Article
Soil Science
Apolline Auclerc, Lea Beaumelle, Sandra Barantal, Matthieu Chauvat, Jerome Corte, Tania De Almeida, Anne-Maimiti Dulaurentg, Thierry Dutoit, Sophie Joimel, Geoffroy Sere, Olivier Blight
Summary: Ecological engineering in degraded ecosystems often manipulates plants and soil biota for restoration. However, soil invertebrates have been underused in restoration efforts, despite their important role in soil ecological processes and plant-soil feedback. This review highlights the potential of using soil invertebrate functional traits for ecosystem restoration, focusing on traits related to nutrient and carbon cycling, pollutant detoxification, soil structure arrangement, and biological control. The paper proposes guidelines for integrating soil organism traits into ecological engineering and identifies knowledge gaps and limitations.
Article
Ecology
Megan Fitzgerald, Karla Gonzalez, Jennifer L. Funk, Christine R. Whitcraft, Bengt J. Allen
Summary: This study confirms that incorporating biodiversity into restoration designs can enhance ecosystem function, and the positive effects of diversity on ecosystem functions will strengthen over time. The results demonstrate that complementarity becomes more important post-restoration compared to selection effects, contributing to higher productivity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Martin Freitag, Norbert Hoelzel, Lena Neuenkamp, Fons van der Plas, Peter Manning, Anna Abrahao, Joana Bergmann, Runa Boeddinghaus, Ralph Bolliger, Ute Hamer, Ellen Kandeler, Till Kleinebecker, Klaus-Holger Knorr, Sven Marhan, Margot Neyret, Daniel Prati, Gaetane Le Provost, Hugo Saiz, Mark van Kleunen, Deborah Schaefer, Valentin H. H. Klaus
Summary: Experimental evidence shows that grassland plant diversity enhances ecosystem functioning. However, transferring these results to naturally assembled ecosystems remains challenging due to environmental variation and confounding factors. Our study creates gradients of species richness in agricultural grasslands and finds that only a few ecosystem functions respond to plant diversity, mainly related to nitrogen cycling. Among different sites, environmental conditions and land use have greater effects on ecosystem functioning. In conclusion, restoration of plant diversity in naturally assembled grasslands may have limited impact on ecosystem functioning.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sarah Mayor, Eric Allan, Florian Altermatt, Forest Isbell, Michael E. Schaepman, Bernhard Schmid, Pascal A. Niklaus
Summary: Numerous biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiments have shown that plant community productivity typically increases with species diversity. Additionally, research has found that the relationship between species diversity and functioning depends on the spatial scale considered, and ecological systems are hierarchically structured with additional biological variation.
Article
Ecology
Shinichi Tatsumi, Michel Loreau
Summary: Plant density and size are crucial factors affecting plant survival, growth and yield. However, their explicit analysis in the context of biodiversity-productivity relationships is rare. In this study, we derive equations to partition the effects of biodiversity into components that reflect diversity-induced changes in plant density and size, and find contrasting ways in which plant density and size regulate yield in species mixtures.
Article
Biology
Patrick L. Thompson, Sonia Kefi, Yuval R. Zelnik, Laura E. Dee, Shaopeng Wang, Claire de Mazancourt, Michel Loreau, Andrew Gonzalez
Summary: The study used a Lotka-Volterra competition model to simulate the scale dependence of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, finding that more biodiversity is required to maintain functioning at larger spatial and temporal scales, with the autocorrelation of environmental heterogeneity influencing the rate at which the number of species needed increases.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Martin Marzidovsek, Vid Podpecan, Erminia Conti, Marko Debeljak, Christian Mulder
Summary: BEFANA is a tool for ecological network analysis and visualization, specifically designed for ecologists. It provides various functionalities and methods, such as data loading and preprocessing, network analysis and visualization, and predictive modeling using machine learning.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Pushuang Li, Dan Li, Xiaoqing Sun, Zhaosheng Chu, Ting Xia, Binghui Zheng
Summary: With global warming and urbanization, river ecosystems are facing increasing pressures, leading to ecosystem degradation and biodiversity decline. Ecological restoration technologies (ERTs) can effectively improve habitat and biodiversity, contributing to the recovery and promotion of healthy rivers. This study summarizes various applications of ERTs and discusses their pros and cons, aiming to understand their applicability and limitations on river ecosystems. It is recommended to establish a unified river health evaluation system to further enhance the development and effectiveness of ERTs.
Review
Ecology
Gianalberto Losapio, Luisa Genes, Christopher J. Knight, Tyler N. McFadden, Lucas Pavan
Summary: Biodiversity is vital for ecosystem functioning, and ecosystem engineers are species that have a significant impact on ecological processes. However, their role is often overlooked and difficult to measure. Understanding ecosystem engineers is crucial for mitigating biodiversity loss and maintaining healthy ecosystems.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
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)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Min Wang, Qinghua Liu, Xueyong Pang
Summary: Roadside slope restoration techniques generally enhance restoration effectiveness, but the recovery rate may vary over space and time. Synthetic techniques and species selection have more positive impacts on restoring slopes compared to erosion control, seed spraying, and substrate amelioration. Factors such as vegetation condition, soil quality, and species diversity were found to be negatively correlated with restoration time.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maria D. Perles-Garcia, Matthias Kunz, Andreas Fichtner, Nora Meyer, Werner Haerdtle, Goddert von Oheimb
Summary: Reforestation in sloping terrain is crucial for soil erosion control and sustainable watershed management. However, the mechanical stability of reforested stands can be compromised due to tree crown asymmetry. Our study found that neighbourhood tree species richness and slope inclination significantly reduce crown asymmetry.
Article
Ecology
James Reed, Koen Kusters, Jos Barlow, Michael Balinga, Joli Rumi Borah, Rachel Carmenta, Colas Chervier, Houria Djoudi, Davison Gumbo, Yves Laumonier, Kaala B. Moombe, Elizabeth L. Yuliani, Terry Sunderland
Summary: ILAs that aim to balance conservation and development need to incorporate ecological factors and consider potential trade-offs. Re-integrating ecology into ILAs will not only improve ecological understanding, but also generate insights into local and traditional knowledge. Better incorporation of the ecological dimension requires engaging relevant stakeholders using participatory methods.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jakob Runge
Summary: Detecting and quantifying causal relations in ecosystem functioning is challenging and involves reasoning about underlying assumptions. A global study on grasslands highlights the importance of considering confounding, nonlinearity, and determinism in modern causal inference approaches in ecology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Quanqin Shao, Shuchao Liu, Jia Ning, Guobo Liu, Fan Yang, Xiongyi Zhang, Linan Niu, Haibo Huang, Jiangwen Fan, Jiyuan Liu
Summary: We propose a theoretical framework to evaluate the ecological benefits of key national ecological projects in China. Through ground survey and remote sensing data, we generated a dataset of primary and secondary indicators related to ecosystem structure, quality, and services. Our study found that areas with higher degrees of ecological restoration were mainly located in specific regions, and the contributions of climatic factors and ecological projects to changes in vegetation and water erosion were quantified. The study highlights the importance of considering climate conditions and implementing comprehensive measures to maximize the benefits of ecological investment funds.
JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Flavia G. Florido, Jussara B. Regitano, Pedro A. M. Andrade, Fernando D. Andreote, Pedro H. S. Brancalion
Summary: Glyphosate spraying has shown to be cost-effective in vegetation control, improving tree planting performance and promoting plant regeneration, but caution is needed to avoid residues in soil and water sources during application.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Statistics & Probability
John Haslett, Andrew C. Parnell, John Hinde, Rafael de Andrade Moral
Summary: The paper discusses the analysis of count data with an unusually large number of zero counts, focusing on over-dispersion (OD) and zero-inflation (ZI) models. These two approaches can be seen as complementary, with the central objective typically being inference on the effect of covariates on the mean.
INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL REVIEW
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Karen D. Holl, Justin C. Luong, Pedro H. S. Brancalion
Summary: The extensive evidence suggests that restoration practices often result in lower regional diversity compared to reference landscapes. This is due to the selection of easily-grown species with high survival rates, which reduces genetic diversity. To counteract biotic homogenization, reintroducing species adapted to localized conditions and unlikely to colonize naturally, periodically reintroducing propagules from remnant populations to increase genetic diversity, and reintroducing higher trophic level fauna to restore interaction networks that promote habitat heterogeneity are discussed. Policy changes, such as regional coordination among restoration groups, financial incentives for conservation-valued species, and experimental designations for rare species introductions, can also increase regional diversity.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Daniela Milanez Silva, Victor Hugo Moura de Souza, Rafael de Andrade Moral, Italo Delalibera Junior, Gabriel Moura Mascarin
Summary: In this study, the effect of different liquid media on the growth of P. lilacinum and P. chlamydosporia was assessed. The most promising isolates were found to promote plant growth and control pests. The results demonstrated the possibility of producing high concentrations of spores through liquid culture and the effectiveness of seed treatment in reducing pest populations.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mladen Cucak, Dalphy O. C. Harteveld, Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Tobin L. Peever, Rafael de Andrade Moral, Chakradhar Mattupalli
Summary: Mummy berry, caused by Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi, is the most important disease of blueberry in North America. Current management strategies rely on prophylactic fungicide sprays, but predicting the timing of ascospore release and primary infection risk can improve these strategies.
Review
Biology
Anazelia M. M. Tedesco, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Michelle L. Hak Hepburn, Khalil Walji, Kerrie A. A. Wilson, Hugh P. P. Possingham, Angela J. J. Dean, Nick Nugent, Katerina Elias-Trostmann, Katharina-Victoria Perez-Hammerle, Jonathan R. R. Rhodes
Summary: Forest restoration is a scalable nature-based solution that aims to achieve global environmental and socio-economic goals. Incentive mechanisms play a crucial role in promoting restoration success, but their impact is not well-understood. Socio-economic factors have a significant influence on implementation and program success, highlighting the importance of assessing and managing these factors.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leo Eiti Haneda, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Paulo G. Molin, Matheus Pinheiro Ferreira, Carlos Alberto Silva, Catherine Torres de Almeida, Angelica Faria Resende, Giulio Brossi Santoro, Marcos Rosa, Joannes Guillemot, Guerric Le Maire, Jean-Baptiste Feret, Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida
Summary: Forest landscape restoration (FLR) commitments have been established to restore over 200 million hectares in the past years. Remote sensing techniques and innovative technologies are strategic for planning and monitoring FLR programs, but there are still unresolved questions. This study evaluated the potential of multispectral orbital images to classify different tree cover classes commonly found in FLR programs.
REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS-SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Igor Jose Malfetoni Ferreira, Wesley Augusto Campanharo, Marisa Gesteira Fonseca, Maria Isabel Sobral Escada, Marcelo Trindade Nascimento, Dora M. Villela, Pedro Brancalion, Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago, Liana Oighenstein Anderson, Laszlo Nagy, Luiz E. O. C. Aragao
Summary: Increases in aboveground biomass density (AGB) are projected for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (AF) domain by the end of the 21st century, with suitable climatic conditions for biomass increase in 76.9% of the AF. However, 2.6% of the forest fragments are projected to have reduced AGB. These findings should be considered in climate change mitigation strategies and restoration efforts in the AF and Brazil.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Viviane Dib, Pedro H. S. Brancalion, Sin Chan Chou, Miguel Cooper, David Ellison, Vinicius F. Farjalla, Solange Filoso, Paula Meli, Aliny P. F. Pires, Daniel A. Rodriguez, Alvaro Iribarrem, Agnieszka Ewa Latawiec, Fabio R. Scarano, Adrian L. Vogl, Carlos Eduardo de Viveiros Grelle, Bernardo Strassburg
Summary: Although native vegetation plays a crucial role in maintaining aquatic ecosystems, forest restoration efforts have been found to decrease water yields worldwide. This study clarifies the connection between forest restoration and water services and identifies gaps in the literature that hinder the assessment of the benefits of forest restoration on water yields. The authors suggest strategies to improve forest restoration planning and implementation and emphasize the need for future research to consider hydrologic parameters beyond annual streamflow and encompass broader spatial-temporal scales.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Camille Girard-Tercieux, Isabelle Marechaux, Adam T. Clark, James S. Clark, Benoit Courbaud, Claire Fortunel, Joannes Guillemot, Georges Kunstler, Guerric le Maire, Raphael Pelissier, Nadja Rueger, Ghislain Vieilledent
Summary: Intraspecific variability (IV) plays a crucial role in species coexistence in forest plant communities. The large observed IV is influenced by the high-dimensional environmental variation. This highlights the importance of considering the response of individuals to the high-dimensional environment when studying species coexistence.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Fisheries
Julien Mainguy, Martin Belanger, Eliane Valiquette, Simon Bernatchez, Leon L'Italien, Russell B. Millar, Rafael de Andrade Moral
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Rafael A. Moral, Rishabh Vishwakarma, John Connolly, Laura Byrne, Catherine Hurley, John A. Finn, Caroline Brophy
Summary: Biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) studies aim to understand the response of ecosystems to species diversity. Generalised Diversity-Interactions (DI) models are suitable for analysing the BEF relationship by considering the identity, evenness, and interactions of species. However, using richness alone as a measure of species diversity may not capture important patterns in the BEF relationship. The DImodels R package provides a more comprehensive approach to modelling species diversity, resulting in improved model fit and a deeper ecological understanding of the BEF relationship.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Review
Forestry
Leticia Bulascoschi Cagnoni, Emanuela W. A. Weidlich, Joannes Guillemot, Carla Morselo, Martin Weih, Anneli Adler, Pedro H. S. Brancalion
Summary: This article evaluates stakeholders' perspectives on tree-species diversity in plantations and explores policy alternatives to make mixed plantations a viable strategy for climate change adaptation. Recent evidence shows that increasing tree species diversity in plantations can be a sustainable and economically accessible strategy for wood production while also providing environmental benefits.
CURRENT FORESTRY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Rafael A. Moral, Zhi Chen, Shuai Zhang, Sally McClean, Gabriel R. Palma, Brahim Allan, Ian Kegel
Summary: Customer churn prediction is a valuable task in many industries, and in the telecommunications industry, it is particularly challenging due to the high dimensionality of the data and the difficulty in identifying underlying frustration signatures. In this study, a novel Bayesian hierarchical joint model is proposed to characterize customer profiles based on television watching behavior. The model effectively reduces the dimensionality of the data while maintaining high descriptive and predictive capabilities. Testing the methodology using real data yielded high accuracy in predicting churn, with a true positive rate of 100% and a false positive rate as low as 14%. The proposed methodology provides an efficient way to reduce data dimensionality and improve churn prediction in the telecommunications industry.
