Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kel Cook, Jyotsna Sharma, Andrew D. Taylor, Ian Herriott, D. Lee Taylor
Summary: This study explored the spatial structure and substrate specificity of fungal communities in the canopy of a Costa Rican tropical rainforest. The results showed significant positive spatial autocorrelation and distance decay of similarity of fungal communities at small scales, with high turnover and low similarity among samples. The composition and diversity of fungal communities varied among substrate types.
Article
Ecology
Chuliang Song, Tadashi Fukami, Serguei Saavedra
Summary: This study introduces a theoretical framework to understand the impact of immigration history on local community assembly and predictability. The diversity of potential priority effects increases super-exponentially with the number of species, but can be classified into four basic types that reduce community predictability.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sean R. Anderson, Elizabeth L. Harvey
Summary: Microbial interactions have significant impacts on ocean biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. A study on microbial networks in a river estuary revealed changes in relationships between different environmental periods, indicating the prevalence of mutualistic, competitive, or predatory relationships among microbes. Continuous monitoring of microbial communities is crucial for predicting microbial dynamics and biogeochemical processes in marine ecosystems.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Luisa M. Manici, Isabella De Meo, Maria Ludovica Sacca, Enrico Ceotto, Francesco Caputo, Alessandro Paletto
Summary: This study investigated the changes in fungal community of deadwood based on the host plants and wood degradation levels. The results showed that the composition of wood colonizing fungal communities varied depending on the host plants and wood decay. White rot fungal species were dominant in black locust and poplar, while lignin-degrading ascomycete Daldinia chilidiae colonized willow along with fungi associated with tree dieback.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lisa Fagerli Lunde, Rannveig Jacobsen, Havard Kauserud, Lynne Boddy, Line Nybakken, Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, Tone Birkemoe
Summary: During the decomposition of organic matter, the assembly history, resource quality, and the arrival of primary and secondary colonizers can affect the composition of fungal communities and the rate of wood decay. The study found that the gradient of fungal community composition is related to resource quality and that the initial fungal community explains the variation in community composition. Additionally, the exclusion of invertebrates has a lasting impact on fungal communities.
Article
Ecology
Mathieu Landry, Patrick M. A. James, Dan Kneeshaw, Steven W. Kembel
Summary: This study evaluates the relative importance of spatial, environmental, and host-associated factors on the microbial community composition of the eastern spruce budworm. The results show significant variation in microbial communities among sites and between host tree species, with foliage microbial communities and spatial structure playing a significant role. However, the drivers of spatial variation and the establishment of bacteria other than from foliage remain open questions.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jia-Ho Shiu, Che-Hung Lin, Aziz Jabir Mulla, Viet Do Hung Dang, Chia-Ling Fong, Yoko Nozawa
Summary: The study found that both ex situ and in situ environments have significant impacts on the bacterial communities of coral offspring, while the bacterial composition in maternal colonies is less influenced by environmental changes. Dominant bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) varied between in situ and ex situ environments in the eggs of Dipsastraea speciosa. For Heliopora coerulea samples, the composition of bacterial communities among larvae was more diverse in in situ environments.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sebastian Steibl, Gerhard Gebauer, Christian Laforsch
Summary: Human land use has a growing impact on island ecosystems, especially on food webs. Different land use regimes, such as tourism and urban development, can significantly alter the structure and characteristics of food webs on small oceanic islands. This study found that tourism land use reduced trophic diversity and increased trophic niche widths, while urban land use resulted in reduced trophic diversity at the base of the food web and a more uneven trophic niche distribution. These findings suggest that oceanic islands may face unpredictable long-term changes in food web dynamics due to human land conversion.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Miriam N. Ojima, Lin Jiang, Aleksandr A. Arzamasov, Keisuke Yoshida, Toshitaka Odamaki, Jinzhong Xiao, Aruto Nakajima, Motomitsu Kitaoka, Junko Hirose, Tadasu Urashima, Toshihiko Katoh, Aina Gotoh, Douwe van Sinderen, Dmitry A. Rodionov, Andrei L. Osterman, Mikiyasu Sakanaka, Takane Katayama
Summary: This study applied assembly theory to investigate the formation of bifidobacterial communities in the infant gut. The results showed that arrival order and sugar consumption phenotypes significantly affected community formation. Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis dominated through inhibitory priority effects, while Bifidobacterium breve benefited from facilitative priority effects and utilized a specific degradant to dominate. This study highlights the importance of initial community assembly and its impact on the maturation trajectory of the infant gut microbiota.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Minglong Liu, Xianlin Ke, Xiaoyu Liu, Xiaorong Fan, Youzun Xu, Lianqing Li, Zakaria M. Solaiman, Genxing Pan
Summary: In a rice field experiment, the effects of biochar soil amendment on plant growth were found to be influenced by crop genotypes, with different genotypes showing significant variations in growth and nutrient uptake under biochar addition. Genotype effects were shown to be significantly correlated to agronomic traits and nutrient accumulation, with a negative correlation to biochar effects. Further studies on the interaction between biochar effects and crop genotypes are needed to optimize biochar application in crop production.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Michele Libralato, Alessandra De Angelis, Onorio Saro, Menghao Qin, Carsten Rode
Summary: Wood decay risk assessment of building envelopes is commonly performed using Heat and Moisture Transfer (HMT) simulations and damage models. Considering hysteresis in HMT simulations can have a significant impact on the accuracy of risk assessment, highlighting the importance of choosing the correct sorption curve for accurate results.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Ryan C. Burner, Tone Birkemoe, Jorg G. Stephan, Lukas Drag, Joerg Muller, Otso Ovaskainen, Maria Potterf, Olav Skarpaas, Tord Snall, Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
Summary: Wood-living beetles play a significant role in forest biodiversity and ecosystem services, with oak trees showing the highest association with beetle species. Most beetle species are more likely to be captured in near-natural forests. The study highlights the importance of prioritizing conservation of near-natural forests and oak trees to protect the habitat of red-listed species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Veronica Farrugia Drakard, Ally J. Evans, Tasman P. Crowe, Pippa J. Moore, Jennifer Coughlan, Paul R. Brooks
Summary: This study retrofitted VertipoolsTM on eight seawalls along the Irish Sea coastline and found that they attracted similar levels of biotic colonisation and functioning in a variety of temperate environmental contexts. This suggests that they could be considered for widespread implementation as an eco-engineering solution.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jiri Hulcr, Demian F. Gomez, James Skelton, Andrew J. Johnson, Sawyer Adams, You Li, Michelle A. Jusino, Matthew E. Smith
Summary: The recent invasion and rapid spread of Ambrosiodmus minor and its fungal associate Flavodon subulatus in the Southeastern US has impacted the wood decay community, previously considered immune to non-native ambrosia beetles.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Amruta Rajarajan, Justyna Wolinska, Jean-Claude Walser, Stuart R. Dennis, Piet Spaak
Summary: This study investigated the variation of bacterial communities among different host genotypes in D. galeata water fleas and examined the relationship between genetic distance and bacterial community divergence. The results indicate that host genotype may shape the bacterial community structure, but genetic distances between hosts do not correlate with diverging bacterial communities.
Article
Plant Sciences
Anna Rawlings, Eoin O'Connor, Suzy C. Moody, Ed Dudley, Lynne Boddy, Mike S. Fowler, David A. Fitzpatrick, Sean Doyle, Dan C. Eastwood
Summary: The decomposition of lignin-rich wood by fungi plays a crucial role in nutrient recycling in woodland ecosystems, with fluctuating temperatures affecting ecosystem functioning. Metabolomics and proteomics can provide insights into the metabolic processes influenced by fluctuating abiotic conditions.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Maria Greco, Natasha Spadafora, Martin Shine, Ann Smith, Antonella Muto, Innocenzo Muzzalupo, Adriana Chiappetta, Leonardo Bruno, Carsten Muller, Hilary Rogers, M. Beatrice Bitonti
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of cultivar, location, and fruit maturity stage on the flavor and composition of olive oil. The results showed that specific markers could distinguish olive oils from different cultivars, locations, and fruit maturity stages, which is of great importance for quality control of olive oil.
JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meaghan N. Evans, Simon Waller, Carsten T. Muller, Benoit Goossens, Jeremy A. Smith, Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, Peter Kille
Summary: Patterns and practices of agricultural expansion pose a threat to global biodiversity. In this study, the impacts of the global palm oil industry on wildlife species were investigated, with a focus on the wild Malay civets in a degraded landscape in Malaysian Borneo. The levels of metals in the civets' hair were measured, and their association with biological and environmental factors was examined. The study found that metal concentrations were influenced by civet age, weight, proximity to a tributary, and access to oxbow lakes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth H. Hart, Sarah R. Christofides, Teri E. Davies, Pauline Rees Stevens, Christopher J. Creevey, Carsten T. Mueller, Hilary J. Rogers, Alison H. Kingston-Smith
Summary: This study investigated how the plant response to climate change affects forage quality and subsequent rumen fermentation. The results indicate that breeding future forage varieties should target tolerance of acute stress rather than long term climate.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Hilary Joan Rogers
Summary: The epigenetic reprogramming through genome-wide histone H3 acetylation (H3K9ac) plays an important role in rice leaf senescence.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sarah R. Christofides, Anita Setarehnejad, Ruth Fairchild, Innocenzo Muzzalupo, Leonardo Bruno, Antonella Muto, Adriana Chiappetta, Maria B. Bitonti, Carsten T. Muller, Hilary J. Rogers, Natasha D. Spadafora
Summary: This study compared the appreciation and purchase decision factors of nectarines between Italy and the UK. The study found that named varieties were more important to Italian respondents, while ripeness, price, and taste were more important to UK respondents. Additionally, fruits at the commercial harvest stage were preferred.
Article
Agronomy
Richard A. Ludlow, Gareth Evans, Michael Graz, Gracia Marti, Puri Castillo Martinez, Hilary J. Rogers, Carsten T. Muller
Summary: This study investigates the storage issue of garlic. By measuring the quality traits and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the study identifies predictive markers for cold stress and emphasizes the need for realistic warehouse experiments.
POSTHARVEST BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth H. Hart, Sarah R. Christofides, Teri E. Davies, Pauline Rees Stevens, Christopher J. Creevey, Carsten T. Muller, Hilary J. Rogers, Alison H. Kingston-Smith
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Antonella Muto, Leonardo Bruno, Maria Letizia Madeo, Richard Ludlow, Michele Ferrari, Louise Stimpson, Claudio LoGiudice, Ernesto Picardi, Antonio Ferrante, Luisa Pasti, Carsten T. Muller, Adriana Ada Ceverista Chiappetta, Hilary J. Rogers, Maria Beatrice Bitonti, Natasha Damiana Spadafora
Summary: This study used transcriptomic analysis to investigate the regulatory pathways involved in fruit deterioration before chilling injury occurs in peach and nectarine. Common pathways were activated in both cultivars during cold storage, but there were also cultivar-specific differences.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hilary J. Rogers
Summary: Floral senescence is a fundamental process in plant development and has ecological, agricultural, and cut flower production significance. The biochemical changes occurring during floral senescence have been well-studied, but the initiation and regulation of the process and inter-organ communication are still not fully understood. Ethylene and other plant growth regulators play important roles, and omics approaches have provided valuable insights, but further research is needed to verify mechanisms and interactions.
BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Agricultural Engineering
A. Muto, C. T. Muller, L. Bruno, M. Ferrari, A. Ferrante, E. Picardi, A. A. C. Chiappetta, M. B. Bitonti, H. J. Rogers, N. D. Spadafora
Summary: Both peaches and nectarines are susceptible to chilling injury during chilled storage, but nectarines show more resistance. Transcriptome analysis of peach and nectarine cultivars revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) increased with storage, with more DEGs in nectarines. Some of these DEGs may serve as useful markers to predict chilling injury development.
X INTERNATIONAL PEACH SYMPOSIUM
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Agricultural Engineering
A. Muto, C. Muller, I. Muzzalupo, L. Bruno, T. M. Sirangelo, A. Chiappetta, M. B. Bitonti, H. J. Rogers, N. D. Spadafora
Summary: This study assessed the effects of cold storage on the volatilome and sensory evaluation of the peach fruit cultivar 'Sagittaria'. The results showed correlations between certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and flavor traits, suggesting potential use in improving the sensory changes during cold storage. These findings could be valuable for peach breeders and for assessing fruit quality in the supply chain.
X INTERNATIONAL PEACH SYMPOSIUM
(2022)