Article
Forestry
Guadalupe Williams-Linera, Martha Bonilla-Moheno, Fabiola Lopez-Barrera, Javier Tolome
Summary: This study aimed to compare litterfall production and composition in an abandoned pasture under different restoration approaches, as well as in secondary and mature forests. Findings revealed a significant increase in litterfall production under different restoration approaches, with exotic grass species still dominant in passive restoration.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Wei Huang, Zhuowei Wang, Xiaobo Liu, Dayu Zhu, Yurong Wang, Leixiang Wu
Summary: This study investigates the ecological response of environmental indicators and microbial community structure to flow restoration, specifically in a gradient. The results show positive ecological responses to flow restoration, with increased primary productivity and microbial diversity. Water flow, dissolved oxygen, and total phosphorus are identified as the main influencing factors for bacterial community structure changes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zhiying Ning, Xueyong Zhao, Yulin Li, Lilong Wang, Jie Lian, Hongling Yang, Yuqiang Li
Summary: Grassland has suffered serious desertification due to inappropriate human activity in arid and semi-arid areas, disrupting ecosystem structure and function. Desertification has led to non-proportional losses of soil organic C and nutrients, with the greatest loss for organic C, followed by total N and total P. Plant community C:N:P stoichiometry was mediated by soil nutrients and plant functional groups driven by soil nutrient changes during desertification.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Nicolas Bottinelli, Yvan Capowiez
Summary: The traditional categorization of earthworm ecological categories into functional groups based on morpho-anatomical characteristics may not accurately reflect their impact on soil functioning. To address this issue, it is suggested to revisit the original seven ecological categories, test the functionality of selected species within these categories or new tailored ones, and use a trait-based approach to study the correlation between earthworm traits and main soil functions.
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Martin Bitomsky, Lucie Kobrlova, Michal Hrones, Martin Duchoslav
Summary: The drivers of bioelement concentrations in plant communities, such as soil nutrients, plant biodiversity, and functional groups, play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning. The study suggests that functional group composition and phylogenetic regularity are the best predictors for plant community bioelement composition and stoichiometry, indicating a mechanistic connection between functional groups, phylogenetic diversity, and ecosystem functions.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Carlos Martinez-Nunez, Pedro J. Rey, Teresa Salido, Antonio J. Manzaneda, Francisco M. Camacho, Jorge Isla
Summary: Maintaining herb cover at sites with intermediate landscape complexity maximizes ant abundance and potential for pest control; ecological contrast affects ant abundance and richness but not predation function; Ant-community Predation Function (APF) is a good measure of pest control potential at the community level.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Yuhang Luo, Jiansheng Wu, Xiaoyu Wang, Yuhao Zhao, Zhe Feng
Summary: The study predicted habitat quality of ecological patches using an artificial neural network and species occurrence points, and proposed and identified ecological groups in the ESN network. It found 39 ecological groups and suggested that the existing policy cannot maintain connectivity among ecological groups, resulting in habitat isolation.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Katharina Adler, Eckhard Jedicke
Summary: This review examines the use of landscape metrics in predicting structure of avian communities in landscape ecology studies. There is significant variability in study designs and the need for standardization of spatial data usage to simplify and generalize results. Further comprehensive empirical studies on indicator values of landscape metrics are lacking.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shu Hu, Juying Jiao, Meng Kou, Ning Wang, Patricio Garcia-Fayos, Shiqiang Liu
Summary: The study found that afforestation with Robinia pseudoacacia significantly impacts the functional structure of plant communities, but has a minor effect on functional diversity. The exotic tree may coexist with native plants and have advantages in soil erosion control.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chao Wang, Huijuan Jia, Jingxin Wei, Wanling Yang, Yuan Gao, Qianfu Liu, Dayan Ge, Naicheng Wu
Summary: The study investigated the bioindicators of aquatic environments using phytoplankton functional groups (FGs) in a subtropical estuarine river delta system. While water quality in 2015 was better than in 2012, there were no interannual differences in phytoplankton FGs similarities, suggesting that current water quality improvements were insufficient to affect the interannual alterations of FGs. Dominant FG diversity could be a good indicator of spatial and seasonal variations in water quality, showing lower diversity in high eutrophic conditions and higher diversity when water quality was better. Continuing efforts to improve water quality may enhance the diversity of dominant FGs in the study area.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christoph Von Beeren, Nico Bluthgen, Philipp O. Hoenle, Sebastian Pohl, Adrian Bruckner, Alexey K. Tishechkin, Munetoshi Maruyama, Brian Brown, John M. Hash, W. E. Hall, Daniel J. C. Kronauer
Summary: Tropical rainforests are one of the most diverse biomes on Earth. This study conducted a quantitative community survey of myrmecophiles parasitizing six sympatric Eciton army ant species in a Costa Rican rainforest, discovering 62 species including 14 new ones. Ecological network analysis revealed a clear signal of host partitioning, with each Eciton species hosting both specialists and generalists.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yang Liu, Min Zhang, Wenqi Peng, Xiaodong Qu, Yuhang Zhang, Longfei Du, Naicheng Wu
Summary: This study compared the seasonal variations of different types of diversity between Chishui River and Heishui River, revealing that phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional diversity (FD) are more sensitive than species diversity (SD) in indicating the effects of disturbances on biodiversity. Structural equation models showed that PD and FD had more significant effects on secondary productivity and P/B ratios than SD, suggesting that PD and FD may be better indicators of macroinvertebrate community stability in these natural river ecosystems.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Javiera Diaz-Forestier, Sebastian Abades, Nelida Pohl, Olga Barbosa, Karina Godoy, Gabriella L. Svensson, Maria Undurraga, Camila Bravo, Camila Garcia, Meredith Root-Bernstein, Juan J. Armesto, Juan L. Celis-Diez
Summary: The Mediterranean central Chile boasts high terrestrial biodiversity but has also experienced significant habitat loss. Despite this, natural areas within the rural landscape still exist, especially on less productive slopes and vegetation strips. A study on vineyards in central Chile found that vegetation corridors within agricultural areas play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity conservation and enhancing habitat quality.
Article
Ecology
Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Florent Mazel, Mattia Falaschi, Silvio Marta, Wilfried Thuiller
Summary: The study examined the different drivers of biogeographical boundaries between vertebrate classes, and found that tectonic movements primarily influenced mammals, abrupt climatic transitions influenced birds, and amphibians were primarily affected by abrupt climatic transitions.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenfang Wang, Sicheng Yin, Qingchuan Chou, Dong Zhou, Erik Jeppesen, Liqing Wang, Wei Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the effects of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) on the community structure and ecological function of photoautotrophic epilithon and epipelon and its impact on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the water column. The experiment showed that nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations increased rapidly during the initial days of exposure and then decreased. The growth and photosynthesis of epilithon were stimulated in the low concentration group but reduced in the medium and high concentration groups. The photosynthetic efficiency of epilithon was negatively correlated with nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the water column. The study also found that the community structure of epilithic algae showed rapid adaptability and resilience after 8 days of exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Enrico Schifani, Daniele Giannetti, Sandor Csosz, Filippo Castellucci, Andrea Luchetti, Cristina Castracani, Fiorenza A. Spotti, Alessandra Mori, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: By using a multidisciplinary approach, researchers have discovered a new species, Colobopsis imitans, which is allopatrically distributed from the previously known Colobopsis truncata. The two species show significant, yet not extreme, morphometric differentiation and mtDNA polyphyly, with both employing mimicry of unpalatable or aggressive ant species as an important defensive strategy, driven by biogeographic reasons and acting as a critical evolutionary driver of their diversification.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Daniele Giannetti, Enrico Schifani, Cristina Castracani, Fiorenza Augusta Spotti, Alessandra Mori, Donato Antonio Grasso
Summary: This study investigated the interactions between oak acorns and associated arthropods, with a focus on the role of the introduced Quercus rubra in Italy. The results showed that Q. rubra has a meaningful influence on native arthropods associated with oak acorns, but the ecological consequences of this interaction are still not fully clear.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Daniele Giannetti, Enrico Schifani, Roberto Reggiani, Emanuele Mazzoni, Maria Cristina Reguzzi, Cristina Castracani, Fiorenza A. Spotti, Beatrice Giardina, Alessandra Mori, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: The black soldier fly is a widespread species used in sustainable waste recycling processes. This study focuses on the behavioral differences between prepupae and younger larvae, and develops an efficient method for separating them.
Article
Entomology
Cristina Castracani, Daniele Giannetti, Fiorenza A. Spotti, Enrico Schifani, Martina Ghizzoni, Marco Delaiti, Francesco Penner, Stefano Leonardi, Alessandra Mori, Claudio Ioriatti, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: This study suggests a new method based on ant behavior for monitoring VMB infestation in vineyards, which enables the early detection of infection on individual plants and the tracking of pest presence after treatments. It is proposed as a valid complementary tool for integrated pest management in vineyards.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Enrico Schifani, Ezio Peri, Daniele Giannetti, Stefano Colazza, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: Many ants and hemipterans have a mutualistic relationship, where ants receive food and protection while providing different kinds of protection. Ant protection against arthropod natural enemies is common and can interfere with biological control strategies of hemipteran pests. A field experiment in Italy showed that ant attendance does not necessarily protect aphids from arthropod natural enemies, and the outcome depends on the species of ants involved.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Enrico Schifani, Daniele Giannetti, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: Ants can act as predators of insect pests in agricultural fields, reducing the damage caused to crops. Recent research has shown that a higher number of ants can lead to fewer attacks by codling moth on pear trees. Ants are able to control the eggs and newly hatched larvae of the moths, preventing fruit damage.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Giulia Ferrari, Dino Scaravelli, Andrea Mustoni, Marco Armanini, Filippo Zibordi, Olivier Devineau, Francesca Cagnacci, Donato A. Grasso, Federico Ossi
Summary: The Alps are experiencing important environmental changes, which can lead to the reshuffling of local wildlife species. A study on alpine small rodents shows that the bank vole has expanded its range in high-alpine habitats, while the snow vole has restricted its range. The modifications in local assemblages may be related to climate change and demographic processes, highlighting the need for long-term studies.
Article
Entomology
Enrico Schifani, Daniele Giannetti, Cristina Castracani, Fiorenza A. Spotti, Alessandra Mori, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: The mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing hemipterans plays a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems. Ants protect their hemipteran partners from natural enemies, but the dynamics of these interactions are highly variable and baseline data are scarce.
BULLETIN OF ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Enrico Schifani, Ezio Peri, Daniele Giannetti, Tugcan Alinc, Stefano Colazza, Donato A. Grasso
Summary: Ants in crops may decrease insect pests, and two Mediterranean ant species have been found to increase the mortality of the southern green stink bug nymphs, but not interfere with the egg parasitoids. This suggests ants and egg parasitoids could have an integrated role in biocontrol strategies against this pest.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Enrico Schifani, Daniele Giannetti, Elena Costi, Giulia Franconi, Arianna Campostrini, Lara Maistrello, Donato A. A. Grasso
Summary: The brown marmorated stink bug, an Asian species, has become a major agricultural pest in North America and Europe. Ants from the genus Crematogaster are predators of the stink bug nymphs in Asia and the Mediterranean. Laboratory experiments show that the Mediterranean ant C. scutellaris does not harm the parasitized eggs or attack the adult parasitoids.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
