Article
Ecology
Ute Fricke, Sarah Redlich, Jie Zhang, Cynthia Tobisch, Sandra Rojas-Botero, Caryl S. Benjamin, Jana Englmeier, Cristina Ganuza, Rebekka Riebl, Johannes Uhler, Lars Uphus, Jorg Ewald, Johannes Kollmann, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: This study found that leaf-chewing herbivory among plant functional groups responds differently to plant richness (family level) and habitat type, but is not affected by grassland proportion, landscape diversity, and temperature, except for multi-annual mean temperature influencing herbivory on grassland plots.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Imogen P. Poyntz-Wright, Xavier A. Harrison, Andrew Johnson, Susan Zappala, Charles R. Tyler
Summary: Freshwater biodiversity has globally declined significantly, with chemical pollutants playing a probable role. However, the specific impact of pesticide use/pollution on riverine invertebrate communities has not been well quantified. This study investigated the association between pesticide use/pollution and riverine invertebrate communities in England over a 55-year period using the biogeographically independent bioindicator SPEARpesticides. The results showed that the Anglian and Thames regions consistently had the lowest SPEARpesticides scores, indicating a presence of fewer pesticide sensitive species. The Anglian region had the highest pesticide use compared to other regions, and the level of pesticide/insecticide use was negatively correlated with the regional SPEARpesticides score. Biochemical Oxygen Demand and ammonia, as measures of general water quality, were also negatively correlated with the SPEARpesticides scores across the regions, but were not the main drivers for the lower scores seen in the Anglian region. The findings suggest that riverine invertebrate communities in England have been most impacted in the Anglian region, and chronic insecticide exposure is likely a significant factor in shaping the status of these communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agnes-Katharina Kreiling, Daniel P. Govoni, Snaebjorn Palsson, Jon S. Olafsson, Bjarni K. Kristjansson
Summary: Freshwater springs are unique ecosystems on the fringe of aquatic habitats, and their stability in terms of environmental metrics is remarkable. This study aimed to assess the influence of environmental variables on invertebrate diversity and community composition in different types of freshwater springs and habitats. Sampling in 49 springs in Iceland, the researchers found that species composition differed significantly between different spring types and was influenced by temperature.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ian Thornhill, Nikolai Friberg, Lesley Batty, Victoria Thamia, Mark E. Ledger
Summary: This study highlights the importance of examining the impact of urbanization on freshwater ecosystems, particularly in small water bodies such as ponds, using shredder diversity and leaf litter breakdown as indicators. The findings suggest that urbanization negatively affects both biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with shredder communities significantly influencing total leaf breakdown rates in ponds.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Adam C. Siders, Zacchaeus G. Compson, Bruce A. Hungate, Paul Dijkstra, George W. Koch, Jane C. Marks
Summary: This study found that slow decomposing litter is assimilated more by invertebrate communities than rapidly decomposing litter, and Chironomidae larvae assimilated the most C and N by the end of the 35-day experiment.
Article
Plant Sciences
C. Fahey, W. C. Parker, A. Paquette, C. Messier, P. M. Antunes
Summary: This study found that there is a strong relationship between plant diversity and productivity, which is mediated by soil fungi through various mechanisms such as altered resource partitioning, facilitation via fungal networks, and biotic feedbacks. This relationship is context dependent and influenced by resource availability.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Matevz Likar, Mateja Grasic, Blaz Stres, Marjana Regvar, Alenka Gaberscik
Summary: This study is about the metagenomic sequencing of initial fungal communities on decomposing common reed leaves under different environmental conditions. Results show that a complex network of fungi forms on the plant and persists into the decomposition phase. The geographic source of the litter and leaf age do not affect the structure and diversity of fungal communities.
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. M. Carlos Silva, Ana Luisa Machado, Diana Campos, C. M. Andreia Rodrigues, L. Ana Patricio Silva, M. V. M. Amadeu Soares, L. T. Joao Pestana
Summary: The study aimed to assess the effects of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and functional endpoints, such as primary production and leaf litter decomposition. Exposure to PE-MPs led to changes in macroinvertebrate community structure, but did not significantly affect functional endpoints. Further research is needed to understand the ecological consequences of microplastics in freshwater environments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sebastian Steibl, Christian Laforsch
Summary: The ground-associated invertebrate community is compartmentalized into four distinct clusters, with crustacean and gastropod taxa in one cluster on the beach, and hexapods and spider taxa in three inland clusters associated with grassland, open forest, and dense forest habitats. Co-occurrence pattern analysis revealed few negative interactions between taxa, indicating that ecosystem resilience may be increased through compartmentalization of niche space.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Megan E. Koceja, Regina B. Bledsoe, Carol Goodwillie, Ariane L. Peralta
Summary: This study found that long-term fertilization and dry hydrologic conditions affect bacterial diversity, decomposition rates, and increase the potential for soil C loss. Bacterial communities decomposed high C:N ratio litter more quickly in fertilized soils, especially under drier conditions, while decomposition rates of low C:N ratio litter were similar between fertilized and unfertilized soils.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oghenemise Abirhire, John-Mark Davies, Noim Imtiazy, Kristine Hunter, Sydney Emmons, Joel Beadle, Jeff Hudson
Summary: Changes in hydro-meteorological conditions and water abstraction may lead to algal blooms in Lake Diefenbaker. The most abundant phytoplankton groups under different flow conditions were diatoms and cryptomonads. Cyanobacteria dominated during drought, potentially due to thermocline deepening and internal nutrient loading. Microcystis, a potential bloom-forming and toxin-producing genus, was dominant during drought and correlated with reduced water level, increased air temperature, and moderate wind speed. Aphanizomenon, another potential bloom-forming and toxin-producing genus, was present in both low and high flow years.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Emily Yi-Shyuan Chen
Summary: Marine invertebrates make up the majority of ocean life, but are often underrepresented in conservation efforts. Climate change and human activities are putting many marine invertebrates at risk, yet growing public awareness may lead to increased support for their conservation. Understanding their importance and addressing current challenges through research and technology is crucial for the future of global marine invertebrate conservation.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Vivian de Mello Cionek, Fabio Nascimento Oliveira Fogaca, Timothy Peter Moulton, Laryssa Helena Ribeiro Pazianoto, Guilherme Okuda Landgraf, Evanilde Benedito
Summary: Headwater streams with higher environmental quality have faster leaf breakdown rates, while habitat simplification resulting from environmental degradation negatively affects invertebrate community structure and microbial biomass. In less disturbed streams, the mining-chironomid Stenochironomus sp. may play a significant role in leaf processing.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dan Li, Peipei Tian, Yufeng Luo, Bin Dong, Yuanlai Cui, Shahbaz Khan
Summary: This study examines the direct and indirect impacts of agricultural water consumption on wetland ecosystems in China, showing that groundwater abstraction has a significant negative effect on wetland plant diversity. The research suggests implementing surface water irrigation as a practical alternative to groundwater extraction to address the contradiction between food security and wetland protection.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mingyue Li, Anqi Fang, Xiaoli Yu, Keke Zhang, Zhili He, Cheng Wang, Yisheng Peng, Fanshu Xiao, Tony Yang, Wei Zhang, Xiafei Zheng, Qiuping Zhong, Xingyu Liu, Qingyun Yan
Summary: Microbially-driven sulfur cycling is a critical biogeochemical process in sulfur-rich mangrove ecosystems. This study reveals the diversity, composition, and structure of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in mangrove sediments, highlighting the important role of temperature, redox potential, and key factors like elemental sulfur and total carbon in influencing these microbial communities. Additionally, the morphological transformation of sulfur compounds explains the variations in sulfur cycling microbial communities, with specific dominant genus identified in different mangrove species. These findings shed light on the sulfur cycling dynamics in mangrove ecosystems and offer insights for similar wetland ecosystems from a microbial perspective.
