Review
Environmental Sciences
Ankit Garg, Vinay Kumar Gadi, Hong-Hu Zhu, Ajit K. Sarmah, P. Sreeja, Sreedeep Sekharan
Summary: The soil-insect interaction has significant importance in promoting biocementation. This study reviews the latest developments and research gaps in soil-termite interaction in the context of geo-environmental engineering. The influence of termite activities on hydraulic properties and shear strength of soil are discussed, and the consideration of hysteresis effect and spatio-temporal variations is proposed. Further research and collaboration between geotechnical engineering and entomology are needed to utilize termites as maintenance engineers in geotechnical infrastructure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biology
Svenja Tidau, Fraser T. Brough, Luis Gimenez, Stuart R. Jenkins, Thomas W. Davies
Summary: This study investigated the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on the larval performance of mussels and barnacles. The results showed that high-intensity ALAN reduced larval survival. However, the effects on development and growth were small and varied between species, time-points, and parentage. These findings emphasize the adverse impacts of ALAN on the early life stages of ecosystem engineering species.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Mark Janowiecki, Edward L. Vargo
Summary: In the subterranean termite ecosystem, different species share decomposing wood resources and partition them through differential foraging activity in response to different environmental conditions. The study shows that termites have different foraging preferences under varying climatic conditions, indicating a potential resource utilization strategy for their coexistence.
Article
Soil Science
Bo Xiao, Matthew A. Bowker, Yunge Zhao, Sonia Chamizo, Oumarou Malam Issa
Summary: Biocrusts are photosynthetic biotic communities that aggregate minerals at the soil surface in harsh environments. They play important ecological roles in modifying soil properties and regulating functions. This collection of research articles highlights the significance of biocrusts in reshaping soil properties and multifunctionality, as well as the impact of global change factors on biocrust-soil systems.
Article
Microbiology
James M. Tiedje, Mary Ann Bruns, Arturo Casadevall, Craig S. Criddle, Emiley Eloe-Fadrosh, David M. Karl, Nguyen K. Nguyen, Jizhong Zhou
Summary: Climate change is the most serious challenge facing humanity, with microbes playing a significant role in producing and consuming greenhouse gases and causing diseases. Microbial research is crucial in mitigating the impacts of climate change, and further studies are needed to explore new strategies for reducing greenhouse gases and addressing microbial pathogenic impacts.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Simon Hellemans, Jean Deligne, Yves Roisin, Guy Josens
Summary: The phylogeny of the genus Cubitermes Wasmann was reconstructed using mitochondrial genes and nuclear rDNA, with the results dividing the genus into five monophyletic genera. Two species of Megagnathotermes included in the study were found to belong to different genera based on their enteric valve armatures.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Mark Maraun, Tanja Thomas, Elisabeth Fast, Nico Treibert, Tancredi Caruso, Ina Schaefer, Jing-Zhong Lu, Stefan Scheu
Summary: Knowledge of the trophic ecology of soil animals is important for understanding their diversity and functional role in soil food webs. Stable isotope analysis has revolutionized the study of trophic ecology, providing insights into the feeding habits and niche differentiation of oribatid mites. These mites can be classified into six trophic groups, with some species showing trophic plasticity. However, stable isotope analysis has limitations, and other methods such as fatty acid and gut content analyses can complement the study of oribatid mite trophic ecology.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Barrera, Ian S. Acuna-Rodriguez, Gabriel I. Ballesteros, Cristian Atala, Marco A. Molina-Montenegro
Summary: This study described the bacterial composition of Biological Soil Crusts (BSC) found in Maritime Antarctica and revealed their positive effects on soil moisture, nutrient levels, enzymatic activity, and the growth and performance of Colobanthus quitensis. The results suggest that BSCs play a crucial role in soil development and act as ecosystem engineers in the terrestrial Antarctic ecosystem.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Anneliek M. ter Horst, Christian Santos-Medellin, Jackson W. Sorensen, Laura A. Zinke, Rachel M. Wilson, Eric R. Johnston, Gareth G. Trubl, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Steven J. Blazewicz, Paul J. Hanson, Jeffrey P. Chanton, Christopher W. Schadt, Joel E. Kostka, Joanne B. Emerson
Summary: The study reveals that viral community composition in peatlands is influenced by factors such as peat depth, water content, and carbon chemistry, showing distinct aquatic characteristics. Viral populations in peatlands have narrow predicted host ranges. There are strong viral species boundaries between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as between different types of soils.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonas Alvarez-Lopeztello, Celerino Robles, Rafael F. del Castillo
Summary: The study found that microplastics, mainly fibers and fragments, were present in the soils of various ecosystems in tropical lowland areas, with films and pellets not detected. Fibers and fragments ranged mainly from 150 to 500 micrometers, with sizes from 40 to 60 micrometers being the rarest. The concentration of fibers and fragments varied significantly among different ecosystems, and appeared to increase with higher levels of clay and sand.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Pascal Jouquet, Ary Bruand
Summary: Bioturbation by termites is an important process in regulating soil properties in tropical soils. Previous explanations for the presence of clay and 2:1 clay minerals in termite soil include the need for stable structures and access to water. However, this study proposes a new hypothesis that bioturbation behavior can also be explained by termites' limitation for Na+. The impacts of this ecological process on ecosystem functioning and soil fertility are discussed.
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Erminia Conti, Christian Mulder
Summary: Enchytraeids, especially those belonging to Clade C, show significant correlations between their biomass and heavy metals in different types of soils. These findings highlight the importance of considering soil types when assessing the effects of heavy metals on enchytraeids and the entire edaphic community.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Lettice C. Hicks, Beat Frey, Rasmus Kjoller, Martin Lukac, Mari Moora, James T. Weedon, Johannes Rousk
Summary: The study proposes a function-first framework to predict how microbial communities influence ecosystem functions, linking microbial function to community composition and structure. It describes the dependence of microbial functions on environmental factors and combines functional response curves with current environmental conditions to predict the contribution of the whole community to ecosystem function. Ultimately, indicator taxa may be used as a diagnostic tool to enable predictions of ecosystem function from community composition.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pengqiang Du, Hairong He, Lin Zhou, Fengshou Dong, Xingang Liu, Yongquan Zheng
Summary: The study found that Epoxiconazole has toxic effects on soil microbiome, impacting the diversity and community of bacteria and fungi, particularly in Anyang soil. N transformation and C, S, and manganese metabolisms are affected, indicating a potential hazard of Epoxiconazole presence in the soil ecosystem.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Catherine Fahey, Stephen Luke Flory
Summary: The study found that invasive plants and simulated drought did not have significant soil legacy effects on plant growth and competition, but soil microbes played a significant role in plant competition. In competitions, soil microbes created a competitive hierarchy where pine was more competitive than wiregrass and cogongrass.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)