Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katie Miaow, Donnabella Lacap-Bugler, Hannah L. Buckley
Summary: This study addresses the dispersal of microbes in the air and the molecular methods for characterizing microbial diversity in the air, highlighting the importance of choosing the appropriate bioinformatics tools and databases.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Eve M. Mozur, Ram Seshadri
Summary: Magnetic materials have significant applications in modern society and magnetic measurements provide essential information for a wide range of materials. Practical aspects of magnetic measurements require experience that cannot be obtained solely from textbooks and user manuals. This article aims to clarify magnetic measurements for nonexperts by discussing best practices and providing illustrative examples.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Stephanie D. Jurburg, Francois Buscot, Antonis Chatzinotas, Narendrakumar M. Chaudhari, Adam T. Clark, Magda Garbowski, Matthias Grenie, Erik F. Y. Hom, Canan Karakoc, Susanne Marr, Steffen Neumann, Mika Tarkka, Nicole M. van Dam, Alexander Weinhold, Anna Heintz-Buschart
Summary: This article examines the impact of technical biases and noise introduced during sample preparation and data collection on the estimation of molecular diversity. It also explores how novel methods from community ecology can improve the interpretation and integration of multivariate molecular data.
Article
Ecology
Sandor Zsebok, Denes Schmera, Miklos Laczi, Gergely Nagy, Eva Vaskuti, Janos Torok, Laszlo Zsolt Garamszegi
Summary: Studying the diversity of animal signals is crucial for understanding the evolution of communication systems, but current methods for quantifying acoustic diversity have limitations. The authors propose a new framework that utilizes tools from community ecology to decompose acoustic diversity and characterize the complexity of animal communication systems. By applying different diversity estimates, they can reveal additional insights about the function and evolution of communication systems, beyond traditional methods.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Na-ying Li, Jia-hui Qu, Jin-yan Yang
Summary: The widespread use of plastic film in agriculture has led to the accumulation of residual plastic film in the soil, mostly in the form of microplastics. The effects of different film mulching methods on soil ecosystems are not well-studied.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Georgia R. Harrison, Laura M. Boggess, Jessica M. Budke, Michael D. Madritch
Summary: This study investigated the effects of rock-climbing on diversity, abundance, and composition of cliff-face vegetation. The results showed that unclimbed cliffs supported more diverse and different species than climbed cliffs. However, site variability was more important than climbing in differentiating cliff community composition.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miriam Hernandez-Morales, Victor Han, Richard H. Kramer, Chunlei Liu
Summary: FeRIC is a magnetogenetic technique using RF alternating magnetic fields to activate TRPV channels and increase cytosolic Ca2+ levels. The interaction between RF and ferritin increases free cytosolic iron levels, triggering the activation of specific pathological channels.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Allison K. Walker, Brent M. Robicheau
Summary: This study investigated fungal communities in intertidal areas of Gulf of Mexico sand beaches in the United States, and found that fungal diversity increased with decreasing latitude and was strongly influenced by substrate type.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Theodor Sperlea, Jan Philip Schenk, Hagen Dressler, Daniela Beisser, Georges Hattab, Jens Boenigk, Dominik Heider
Summary: Microbes play a vital role in element cycling and ecosystem functioning, yet there are still many unanswered questions about their role in ecology. This study analyzes the relationship between lake microbiomes and the land cover surrounding the lakes using machine learning methods. The results show that the microbial community of the lakes is significantly correlated with herbaceous and open spaces, but the correlation with land cover categories is generally lower than with physico-chemical parameters. The integration of land cover and physico-chemical bioindicators provides insights into the environmental drivers of the lake microbial community composition and allows for the study of the ecosystem's structure from the standpoint of the microbiome.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Feilun Wu, Yuanchi Ha, Andrea Weiss, Meidi Wang, Jeffrey Letourneau, Shangying Wang, Nan Luo, Shuquan Huang, Charlotte T. Lee, Lawrence A. David, Lingchong You
Summary: Spatial partitioning modulates the dynamics of microbial communities, promoting the persistence of populations with negative interactions and suppressing those with positive interactions. An intermediate level of partitioning maximizes the overall diversity of the community.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Liat Shenhav, Meghan B. Azad
Summary: Human milk is a complex and dynamic biological system that plays a crucial role in nourishing and protecting human infants. However, our current understanding of its composition and functions fails to fully recognize the importance of its chronobiology and systems biology. This knowledge gap can be attributed to the isolated study of each subsystem of the mother-milk-infant triad, limited consideration of temporal variability, and lack of computational methods to characterize and decipher the complex ecosystem. Longitudinal multiomics data collection and the integration of microbial community ecology and computational methods offer promising avenues for advancing the study of human milk as a comprehensive system.
Article
Entomology
Jordan P. Cuff, Fredric M. Windsor, Emma C. Gilmartin, Lynne Boddy, T. Hefin Jones
Summary: The study found significant differences in the biological communities inhabiting rot holes with different environmental conditions, with environmental conditions playing a crucial role in shaping the structure of invertebrate communities. The strong link between environmental conditions and invertebrate communities in rot holes suggests the importance of promoting environmental heterogeneity to enhance invertebrate diversity in deadwood habitats.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lan Zhang, Guowen Huang, Yongtao Li, Shitai Bao
Summary: Building sustainable cities and human communities is a key goal of the United Nations, with the sustainability of culture playing a crucial role. Language, as an important carrier of culture, is essential for ensuring cultural sustainability. Quantitative studies of linguistic niches can provide valuable insights for measuring the level of sustainable development of language and culture, guiding macro-control policies for sustainable development.
Article
Ecology
Emily B. Graham, Joseph E. Knelman
Summary: Understanding the processes of microbial community assembly is crucial for comprehending the role of microorganisms in ecosystem restoration and for optimizing management strategies. Important factors to consider when evaluating microbial community structure in the context of ecosystem recovery include: variations in community assembly processes, linkages to ecosystem function, and measurable microbial community attributes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Linsey E. Haram, James T. Carlton, Luca Centurioni, Mary Crowley, Jan Hafner, Nikolai Maximenko, Cathryn Clarke Murray, Andrey Y. Shcherbina, Verena Hormann, Cynthia Wright, Gregory M. Ruiz
Summary: The discovery of persistent coastal species in the open ocean challenges our understanding of biogeographic barriers. Additionally, the emergence of a new sea surface community supported by floating plastic debris suggests potentially significant ecological shifts in the marine environment.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Veera Norros, Panu Halme, Anna Norberg, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: The study found that spore production in fungi is influenced by environmental conditions and species traits. The timing and patterns of spore release are important for dispersal. There is a trade-off between spore size and number, and different species have different strategies in spore release timing.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Benjamin Weigel, Niina Kotamaki, Olli Malve, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Lake phytoplankton communities have undergone significant changes due to eutrophication, land-use, and climate change, resulting in the emergence of novel community types and functional differences. The spatio-temporal dynamics have strongly influenced the assembly mechanisms of phytoplankton communities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Leland K. Werden, Colin Averill, Thomas W. Crowther, Erick Calderon-Morales, Laura Toro, J. Pedro Alvarado, L. Milena Gutierrez, Danielle E. Mallory, Jennifer S. Powers
Summary: This study investigated the role of traits in mediating seedling survival and the coordination of traits across plant structures in tropical dry forest restoration. The results highlight the importance of below-ground traits in determining early restoration outcomes and show little coordination between above- and below-ground traits.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Laura Marques, Koen Hufkens, Christof Bigler, Thomas W. Crowther, Constantin M. Zohner, Benjamin D. Stocker
Summary: Leaf phenology plays a crucial role in regulating mass and energy fluxes during the growing season. The timing of leaf unfolding has been observed to occur earlier in Northern Hemisphere forests over the long-term. Phenological dates vary between years, with end-of-season dates correlating positively with start-of-season dates and negatively with net CO2 assimilation. This indicates the impact of leaf longevity constraints or premature carbon sink saturation on long-term phenology projections. However, multidecadal observations show a decadal trend towards later leaf senescence, along with increasing net carbon assimilation, contradicting the interannual scale relationship.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sirke Piirainen, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Magne Husby, John Atle Kalas, Ake Lindstrom, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Species distribution models are commonly used to predict the impact of climatic changes on species distributions. However, their ability to predict changes has rarely been evaluated. In this study, two validation methods were applied to assess the predictive performance of SDMs in Fennoscandia.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gabriela Zuquim, Mirkka M. Jones, Otso Ovaskainen, William Trujillo, Henrik Balslev
Summary: In this study, Bayesian hierarchical joint species distribution models were used to investigate the relationships between palm distribution and human use in western Amazonia. The results showed that soil characteristics, accessibility, and species pool size played important roles in defining the interactions between palms and humans. At the basin scale, the impact of human use on palm communities was predicted to be stronger in the species-poor southwest than in central-western Amazonia.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Sara Hamis, Panu Somervuo, J. Arvid Agren, Dagim Shiferaw Tadele, Juha Kesseli, Jacob G. G. Scott, Matti Nykter, Philip Gerlee, Dmitri Finkelshtein, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Spatial cumulant models (SCMs) provide a mathematical framework to accurately describe the dynamics of theoretical cancer cell populations generated by spatio-temporal point processes (STPPs). By using SCMs, we can study cell-cell interactions and design more effective treatment strategies to inhibit population growths.
JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Georgia Papadogeorgou, Carolina Bello, Otso Ovaskainen, David B. Dunson
Summary: Reductions in natural habitats require a better understanding of species' interconnection and how ecosystems respond to environmental changes. This study focuses on bird-plant interactions, specifically on potential fruit consumption and seed dispersal. The researchers develop a method for predicting species' interactions that addresses biases in existing studies and incorporates covariates to inform the latent factors.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Joao Carlos Pena, Otso Ovaskainen, Ian MacGregor-Fors, Camila Palhares Teixeira, Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Summary: The urbanization process leads to changes in bird communities, with highly urbanized areas exhibiting a reduced number of bird species sharing few functional traits. However, most urban bird studies have focused on temperate cities and vegetation patches. This study investigates how urban environmental attributes modulate species occurrences and the distribution of functional traits across the streetscape of a tropical metropolis, predicting diverse trait-environment relationships but fewer species with generalist traits in highly urbanized contexts.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Adrian Barrero, Otso Ovaskainen, Juan Traba, Julia Gomez-Catasus
Summary: The study investigates the co-occurrence patterns of steppe passerines in a natural habitat and suggests that competition and dominance processes play a significant role in shaping bird assemblages. The Eurasian skylark appears to be the dominant species in the community, negatively associating with many coexistent species.
Article
Ecology
Koen de Koning, Jeroen Broekhuijsen, Ingolf Kuehn, Otso Ovaskainen, Franziska Taubert, Dag Endresen, Dmitry Schigel, Volker Grimm
Summary: Digital twins are emerging as a new tool in monitoring and understanding systems and processes, with the potential to transform ecology digitally. However, it is crucial to avoid misguided developments and instead combine data, models, and domain knowledge and align them with the real world.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Camila Leandro, Mirkka Jones, William Perrin, Pierre Jay-Robert, Otso Ovaskainen
Summary: Mediterranean landscapes in Europe have recently experienced changes in biodiversity, with human activities and habitat fragmentation affecting dung beetles and their responses to landscape composition being rarely investigated.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhaofei Wu, Yongshuo H. Fu, Thomas W. Crowther, Shuxin Wang, Yufeng Gong, Jing Zhang, Yun-Peng Zhao, Ivan Janssens, Josep Penuelas, Constantin M. Zohner
Summary: The study found a non-linear effect of temperature on the spatial variation of spring phenological responsiveness in Ginkgo biloba trees, with the highest response rate at around 12 degrees Celsius. Trees in central China are currently the most responsive, and under a high-emission scenario, the maximum responsiveness is predicted to shift 4 degrees latitude towards higher latitudes over the rest of the century. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of spring phenology and can inform models of ecosystem functioning.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pengfa Li, Leho Tedersoo, Thomas W. Crowther, Baozhan Wang, Yu Shi, Lu Kuang, Ting Li, Meng Wu, Ming Liu, Lu Luan, Jia Liu, Dongzhen Li, Yongxia Li, Songhan Wang, Muhammad Saleem, Alex J. Dumbrell, Zhongpei Li, Jiandong Jiang
Summary: This study builds a global atlas of phytopathogenic fungi using over 20,000 globally distributed samples, and predicts that their diversity and invasion potential will increase globally by the end of this century, especially in forest and cropland ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Santangeli, Benjamin Weigel, Laura H. Anto, Elina Kaarlejaervi, Maria Haellfors, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Andreas Linden, Maija Salemaa, Tiina Tonteri, Paeivi Merilae, Kristiina Vuorio, Otso Ovaskainen, Jarno Vanhatalo, Tomas Roslin, Marjo Saastamoinen
Summary: Protected areas have mixed impacts on reducing local extinctions, with only a small proportion of species benefiting explicitly. The benefits of protection are related to the size and establishment time of the protected areas, but unrelated to the conservation status or traits of species. Improving coverage, connectivity, and management will be crucial to enhance the effectiveness of protected areas in slowing down biodiversity loss.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)