Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoming Guo, Qingmiao Zhang, Tongqian Zhao, Chao Jin
Summary: Atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr) deposition has caused serious damage to ecosystems and human health. This study investigated the temporal and spatial characteristics of Nr deposition around the Danjiangkou reservoir. The results showed that both dry and wet deposition of ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) exhibited seasonal variations and were influenced by precipitation. Agriculture and fossil fuel combustion were identified as major sources of ammonia nitrogen deposition, while agricultural sources and biomass burning contributed significantly to wet ammonia nitrogen deposition. Furthermore, the study found that nitrogen deposition had a certain contribution to the increase in nitrogen concentration in the reservoir.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Benoit Pichon, Elisa Thebault, Gerard Lacroix, Isabelle Gounand
Summary: Species dispersal and resource spatial flows have significant impacts on the dynamics of connected ecosystems. This study investigates the role of subsidy stoichiometry in mediating the response of a meta-ecosystem to subsidy flows. The results demonstrate the potential for positive feedback loops and increased production at the meta-ecosystem scale through spatial complementarity. However, accentuating the stoichiometric mismatch between local resources and basal species needs can also have a negative impact on production.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hanqin Tian, Zihao Bian, Hao Shi, Xiaoyu Qin, Naiqing Pan, Chaoqun Lu, Shufen Pan, Francesco N. Tubiello, Jinfeng Chang, Giulia Conchedda, Junguo Liu, Nathaniel Mueller, Kazuya Nishina, Rongting Xu, Jia Yang, Liangzhi You, Bowen Zhang
Summary: Excessive anthropogenic nitrogen inputs have disrupted the global nitrogen cycle. Researchers have developed a comprehensive dataset for reconstructing the history of anthropogenic nitrogen inputs to the terrestrial biosphere. The dataset includes high-resolution gridded products of synthetic fertilizer, manure application/deposition, and atmospheric nitrogen deposition, providing valuable insights into the spatial and temporal patterns of nitrogen inputs and their impacts on the Earth system and living organisms.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Gregory A. Lewbart, Trevor T. Zachariah
Summary: Invertebrates, which comprise the majority of the animal kingdom, are a diverse group of animals found in various habitats. However, our understanding of their welfare and care is relatively limited compared to vertebrates. This review focuses on seven economically important and widely recognized invertebrate taxa and discusses their welfare, as well as other topics such as anatomy, physiology, husbandry, natural history, and environmental diseases.
Review
Ecology
Gil Rilov, Joao Canning-Clode, Tamar Guy-Haim
Summary: Invasive species, particularly those known as 'ecosystem engineers', significantly alter the new environment in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and their impacts can be both positive and negative. This review examines the various types of impacts that invasive ecosystem engineers have in different ecological realms, and highlights the importance of understanding their effects on ecosystem services and their potential for restoring functions in the face of climate change.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kevin S. Simon, Dennis S. Anderson, Ivan J. Fernandez, Stephen A. Norton
Summary: Increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition can affect nutrient availability in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, but the responses of ecosystem processes in these components are different. This study found that nitrogen enrichment promotes litter decomposition in terrestrial environments but does not induce phosphorus limitations; however, in stream systems, it shifts decomposition from co-limitation to strong phosphorus limitation. These contrasting responses may be due to differences in water bioavailability.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Srinidhi Sridharan, Manish Kumar, Nanthi S. Bolan, Lal Singh, Sunil Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Siming You
Summary: Plastic particles, including microplastics and nanoplastics, are a global concern due to their interaction with biological systems, with potential long-term impacts on ecological biomes and ecosystem services yet to be fully understood.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Liam N. Nash, Pablo A. P. Antiqueira, Gustavo Q. Romero, Paula M. de Omena, Pavel Kratina
Summary: Tropical aquatic ecosystems are impacted by warming, leading to a decrease in connectivity between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, as well as a reduction in the flux of aquatic resources to terrestrial ecosystems and variable effects on the breakdown of terrestrial resources in aquatic ecosystems. This could potentially impact consumers in both ecosystem types and disrupt cross-ecosystem dynamics in an interconnected tropical landscape.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shan Zhang, Jindong Zhao, Meng Yao
Summary: Using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling from 109 water sites in Beijing, China, we detected 126 vertebrate species including fish, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The eDNA approach showed higher detection probabilities for aquatic species compared to terrestrial and arboreal species, and higher detection probabilities for lentic sites compared to lotic sites. The detection probabilities were also correlated with the size of lentic waterbodies. These findings demonstrate the potential of eDNA metabarcoding for efficient monitoring of urban vertebrate biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pawlok Dass, Benjamin Z. Houlton, Yingping Wang, David Warlind, Scott Morford
Summary: The study shows that rock nitrogen weathering has a much greater impact on nitrogen-carbon interactions than anthropogenic nitrogen deposition. Rock nitrogen inputs and biological nitrogen fixation contribute more to terrestrial carbon uptake than anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, indicating that natural nitrogen inputs play a major role in terrestrial CO2 sequestration in Earth's ecosystems.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Kyla M. Dahlin, Phoebe L. Zarnetske, Quentin D. Read, Laura A. Twardochleb, Aaron G. Kamoske, Kendra Spence Cheruvelil, Patricia A. Soranno
Summary: Global declines in biodiversity can impact ecosystem function, and more research is needed to explore the biodiversity-ecosystem function connections across different ecological realms. Various linkages include cross-system subsidies, ecosystem engineering, and hydrology.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zuzanna Wikar, Mateusz Ciechanowski, Adrian Zwolicki
Summary: The presence of beaver dams facilitates the abundance and diversity of small mammals, potentially due to increased food abundance, availability of shelter, and habitat connectivity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaohong Hu, Depeng Zuo, Zongxue Xu, Zhenfang Huang, Bo Liu, Yuna Han, Yiqing Bi
Summary: Quantitative analysis of the relationship between macroinvertebrate community and key water quality driving factors is important for the ecological restoration and pollution control of urban rivers. Evaluating the health condition of aquatic ecosystems and identifying indicator species can provide valuable information for rehabilitation efforts.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
John Chetelat, Sune G. Nielsen, Maureen Auro, David Carpenter, Lukas Mundy, Philippe J. Thomas
Summary: The study compared delta V-51 values near vanadium emissions and in a remote subarctic lake, showing significant differences in plant, lichen, soil, sediment, and aquatic biota. The results demonstrate the potential of delta V-51 as a tracer in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, but further research is needed to understand its biological fractionation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yunke Peng, Iain Colin Prentice, Keith J. Bloomfield, Matteo Campioli, Zhiwen Guo, Yuanfeng Sun, Di Tian, Xiangping Wang, Sara Vicca, Benjamin D. Stocker
Summary: Quantifying plant biomass production, nitrogen uptake, and nitrogen use efficiency is crucial for understanding the constraints of nitrogen cycling on terrestrial carbon uptake. By compiling measurements from 804 forest and grassland sites, this study derived regression models for key plant processes determining nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency. The models were used to create global maps of nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency, providing observational benchmarks for model representations of C-N cycle coupling.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ying Li, Congcong Liu, Lawren Sack, Li Xu, Mingxu Li, Jiahui Zhang, Nianpeng He
Summary: The architecture of leaf trait networks varies among ecosystems in China, and leaf thickness plays a crucial role in determining the structure and function of these networks.
Article
Soil Science
Chao Li, Chunwang Xiao, Bertrand Guenet, Mingxu Li, Li Xu, Nianpeng He
Summary: This study demonstrates that labile organic carbon inputs stimulate the decomposition of native soil organic matter, and higher temperature enhances microbial response to labile organic carbon addition. The higher temperature also leads to more labile organic carbon being used for respiration. Additionally, the addition of labile organic carbon increases the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Liyang Yang, Daliang Ning, Yunfeng Yang, Nianpeng He, Xiangzhen Li, Carolyn R. Cornell, Colin T. Bates, Ekaterina Filimonenko, Yakov Kuzyakov, Jizhong Zhou, Guirui Yu, Jing Tian
Summary: Microbial biodiversity is crucial for ecosystem functions. In this study, soil samples were collected from grassland ecosystems in northern China to investigate the mechanisms driving bacterial beta diversity. It was found that regional species pools influenced beta diversity, while local community assembly processes were independent of spatial scales. Homogeneous selection and dispersal limitation were the most important assembly processes. Mean annual precipitation mediated the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic assembly. The relative abundance of dominant bacterial taxa controlled by assembly processes varied with precipitation. Water availability thus plays a crucial role in the community assembly process of soil bacteria.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Nianpeng He, Pu Yan, Congcong Liu, Li Xu, Mingxu Li, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Guangsheng Zhou, Guoyi Zhou, Shirong Liu, Xuhui Zhou, Shenggong Li, Shuli Niu, Xingguo Han, Thomas N. Buckley, Lawren Sack, Guirui Yu
Summary: With the rapid accumulation of plant trait data, there are major opportunities to integrate these data into predicting ecosystem primary productivity across different spatial extents. However, scaling up to the ecosystem scale has remained challenging. This study demonstrates the need to combine community-level traits and environmental factors to predict ecosystem productivity at landscape or biogeographic scales, and highlights the potential for integrating traits into ecological models to estimate productivity-related ecosystem functions and anticipate the response of terrestrial ecosystems to global change.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xingyu Zhu, Jihua Hou, Mingxu Li, Li Xu, Xin Li, Ying Li, Changjin Cheng, Wenzong Zhao, Nianpeng He
Summary: Estimating biomass in alpine regions like the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is essential but challenging due to high altitude, topography, and climate complexity. This study conducted an intensive field survey on the QTP using a matched-measured biomass dataset to obtain high-resolution biomass estimates and their response to the environment. Biomass differed significantly among vegetation types and was influenced by factors such as temperature, precipitation, UV radiation, and CO2 levels. The study also produced high-resolution biomass maps that can be used for carbon sink assessment, ecosystem management, and ecological process modeling.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Changjin Cheng, Nianpeng He, Mingxu Li, Li Xu, Osbert Jianxin Sun
Summary: This study investigated plant communities from three different plateaus and found that grassland communities tend to form intraspecific aggregations, which are more apparent in regions with low annual precipitation. The strong intraspecific aggregation on the Loess Plateau was mainly due to low sexual reproduction allocation, while on the Mongolian Plateau, reproductive allocation and the interactive effect of annual precipitation and species richness were the dominant factors. On the Tibetan Plateau, low species richness and the interactive effect of annual precipitation and species richness were the main reasons for increased intraspecific aggregation. Furthermore, the independent influence of species segregation index on above-ground net primary productivity was stronger than that of species and phylogenetic diversity on all three plateaus.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Chao Li, Chunwang Xiao, Mingxu Li, Li Xu, Nianpeng He
Summary: Through experiments on six temperate grassland soils, it was found that soil microbes respond rapidly to inputs of labile organic carbon (LOC), and their contribution to total microbial respiration is controlled by soil organic carbon (SOC) and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N). Additionally, the addition of LOC promotes the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). Grazing and increased soil depth enhance the loss of soil carbon, with soil C/N ratio and SOC content playing important regulatory roles. This study reveals the significant influence of LOC on soil carbon fluxes and highlights the role of SOM quality and quantity in regulating grassland soil carbon cycling.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qiongyu Zhang, Jianxing Zhu, Qiufeng Wang, Jan Mulder, Congqiang Liu, Nianpeng He
Summary: N deposition in China's forests has led to soil acidification, with NHx deposition dominating in 80% of the area and NOy deposition dominating in South China. The contribution of NOy has been increasing over the years, while the contribution of NHx has been higher but decreasing. Soil acidification is influenced by the ratio of NHx to NOy, as NOy has a higher net proton production due to leaching in the form of NO3-. This research is important for policymaking and emphasizes the need to consider the synergistic effect of R-NHx/NOy changes to alleviate soil acidification.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pu Yan, Marcos Fernandez-Martinez, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Guirui Yu, Mirco Migliavacca, Nianpeng He
Summary: This study systematically explores the role of different biodiversity attributes, including species richness, phylogenetic and functional diversity, and community-weighted mean (CWM) and ecosystem traits, in the key axes of ecosystem functions. The findings emphasize the critical importance of biodiversity conservation in sustaining terrestrial ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) and ensuring human well-being.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pu Yan, Jiahui Zhang, Nianpeng He, Weikang Zhang, CongCong Liu, Marcos Fernandez-Martinez
Summary: Global changes have affected vegetation photosynthesis, particularly in terms of the gross primary productivity (GPP) which influences the global carbon cycle. This study found that soil nutrients and functional diversity are the main determinants of the magnitude of GPP variability, and climate effects are predominantly mediated by multifaceted diversity.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenzong Zhao, Chunwang Xiao, Mingxu Li, Li Xu, Xin Li, Xingyu Zhu, Changjin Cheng, Nianpeng He
Summary: In this study, the distribution patterns and storage of sulfur (S) in vegetation on the Tibetan Plateau were evaluated. The study found that the allocation pattern of S varied between different plant organs and vegetation types. The study also compiled a vegetation S density dataset for the Tibetan Plateau, which can help determine key parameters for regional S cycle models in the future.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Pu Yan, Nianpeng He, Kailiang Yu, Li Xu, Koenraad Van Meerbeek
Summary: This study integrates multiple plant traits with the trait-based productivity theory and demonstrates the accuracy of predicting GPP variation in Chinese forest and grassland systems. The results highlight the importance of plant community traits in explaining GPP variability and contribute to the understanding of the trait-productivity relationship.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Congcong Liu, Lawren Sack, Ying Li, Jiahui Zhang, Kailiang Yu, Qiongyu Zhang, Nianpeng He, Guirui Yu
Summary: The relationship between stomatal traits and environmental drivers across plant communities is important for understanding ecosystem fluxes. This study explores the community-scale stomatal trait-environment relationships and finds a trade-off between stomatal density and size. Stomatal density is mainly associated with precipitation, while stomatal size is mainly associated with temperature. The study also reveals that stomatal traits vary with climatic seasonality and extreme conditions. These findings have implications for predicting future water and carbon cycles.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jihua Hou, Qiuyue Li, Pu Yan, Li Xu, Mingxu Li, Nianpeng He
Summary: Measuring plant heights one by one is important for exploring the height structure of grassland plant communities. Our study analyzed the height structure and aggregation of grassland vegetation in three plateaus. We found that the mean height increased significantly from Tibetan Plateau, Mongolian Plateau to Loess Plateau, and the aggregation of grassland vegetation showed different distribution patterns in different regions. The study also highlighted the influence of environmental factors on vegetation height and aggregation.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wenzong Zhao, Chunwang Xiao, Mingxu Li, Li Xu, Nianpeng He
Summary: Sulfur is an essential functional element in plant leaves, playing important roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress resistance. This study measured the sulfur content in leaves of 2207 plant species from 80 ecosystems in China and found significant spatial variation among different ecosystems and taxa. The results showed that temperature, precipitation, radiation, soil sulfur content, and aridity jointly regulated leaf sulfur content (LSC), explaining 79% of the spatial variation.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alexander M. Cancelli, Frank A. P. C. Gobas
Summary: A mechanistic model was developed to assess the removal efficiency of pollutants in a wetland system, particularly in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). The model simulated wetland mechanisms of chemical removal and showed that sustained wetland treatment is feasible. It is a helpful tool to evaluate the feasibility of treatment systems and to assess trade-offs in wetland design and operation.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Prakash Singh Thapa, Hiromu Daimaru, Seiji Yanai
Summary: This study assessed the vegetation recovery and erosion condition in a landslide area in central Japan. The results show that the upper slope, where reforestation activities were implemented, has seen significant vegetation recovery and no significant erosion, while the lower slope lacks vegetation and has experienced continued erosion.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Mike Jerauld, Forrest Dierberg, Thomas DeBusk, Scott Jackson, Kevin Grace, John Juston
Summary: The Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) are constructed wetlands built to remove phosphorus (P) from agricultural and urban runoff in support of Everglades restoration. Research shows that the levels of calcium (Ca) and alkalinity (Alk) have an impact on phosphorus removal in these wetlands.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Kalindhi Larios, Stefan Gerber, Rafael Munoz-Carpena, Patrick Inglett, K. Ramesh Reddy, Michael Chimney
Summary: This study modeled the phosphorus biogeochemical dynamics in one of the best performing Everglades treatment wetlands and found that the complexity of the hydrological system significantly affected the simulated water column P concentration. The modeling tool developed in this study can guide future data collection and optimization efforts for treatment wetlands in the Everglades.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Jing Hu, Benjamin Baiser, R. Thomas James, K. Ramesh Reddy
Summary: This study examined the long-term phosphorus retention in Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) and identified the factors influencing their performance. The results showed that the operational performance of STAs improved over time. There were notable differences among individual STAs, with the co-precipitation of phosphorus with calcium playing a critical role in one of the STAs. This highlights the complexity of phosphorus removal in STAs and the need for site-specific management strategies.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Odi Villapando, K. R. Reddy, J. King
Summary: The biogeochemical response to different flow conditions within two parallel flow-ways in Everglades Stormwater Treatment Area (STA)-2 was studied. It was found that there was a gradual decrease in the total phosphorus (TP) concentration from inflow to outflow for both emergent aquatic vegetation (EAV) and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) dominated systems, with EAV showing a higher reduction rate. Significant increase in TP concentration was observed in the SAV system under no flow condition, possibly due to the production of particulate phosphorus (PP) through various mechanisms.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)