad Asili, Javad Karimi
Summary: The study found that entomopathogenic nematodes play a critical role in reducing plant parasite infestation and decreasing herbivore damage, by inducing plant defense responses and immune reactions in tomato plants. This supports the hypothesis that plants mistake subterranean EPNs for parasites, activating a range of plant defenses against pathogenic nematodes and herbivores.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mengesha Asefa, Samantha J. Worthy, Min Cao, Xiaoyang Song, Yudi M. Lozano, Jie Yang
Summary: The study found that above-ground and below-ground plant traits respond differently to soil moisture gradients, and that intraspecific competition and soil moisture conditions have complex and interacting effects on below-ground traits. Plants allocate resources differently under different conditions.
Article
Plant Sciences
Chao Wang, Yanhui Hou, Yanxia Hu, Ruilun Zheng, Xiaona Li
Summary: Nitrogen enrichment has direct and indirect effects on plant functional traits and ecosystem functions, and the multidimensional characteristics of plant functional traits are important predictors of ecosystem functions. This study manipulated plant species richness under different nitrogen addition levels and found that nitrogen addition increased above-ground biomass but had no effect on below-ground biomass, while species richness was positively associated with both above- and below-ground biomass. Species richness increased biomass by increasing leaf trait diversity and network modularity, as well as root nitrogen concentration and network modularity for above- and below-ground biomass respectively.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dianye Zhang, Yunfeng Peng, Fei Li, Guibiao Yang, Jun Wang, Jianchun Yu, Guoying Zhou, Yuanhe Yang
Summary: The study revealed that under extra nitrogen input, plant species relative abundance is influenced by both light and non-nitrogen nutrient acquisition capacities. Taller Stipa purpurea increases in relative abundance by improving light acquisition, while shorter Carex stenophylloides excels in phosphorus acquisition to elevate its relative abundance under nitrogen enrichment.
Article
Ecology
Ming Zhao, Michel Loreau, Raul Ochoa-Hueso, Hongxiang Zhang, Junjie Yang, Yunhai Zhang, Heyong Liu, Yong Jiang, Xingguo Han
Summary: Increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition has significant impacts on biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. This study found that the effects of nitrogen addition on above-ground plant beta-diversity differed from those on the below-ground soil seed bank beta-diversity. While above-ground beta-diversity initially increased and then decreased with increasing nitrogen addition, below-ground beta-diversity showed a linear decrease. These findings suggest decoupled dynamics of plant communities and their soil seed bank under nitrogen enrichment. The changes in beta-diversity were driven by species substitution, which was influenced by differential responses of above-ground vegetation and soil seed bank to nitrogen-induced changes in environmental heterogeneity, soil inorganic nitrogen concentrations, and soil acidification.
Article
Plant Sciences
Monique Weemstra, Jenny Zambrano, David Allen, Maria Natalia Umana
Summary: This study indicates that resource economics cannot explain the relationships between leaf and root traits and tree growth rates. For trees with low or intermediate specific leaf area (SLA), thick roots may be considered acquisitive, associated with faster growth. Trees did not coordinate their leaf and root traits according to plant resource economics but enhanced their growth rates by combining thick roots with conservative leaves or vice versa.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Haruko M. Wainwright, Sebastian Uhlemann, Maya Franklin, Nicola Falco, Nicholas J. Bouskill, Michelle E. Newcomer, Baptiste Dafflon, Erica R. Siirila-Woodburn, Burke J. Minsley, Kenneth H. Williams, Susan S. Hubbard
Summary: In this study, a watershed zonation approach was developed to characterize watershed organization and functions by integrating multiple spatial data layers. The approach successfully identified watershed hillslope zones with unique property distributions and demonstrated their associations with zone-based functions. The results showed that the clustering methods used generated similar zoning patterns across the watershed, and the identified zones provided information about watershed functions.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Noel Blanco-Tourinan, Christian S. Hardtke
Summary: The vascular system plays a crucial role in the growth and reproduction of plants by transporting water, nutrients, and minerals throughout the plant body. While our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms in vascular tissue development is mainly based on studies in the primary root of Arabidopsis, it remains unclear to what extent these mechanisms apply to other organs. This review focuses on recent advances in the formation of cotyledon veins, with an emphasis on polar auxin transport-dependent and -independent mechanisms. We also provide an overview of vascular formation in postembryonic organs, particularly lateral roots, which involves the coordinated action of multiple tissues.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dianye Zhang, Yunfeng Peng, Fei Li, Guibiao Yang, Jun Wang, Jianchun Yu, Guoying Zhou, Yuanhe Yang
Summary: This study addresses the impact of anthropogenic nitrogen deposition on soil respiration in a Tibetan alpine steppe. The results indicate that above-/below-ground biodiversity loss, changes in plant community composition, and plant functional diversity play significant roles in regulating autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration in response to nitrogen enrichment.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Idaline Laigle, Marco Moretti, Laurent Rousseau, Dominique Gravel, Lisa Venier, I. Tanya Handa, Christian Messier, Dave Morris, Paul Hazlett, Rob Fleming, Kara Webster, Bill Shipley, Isabelle Aubin
Summary: This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic disturbances on multi-trophic soil communities in a boreal forest, finding that forest disturbance intensity has bottom-up effects on species community composition. Changes in faunal communities due to disturbance were found to impact leaf litter decomposition.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guo-Jiao Yang, Yann Hautier, Zi-Jia Zhang, Xiao-Tao Lu, Xing-Guo Han
Summary: This study investigates the impact of nitrogen addition on the temporal stability of aboveground and belowground net primary productivity (ANPP and BNPP) in a grassland ecosystem. The results show that nitrogen addition decreases the stability of ANPP, but does not affect the stability of BNPP and NPP at the investigated scales. Additionally, spatial asynchrony of ANPP and BNPP among communities provides greater stability at a larger scale and is not affected by nitrogen addition.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fei Zheng, Guo-Wei Zhou, Dong Zhu, Roy Neilson, Yong-Guan Zhu, Bing Chen, Xiao-Ru Yang
Summary: The study finds that plant identity has a significant impact on the resistomes in soil, nematodes, and phyllosphere, and there is a possible pathway of resistome transfer through the soil-nematode-phyllosphere system. Plant identity indirectly alters the phyllosphere resistomes through complex above-and below-ground interactions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ruth Gottlieb, Michal Gruntman
Summary: This study examines the effect of above-ground light competition cues on the directional root placement of Portulaca oleracea. The results show that root proliferation increases in the direction of soil nutrient patches and is also influenced by the light competition cue, regardless of the location of the soil patches. This suggests that plant responses below ground may be regulated by above-ground neighbour cues.
Article
Ecology
Erliang Gao, Hui Ma, Ting Yang, Christopher N. Kaiser-Bunbury, Zhigang Zhao
Summary: Human-mediated environmental change is transforming ecosystems globally. Evaluating the impact of meadow transformations on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is crucial. This study found that meadow transformations on the Tibetan Plateau influence above- and below-ground ecological networks and ecosystem functioning simultaneously.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shanxing Gong, Xinsheng Zhou, Xiumei Zhu, Jingli Huo, Maede Faghihinia, Bailiang Li, Yi Zou
Summary: Organic farming generally has greater biodiversity compared to conventional farming. Few studies have examined the biodiversity in organic farming of the rice field, especially the below-ground biodiversity, and the impact of the duration of organic farming on biodiversity is not well understood. This study found that organic farming increased arthropod species richness by 40%, with a significant increase in pests (75%) and natural enemies (35%), but there was no difference in soil microbial eukaryotes. The duration of organic farming did not significantly affect the diversity of arthropods and soil microbial eukaryotes. A compatibility index was used to evaluate the trade-off between biodiversity, rice yield, and economic benefits, and the results showed that economic benefits may outweigh the biodiversity gain in organic farming.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joerg Mueller, Oliver Mitesser, Marc W. Cadotte, Fons van der Plas, Akira S. Mori, Christian Ammer, Anne Chao, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Petr Baldrian, Claus Baessler, Peter Biedermann, Simone Cesarz, Alice Classen, Benjamin M. Delory, Heike Feldhaar, Andreas Fichtner, Torsten Hothorn, Claudia Kuenzer, Marcell K. Peters, Kerstin Pierick, Thomas Schmitt, Bernhard Schuldt, Dominik Seidel, Diana Six, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Simon Thorn, Goddert von Oheimb, Martin Wegmann, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Nico Eisenhauer
Summary: Intensification of land use by humans has led to a homogenization of landscapes and decreasing resilience of ecosystems globally due to a loss of biodiversity, including the majority of forests. Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided compelling evidence for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functions and services at the local (alpha-diversity) scale, but we largely lack empirical evidence on how the loss of between-patch beta-diversity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality at the landscape scale (gamma-diversity).
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ellen Desie, Juan Zuo, Kris Verheyen, Ika Djukic, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Harald Auge, Nadia Barsoum, Christel Baum, Helge Bruelheide, Nico Eisenhauer, Heike Feldhaar, Olga Ferlian, Dominique Gravel, Herve Jactel, Inger Kappel Schmidt, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Celine Meredieu, Simone Mereu, Christian Messier, Lourdes Morillas, Charles Nock, Alain Paquette, Quentin Ponette, Peter B. Reich, Javier Roales, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Steffen Seitz, Anja Schmidt, Artur Stefanski, Stefan Trogisch, Inge van Halder, Martin Weih, Laura J. Williams, Bo Yang, Bart Muys
Summary: Tree species diversity has a significant impact on litter decomposition in forests. Our study, conducted in 15 tree diversity experiments across three continents, found that tree identity has a significant effect on decomposition, while tree species richness does not. Additionally, litter quality, stand age, and density also influence decomposition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Iwona Gruss, Rui Yin, Siebert Julia, Nico Eisenhauer, Martin Schaedler
Summary: This study examined the impact of climate change and land use patterns on the biomass patterns of Collembola, focusing on different life forms. The results showed that the response of Collembola biomass to these changes varied among different life forms. Specifically, surface-dwelling Collembola experienced a significant decrease in biomass, while soil-living Collembola were less affected. The reduction in Collembola biomass was mainly due to climate change-induced body size shrinkage and intensive land use-induced density reduction.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Beat Frey, Barbara Moser, Bjorn Tytgat, Stephan Zimmermann, Juan Alberti, Lori A. Biederman, Elizabeth T. Borer, Arthur A. D. Broadbent, Maria C. Caldeira, Kendi F. Davies, Nico Eisenhauer, Anu Eskelinen, Philip A. Fay, Frank Hagedorn, Yann Hautier, Andrew S. MacDougall, Rebecca L. McCulley, Joslin L. Moore, Maximilian Nepel, Sally A. Powers, Eric W. Seabloom, Eduardo Vazquez, Risto Virtanen, Laura Yahdjian, Anita C. Risch
Summary: This study collected soil samples from grasslands worldwide and analyzed the impact of nitrogen addition on the soil microbiome. The results showed that nitrogen addition had a significant effect on the community structure of soil diazotrophs, but had minimal impact on their diversity and abundance. In contrast, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) responded differently to nitrogen addition. Overall, long-term nitrogen addition had a greater impact on AOB communities compared to soil diazotrophs and AOA.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bastian Heimburger, Andreas Klein, Alexander Roth, Stefan Scheu, Nico Eisenhauer, Ina Schaefer
Summary: Various human activities contribute to the release and spread of invasive earthworm species in North America. Population genetic markers can help identify the anthropogenic vectors and understand population dispersal and establishment processes. The study examined Lumbricus terrestris, an invasive European earthworm species, in Minnesota, USA using genetic markers. The results suggest multiple introductions but not from current bait dumping, and indicate jump-dispersal and ongoing earthworm invasions. Further monitoring using molecular markers is encouraged to develop effective management strategies.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Jose A. Siles, Alfonso Vera, Marta Diaz-Lopez, Carlos Garcia, Johan van den Hoogen, Thomas W. Crowther, Nico Eisenhauer, Carlos Guerra, Arwyn Jones, Alberto Orgiazzi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Felipe Bastida
Summary: This study aimed to quantify and compare soil bacterial and fungal biomass in 513 European soils under different land uses and climates. It was found that bacterial biomass was highest in grasslands, followed by croplands and forests, with the highest levels observed in temperate climates. On the other hand, fungal biomass was highest in forests and favored by colder environments. This study provides a better understanding of the combined effects of land use and climate on soil bacterial and fungal biomass in Europe.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joerdis F. Terlau, Ulrich Brose, Nico Eisenhauer, Angelos Amyntas, Thomas Boy, Alexander Dyer, Alban Gebler, Christian Hof, Tao Liu, Christoph Scherber, Ulrike E. Schlaegel, Anja Schmidt, Myriam R. Hirt
Summary: Anthropogenic global warming affects mobile terrestrial insects by changing their activity levels and distribution patterns. Heat extremes induce physiological responses in insects, causing them to either decrease activity or seek out favorable microhabitats. The availability of these microhabitats is affected by anthropogenic land transformation, which reduces habitat heterogeneity. It is important to understand the combined effects of these global change drivers on insect activity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ximei Han, Guiyao Zhou, Qin Luo, Olga Ferlian, Lingyan Zhou, Jingjing Meng, Yuan Qi, Jianing Pei, Yanghui He, Ruiqiang Liu, Zhenggang Du, Jilan Long, Xuhui Zhou, Nico Eisenhauer
Summary: The effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plant biomass responses is still unclear, particularly in terms of how it affects phosphorus cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nico Eisenhauer, Gerrit Angst, Ana E. B. Asato, Remy Beugnon, Elisabeth Boenisch, Simone Cesarz, Peter Dietrich, Stephanie D. Jurburg, Anna-Maria Madaj, Rine C. Reuben, Christian Ristok, Marie Suennemann, Huimin Yi, Carlos A. Guerra, Jes Hines
Summary: The ever-growing human population and nutritional demands, supply chain disruptions, and advancing climate change have highlighted the importance of the relationship between diversity and system performance. Managing the heterogeneity of systems is crucial in order to harness the multiple benefits that diversity can provide. The heterogeneity-diversity-system performance (HDP) nexus should be considered in future decision making as a means to ensure a more sustainable global future.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nico Eisenhauer, Raul Ochoa-Hueso, Yuanyuan Huang, Kathryn E. Barry, Alban Gebler, Carlos A. Guerra, Jes Hines, Malte Jochum, Karl Andraczek, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Francois Buscot, Marcel Ciobanu, Hongmei Chen, Robert Junker, Markus Lange, Anika Lehmann, Matthias Rillig, Christine Roemermann, Josephine Ulrich, Alexandra Weigelt, Anja Schmidt, Manfred Tuerke
Summary: Human activities have led to significant changes in biodiversity, and the loss of invertebrate biomass has been found to have negative effects on ecosystem processes and services. This study demonstrates that the decrease in invertebrate biomass can decrease ecosystem multi-functionality and reduce the supply of critical ecosystem services.
Article
Ecology
Angelos Amyntas, Emilio Berti, Benoit Gauzens, Georg Albert, Wentao Yu, Alexandra S. Werner, Nico Eisenhauer, Ulrich Brose
Summary: Species-rich communities exhibit higher levels of ecosystem functioning compared with species-poor ones, and this positive relationship strengthens over time. One proposed explanation for this phenomenon is the reduction of niche overlap among plants or animals, which corresponds to increased complementarity and reduced competition. Our findings reveal that increased niche complementarity of plants can steepen the diversity-function relationships, while increasing complementarity among animals during community assembly can also have a positive effect but with considerable variability.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Simone Cesarz, Nico Eisenhauer, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Marcel Ciobanu, Jes Hines
Summary: The use of artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing worldwide, but its impact on the soil system has not been studied. This research shows that increasing ALAN reduces plant biomass and decreases soil water content. Soil respiration is further reduced under high ALAN, but microbial communities maintain stable biomass and exhibit higher carbon use efficiency. While ALAN does not affect microbial community structure, plant-feeding nematodes increase in abundance and nematode communities become more homogenous under higher ALAN levels, suggesting that soil communities may be more vulnerable to additional disturbances. In summary, ALAN alters soil communities and ecosystem functions, mediated by changes in plant productivity and soil water content.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Alexander Dyer, Remo Ryser, Ulrich Brose, Angelos Amyntas, Nora Bodnar, Thomas Boy, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Simone Cesarz, Nico Eisenhauer, Alban Gebler, Jes Hines, Christopher C. M. Kyba, Myles H. M. Menz, Karl Rackwitz, Tom Shatwell, Joerdis F. Terlau, Myriam R. Hirt
Summary: The presence of artificial light at night (ALAN) has significant impacts on natural ecosystems. This study investigates the effects of ALAN on insect movement and predation rates in a grassland ecosystem. The results show that even low-intensity skyglow can cause temporal and spatial shifts in insect movement and predation behavior, with potential consequences for ecological networks and ecosystem functioning.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ines S. Martins, Franziska Schrodt, Shane A. Blowes, Amanda E. Bates, Anne D. Bjorkman, Viviana Brambilla, Juan Carvajal-Quintero, Cher F. Y. Chow, Gergana N. Daskalova, Kyle Edwards, Nico Eisenhauer, Richard Field, Ada Fontrodona-Eslava, Jonathan J. Henn, Roel van Klink, Joshua S. Madin, Anne E. Magurran, Michael McWilliam, Faye Moyes, Brittany Pugh, Alban Sagouis, Isaac Trindade-Santos, Brian J. McGill, Jonathan M. Chase, Maria Dornelas
Summary: Biotic responses to global change, especially in the Anthropocene, have led to a decrease in body size, primarily driven by fish. Both within-species trends and compositional changes contribute to body size changes, with significant variation in magnitude and direction.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jing-Jing Cao, Jing Chen, Qing-Pei Yang, Yan-Mei Xiong, Wei-Zheng Ren, De-Liang Kong
Summary: Under high soil salinity, the mangrove species Ceriops tagal exhibits lower photosynthetic capacity, water transport capacity, and leaf size compared to low soil salinity conditions.