Article
Plant Sciences
Meghan Midgley, Elsa Anderson, Emily Minor
Summary: The study revealed that different techniques for establishing plant communities in vacant lots have varying impacts on the ecosystem services provided by urban soils. Lawns showed the highest carbon storage, while moderate planting of vegetation can improve nutrient retention. However, intensive gardening treatment with high investment may decrease water infiltration.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anton Kvit, Anne E. Corrigan, Dexter H. Locke, Frank C. Curriero, Kristin Mmari
Summary: This study found that the Care-A-Lot program in Baltimore City contributes to a reduction in violent and property crime, highlighting the positive social impact of urban green spaces.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Victor Martin-Velez, Tomas Montalvo, Isabel Afan, Antoni Sanchez-Marquez, Raul Aymi, Jordi Figuerola, Adam Lovas-Kiss, Joan Navarro
Summary: The yellow-legged gull plays an important role in plant dispersal in the city of Barcelona, with average dispersal distances of around 700 m and maximum distances reaching up to 35 km. These gulls frequently disperse seeds, including alien species, within urban environments, posing a risk to native biodiversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jane E. Tuthill, Yvette K. Ortega, Dean E. Pearson
Summary: Most terrestrial plants disperse by seeds, but the relationship between seed traits and plant dispersion patterns is not well understood. This study examined seed traits of 48 plant species in western Montana grasslands to investigate this relationship. It was found that larger-seeded introduced plants were more likely to have dispersal adaptations, suggesting that they may need these adaptations to overcome limitations and barriers. Database seed masses correlated with local estimates, but locally collected data provided more valid results for community-level questions.
Article
Ecology
Nancy F. Sonti, Peter M. Groffman, David J. Nowak, Jason G. Henning, Meghan L. Avolio, Emma J. Rosi
Summary: Given the expanding urban land use on Earth, accurately assessing the net primary productivity (NPP) of urban ecosystems is crucial. However, the complexity and diversity of urban landscapes pose challenges to measuring NPP, and few studies have attempted to use field-based methods to measure urban aboveground NPP (ANPP). In this study, the ANPP of Baltimore over a 15-year period was estimated, revealing lower ANPP compared to forested areas in the eastern United States and highlighting the significance of accurate assessment of primary productivity in urban ecosystems for future research.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Pal Toth, Andy J. Green, David M. Wilkinson, Kane Brides, Adam Lovas-Kiss
Summary: Ducks and geese serve as dispersal vectors for plants, with mallards dispersing more plant species compared to geese. Plant communities and traits dispersed also differ between urban and natural habitats.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Youngre Noh, Galen Newman, Ryun Jung Lee
Summary: This research examines the impact of vacant lots on housing premiums in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 2006 to 2015. The results show that vacant lands have negative impacts on nearby single-family houses and these impacts differ by income level per neighborhood. The study highlights the importance of considering vacant lands differently in various surroundings and conditions for planners and researchers.
ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING B-URBAN ANALYTICS AND CITY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hongyu Niu, Finn Rehling, Zhiwen Chen, Xingcheng Yue, Hengyue Zhao, Xiaorong Wang, Hongmao Zhang, Dana G. Schabo, Nina Farwig
Summary: Management measures such as reforestation are needed to maintain the ecological services and biodiversity of urban forests. The alpha diversity of woody species is positively correlated with forest area, while the beta diversity is negatively correlated with forest area. Animal-dispersed plants have higher alpha diversity and lower beta diversity compared to nonanimal-dispersed plants.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andres Barea-Marquez, Francisco J. Ocana-Calahorro, Rodrigo Balaguer-Romano, Jose Maria Gomez, Eugene W. Schupp, Raquel Sanchez-Perez, Jesus Guillamon, Joanna Zhang, Rafael Rubio de Casas
Summary: This paper examines the phenotypic and genotypic differences in fruit and seed traits during the naturalization of almond trees in SE Iberia. The results suggest that strong directional selection plays a role in the feralization process, leading to smaller and more toxic seeds encased in harder endocarps.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Javier A. Figueroa, Diego Lagos, Sebastian Teillier, Sergio A. Castro, Maria Gabriela Saldias
Summary: This study investigated the temporal variation of the soil seed banks in the urban lots of Santiago, Chile. It found that the seed banks in lots are highly dynamic and short-lived, being depleted every year during the germination season and reloaded with new seeds during the next seed dispersal period. The species frequency of the seed bank was positively correlated with the species frequency of the above-ground vegetation.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Jonathan O. O. Hernandez, Muhammad Naeem, Wajid Zaman
Summary: The ability of plants to find tolerable climatic ranges through seed dispersal varies greatly depending on their life-history traits and habitat characteristics. A systematic review on seed dispersal mechanisms was conducted to understand plant seed movements in changing environments. The review found that the majority of studies were conducted in Spain, Brazil, and the USA, while there was limited data from megadiverse countries and Africa. The effects of land use changes, habitat degradation/disturbances, climate, and extreme weather conditions had the most significant impact on seed dispersal mechanisms and agents.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruce Anderson, John Pannell, Sylvain Billiard, Concetta Burgarella, Hugo de Boer, Mathilde Dufay, Andrew J. Helmstetter, Marcos Mendez, Sarah P. Otto, Denis Roze, Herve Sauquet, Daniel Schoen, Jurg Schonenberger, Mario Vallejo-Marin, Rosana Zenil-Ferguson, Jos Kafer, Sylvain Glemin
Summary: Species diversity can vary greatly due to differences in speciation and extinction rates. This study examines the effects of various plant traits on diversification and finds that most traits have conflicting impacts. The complexities of trait-diversification relationships and context dependence highlight the need for controlled approaches in correlational studies.
Article
Ecology
Kai Chen, Kevin S. Burgess, Fangliang He, Xiang-Yun Yang, Lian-Ming Gao, De-Zhu Li
Summary: This study quantifies the joint effects of seed traits and phylogeny on species distribution and finds that seed mass, seed dispersal mode, and phylogeny significantly influence species geographic distribution. The findings highlight the importance of including seed traits and phylogenetic history in climate-based niche models to predict the response of plant geographic distribution to climate change.
Review
Ecology
Noelle G. Beckman, Lauren L. Sullivan
Summary: Seed dispersal is a complex process that involves the interaction of plant life history, vector movement, and the environment. It has important implications for plant population and community dynamics, including gene flow, population dynamics, range expansion, and diversity. Recent research has developed several unifying frameworks that provide a more mechanistic understanding of dispersal.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gary J. Brewer, Kentaro Miwa, Kathryn Hanford
Summary: In hybrid sunflower, the contribution of bees to productivity may be over or underestimated. To accurately estimate bee effects on seed traits, exclosures with specific porosity sizes are recommended. The use of exclosures with porosities of about 3 to 5 mm can prevent over or underestimation of bee effects. Holistic insect management in sunflower cropping systems is also recommended to balance the benefits of bee effects with pest insect control.