Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kenneth Dumack, Olga Ferlian, Deisy Morselli Gysi, Florine Degrune, Robin-Tobias Jauss, Susanne Walden, Husna Oeztoprak, Tesfaye Wubet, Michael Bonkowski, Nico Eisenhauer
Summary: Earthworm invasion affects the diversity of Cercozoa, with different forests showing distinct responses. The presence of 39 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) exclusively indicating earthworm invasion suggests an earthworm-associated community of Cercozoa. Particularly, the hyper-parasite Woronina pythii significantly increases in the presence of invasive earthworms, potentially impacting oomycete communities and forest health.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Umar Aftab Abbasi, Eskil Mattsson, Sarath Premalal Nissanka, Arshad Ali
Summary: Compared to temperate and boreal forests, tropical forests are biodiverse, structurally-complex and high-functioning ecosystems, but vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances and environmental factors. This study found that the attributes of tropical forests respond to water-related climatic and soil nutrient-related factors. Water-related climatic factors had a strong positive effect on forest conditions, followed by temperature-related climatic factors, while soil factors had negligible effects. Improving water-energy balance and soil conditions can increase biodiversity and carbon stocks of tropical forests, offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions. Conservation practices should consider multiple environmental and biotic attributes for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nico Eisenhauer, Francois Buscot, Anna Heintz-Buschart, Stephanie D. Jurburg, Kirsten Kuesel, Johannes Sikorski, Hans-Joerg Vogel, Carlos A. Guerra
Summary: Recent advances in soil macroecology studies have highlighted the importance of considering spatial three-dimensionality and additional dimensions (biological, physical, and societal) to improve mechanistic understanding. Future research should focus on exploring temporal dynamics across different scales and integrating various facets of biodiversity to inform policy and conservation actions. Integration of soil macroecology with global experiments is crucial to establish causal relationships and guide future research and funding efforts.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Alejandro Berlinches de Gea, Yann Hautier, Stefan Geisen
Summary: Biodiversity, both aboveground and belowground, is negatively affected by global changes such as drought or warming. This article highlights the need to understand the relationship between soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under the influence of interactive global change drivers. The results from scarce studies studying interactive effects range from antagonistic to additive to synergistic, indicating the importance of quantitatively accounting for the impacts of interactive global change drivers on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relationships.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Zhen Zhao, Xiaoling Wang, Weixin Zhang, Xiankai Lu, Tao Liu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of exotic and native earthworms on soil nutrients and micro-decomposers in a subtropical forest in southern China. The results showed that exotic earthworms significantly decreased nitrates in the soil and tended to decrease total nematode abundance compared to native earthworms. However, earthworms did not significantly affect soil microbial community composition.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andre L. C. Franco, Byron J. Adams, Melisa A. Diaz, Nathan P. Lemoine, Nicholas B. Dragone, Noah Fierer, W. Berry Lyons, Ian Hogg, Diana H. Wall
Summary: Studies have shown that Antarctic soil biotic communities have significantly changed in response to climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum. Newly exposed soils are more suitable for invertebrates compared to older soils, with faunal abundance and diversity strongly influenced by climate-driven changes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ruxia Qiao, Monika Mortimer, Jelizaveta Richter, Barbara Rani-Borges, Zhenyang Yu, Margit Heinlaan, Sijie Lin, Angela Ivask
Summary: Plastic contamination in the environment is a major concern and assessing the risk of micro-and nanoplastics is challenging. This study collected and analyzed toxicity data of polystyrene micro- and nanospheres in various organisms, finding that aquatic invertebrates were the most studied, nanosized PS was more frequently studied, acute exposures were more prevalent than chronic exposures, and 40% of the data showed no effects of PS on organisms. Future studies should focus on environmentally relevant plastics concentrations, wide range of organisms, co-exposures with other pollutants, and method development for plastics identification and quantification.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Huili Li, Yaqi Geng, Haowei Shi, Chao Wu, Zhen Yu, Hongxia Zhang, Lihong Chen, Ronglian Xing
Summary: The frequent invasion of organisms poses a serious threat to biodiversity, ecosystem service functions, and economic development. Invasions from terrestrial systems have been well studied, but invasions from marine systems still lack a literature review, especially for invasive algae.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Tong Li, Lizhen Cui, Zhihong Xu, Hongdou Liu, Xiaoyong Cui, Peter Fantke
Summary: Soil ecosystems are facing increasing pressure from human activities, including the introduction of micro-and nanoplastics (MNPs), which have become prevalent worldwide. However, the environmental impact of MNPs on soil ecosystem services has not been adequately addressed in current Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods. This study provides an overview of the current understanding of MNPs in soil ecosystems and proposes a conceptual approach to link MNPs impacts to soil ecosystem services damage.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yusi Xin, Zhixu Yang, Yuanbao Du, Ruina Cui, Yonghong Xi, Xuan Liu
Summary: Anthropogenic climate change, land use modifications, and alien species invasions are identified as major threats to global biodiversity. This study quantified the vulnerabilities of 1020 protected areas (PAs) in China to these three global change factors. The results showed that over half of the PAs will face at least one stress factor, with 21 PAs facing the highest risk of simultaneous exposure to all three stressors. Forest conservation PAs in Southwest and South China were found to be most sensitive to these global change factors. Wildlife and wetland PAs were predicted to mainly experience climate change and high land use anthropogenetic modifications, with the potential for providing suitable habitats for alien vertebrate establishment.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kripal Singh, Chaeho Byun, Faizal Bux
Summary: With 2.4% of global land area, India is home to 8% of global biological diversity. This megadiverse country is experiencing a rapid loss of its biological wealth due to the degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This editorial paper reviewed 22 papers from the special issue on ecological restoration in India, identifying scientific knowledge gaps and providing insights for policy and practice towards achieving ecosystem restoration goals.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Bingxue Wu, Xiaoyan Jiao, Anqi Sun, Fangfang Li, Ji-Zheng He, Hang-Wei Hu
Summary: Soil invertebrates in agricultural systems are influenced by precipitation seasonality and soil pH, and future climate change and agricultural practices may have significant effects on their distribution.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Sabrina Sarrocco
Summary: Biological control of plant disease by beneficial (micro)organisms is crucial for plant health and sustainable development. Advances in commercial development, understanding of microbial communities, and innovative omics technologies have revolutionized the field of biological control. This review highlights breakthroughs in the last 50 years, including successful biocontrol agents and strategies such as Trichoderma isolates, mycoviruses, microbial communities, and synthetic microbial communities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chloe Blaise, Christophe Mazzia, Armin Bischoff, Alexandre Millon, Philippe Ponel, Olivier Blight
Summary: This study investigates the effects of vegetation cover and soil management on the abundance of arthropods in vineyards and finds that decreasing soil perturbation and increasing vegetation cover positively affect arthropod abundance. Plant species richness is the most important vegetation parameter, with a positive effect on arthropod abundance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
D. A. Cowan, P. H. Lebre, C. E. R. Amon, R. W. Becker, H. Boga, A. Boulange, T. L. Chiyaka, T. Coetzee, P. C. de Jager, O. Dikinya, F. Eckardt, M. Greve, M. A. Harris, D. W. Hopkins, H. B. Houngnandan, P. Houngnandan, K. Jordaan, E. Kaimoyo, A. K. Kambura, G. Kamgan-Nkuekam, T. P. Makhalanyane, G. Maggs-Kolling, E. Marais, H. Mondlane, E. Nghalipo, B. W. Olivier, M. Ortiz, L. R. Pertierra, J-B Ramond, M. Seely, I Sithole-Niang, A. Valverde, G. Varliero, S. Vikram, D. H. Wall, A. Zeze
Summary: This study presents an extensive biogeographical survey of sub-Saharan top-soil microbiomes, revealing distinct microbiomes across different countries in the region. The study also demonstrates the influence of environmental factors such as pH, precipitation, and temperature on the microbial ecology. Future climate change scenarios are predicted to negatively impact soil microbial biodiversity in some countries, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts in the region.
Article
Ecology
Ana Carolina Antunes, Benoit Gauzens, Ulrich Brose, Anton M. Potapov, Malte Jochum, Luca Santini, Nico Eisenhauer, Olga Ferlian, Simone Cesarz, Stefan Scheu, Myriam R. Hirt
Summary: The relationship between species' body masses and densities generally follows a three-quarter power law, but there are significant deviations within local communities. Soil temperature and water content have positive and negative net effects, respectively, on soil communities, mediated by changes in local edaphic conditions and the body-mass range of the communities.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Joerg Mueller, Oliver Mitesser, Marc W. Cadotte, Fons van der Plas, Akira S. Mori, Christian Ammer, Anne Chao, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Petr Baldrian, Claus Baessler, Peter Biedermann, Simone Cesarz, Alice Classen, Benjamin M. Delory, Heike Feldhaar, Andreas Fichtner, Torsten Hothorn, Claudia Kuenzer, Marcell K. Peters, Kerstin Pierick, Thomas Schmitt, Bernhard Schuldt, Dominik Seidel, Diana Six, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Simon Thorn, Goddert von Oheimb, Martin Wegmann, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Nico Eisenhauer
Summary: Intensification of land use by humans has led to a homogenization of landscapes and decreasing resilience of ecosystems globally due to a loss of biodiversity, including the majority of forests. Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided compelling evidence for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functions and services at the local (alpha-diversity) scale, but we largely lack empirical evidence on how the loss of between-patch beta-diversity affects biodiversity and multifunctionality at the landscape scale (gamma-diversity).
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ellen Desie, Juan Zuo, Kris Verheyen, Ika Djukic, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Harald Auge, Nadia Barsoum, Christel Baum, Helge Bruelheide, Nico Eisenhauer, Heike Feldhaar, Olga Ferlian, Dominique Gravel, Herve Jactel, Inger Kappel Schmidt, Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas, Celine Meredieu, Simone Mereu, Christian Messier, Lourdes Morillas, Charles Nock, Alain Paquette, Quentin Ponette, Peter B. Reich, Javier Roales, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Steffen Seitz, Anja Schmidt, Artur Stefanski, Stefan Trogisch, Inge van Halder, Martin Weih, Laura J. Williams, Bo Yang, Bart Muys
Summary: Tree species diversity has a significant impact on litter decomposition in forests. Our study, conducted in 15 tree diversity experiments across three continents, found that tree identity has a significant effect on decomposition, while tree species richness does not. Additionally, litter quality, stand age, and density also influence decomposition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Iwona Gruss, Rui Yin, Siebert Julia, Nico Eisenhauer, Martin Schaedler
Summary: This study examined the impact of climate change and land use patterns on the biomass patterns of Collembola, focusing on different life forms. The results showed that the response of Collembola biomass to these changes varied among different life forms. Specifically, surface-dwelling Collembola experienced a significant decrease in biomass, while soil-living Collembola were less affected. The reduction in Collembola biomass was mainly due to climate change-induced body size shrinkage and intensive land use-induced density reduction.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rafael Alcala-Herrera, Beatriz Moreno, Martin Aguirrebengoa, Silvia Winter, Ana Belen Robles-Cruz, Maria Eugenia Ramos-Font, Emilio Benitez
Summary: This study compared soils from organic and conventional vineyards and predicted functional profiles through metagenomic analysis. It found that organic viticulture enhances functions related to the cycling of organic N, P, and C substrates, while conventional management increases the potential capacity of the soil to regulate the cycling of inorganic forms of N. Organic viticulture has the potential to address climate change in the context of sustainable agriculture.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bastian Heimburger, Andreas Klein, Alexander Roth, Stefan Scheu, Nico Eisenhauer, Ina Schaefer
Summary: Various human activities contribute to the release and spread of invasive earthworm species in North America. Population genetic markers can help identify the anthropogenic vectors and understand population dispersal and establishment processes. The study examined Lumbricus terrestris, an invasive European earthworm species, in Minnesota, USA using genetic markers. The results suggest multiple introductions but not from current bait dumping, and indicate jump-dispersal and ongoing earthworm invasions. Further monitoring using molecular markers is encouraged to develop effective management strategies.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Jose A. Siles, Alfonso Vera, Marta Diaz-Lopez, Carlos Garcia, Johan van den Hoogen, Thomas W. Crowther, Nico Eisenhauer, Carlos Guerra, Arwyn Jones, Alberto Orgiazzi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Felipe Bastida
Summary: This study aimed to quantify and compare soil bacterial and fungal biomass in 513 European soils under different land uses and climates. It was found that bacterial biomass was highest in grasslands, followed by croplands and forests, with the highest levels observed in temperate climates. On the other hand, fungal biomass was highest in forests and favored by colder environments. This study provides a better understanding of the combined effects of land use and climate on soil bacterial and fungal biomass in Europe.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ximei Han, Guiyao Zhou, Qin Luo, Olga Ferlian, Lingyan Zhou, Jingjing Meng, Yuan Qi, Jianing Pei, Yanghui He, Ruiqiang Liu, Zhenggang Du, Jilan Long, Xuhui Zhou, Nico Eisenhauer
Summary: The effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plant biomass responses is still unclear, particularly in terms of how it affects phosphorus cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nico Eisenhauer, Gerrit Angst, Ana E. B. Asato, Remy Beugnon, Elisabeth Boenisch, Simone Cesarz, Peter Dietrich, Stephanie D. Jurburg, Anna-Maria Madaj, Rine C. Reuben, Christian Ristok, Marie Suennemann, Huimin Yi, Carlos A. Guerra, Jes Hines
Summary: The ever-growing human population and nutritional demands, supply chain disruptions, and advancing climate change have highlighted the importance of the relationship between diversity and system performance. Managing the heterogeneity of systems is crucial in order to harness the multiple benefits that diversity can provide. The heterogeneity-diversity-system performance (HDP) nexus should be considered in future decision making as a means to ensure a more sustainable global future.
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nico Eisenhauer, Raul Ochoa-Hueso, Yuanyuan Huang, Kathryn E. Barry, Alban Gebler, Carlos A. Guerra, Jes Hines, Malte Jochum, Karl Andraczek, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Francois Buscot, Marcel Ciobanu, Hongmei Chen, Robert Junker, Markus Lange, Anika Lehmann, Matthias Rillig, Christine Roemermann, Josephine Ulrich, Alexandra Weigelt, Anja Schmidt, Manfred Tuerke
Summary: Human activities have led to significant changes in biodiversity, and the loss of invertebrate biomass has been found to have negative effects on ecosystem processes and services. This study demonstrates that the decrease in invertebrate biomass can decrease ecosystem multi-functionality and reduce the supply of critical ecosystem services.
Article
Ecology
Angelos Amyntas, Emilio Berti, Benoit Gauzens, Georg Albert, Wentao Yu, Alexandra S. Werner, Nico Eisenhauer, Ulrich Brose
Summary: Species-rich communities exhibit higher levels of ecosystem functioning compared with species-poor ones, and this positive relationship strengthens over time. One proposed explanation for this phenomenon is the reduction of niche overlap among plants or animals, which corresponds to increased complementarity and reduced competition. Our findings reveal that increased niche complementarity of plants can steepen the diversity-function relationships, while increasing complementarity among animals during community assembly can also have a positive effect but with considerable variability.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Solveig Franziska Bucher, Lia Uhde, Alexandra Weigelt, Simone Cesarz, Nico Eisenhauer, Alban Gebler, Christopher Kyba, Christine Roemermann, Tom Shatwell, Jes Hines
Summary: Artificial light at night (ALAN) has significant impacts on plant communities, resulting in reduced biomass, decreased diversity, and changes in functional traits. These findings highlight the need for conservation and management strategies that consider the effects of ALAN on plant ecology.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Simone Cesarz, Nico Eisenhauer, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Marcel Ciobanu, Jes Hines
Summary: The use of artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasing worldwide, but its impact on the soil system has not been studied. This research shows that increasing ALAN reduces plant biomass and decreases soil water content. Soil respiration is further reduced under high ALAN, but microbial communities maintain stable biomass and exhibit higher carbon use efficiency. While ALAN does not affect microbial community structure, plant-feeding nematodes increase in abundance and nematode communities become more homogenous under higher ALAN levels, suggesting that soil communities may be more vulnerable to additional disturbances. In summary, ALAN alters soil communities and ecosystem functions, mediated by changes in plant productivity and soil water content.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Alexander Dyer, Remo Ryser, Ulrich Brose, Angelos Amyntas, Nora Bodnar, Thomas Boy, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Simone Cesarz, Nico Eisenhauer, Alban Gebler, Jes Hines, Christopher C. M. Kyba, Myles H. M. Menz, Karl Rackwitz, Tom Shatwell, Joerdis F. Terlau, Myriam R. Hirt
Summary: The presence of artificial light at night (ALAN) has significant impacts on natural ecosystems. This study investigates the effects of ALAN on insect movement and predation rates in a grassland ecosystem. The results show that even low-intensity skyglow can cause temporal and spatial shifts in insect movement and predation behavior, with potential consequences for ecological networks and ecosystem functioning.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Christian Ristok, Nico Eisenhauer, Alexander Weinhold, Nicole M. van Dam
Summary: Plant and soil biodiversity have significant effects on plant metabolites, but their independent effects on overall metabolome composition are not significant. However, interactions between plants and soil, as well as the presence of herbivores, can lead to changes in plant metabolomes.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)