Article
Entomology
Rodolfo J. Cancino-Lopez, Claudia E. Moreno, Atilano Contreras-Ramos
Summary: This study analyzed the distribution and diversity of lacewings along an elevation gradient and found that species richness decreased with increasing altitude, while diversity and potential richness were higher at intermediate elevations. There was also evidence of species turnover and niche specialization at different elevations.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ugyen Penjor, Rinzin Jamtsho, Sherub Sherub
Summary: The conversion of natural forest into agricultural land and human settlement has led to homogenisation of avian diversity and structure worldwide. While the effects of land-use change on avian functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity are well studied in the tropics, research on this topic in the Himalayas, especially in eastern Himalayan bird communities, is lacking. Our study found that bird community occupancy decreases with human land use, bird assemblages at higher elevations are clustered both functionally and phylogenetically, and agriculture and settlement have higher functional and phylogenetic diversity compared to forests.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daichi Iijima, Atsushi Kobayashi, Gen Morimoto, Masashi Murakami
Summary: Understanding the process underlying spatial gradients in biodiversity, particularly altitudinal gradients, is important in ecology. This study examined the phylogenetic and functional structures of breeding bird assemblages in the montane to alpine zones of Mount Norikura, Japan, and investigated the effects of natural environmental factors and human-induced landscape transformation. The findings suggest that severe natural environments play a fundamental role in community assembly in high mountain regions, while lower elevations may have weaker filtering effects.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stefano Zorzal-Almeida, Elaine C. Rodrigues Bartozek, Denise C. Bicudo
Summary: Eutrophication leads to biotic homogenization in tropical reservoirs, with an increase in total beta diversity, no change in turnover with eutrophication, but a positive relationship between nutrient enrichment and the nestedness component.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Peng Ning, Min Zhang, Tianyu Bai, Bin Zhang, Liu Yang, Shangni Dang, Xiaohu Yang, Runmei Gao
Summary: This study investigated the response of tree radial growth to microclimate along an altitudinal gradient using tree-ring width chronologies of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. in Shanxi Province, China. The findings showed that tree radial growth varied at different altitudes, and the response patterns to temperature and precipitation differed in stable and rapid change periods. Temperature had a stronger influence on tree growth in the stable period, while in the rapid change period, other meteorological factors also played a role. These results provide insights into the impact of climate change on tree growth adaptation and can inform sustainable forest management policies.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Magdalena Diaz, Cristian Quiroz-Moreno, Pablo Jarrin-V, Samuel Piquer-Esteban, Pablo Monfort-Lanzas, Erika Rivadeneira, Pablo Castillejo, Vicente Arnau, Wladimiro Diaz, Felix J. Sangari, C. Alfonso Molina
Summary: Our study is the first exploration of the microbiome in the soil of the Sumaco stratovolcano and examines the effects of an elevational gradient and soil parameters on microbial richness and community structure. We found that sulfur, rather than pH or altitude, played a significant role in bacterial community structure. Additionally, metallic cations and CEC were positively correlated with richness.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rodolfo Gentili, Roberto Ambrosini, Benno A. Augustinus, Sarah Caronni, Elisa Cardarelli, Chiara Montagnani, Heinz Muller-Scharer, Urs Schaffner, Sandra Citterio
Summary: By studying the growth trajectories and trait variations of an invasive plant species under different altitudes and temperature conditions, it was found that the invasive plant exhibits high phenotypic plasticity in response to various environmental factors.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anning Zhang, Shuyan Chen, Jingwei Chen, Hanwen Cui, Xiaoxuan Jiang, Sa Xiao, Jiajia Wang, Haining Gao, Lizhe An, Pedro Cardoso
Summary: Land use and climate change have significant impacts on biodiversity patterns and ecosystem functioning globally. This study examined the effects of shrub encroachment and precipitation changes on the functional diversity of soil nematode communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that shrubs did not alter functional richness and dispersion, but decreased functional beta diversity, promoting functional homogenization. These effects were influenced by precipitation, with increasing precipitation reversing the negative effects of shrubs on functional richness and dispersion but amplifying their negative effects on functional beta diversity. Structural equation models revealed that shrubs indirectly increased functional richness and dispersion through plant biomass and soil total nitrogen, while directly decreasing functional beta diversity. This study enhances our understanding of the impacts of global climate change on nematode communities in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Shiyu Fan, Hui Sun, Jiyuan Yang, Jihong Qin, Danjie Shen, Yuexi Chen
Summary: The study found that soil nutrient content and enzyme activity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau fluctuate with altitude and are significantly influenced by altitude and soil depth. Nutrient availability, enzyme activity, and microbial diversity were higher in the topsoil compared to the subsoil.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mei Huang, Chao Sang, Jingxue Zhao, A. Allan Degen, Xiaopeng Chen, Tao Zhang, Yanfu Bai, Shanshan Li, Wenyin Wang, Nawal Shrestha, Zhanhuan Shang
Summary: This study assessed the effect of seven-year grazing exclusion on vegetation and soil seed bank along an altitudinal gradient in northern Tibet, China. The results showed that grazing exclusion had an impact on the patterns of vegetation and soil seed bank, which varied with altitude. Grazing exclusion increased vegetation coverage but decreased soil seed bank density and species diversity. Species composition differed between vegetation and soil seed bank, but no difference was found between fenced and grazed grasslands.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nasrullah Khan, Rafi Ullah, Saud S. Alamri, Yasmeen A. Alwasel, Abdulrahman AL-Hashimi, Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud, Mohammad K. Okla, Hamada AbdElgawad
Summary: This study investigates the traits plasticity and invasive behaviors of Silybum marianum across different elevations in Pakistan. The plant shows a decrease in plant functional traits with increasing elevation, while the root length increases. Soil and environmental variables significantly affect the plant functional traits. The importance value index of the species is related to elevation and diversity indices, indicating the strong effects of invasion on diversity.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
F. M. S. Araujo, L. E. N. Costa, J. P. S. Souza, W. V. S. M. Batista, M. P. P. Silva
Summary: This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between bryophyte diversity and composition in the Brazilian 'Brejos de Altitude' ecosystem and various anthropic and abiotic environmental factors. The research found that factors such as altitude and locality play a significant role in shaping the diversity and composition of epiphyllous bryophytes at both local and regional scales.
Article
Ecology
Caio Graco-Roza, Sonja Aarnio, Nerea Abrego, Alicia T. R. Acosta, Janne Alahuhta, Jan Altman, Claudia Angiolini, Jukka Aroviita, Fabio Attorre, Lars Baastrup-Spohr, Jose J. Barrera-Alba, Jonathan Belmaker, Idoia Biurrun, Gianmaria Bonari, Helge Bruelheide, Sabina Burrascano, Marta Carboni, Pedro Cardoso, Jose C. Carvalho, Giuseppe Castaldelli, Morten Christensen, Gilsineia Correa, Iwona Dembicz, Jurgen Dengler, Jiri Dolezal, Patricia Domingos, Tibor Eros, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Goffredo Filibeck, Sergio R. Floeter, Alan M. Friedlander, Johanna Gammal, Anna Gavioli, Martin M. Gossner, Itai Granot, Riccardo Guarino, Camilla Gustafsson, Brian Hayden, Siwen He, Jacob Heilmann-Clausen, Jani Heino, John T. Hunter, Vera L. M. Huszar, Monika Janisova, Jenny Jyrkankallio-Mikkola, Kimmo K. Kahilainen, Julia Kemppinen, Lukasz Kozub, Carla Kruk, Michel Kulbiki, Anna Kuzemko, Peter Christiaan le Roux, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Domenica Teixeira de Lima, Angel Lopez-Urrutia, Balazs A. Lukacs, Miska Luoto, Stefano Mammola, Marcelo M. Marinho, Luciana S. Menezes, Marco Milardi, Marcela Miranda, Gleyci A. O. Moser, Joerg Mueller, Pekka Niittynen, Alf Norkko, Arkadiusz Nowak, Jean P. Ometto, Otso Ovaskainen, Gerhard E. Overbeck, Felipe S. Pacheco, Virpi Pajunen, Salza Palpurina, Felix Picazo, Juan A. C. Prieto, Ivan F. Rodil, Francesco M. Sabatini, Shira Salingre, Michele De Sanctis, Angel M. Segura, Lucia H. S. da Silva, Zora D. Stevanovic, Grzegorz Swacha, Anette Teittinen, Kimmo T. Tolonen, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Leena Virta, Beixin Wang, Jianjun Wang, Wolfgang Weisser, Yuan Xu, Janne Soininen
Summary: This study provides the first global synthesis of taxonomic and functional distance decay along spatial and environmental distance. The results demonstrate that taxonomic distance decay is stronger than functional distance decay, with the fastest decay rates observed in datasets from mid-latitudes. Overall, taxonomic distance decay is a useful tool for biogeographical research, while functional distance decay may be a cost-effective option for investigating community changes in heterogeneous environments.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chen-Lin Soo, Lee Nyanti, Nur Ezaimah Idris, Teck-Yee Ling, Siong-Fong Sim, Jongkar Grinang, Tonny Ganyai, Karen-Suan-Ping Lee
Summary: The study conducted surveys on freshwater fish composition along altitudinal gradients in the Baleh River Basin in Sarawak, Borneo, finding significant changes in fish composition and abundance with elevation, influenced by environmental factors. The midstream segment exhibited lower species richness, likely due to poor water quality inflow from the Mengiong River.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Silvia Rodriguez, Pedro Galan, Alejandro Martinez-Abrain
Summary: This study analyzed the macroecological architecture of an amphibian metacommunity in a southern European region and explored the temporal patterns of nestedness and diversity. The results showed moderate nestedness in ponds and streams, indicating resilience of amphibian species to human disturbance. However, the study emphasizes the importance of protecting the entire metacommunity and preserving the old mosaic landscape.
Article
Forestry
Roberts Matisons, Didzis Elferts, Oskars Krisans, Volker Schneck, Holger Gartner, Alexander Bast, Tomasz Wojda, Jan Kowalczyk, Aris Jansons
Summary: The study evaluated the responses of Scots pine in the eastern Baltic region to meteorological conditions, showing explicit regional gradients in radial growth responses based on local climates. Temperature and water deficit were identified as the main drivers of tree-ring width, with non-linear effects indicating spatiotemporal gradients in growth responses. The findings suggest limitations in the adaptability of Scots pine populations in the longer term, emphasizing the need for climate-smart management for forest sustainability in the future.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Markus Egli, Guido Wiesenberg, Jens Leifeld, Holger Gartner, Jan Seibert, Claudia Roosli, Vladimir Wingate, Wasja Dollenmeier, Pascal Griffel, Jeannine Suremann, Jan Weber, Mergime Zyberaj, Alessandra Musso
Summary: The study explores the dynamics of the landscape in the Three Lakes Region of Western Switzerland, with a particular focus on the formation and degradation of mires. Over the past 2000 years, hydrodynamic and geomorphic activities have increased, leading to severe degradation of moorlands, with mean annual carbon losses of 4.9 t ha(-1) in agricultural land and 2.4 t ha(-1) in forests. Forests can limit but not completely stop the degradation of mires, suggesting that agroforestry may be a potential alternative land-use system for sensitive areas in the future.
SWISS JOURNAL OF GEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Giulia A. V. Fontana, Markus Egli, Holger Gaertner
Summary: Dendrochronology has been used globally to reconstruct historical geomorphological events and climatic conditions. This study specifically focuses on the potential of mountain avens to provide accurately dated information about past debris-flow events. While the development of a mean chronology for the study area was unsuccessful, the cross-dated ages of individual shrubs allowed for the reconstruction of debris-flow events.
Article
Forestry
Roberts Matisons, Stefanija Dubra, Iluta Dauskane, Karlis Bickovskis, Aris Jansons, Holger Gartner
Summary: The study highlights the importance of non-structural carbohydrates reserves in trees for coping with weather extremes and ensuring survival and ecological plasticity. It reveals that the quantity and size of wood rays storing NSC in Scots pine stemwood vary among trees, with differences between dominant and intermediate trees. Additionally, variations in WR characteristics between earlywood and latewood show interannual changes, influenced by meteorological conditions and climate factors.
Article
Plant Sciences
Emad A. Farahat, Holger Gartner
Summary: The study analyzed about 300 perennial desert plants in Egypt, identifying 94 species that form growth rings. The distinctness of growth rings in these species is mainly indicated by ring porosity, fiber layer, and parenchyma. Further research on the annual rhythm of xylem formation is needed to confirm the annual nature of growth rings in these desert plants.
Article
Forestry
Roberts Matisons, Didzis Elferts, Oskars Krisans, Volker Schneck, Holger Gartner, Tomasz Wojda, Jan Kowalczyk, Aris Jansons
Summary: The abundance of Norway spruce in the Eastern Baltic region is predicted to decrease due to climate change, with uncertainties regarding growth potential due to the plasticity of local populations. Weather-growth relationships for the tree species are mainly influenced by summer moisture regime, with both linear and non-linear growth responses observed across the climatic gradient from Southern Finland to Northern Germany. Linear weather-growth relationships were found to be spatially and temporally non-stationary, with exceptions in Poland and Northern Germany.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jussi Griessinger, Wolfgang Jens-Henrik Meier, Alexander Bast, Annette Debel, Isabelle Gaertner-Roer, Holger Gaertner
Summary: The presence of permafrost can distort the climate-proxy relationship of trees, while trees growing outside of the permafrost distribution provide a stronger and more consistent climate-proxy relationship over time.
Article
Plant Sciences
Petia Simeonova Nikolova, Jan Geyer, Peter Brang, Paolo Cherubini, Stephan Zimmermann, Holger Gartner
Summary: Silvicultural interventions like strip cuttings can alter resource availability for trees at forest edges, potentially changing root-shoot allometry. This study found that strip cutting led to increased root growth and optimized resource uptake, with strongest effects seen in regularly managed stands with tall trees. However, the changes in root-stem allometry post-cutting were short-lived, with the most significant effects seen in smaller, previously suppressed trees. Further analysis of stable isotopes is recommended for a more mechanistic understanding of environmental drivers.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Emad Farahat, Paolo Cherubini, Matthias Saurer, Holger Gaertner
Summary: The study found that Moringa peregrina trees in the Egyptian desert have shown characteristics such as decreased tree-ring widths, increased VLA% in dry years, and changes in δC-13 and δO-18 isotope values over the past decade. The intrinsic water-use efficiency of the trees has gradually declined, while the intercellular carbon concentration and Ci/Ca ratio have increased.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Holger Gartner, Emad Farahat
Summary: Moringa peregrina is a plant with economic medicinal value in Egypt, but faces threats from rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation. The relationship between cambial activity and the development of new leaves, as well as the correlation between non-structural carbohydrates storage and the timing of remobilization for subsequent ring formation, requires further study.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Pawel Matulewski, Agata Buchwal, Holger Gartner, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Katarina Cufar
Summary: This study provides important insights into wood anatomy and radial growth in tree roots, particularly regarding the effects of ecological factors and trampling on root growth. The study also identifies blue rings in tree roots for the first time. The findings highlight significant growth discrepancies within a single root system and present a new challenge for future dendroecological studies.
Article
Forestry
Loic Schneider, Holger Gaertner
Summary: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), also known as 3D printing, has revolutionized modern manufacturing processes due to its ability to print a wide range of materials. The use of FDM in prototype development allows for rapid iteration from idea to product, with the timeframe ranging from a few hours to a few days depending on complexity. This paper showcases the use of an open-source 3D software and a 3D printer in producing parts for devices used in wood anatomy and dendroecology, providing detailed examples and highlighting the basic requirements for prototyping.
Editorial Material
Forestry
Johannes Edvardsson, Hans W. Linderholm, Bjorn Gunnarson, Anton Hansson, Tzu Tung Chen, Holger Gartner
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Holger Gartner, Loic Schneider, Sandro Lucchinetti, Paolo Cherubini
Summary: In dendroecological research, it is crucial to accurately date each single growth ring for various studies. The way samples are taken is essential for successful preparation and analysis.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Emad A. Farahat, Holger Gartner
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the anatomical structure and dendrochronological potential of three Mediterranean desert shrubs in Egypt using X-ray density. The results showed distinct growth rings at macroscopic and microscopic levels, and the vessel traits reflected each species' adaptability to arid climate conditions. More efficient dendrochronological studies on subtropical and Mediterranean trees are recommended, including xylogenesis studies, collection of phenological data, sampling a sufficient number of trees per species, using new techniques, and choosing homogeneous and close sites for wood sampling.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
