Review
Ecology
Heather M. Kharouba, E. M. Wolkovich
Summary: Climate change has caused widespread shifts in the timing of key life events between interacting species, which may result in negative fitness impacts (called "mismatch"). However, predicting the types of systems prone to mismatch remains a challenging task.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shuwen Zhang, Xiaomin Xia, Ying Ke, Shuqun Song, Zhuo Shen, Shunyan Cheung, Hongbin Liu
Summary: The study found that the blooms of Noctiluca scintillans and Mesodinium rubrum were largely influenced by physical factors such as wind and food supply. Additionally, biotic interactions and environmental factors also played important roles in the bloom events.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joseph D. Napier, Robert W. Heckman, Thomas E. Juenger
Summary: Plants exhibit a wide range of responses to environmental changes, with plasticity being one of the most remarkable. The evolution of plasticity relies on underlying genetic diversity within populations. Genotype-by-environment interactions (G x E) have been commonly studied to evaluate the role of genetic variation in driving plasticity differences. This review highlights the progress and promising methods for identifying the key environmental and genetic drivers of G x E.
Article
Ecology
Xoaquin Moreira, Luis Abdala-Roberts
Summary: State of the art theory predicts weaker herbivore pressure on islands than on the mainland, leading to lower investment in plant defenses against herbivory. While early studies supported this prediction, recent research questions this paradigm, suggesting that islands may actually experience higher herbivory and plant defenses. Further research is needed to reassess predictions and investigate underlying mechanisms for observed patterns.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ashish Prasad, Susmita Sett, Manoj Prasad
Summary: Under field conditions, plants face various detrimental stresses that impact crop productivity. Climate change and emergence of new pathogen strains worsen the situation. International trade facilitates resource sharing but also leads to the spread of viruses and pathogens. Paradigm shift in research methodology focuses on combined stress. This review discusses recent developments and strategies to tackle plant-virus-abiotic stress interactions.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Cheng Wenda, Juan Diego Gaitan-Espitia, Jaiber J. Solano-Iguaran, Akihiro Nakamura, Bartosz M. Majcher, Louise A. Ashton
Summary: Assessing the heat tolerance (CTmax) of organisms is crucial for understanding the impact of climate change on biodiversity. This study investigated how environment, evolutionary history, and their interactions influence species interactions in tropical rainforests under climate change. Findings showed that phylogeny played a significant role in determining heat tolerance in herbivore-parasitoid communities. The study also highlighted the vulnerability of parasitoids and herbivore control in tropical rainforests, particularly in the canopy.
Review
Microbiology
Janelle R. Robinson, Omoanghe S. Isikhuemhen, Felicia N. Anike
Summary: The mechanisms of metal absorption and resistance in fungi are still not fully understood, with yeast mainly achieving metal resistance through ion storage in vacuoles, while filamentous fungi heavily rely on cellular ion export for metal resistance.
Article
Ecology
Daniel Montoya
Summary: This study integrates empirical aquatic food webs with a multitrophic model to show that ecosystem function variability generally follows a hump-shaped pattern along the species richness gradient. The dependence of ecosystem function on species diversity is driven by both bottom-up and top-down control, which regulate taxa composition and dominance. An important implication of this study is that biodiversity loss may not only reduce the average levels of ecosystem functioning but also increase unpredictability by generating greater function variability.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Jessica T. Kansman, Mason Ward, Harper LaFond, Deborah L. Finke
Summary: This study investigated the impact of plant water stress intensity on parasitoid-host interactions, showing that mild water limitation may maximize parasitoid performance, while improved aphid suppression under high-stress conditions may be driven by enhanced nonconsumptive effects.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher L. Follett, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Francois Ribalet, Emily Zakem, David Caron, E. Virginia Armbrust, Michael J. Follows
Summary: Prochlorococcus is the smallest and most abundant photosynthesizing organism on Earth. It flourishes in warm oligotrophic gyres but declines rapidly in higher-latitude regions. A shared predation mechanism leads to the collapse of Prochlorococcus populations poleward.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guixin Li, Rutger A. A. Wilschut, Shuaiwei Luo, Han Chen, Xiangtai Wang, Guozhen Du, Stefan Geisen
Summary: Aboveground, large and higher trophic-level organisms often respond more strongly to environmental changes than small and lower trophic-level organisms. However, whether this trophic or size-dependent sensitivity also applies to the most abundant animals, microscopic soil-borne nematodes, remains largely unknown. Here, we sampled an altitudinal transect across the Tibetan Plateau and applied a community-weighted mean (CWM) approach to test how differences in climatic and edaphic properties affect nematode CWM biomass at the level of community, trophic group and taxon mean biomass within trophic groups. We found that climatic and edaphic properties, particularly soil water-related properties, positively affected nematode CWM biomass, with no overall impact of altitude on nematode CWM biomass. Higher trophic-level omnivorous and predatory nematodes responded more strongly to climatic and edaphic properties, particularly to temperature, soil pH, and soil water content than lower trophic-level bacterivorous and fungivorous nematodes. However, these differences were likely not (only) driven by size, as we did not observe significant interactions between climatic and edaphic properties and mean biomasses within trophic groups. Together, our research implies a stronger, size-independent trophic sensitivity of higher trophic-level nematodes compared with lower trophic-level ones. Therefore, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying nematode body size structure in alpine grasslands and highlight that traits independent of size need to be found to explain increased sensitivity of higher trophic-level nematodes to climatic and edaphic properties, which might affect soil functioning.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Ali Raza, Hajar Salehi, Md Atikur Rahman, Zainab Zahid, Maryam Madadkar Haghjou, Shiva Najafi-Kakavand, Sidra Charagh, Hany S. S. Osman, Mohammed Albaqami, Yuhui Zhuang, Kadambot H. M. Siddique, Weijian Zhuang
Summary: Global climate change has led to abiotic stresses that affect plant growth and productivity. Plants have developed various endogenous strategies, such as plant hormone biosynthesis, to withstand these stresses. Abiotic stresses disrupt normal transportation systems in plants, leading to oxidative stress. Plant defense systems, including enzymatic and non-enzymatic mechanisms, help protect plants from oxidative stress.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kevin H. Wyatt, Kevin S. McCann, Allison R. Rober, Merritt R. Turetsky
Summary: In peatlands, nutrient availability and trophic interactions both play a role in influencing carbon fluxes, with nutrients stimulating decomposition processes while predator-prey dynamics can either accelerate or reduce CO2 emissions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luis J. Gilarranz, Anita Narwani, Daniel Odermatt, Rosi Siber, Vasilis Dakos
Summary: Lakes are important indicators of global change, and understanding their stability and dynamics is crucial for studying ecosystem changes. In this study, we conducted a global assessment of regime shifts and stability in lakes, finding that some lakes exhibit tipping points and instability, which are influenced by population density and economic development.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Jing Li, Yongqing Yang
Summary: This review focuses on the mechanisms of ion and pH homeostasis in plant cells under saline-alkali stress, including regulation of ion sensing, uptake, exclusion, sequestration, and redistribution among organs through long-distance transport. Outstanding questions in this field are also discussed.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominic McAfee, Catherine Larkin, Sean D. Connell
Summary: A multi-species approach to habitat restoration can enhance the success of recovery for foundation species, especially in cases where positive interactions are rarely considered in restoration planning. By prioritizing species combinations that create emergent properties for their persistence, this approach can accelerate habitat recovery and the success of restoration programmes by having more ecological productivity and resilience.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Louise Solveig Norgaard, Giulia Ghedini, Ben L. Phillips, Matthew D. Hall
Summary: The spread of infectious disease depends on pathogen proliferation within hosts and the number of susceptible hosts in a patch. Energy intake and expenditure are closely related, with more excess energy available for hosts and pathogens at low population densities, which benefits host and pathogen growth.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ericka O. C. Coni, Ivan Nagelkerken, Camilo M. Ferreira, Sean D. Connell, David J. Booth
Summary: Climate warming is shifting temperate zones towards becoming more tropical, but ocean acidification may reduce sea urchin populations and the formation of sea urchin barrens, thus buffering the tropicalization process.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Natalia Petit-Marty, Ivan Nagelkerken, Sean D. Connell, Celia Schunter
Summary: Volcanic CO2 seeps can provide insights into species adaptation to ocean acidification, with some species benefiting from the altered environment. A study on a temperate fish species at CO2 seeps showed increased gene expression in gonad tissue, with up-regulated genes involved in pH homeostasis maintenance and increased metabolism, deviating from neutral evolution expectations and providing evidence for adaptive selection to ocean acidification. Adaptive selection likely targets regulatory sequences responsible for increased gene expression, allowing for fine-tuned physiological regulation to thrive at CO2 seeps. The study suggests that genetic variation in gene regulatory sequences could provide adaptive potential to future ocean acidification in fishes, and the methodology combining transcriptomics and genomics can be applied to infer adaptive potential in wild marine populations.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Brittany R. Williams, Dominic McAfee, Sean D. Connell
Summary: Technological solutions, such as enriching marine soundscapes, can accelerate the recovery of lost marine habitats by repairing the recruitment process and reducing the risks associated with relying on natural recruitment processes.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Camilo M. Ferreira, Sean D. Connell, Silvan U. Goldenberg, Ivan Nagelkerken
Summary: This study reveals a novel mechanism where a keystone herbivore mediates bottom-up and top-down processes simultaneously under future ocean acidification, resulting in altered food web interactions and predator populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Giulia Ghedini, Dustin J. Marshall, Michel Loreau
Summary: This study empirically assessed how species diversity affects biomass and energy fluxes in phytoplankton communities. Diverse communities produced net energy and biomass at faster rates, reaching greater maximum biomass but with no difference in maximum net energy production. Competition limits energy fluxes as biomass accumulates over time.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jonathan Y. S. Leung, Ivan Nagelkerken, Jennifer C. A. Pistevos, Zonghan Xie, Sam Zhang, Sean D. Connell
Summary: Ocean acidification and warming have an impact on the mechanical properties of shark teeth, but when combined together, the durability of teeth increases. The teeth are mainly made of fluorapatite, with increased fluoride content under acidified seawater, which may enhance the durability of the teeth.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brittany R. Williams, Dominic McAfee, Sean D. Connell
Summary: Marine soundscapes provide navigational cues for dispersing organisms, but with habitat loss, these soundscapes are becoming weaker. Using speakers to create healthy soundscapes can attract larvae and enhance recruitment, improving restoration efforts.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominic McAfee, Ian M. McLeod, Heidi K. Alleway, Melanie J. Bishop, Simon Branigan, Sean D. Connell, Craig Copeland, Christine M. Crawford, Ben K. Diggles, James A. Fitzsimons, Ben L. Gilby, Paul Hamer, Boze Hancock, Robert Pearce, Kylie Russell, Chris L. Gillies
Summary: Achieving a sustainable socioecological future requires large-scale environmental repair and a multidisciplinary approach. By generating scientific evidence, community support, and funding, the restoration of a forgotten shellfish reef ecosystem was successfully initiated. Aligning project goals with public and industry interests is crucial for addressing multiple political obligations and achieving large-scale ecosystem repair.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jonathan Y. S. Leung, Sam Zhang, Sean D. Connell
Summary: This study comprehensively evaluates the impact of ocean acidification on calcifiers, finding that many calcifiers have strong tolerance to future ocean acidification and their adaptability has been underestimated. It is suggested that future research should focus on how marine organisms survive in an ocean acidification environment.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ivan Nagelkerken, Sean D. Connell
Summary: The widely accepted paradigm of climate change altering global marine biodiversity remains difficult to test due to limitations of laboratory systems and common biodiversity metrics. This study examines the prevalence and sensitivity of global responses in biodiversity and community-level change to future climate (acidification and warming) through investigations at volcanic CO2 vents and laboratory mesocosms. The findings reveal globally replicable patterns of species replacements and community reshuffling under ocean acidification, highlighting the limitations of common biodiversity metrics in detecting such changes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Dominic McAfee, Brittany R. Williams, Lachlan McLeod, Andreas Reuter, Zak Wheaton, Sean D. Connell
Summary: Marine soundscapes play a crucial role in providing navigational cues for larvae searching for suitable habitats. A study conducted in Australia demonstrates that enriching marine soundscapes using speaker technology can significantly boost oyster recruitment and habitat formation. The use of speakers can influence the early recruitment of oysters, resulting in a larger number of large oysters that form three-dimensional habitats.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giulia Ghedini, Dustin J. Marshall
Summary: Competition drives rapid evolution, which affects the trajectory of ecological communities. Metabolic theory provides predictions for the evolution of metabolism and size under competition, but remains untested in eukaryotes. Experimental evolution of a eukaryotic microalga shows that the species evolves according to the predictions of metabolic theory, reducing metabolic costs and maximizing population carrying capacity through changes in cell size. Furthermore, the evolution of metabolic plasticity enables rapid co-evolution with competition, resulting in improvements in population growth rate and carrying capacity.
Article
Ecology
Brittany R. Williams, Dominic McAfee, Sean D. Connell
Summary: This study combines ecological knowledge and novel acoustic technology to enhance oyster recruitment in reef restoration. By broadcasting healthy reef soundscapes and introducing artificial kelp, the combination of acoustic enrichment and artificial kelp increases oyster recruitment to both the topside and underside of the substrate. These findings provide insight into the potential value of combining multiple techniques to kick-start the recovery of lost oyster reefs.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)