Article
Forestry
Maximilian Axer, Robert Schlicht, Sven Wagner
Summary: The study analyzed natural oak regeneration in coniferous stands and found that the highest regeneration densities were not necessarily closest to the seed source, but rather at distances between 60 and 140 meters away, demonstrating the importance of dispersal distance in oak regeneration in forest conversion.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Eckhard W. Heymann, Lisieux Fuzessy, Laurence Culot
Summary: Tamarins and large Neotropical primates have different seed dispersal ecology. Tamarins disperse smaller and fewer seeds compared to larger primates but they can persist in disturbed forests and near human settlements, contributing to the natural regeneration of these areas.
Article
Ecology
John R. Poulsen, Christopher Beirne, Colin Rundel, Melissa Baldino, Seokmin Kim, Julia Knorr, Taylor Minich, Lingrong Jin, Chase L. Nunez, Shuyun Xiao, Walter Mbamy, Guichard Ndzeng Obiang, Juliana Masseloux, Tanguy Nkoghe, Medard Obiang Ebanega, Connie J. Clark, Michael J. Fay, Pete Morkel, Joseph Okouyi, Lee J. T. White, Justin P. Wright
Summary: This study found that large, fruit-eating animals influence plant population spread and community dynamics through seed dispersal, with dispersal distances being influenced by both environmental and individual-level variables. Elephants disperse seeds through gut passage time and movement, with gender and behavioral traits playing a role in dispersal distances.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lionel R. Hertzog, Martijn L. Vandegehuchte, Daan Dekeukeleire, Wouter Dekoninck, Pallieter deSmedt, Irene van Schrojenstein Lantman, Willem Proesmans, Lander Baeten, Dries Bonte, An Martel, Kris Verheyen, Luc Lens
Summary: The study found that tree species composition and forest fragmentation impact the provision of forest ecosystem services. Tree species mixtures can maximize multifunctionality and biodiversity across trophic levels regardless of the management perspective.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jakelyne S. Bezerra, Victor Arroyo-Rodriguez, Jonathan M. Tavares, Mauro G. Santos, Jorge A. Meave, Inara R. Leal, Marcelo Tabarelli
Summary: Seed rain is crucial for forest recovery, but seed viability has been overlooked in most studies. The study found that seed viability was higher in burned plots than in control plots, which may be attributed to the functional traits of the seeds.
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Jakelyne S. Bezerra, Victor Arroyo-Rodriguez, Juan Manuel Dupuy-Rada, Inara R. Leal, Marcelo Tabarelli
Summary: Agricultural activities, such as slash-and-burn farming, pose a threat to the recovery potential of forests in human-modified landscapes. This is due to the disruption of critical sources of forest regeneration, including seed rain. The hypothesis that slash-and-burn agriculture promotes seed source and seed dispersal limitation remains poorly tested.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Eva K. Nobrega, Roger Vidal-Cardos, Alberto Munoz, Mariona Ferrandiz-Rovira
Summary: Scatter-hoarding rodents play a vital role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. This study compared the predation and dispersal patterns of holm oak acorns by wood mice in original dense forest vs open forest in Spain. The results showed variations in acorn predation and dispersal between forest types, with a greater acorn fraction being harvested and dispersed further in the managed forest. However, increased predation in the managed forest reduced the proportion of acorns that survived and could potentially grow, impacting the natural regeneration potential of forests.
Article
Ecology
Omer Nevo, Caitlynn Filla, Kim Valenta, Eugene W. Schupp
Summary: Seed dispersal by fruit-eating animals is crucial for plant reproduction and forest regeneration. The seed dispersal effectiveness framework (SDE) was developed to understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of animal behavior for plant reproductive success. However, the factors driving variation in SDE across systems and the relationship between its components remain unknown.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Jakelyne S. Bezerra, Victor Arroyo-Rodriguez, Jonathan M. Tavares, Adrielle Leal, Inara R. Leal, Marcelo Tabarelli
Summary: Forest ecosystems are threatened by unsustainable agricultural practices, such as slash-and-burn agriculture, which can negatively impact the soil seed bank and limit forest resilience. A study in a tropical dry forest in Brazil showed that fire from slash-and-burn agriculture decreased seed viability, diversity, and composition, leading to homogenization of seed assemblages. This highlights the low resistance of the soil seed bank to this farming method, suggesting that other processes like seed dispersal and resprouting are crucial for the recovery of species-rich tropical forests exposed to slash-and-burn agriculture.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Loreto Martinez-Baroja, Lorenzo Perez-Camacho, Pedro Villar-Salvador, Salvador Rebollo, Alexandro B. Leverkus, Mario B. Pesendorfer, Mercedes Molina-Morales, Jorge Castro, Jose Maria Rey-Benayas
Summary: The study found that animal decision-making and behavior during caching shape the spatial distribution pattern of seeds and impact the emergence of seedlings at different spatial scales. The caching territory and site preferences of magpies influence the dispersal of acorns and ultimately contribute to the regeneration of oak trees in forests.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael P. Perring, Lionel R. Hertzog, Stefanie R. E. De Groote, Daan Dekeukeleire, Wouter Dekoninck, Pallieter De Smedt, Willem Proesmans, Bram K. Sercu, Thiebe Sleeuwaert, Johan Van Keer, Irene M. van Schrojenstein Lantman, Pieter Vantieghem, Lander Baeten, Dries Bonte, An Martel, Kris Verheyen, Luc Lens
Summary: Across-trophic level community relationships in forest ecosystems are influenced by tree species composition and fragmentation differently. Diversifying monoculture stands with particular species can lead to greater community tightness, affecting different community groups in a coordinated manner across trophic levels.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Lorenzo Perez-Camacho, Pedro Villar -Salvador, Jesus A. Cuevas, Tomas Gonzalez-Sousa, Loreto Martinez-Baroja
Summary: Seed dispersal is crucial for forest regeneration and is often influenced by the behavior of seed scatter-hoarding animals. However, our understanding of the decision-making process of scatter-hoarders and how vegetation structure at different spatial scales affects dispersal patterns is limited. This study investigates seed dispersal at the forest edge across multiple spatial scales and reveals that the position of source trees in the landscape determines habitat preference and dispersal distance. The study sheds light on the intricate decision-making process of seed caching by scatter-hoarders and its consequences for the spatial patterns of seed dispersal and forest regeneration.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yonghong Luo, Jiming Cheng, Xingfu Yan, Hui Yang, Yan Shen, Jingru Ge, Min Zhang, Jinfeng Zhang, Zhuwen Xu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of community habitats on the predation and dispersal of Quercus wutaishanica seeds by rodents. The results showed that litter cover and soil burial significantly increased seed survival, and high seed density increased predation by rodents.
Article
Forestry
Amanda N. D. Freeman, Kylie Freebody, Michael Montenero, Catherine Moran, Luke P. Shoo, Carla P. Catterall
Summary: Frugivorous birds play an important role in seed dispersal, but are seldom seen in pastures. In an experimental project aimed at promoting rainforest regeneration, the installation of semi-natural perches and water basins attracted seed-dispersing birds, leading to an increase in seed deposition. However, despite a diverse avian community in the adjacent forest, only a few species visited the plots, with water basins collecting a significantly higher number of native tree seeds compared to mesh seed traps.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Laszlo Erdos, Katalin Szitar, Kinga Ollerer, Gabor Onodi, Miklos Kertesz, Peter Torok, Kornel Barath, Csaba Tolgyesi, Zoltan Batori, Laszlo Somay, Ildiko Orban, Gyorgy Kroel-Dulay
Summary: This study conducted an experiment in a forest-steppe ecosystem in Central Hungary, revealing that pedunculate oak seedlings had very low emergence and survival rates in grassland habitats, while forest edges and interiors showed similar and high emergence rates. The addition of water did not significantly impact seedling emergence in different habitats. As oak trees move from the core of deciduous forests towards arid boundaries, light limitation may shift to other factors such as moisture or microclimatic extremes, influencing seedling regeneration patterns.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Devrim Semizer-Cuming, Igor Jerzy Chybicki, Reiner Finkeldey, Erik Dahl Kjaer
Summary: The study shows that Ash dieback reduces the reproductive success of individual ash trees, leading to an overrepresentation of healthy trees as seed and pollen parents in the next generation. Healthy trees have superior genetic dispersal and reproductive success, providing optimism for the species' future in European forests.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Corrie Lynne Madsen, Erik Dahl Kjaer, Anders Raebild
Summary: Climate change affects forest tree populations and translocation of tree species is suggested for maintaining healthy forests. For Quercus species, survival is primarily dependent on origin temperatures, while growth relies more on matched precipitation levels.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Niels Agerbirk, Cecilie Cetti Hansen, Carl Erik Olsen, Christiane Kiefer, Thure P. Hauser, Stina Christensen, Karen R. Jensen, Marian Orgaard, David Pattison, Conny Bruun Asmussen Lange, Don Cipollini, Marcus A. Koch
Summary: By utilizing a library of ion trap MS2 spectra and HPLC retention times, researchers were able to distinguish at least 70 known glucosinolates (GSLs) and some additional proposed GSLs in plants. They identified GSL profiles in selected plants of the tribe Cardamineae and Reseda, focusing on minor peaks and undetected GSLs. Phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear rDNA sequences revealed that aliphatic GSLs were absent or below detection limits in two major evolutionary lines of B. vulgaris.
Article
Ecology
Thure P. Hauser, Stina Christensen, Vera Kuzina, Marco Thines, Sebastian Ploch, Soren Bak
Summary: Plants have evolved various defenses against herbivores and pathogens, but the effectiveness of these defenses can be influenced by multiple factors. Research on Barbarea vulgaris revealed that different resistance mechanisms have independent evolution and effects, with Albugo resistance benefiting plants while insect resistance showed limited benefits under certain conditions.
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Oulimata Diatta, Erik Dahl Kjaer, Adja Madjiguene Diallo, Lene Rostgaard Nielsen, Vlastimil Novak, Diaminatou Sanogo, Kristian Holst Laursen, Jon Kehlet Hansen, Anders Raebild
Summary: Leaf morphology, total leaf nitrogen content, and carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of Acacia senegal trees vary among different ploidy levels and geographic origins. These differences likely reflect adaptation to different environments, with significant correlations observed between leaf morphology, isotopic discrimination, and specific environmental factors such as precipitation and latitude. Different patterns of adaptation were found between diploids and tetraploids.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Julietta Moustaka, Nicolai Vitt Meyling, Thure Pavlo Hauser
Summary: Insects like beet armyworm can cause damage to tomato plants by directly affecting their photosynthesis. However, neighboring zones and other parts of the leaf can compensate for the damage by increasing light energy use in photosystem II. This compensatory mechanism allows the plant to balance photosynthetic efficiency and overcome the feeding effects with no or minor costs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nikoleta Rubil, Tetiana Kalachova, Thure Pavlo Hauser, Lenka Burketova
Summary: This study investigates the activation of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signals in Arabidopsis leaves during infestation by cabbage aphid in high spatio-temporal resolution. The results show a rapid induction of SA and JA signaling markers in cells surrounding stylet puncture, colocalizing with callose deposition. The study provides detailed insights into the spatio-temporal complexity of plant defense activation during specialist aphid attack.
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julietta Moustaka, Nicolai Vitt Meyling, Thure Pavlo Hauser
Summary: The use of resistance-inducing microbes for pest control has shown promising results in improving plants' reaction to herbivory. In this study, two entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana, were inoculated into tomato plants, and their effects on photosystem II reactions were evaluated before and after herbivory by Spodoptera exigua larvae. The results showed that M. brunneum inoculation had a negative effect on the photosynthetic efficiency before herbivory, while B. bassiana inoculation had no significant effect. However, both fungal inoculations activated the same compensatory PSII response mechanism in tomato plants after herbivory.
Article
Forestry
Adja Madjiguene Diallo, Erik Dahl Kjaer, Anders Raebild, Lene Rostgaard Nielsen
Summary: This study investigates genetic differentiation and prezygotic reproductive barriers among different ploidy levels of Acacia senegal. By genotyping and studying flower morphology, the researchers found genetic differentiation between polyploid and diploid trees, as well as prezygotic reproductive barriers such as differences in flower phenology and morphology. The results suggest limited gene flow among cytotypes of A. senegal and a likely restriction of interploidy pollination by differences in flower phenology and morphology.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Oulimata Diatta, Adja Madjiguene Diallo, Diaminatou Sanogo, Lene Rostgaard Nielsen, Anders Raebild, Erik Dahl Kjaer, Jon Kehlet Hansen
Summary: The timing of phenology in deciduous African dryland species plays a crucial role in their survival and growth. This study investigates the genetic variation and adaptive patterns in phenology of A. senegal trees in Senegal. The results show that phenology is under genetic control and is influenced by climate at the site of origin. The early leaf flushing trees have a longer growing period and perform better in terms of growth.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Albin Lobo, Jens Iver Find, Jon Kehlet Hansen, Anders REbild, Erik Dahl Kjaer
Summary: The temperature and osmotic stress during embryogenesis have an influence on the phenology, photosynthesis rate, growth, and water stress tolerance of Abies nordmanniana. Higher temperature during somatic embryogenesis advances budburst, but with genotype-specific responses. Osmotic stress during embryogenesis does not affect the response to water stress. The temperature during embryogenesis does not influence the optimum temperatures for photosynthesis and maximal photosynthetic rates. The height and autumn senescence of the plants vary among genotypes, but are not affected by the temperature during embryogenesis. These findings support the role of epigenetic modification in phenology and its practical applications for coping with climate change.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Conny Bruun Asmussen Lange, Thure Pavlo Hauser, Vinnie Deichmann, Marian Orgaard
Summary: Barbarea, a genus in the mustard family, has become a model for studying the evolution of plant defence and specialised metabolites. Some Barbarea species have evolved the ability to produce triterpenoid saponins, which make them resistant to herbivores. However, resistance has been lost in a distinct group of plants within B. vulgaris ssp. arcuata. In this study, the researchers analyzed DNA regions from different Barbarea species and found that all Barbarea species formed a monophyletic group. The phylogenies of nuclear and plastid DNA suggest reticulate evolution and chloroplast capture. Despite the high molecular diversity within species, three groups of B. vulgaris were identified based on their genetic characteristics.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Guadalupe Zitlalpopoca-Hernandez, Maria J. Pozo, Thure P. Hauser, Nicolai Meyling
Summary: Co-inoculations of different beneficial fungi can reduce the lesion sizes of the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea and promote plant growth. However, obtaining consistent results of plant-microbe-phytopathogen interactions remains a challenge.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yulan Qing, Morgane Ourry, Meike Burow, Nicolai Vitt Meyling, Thure Pavlo Hauser
Summary: Plants can form associations with microorganisms to improve their defense against herbivores. Metarhizium brunneum, a fungus known as an insect pathogen, can associate with cabbage roots and enhance myrosinase activity when attacked by Plutella xylostella larvae. This study investigates whether another Metarhizium species, M. robertsii, also enhances plant defense and whether this involves leaf glucosinolate content. Results show that M. robertsii can establish in Brassica roots, and immediately after herbivory, the glucosinolate content and myrosinase activity are higher in fungal-inoculated plants. However, these defense levels decrease 24 hours after herbivory. This suggests that root-associated Metarhizium species can indirectly affect above-ground herbivores through host plant priming.
ARTHROPOD-PLANT INTERACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joana Carvalho Cachapa, Nicolai Vitt Meyling, Meike Burow, Thure Pavlo Hauser
Summary: Metarhizium brunneum can associate with plant roots and enhance plant defense by increasing myrosinase activity after leaf herbivory.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
A. Q. Nyrud, K. M. A. Heltorp, Anders Roos, Francisco X. Aguilar, Katja Lahtinen, Noora Viholainen, Sami Berghall, Anne Toppinen, B. J. Thorsen, Matleena Kniivila, Antti Haapala, Elias Hurmekoski, T. Hujala, H. F. Hoen
Summary: This study investigated public attitudes towards multi-storey wood buildings in seven European countries and found that the level of knowledge about wood buildings was lower in countries where brick, stone, and concrete were commonly used in construction, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark. Finland and Sweden had the most positive attitudes towards wood buildings. The study also identified factors such as fire vulnerability, material solidity, indoor environment, and moisture vulnerability that influenced people's perception of wood buildings as a nice place to live.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2024)
