Article
Plant Sciences
Yue-Wen Xu, Lu Sun, Rong Ma, Yong-Qian Gao, Hang Sun, Bo Song
Summary: This study investigated pollinator dependence and its relationship with various reproductive traits of 112 flowering plants in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region. The results showed that flowering plants in this region are highly dependent on pollinators and there is no significant decrease in pollinator dependence along elevational gradients. This study further highlights the severe vulnerability of flowering plant seed production to pollinator declines in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
David Cunillera-Montcusi, Ana Ines Borthagaray, Dani Boix, Stephanie Gascon, Jordi Sala, Irene Tornero, Xavier D. Quintana, Matias Arim
Summary: Disturbances, such as wildfires, are key drivers of biodiversity dynamics, impacting landscape structure and metacommunity networks. Communities show high resilience to disturbances, with recovery linked to dispersal abilities. However, increased disturbance regimes may threaten this resilience, with disturbance size and intensity playing crucial roles in determining community recovery rates.
Article
Biology
Jakob Thyrring, Lloyd S. Peck
Summary: Global latitudinal diversity gradients in rocky intertidal alpha-diversity exist, but they are outweighed by local processes rather than global-scale drivers. Species richness of three functional groups declines with latitude, coinciding with an inverse gradient in algae distribution.
Article
Plant Sciences
Solveig Franziska Bucher, Christine Roemermann
Summary: Leaf senescence is a crucial event in a plant's life cycle that is influenced by species-specific traits and elevation. The timing of leaf senescence, from the beginning to the peak, is delayed with increasing altitude. Flowering phenology and leaf functional traits are closely related to leaf senescence, providing valuable insights for predicting species-specific responses to changes in abiotic conditions and ecosystem functioning in the future.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xianjin He, Chengjin Chu, Yongchuan Yang, Zufei Shu, Buhang Li, Enqing Hou
Summary: The supply of soil phosphorus (P) in subtropical forests in southern China is influenced by both climate and bedrock types. Bedrock P concentration has a greater impact on plant and soil P variation than climate does. There is a stronger nutrient uplift effect on P in P-poor transects. Incorporating local-scale parent material properties into modeling frameworks can significantly improve predictions of ecosystem P status and its responses to climate change.
Article
Microbiology
Fan Yang, Zhidong Liu, Jin Zhou, Xuecheng Guo, Youhua Chen
Summary: In this study, we investigated the species-area relationships (SARs) for skin-borne symbiotic microbes of wildlife hosts. We found that symbiotic microbial SARs were complex, with both U-shaped and inverted U-shaped models being widely favored over the power-law model. Different habitat-specific amphibian hosts did not show distinct microbial diversity and skin-related SAR patterns.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carlos Cano-Barbacil, Johannes Radinger, Gael Grenouillet, Emili Garcia-Berthou
Summary: Understanding the relationship between traits and distribution in inland fishes is important for ecology. This study examines the relationships among traits, elevation, and stream size in fish species of the Iberian Peninsula. The research finds a significant phylogenetic signal in many traits, indicating that these traits tend to evolve together and resemble those of their common ancestor. Correlated evolution of certain traits was also observed, and parental care was found to be positively related to elevation and stream size. These findings contribute to a better understanding of species' adaptations to environmental changes and have implications for species preservation.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jason Keagy, Chloe P. Drummond, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Christina M. Grozinger, Jill Hamilton, Heather M. Hines, Jesse Lasky, Cheryl A. Logan, Ruairidh Sawers, Tyler Wagner
Summary: Landscape transcriptomics is a new field that studies how genome-wide expression patterns reflect environmental drivers on a landscape scale and their effects on organismal function. It benefits from advancing molecular technologies and enables the characterization of transcriptomes from wild individuals across natural landscapes. This research is important for understanding the impacts of environmental change and for species conservation and management.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Janani Hariharan, Daniel H. Buckley
Summary: Dispersal is limited for most microbial taxa, and elevation gradients and habitat preferences play important roles in shaping the biogeography of Streptomyces bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rohit Chakravarty, Viktoriia Radchuk, Shreyas Managave, Christian C. Voigt
Summary: This study investigates the stable isotopic niche width and overlap among 23 bat species across an elevational gradient. The results show that low elevation assemblages have high species richness but small niche width with high overlap, while high elevation assemblages have low species richness but large niche width with low overlap. This suggests that low elevations exhibit niche packing, while high elevations show niche partitioning.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carolina S. Ramos, Pablo Picca, Martina E. Pocco, Julieta Filloy
Summary: Spatial patterns of species richness show a positive correlation, known as cross-taxon congruence, with temperature being a major driver. Temperature influences plant richness directly and orthopteran richness indirectly. Cross-taxon congruence is likely due to a common response to temperature by both taxa but through different mechanisms.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Shalik Ram Sigdel, Eryuan Liang, Maan Bahadur Rokaya, Samresh Rai, Nita Dyola, Jian Sun, Lin Zhang, Haifeng Zhu, Nakul Chettri, Ram Prasad Chaudhary, J. Julio Camarero, Josep Penuelas
Summary: This study investigated the functional traits of Koenigia mollis in different elevational zones of the central Himalayas and found that elevation influenced the plant's functional traits. The plant's height, leaf morphology, and chemical properties were closely related to elevation, climate, and ecosystem productivity. The results provide insights into how plants modify their functional traits in response to changing environments.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elizabeth A. LaRue, Anna G. Downing, Sheila Saucedo, Arturo Rocha, Sergio A. Vargas Zesati, Vicente Mata-Silva, Michael G. Harvey
Summary: This article examines the relationship between forest vegetation volume and taxonomic and structural diversity. In the US forest macrosystem, vegetation volume is negatively correlated with understory plant and beetle species richness, but positively correlated with tree species richness. Additionally, vegetation volume is an important predictor of heterogeneity in forest structure both within and outside of the ecosystem. This suggests that previous studies focusing on habitat in a 2D context can be expanded to incorporate 3D habitat space, although the strength and direction of these relationships may vary taxonomically or geographically.
Article
Ecology
Tyler A. Hallman, Jerome Guelat, Sylvain Antoniazza, Marc Kery, Thomas Sattler
Summary: Global change in climate and land use has diverse effects on the geographic and elevational distribution of European birds. Some species show upslope shifts, while others show downslope shifts, and species traits are associated with different patterns of elevation change.
Article
Ornithology
Dilshod Akhrorov, Tianlong Cai, Gang Song, Ping Fan, Ahunim Fenitie Abebe, Peng He, Fumin Lei
Summary: This study is the first investigation of bird species richness patterns in the high-altitude mountain systems of Tajikistan. The results suggest that area, climate, and human influence factors are the main drivers of bird species richness patterns, with richness increasing with increasing factors.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Benjamin Rutschmann, Patrick L. Kohl, Alejandro Machado, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: The diversity of endemic honeybee subspecies and ecotypes in Europe is under threat due to the promotion of a limited number of honeybee strains in modern apiculture. Assessing the status of remaining wild populations and their limiting factors is crucial for the conservation of honeybee diversity. This study presents a two-year census of native, wild-living honeybees inhabiting power poles in an intensive agricultural landscape in Galicia, NW Spain. The findings emphasize the importance of semi-natural habitats for the conservation of wild-living honeybees.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elena Krimmer, Emily A. Martin, Andrea Holzschuh, Jochen Krauss, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: Large flower fields maintained continuously for several years are recommended to enhance natural pest control in oilseed rape fields. However, the positive effects of flower fields on pollen beetle parasitism may be hindered by pesticide use.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Fabian A. Boetzl, Elena Krimmer, Andrea Holzschuh, Jochen Krauss, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: The diversity of arthropods in agricultural landscapes plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem services. Flowering fields can provide overwintering habitats for arthropods, but the effectiveness of these habitats depends on their temporal continuity and soil disturbance. Different arthropod groups have varying requirements for habitat types and temporal continuity.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sebastian Koenig, Jochen Krauss, Alexander Keller, Lukas Bofinger, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: This study investigates the interaction between herbivores and plants in different temperature environments in Southern Germany. The results show that the specialization of herbivores is highest in warm habitats. Additionally, the study finds that the pattern of specialization is non-linear, peaking at intermediate temperatures. These findings highlight the combined importance of resource phylogeny, availability, and temperature on the specialization of herbivore assemblages.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Janika M. Kerner, Jochen Krauss, Fabienne Maihoff, Lukas Bofinger, Alice Classen
Summary: Despite the codependency between insect herbivores and plants, the responses of individual taxa to climate change are often studied in isolation. This study focused on butterflies and their larval host plants to investigate the impacts of temperature changes along an elevational gradient. The results showed a severe decline in butterfly abundance and an upward shift along the gradient, while the host plants remained unchanged. Temperature and host plant richness were identified as the main drivers of butterfly richness.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Benjamin Rutschmann, Patrick L. Kohl, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: This study investigated honeybee foraging in a deciduous forest region in southern Germany by observing waggle dances. The foraging distances of bees were found to be related to forest cover, but varied depending on the season and food type. Although bees in forest-dominated landscapes had to fly further, forest cover did not significantly affect colony weight. Pollen foraging in forests was more difficult in late summer, while nectar/honeydew foraging in forests aligned with expectations in early summer.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cassandra Vogel, Vera Mayer, Mwapi Mkandawire, Georg Kuestner, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Jochen Krauss, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: The conversion of woodland to farmland and subsequent management has negative impacts on biodiversity. The effects of agriculture on insect communities in tropical smallholder agricultural landscapes are understudied. The use of agroecological practices has social and agronomic benefits for smallholders, but their effects on biodiversity are missing, particularly in Africa.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cassandra Vogel, Katja Poveda, Aaron Iverson, Fabian A. A. Boetzl, Tapiwa Mkandawire, Timothy L. L. Chunga, Georg Kuestner, Alexander Keller, Rachel Bezner Kerr, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: Smallholder farming in the tropics, which characterizes biodiverse landscapes, has understudied effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. This study in Malawi assessed the impacts of different crop types and landscape elements on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The results suggest that a tailored approach based on landscape context and smallholders' priorities is needed to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Fairo F. Dzekashu, Christian W. W. Pirk, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Alice Classen, Nkoba Kiatoko, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Marcell K. Peters, H. Michael G. Lattorff
Summary: In this study, plant-bee interaction networks were observed across an elevation gradient in the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot region in Kenya for a full year. It was found that the nestedness and bee species specialization of these networks increased with elevation and varied between the cold-dry and warm-wet seasons. Network modularity and plant species specialization were higher at lower elevations, particularly during the warm-wet seasons. Additionally, flower and bee species diversity and abundance were found to be better predictors of network architecture than climate variables.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Justine Vansynghel, Evert Thomas, Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Bea Maas, Carlos Ulloque-Samatelo, Dapeng Zhang, Teja Tscharntke, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: The cacao tree is a valuable crop species, but its yields are limited by pollination deficits. Manual pollen supplementation with different genotypes can improve both yield quantity and quality of the fruits. However, this method is labor-intensive and costly to implement.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Patrick L. Kohl, Benjamin Rutschmann, Luis G. Sikora, Norbert Wimmer, Volker Zahner, Paul D'Alvise, Martin Hasselmann, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
Summary: In Germany, feral honeybees still colonize managed forests, but their survival rate is too low to maintain viable populations. The lack of spacious but well-protected nesting cavities and the shortage of food are currently more important than parasites in limiting populations of wild-living honeybees in German forests.
Article
Ecology
Patrick L. Kohl, Paul D'Alvise, Benjamin Rutschmann, Sebastian Roth, Felix Remter, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Martin Hasselmann
Summary: Bee parasites pose a major threat to apiculture and pollinator conservation. This study found that feral honeybees, which have escaped from apiaries, have lower parasite burden compared to managed colonies. Therefore, feral colonies are unlikely to contribute significantly to the spread of bee diseases.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Federico Ronchetti, Carlo Polidori, Thomas Schmitt, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Alexander Keller
Summary: This study investigated the bacterial gut microbiome of seven aculeate species in four brood parasite-host systems, revealing species-specific microbiomes with limited influence of host phylogenetic relatedness and significant contribution of shared microbes between hosts and parasites. Different patterns were observed between bee-parasite systems and the wasp-parasite system.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
