Article
Plant Sciences
Sergey Rosbakh, Loic Chalmandrier, Shyam Phartyal, Peter Poschlod
Summary: This study analyzes 16 traits of 167 species to reveal the functional structure of plant communities and the impact of environmental factors on these structures. The research demonstrates that seed traits are independent of other plant traits and can be affected differently by community assembly rules. Abiotic filtering mainly affects vegetative traits, while biotic interactions and dispersal affect germination and seed morphological traits.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Michael J. O'Brien, Elisa P. Carbonell, Gianalberto Losapio, Philipp M. Schlueter, Christian Schoeb
Summary: The study found that seed germination was higher in the original microsite, although recruitment was weakened. For A. armerina, plants from the most productive microsite had distinct trait values; while F. indigesta showed significant trait plasticity in different environmental conditions.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
John Davison, Maret Gerz, Inga Hiiesalu, Mari Moora, Marina Semchenko, Martin Zobel
Summary: Studies on niche differentiation and biodiversity often focus on a few niche dimensions, which may limit our understanding of community assembly processes. This study used a comprehensive approach to study arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities, and found that habitat filtering is important, but resource niches show greater differentiation, consistent with the mechanism of resource niche-based coexistence.
Article
Agronomy
Chloe MacLaren, Wycliffe Waswa, Kamaluddin Tijjani Aliyu, Lieven Claessens, Andrew Mead, Christian Schob, Bernard Vanlauwe, Jonathan Storkey
Summary: This study examines the relationship between two functional traits (plant height and specific leaf area) and intercrop productivity. The results show that these two traits have limited explanatory power, indicating the need to consider other factors to better understand intercrop productivity.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Richard Michalet, Florian Delerue, Pierre Liancourt, Francisco I. Pugnaire
Summary: The relationship between species richness and productivity is affected by environmental gradients, with competition shifting to facilitation being a key factor. According to literature and hypotheses, complementary effects are more likely to occur in moderately stressful environments. Therefore, better understanding the context dependency of complementarity processes and the role of facilitation is crucial for the protection of ecosystem functioning.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Shinichi Tatsumi, Takayuki Ohgue, Wakana A. Azuma, Keita Nishizawa
Summary: Bark traits of trees play a crucial role in determining the community structure of epiphytes. The roughness and acidity of bark affect the species richness and phylogenetic diversity of moss communities, while the assembly process of liverwort communities is closely related to bark traits. The nitrogen content of bark is positively associated with the species richness of both mosses and liverworts.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qingxue Guo, Yuanjing Zhu, Helena Korpelainen, Uelo Niinemets, Chunyang Li
Summary: Plant microbiota can be controlled by the sex of the host plant, with male plants forming more stable and resistant microbiota that help the host resist environmental stresses. Male and female plants can distinguish their own and different sex plants, and males can alleviate stress-induced damage in females. Understanding the role of sex in microbiota assembly is important for protecting female plants from unfavorable environments.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Laurel Fogarty, Michael J. Wade
Summary: Niche construction theory suggests that organisms can alter their environments, which in turn affects trait heritability and phenotypic response to selection. The study shows that the presence of niche construction can significantly alter the pace of phenotypic change and this effect is amplified when trans-generational interactions are included. Novel mathematical approaches are needed to understand the simultaneous effects of niche construction on trait evolution and heritability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marc Slattery, Michael P. Lesser
Summary: Foundation species play a crucial role in regulating ecological processes within communities, often facilitating biodiversity and habitat complexity. In deep coral reef ecosystems, gorgonians and sponges exhibit both competitive and facilitative interactions, impacting biodiversity within these understudied communities.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
B. Bordron, A. Germon, J-P Laclau, I. R. Oliveira, A. Robin, C. Jourdan, R. R. Paula, R. C. Pinheiro, J. Guillemot, J. L. M. Goncalves, J-P Bouillet
Summary: In mixed species forests, the effects of soil fertility on belowground processes were investigated. Fertilization increased competition between species, leading to partial exclusion of Acacia fine roots from nutrient-rich topsoil. Eucalyptus roots explored soil near Acacia trees more in unfertilized stands, indicating facilitation through higher soil N availability and direct N transfer from Acacia trees.
Article
Forestry
Tarin Toledo-Aceves, Fabiola Lopez-Barrera, Victor Vasquez-Reyes, Sven Guenter
Summary: Planting pioneer shrubs can reduce bracken growth and facilitate establishment of mid- to late-successional tree species in degraded cloud forest areas. The effects of shrubs on tree survival varied among species, with Tithonia diversifolia having a positive effect on Meliosma alba and Quercus insignis, but a negative effect on Tapirira mexicana. Sambucus nigra had a negative effect on Tapirira mexicana, and both shrubs together had a negative effect on Juglans pyriformis. Integrated management approaches should be considered to address factors causing plant mortality in bracken sites.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shuang-Guo Zhu, Hong-Yan Tao, Wen -Bo Li, Rui Zhou, Yan-Wen Gui, Li Zhu, Xiao-Lin Zhang, Wei Wang, Bao-Zhong Wang, Fu-Jian Mei, Hao Zhu, You-Cai Xiong
Summary: This study investigated the plant-plant interactions in a maize-grass pea intercropping system under varying phosphorus availability. The results showed that intercropping positively influenced field productivity and nutrient uptake, with the facilitative effect dominating under low phosphorus conditions. The meta-analysis further confirmed the benefits of intercropping in terms of productivity and nutrient utilization.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Hong Qian, Tao Deng, Robert E. Ricklefs
Summary: The study found that the flora of the Arctic is a phylogenetically clustered subset of the broader Northern Hemisphere flora, with some lineages being filtered stepwise into more northerly Arctic subzones.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Simon J. Brandl, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Amanda E. Bates, Douglas B. Rasher, Tommy Norin
Summary: All animals compete for energy, and the use of metabolic traits can provide a better understanding of species coexistence and the functioning of animal communities, improving our ability to predict their responses to environmental change.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Claire M. Tortorelli, Becky K. Kerns, Meg A. Krawchuk
Summary: The success of ventenata invasion is more strongly influenced by environmental and dispersal limitations than by interactions with resident species. These findings have important implications for managing invasive species in non-forest ecosystems.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Robert D. Hollister, Cassandra Elphinstone, Greg H. R. Henry, Anne D. Bjorkman, Kari Klanderud, Robert G. Bjoerk, Mats P. Bjoerkman, Stef Bokhorst, Michele Carbognani, Elisabeth J. Cooper, Ellen Dorrepaal, Sarah C. Elmendorf, Ned Fetcher, Elise C. Gallois, Jon Guomundsson, Nathan C. Healey, Ingibjorg Svala Jonsdottir, Ingeborg J. Klarenberg, Steven F. Oberbauer, Petr Macek, Jeremy L. May, Alessandro Mereghetti, Ulf Molau, Alessandro Petraglia, Riikka Rinnan, Christian Rixen, Philip A. Wookey
Summary: This article reviews the impacts of Open top chambers (OTCs) on the physical environment and evaluates the appropriateness of using OTCs to characterize the response of biota to warming. The study finds that OTC is a useful experimental tool, but the characteristics and magnitude of warming vary greatly in different environments, so it is necessary to document chamber performance for a better interpretation of biotic response.
Article
Ecology
Miguel Verdu, Jose L. Garrido, Julio M. Alcantara, Alicia Montesinos-Navarro, Salomon Aguilar, Marcelo A. Aizen, Ali A. Al-Namazi, Mohamed Alifriqui, David Allen, Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Cristina Armas, Jesus M. Bastida, Tono Bellido, Giuliano Bonanomi, Gustavo B. Paterno, Herbert Briceno, Ricardo A. C. de Oliveira, Josefina G. Campoy, Ghassen Chaieb, Chengjin Chu, Sarah E. Collins, Richard Condit, Elena Constantinou, Cihan U. Degirmenci, Leo Delalandre, Milen Duarte, Michel Faife, Fatih Fazlioglu, Edwino S. Fernando, Joel Flores, Hilda Flores-Olvera, Ecaterina Fodor, Gislene Ganade, Maria Begona Garcia, Patricio Garcia-Fayos, Sabrina S. Gavini, Marta Goberna, Lorena Gomez-Aparicio, Enrique Gonzalez-Pendas, Ana Gonzalez-Robles, Stephen P. Hubbell, Kahraman Ipekdal, Maria J. Jorquera, Zaal Kikvidze, Pinar Kutkut, Alicia Ledo, Sandra Lendinez, Buhang Li, Hanlun Liu, Francisco Lloret, Ramiro P. Lopez, Alvaro Lopez-Garcia, Christopher J. Lortie, Gianalberto Losapio, James A. Lutz, Arantzazu L. Luzuriaga, Frantisek Malis, Esteban Manrique, Antonio J. Manzaneda, Vinicius Marcilio-Silva, Richard Michalet, Rafael Molina-Venegas, Jose Antonio Navarro-Cano, Vojtech Novotny, Jens M. Olesen, Juan P. Ortiz-Brunel, Maria Pajares-Murgo, Nikolas Parissis, Geoffrey Parker, Antonio J. Perea, Vidal Perez-Hernandez, Maria Angeles Perez-Navarro, Nuria Piston, Elisa Pizarro-Carbonell, Ivan Prieto, Jorge Prieto-Rubio, Francisco Pugnaire, Nelson Ramirez, Ruben Retuerto, Pedro J. Rey, Daniel A. Rodriguez Ginart, Mariana Rodriguez-Sanchez, Ricardo Sanchez-Martin, Christian Schob, Cagatay Tavsanoglu, Giorgi Tedoradze, Amanda Tercero-Araque, Katja Tielboerger, Blaise Touzard, Irem Tufekcioglu, Sevda Turkis, Francisco M. Usero, Nurbahar Usta, Alfonso Valiente-Banuet, Alexia Vargas-Colin, Ioannis Vogiatzakis, Regino Zamora
Summary: Plant recruitment interactions shape plant community composition, diversity, and structure. Modeling and analyzing the community-level structure of plant recruitment interactions as a complex network can provide relevant information on ecological and evolutionary processes. This data set includes 143 plant recruitment networks across five continents, providing valuable information for testing ecological, biogeographical, and evolutionary hypotheses related to plant recruitment interactions.
Article
Ecology
Morgan J. Raath-Krueger, Christian Schoeb, Melodie A. McGeoch, Divan A. Burger, Tanya Strydom, Peter C. le Roux
Summary: Through analysis of a long-term dataset, we found that the size and vitality of the cushion plant species Azorella selago on sub-Antarctic Marion Island were not affected by the cover of the co-occurring grass species Agrostis magellanica. This result, contrary to many short-term studies, highlights the importance of long-term datasets in assessing beneficiary feedback effects.
Article
Plant Sciences
Akanksha Singh, Christian Schob, Pietro P. M. Iannetta
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the influence of companion plant species on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and nutrient concentration of common bean in crop mixtures. Results showed that beans exhibited low levels of BNF and potentially competed with other species for available soil nitrogen in mixtures. However, chickpeas showed enhanced BNF when grown in mixtures. Additionally, biomass and nutrient assimilation of chickpea and Sorghum were higher in monocultures compared to mixtures with beans, suggesting competitive effects.
Article
Agronomy
Chloe MacLaren, Wycliffe Waswa, Kamaluddin Tijjani Aliyu, Lieven Claessens, Andrew Mead, Christian Schob, Bernard Vanlauwe, Jonathan Storkey
Summary: This study examines the relationship between two functional traits (plant height and specific leaf area) and intercrop productivity. The results show that these two traits have limited explanatory power, indicating the need to consider other factors to better understand intercrop productivity.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jesus Lopez-Angulo, Laura Stefan, Nadine Engbersen, Christian Schöb
Summary: Higher plant species diversity decreases variability of plant community productivity. The stabilizing effect of plant diversity can result from species-specific responses to environmental fluctuations and from shifts in competitive hierarchies. Evolutionary adaptation of species to surrounding plant diversity could further decrease productivity variability.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anja Schmutz, Christian Schob
Summary: Diverse plant communities with different spatial water uptake patterns contribute to higher productivity in mixtures compared to monocultures. This is due to niche partitioning of species and complementary root distribution. These findings support the potential of intercropping for sustainable agriculture with more efficient soil resource utilization.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Richard Michalet, Gianalberto Losapio, Zaal Kikvidze, Rob W. Brooker, Bradley J. Butterfield, Ragan M. Callaway, Lohengrin A. Cavieres, Christopher J. Lortie, Francisco Pugnaire, Christian Schob
Summary: Plant interactions in extreme environments can be studied using paired and random sampling methods, but these methods may be affected by habitat-sharing effects. This study compared the results of the two methods in different levels of environmental heterogeneity and stress. The findings showed that the paired and random sampling methods provided similar results in homogeneous spaces, but the pairwise method yielded higher facilitation estimates than the random method in decreasing abundance gradients. The spatial associations between beneficiary and nurse species varied with increasing stress levels, and there were no differences in results between the two methods at different stress levels in some sites. However, weakly significant differences were found in the Italian site, which were unlikely due to habitat-sharing effects. Overall, the paired sampling method is important in understanding plant interactions in spatially conspicuous environments.
POPULATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Francisco I. Pugnaire, Karoline H. Aares, Mohamed Alifriqui, Kari Anne Brathen, Christian Kindler, Christian Schob, Esteban Manrique
Summary: Climate change and associated environmental alterations can disrupt the connection between plants and soil microbial communities, impacting processes like litter decomposition which influence nutrient and carbon cycling in ecosystems. Microbial decomposers may specialize in decomposing litter from their own community, known as the home field advantage hypothesis.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Francisco M. Usero, Jose A. Morillo, Cristina Armas, Marisa Gallardo, Rodney B. Thompson, Francisco I. Pugnaire
Summary: This study examined the impact of three crop management systems on tomato production and soil microbial communities. Results showed that adding organic matter significantly increased soil nitrogen content, respiration, and altered the composition of soil prokaryotic and fungal communities. Furthermore, the addition of organic matter reduced the presence and abundance of potential fungal pathogens, resulting in higher crop yields. These findings highlight the importance of organic matter management in developing sustainable agriculture.
SPANISH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Christian Schob, Nadine Engbersen, Jesus Lopez-Angulo, Anja Schmutz, Laura Stefan
Summary: Inspired by grassland biodiversity experiments, the Crop Diversity Experiment aimed to test the impact of plant diversity on primary productivity in annual crop systems. The experiment demonstrated that crop mixtures not only increased yield compared to monoculture, but often outperformed the highest yielding monoculture. The underlying mechanisms of the yield benefits included both direct complementarities between crop species and indirect effects via other organisms, such as weed suppression and plant growth-promoting microbes.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anja Schmutz, Christian Schoeb
Summary: This study found that co-adapted crop species with reduced negative interactions might have the potential to enhance productivity, especially in more diverse cropping systems. This supports the notion that intercropping is a vital part towards a more sustainable agriculture and one with further yield potential when developing cultivars optimised for growth in mixtures.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)