Article
Genetics & Heredity
Feng Song, Ying Feng
Summary: Nitraria sphaerocarpa Maxim. is a typical desert shrub commonly used as a sand binder. The whole plastid genome of N. sphaerocarpa is 159,369 bp in length and contains 114 unigenes, with the majority being protein-coding genes and tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis places N. sphaerocarpa at a basal position of the genus Nitraria.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B-RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Pavel Saska, Jan Kopecky, Marek Omelka, Alois Honek, Pavla Madrova, Petra Vokurkova, Zdenka Martinkova, Hana Foffova, Tereza Patrmanova, Marketa Sagova-Mareckova
Summary: This study compared the bacterial communities associated with seeds of seven weed species after burial in soil for two years and demonstrated the relationships between these changes and seed properties as well as attractiveness for a seed predator. The results showed that seed microbiomes remained specific after burial and contained taxa characteristic for both plant endophytes and insect guts. Changes in seed consumption were partially explained by bacterial communities and seed properties.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Anning Zhang, Shuyan Chen, Jingwei Chen, Hanwen Cui, Xiaoxuan Jiang, Sa Xiao, Jiajia Wang, Haining Gao, Lizhe An, Pedro Cardoso
Summary: Land use and climate change have significant impacts on biodiversity patterns and ecosystem functioning globally. This study examined the effects of shrub encroachment and precipitation changes on the functional diversity of soil nematode communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that shrubs did not alter functional richness and dispersion, but decreased functional beta diversity, promoting functional homogenization. These effects were influenced by precipitation, with increasing precipitation reversing the negative effects of shrubs on functional richness and dispersion but amplifying their negative effects on functional beta diversity. Structural equation models revealed that shrubs indirectly increased functional richness and dispersion through plant biomass and soil total nitrogen, while directly decreasing functional beta diversity. This study enhances our understanding of the impacts of global climate change on nematode communities in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Lisa Voskuhl, Ali Akbari, Hubert Mueller, Mark Pannekens, Darya Brusilova, Stefan Dyksma, Shirin Haque, Nadine Graupner, Micah Dunthorn, Rainer U. Meckenstock, Verena S. Brauer
Summary: The study revealed a high variability in ion concentrations and community composition between water droplets. Microbial community composition was mostly affected by the chloride concentration, ranging from freshwater to brackish-sea water. Microbial communities showed a sudden change to less diverse and uneven communities when exceeding a chloride concentration of 57.3 mM, indicating a threshold-regulated response of microbial communities to salinity.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kirk W. Davies, Stella M. Copeland, Jon D. Bates
Summary: Spatial heterogeneity in plant communities promotes coexistence and diversity by providing a variety of niches for different species. The effect of grazing on shrub-induced spatial heterogeneity is largely unknown. The limited effect of moderate grazing on shrub-induced spatial heterogeneity provides evidence that sagebrush exerts a strong influence on patterns of soil nutrients and herbaceous vegetation in sagebrush-bunchgrass communities. The results also demonstrate that moderate grazing by cattle can be compatible with maintaining spatial heterogeneity within shrub-steppe communities.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sebastian Seibold, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Didem Ambarli, Martin M. Gossner, Akira S. Mori, Marc W. Cadotte, Jonas Hagge, Claus Baessler, Simon Thorn
Summary: This study evaluates the changes in beta-diversity of saproxylic beetle communities during deadwood succession and identifies the major drivers of these changes. The results show that beta-diversity of saproxylic beetle communities increases over time and is positively correlated with phylogenetic distance between tree species and spatial distance among regions. The effects of spatial distance, climate, and forest structure remain constant throughout the succession process. The diversity of saproxylic beetles can be enhanced by promoting forests with diverse tree communities and structures.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Georg Albert, Silvia C. Gallegos, Keri Alexandra Greig, Mario Hanisch, Daniela Limache de la Fuente, Stephanie Foest, Stephanie D. Maier, Chaya Sarathchandra, Helen R. P. Phillips, Stephan Kambach
Summary: The study assessed the conservation value of tree plantations compared to old-growth forests using beetles as biodiversity indicators. The results showed that tree plantations generally have lower abundance and species richness of beetles, as well as significantly different community compositions than old-growth forests. Notably, beetle abundance was significantly lower in tropical/subtropical plantations.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joanna Pakulnicka, Marek Kruk
Summary: This study investigated the relationships between beetle communities in small dystrophic lakes using network analysis. Three network models were created and analyzed, revealing different network structures in three regions of northern Poland. Small-bodied predators dominated the networks, clustering with species of similar ecological preferences. The study highlights the importance of specific species in maintaining network cohesion and density.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Natalie Clay
Summary: This study examines the patterns and drivers of succession in wood-decomposing beetle communities. The results show that both deterministic and stochastic processes influence deadwood succession, and increasing phylogenetic distance among tree species leads to greater differences in deadwood beetle communities. The study also found that space, forest structure, and climate have different effects on deadwood beetle communities. Maintaining a diversity of deadwood decay stages and structurally diverse forests can promote deadwood beetle biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yongliang Chen, Tianle Xu, Wei Fu, Yajun Hu, Hangwei Hu, Luncheng You, Baodong Chen
Summary: Soil fungi play important roles in soil organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling processes and maintaining associations with aboveground plant communities. The distribution patterns and drivers of soil fungal communities in shrub ecosystems remain largely unknown. Soil fungal community diversity varies among different sites, with factors such as plant richness, abiotic factors, and spatial distance shaping these variations. The incorporation of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen into Earth System Models may improve predictions of fungal communities in terrestrial shrub ecosystems.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jenna Braun, Michael Westphal, Christopher J. Lortie
Summary: This study examined the relationship between arthropod communities and vegetation in arid regions of California, finding that the canopy of Ephedra californica contributes to increased arthropod abundance and species richness. Vegetation cover on the soil surface negatively influences arthropod abundance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
R. X. Liu, Y. M. Ma, B. Liu, S. C. Chen, H. F. Hu, Y. J. Mi
Summary: This study investigated the water sources used by Reaumuria soongorica in the Gobi Desert, revealing its adaptive strategy of water utilization. The results indicated that the plant mainly extracts water from the medium soil layer.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jiaojiao Deng, Wangming Zhou, Limin Dai, Quan Yuan, Li Zhou, Lin Qi, Dapao Yu
Summary: The study demonstrated that shrub removal significantly altered soil properties and microbial communities, with soil characteristics and understory plant diversity playing a significant role in shaping the microbial community composition.
Article
Ecology
Y. P. An, Y. X. Li, J. R. Chen, Z. B. Wang, X. L. Yang
Summary: This study investigates the changing laws of species composition, community composition, and species diversity of typical shrubs in southeastern Tibet. The results showed that the shrub communities in Nyingchi have diverse herb plants and varied species diversity. Different habitat conditions lead to different interlayer structures in community diversity.
APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Alexander Schneider, Theo Blick, Wolfgang H. O. Dorow, Frank Koehler, Peter Meyer, Steffen U. Pauls
Summary: This study analyzes the temporal changes in abundance, biomass, diversity, and trait composition of ground dwelling spiders and beetles sampled in a forest reserve in Hesse. The results show high stability in the trait composition of the arthropod communities, despite short-term fluctuations in population sizes. The study also suggests that the timespan of about 10 years may be too short to detect the effects of climate change or changes in forest structure on the beetle or spider communities.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ruixue Niu, Jiliang Liu, Xueyong Zhao, Yu Qin
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
(2015)
Article
Ecology
Chengchen Pan, Halin Zhao, Qi Feng, Jiliang Liu, Linde Liu, Yongjiu Cai, Changan Liu, Jin Li
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY
(2015)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Feng-Rui Li, Ji-Liang Liu, Te-Sheng Sun, Ling-Fa Ma, Lu-Lu Liu, Kun Yang
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2016)
Article
Ecology
Ji-Liang Liu, Feng-Rui Li, Te-Sheng Sun, Ling-Fa Ma, Lu-Lu Liu, Kun Yang
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
(2016)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chengchen Pan, Qi Feng, Jiliang Liu, Yulin Li, Yuqiang Li, Xiaoya Yu
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Agronomy
Feng-Rui Li, Ji-Liang Liu, Wei Ren, Lu-Lu Liu
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ji-Liang Liu, Wei Ren, Wen-Zhi Zhao, Feng-Rui Li
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Feng-Rui Li, Qi Feng, Ji-Liang Liu, Te-Sheng Sun, Wei Ren, Zhen-Huan Guan
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Feng-Rui Li, Ji-Liang Liu, Chang-An Liu, Qi-Jun Liu, Rui-Xue Niu
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2013)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qi Feng, Feng-Rui Li, Ji-Liang Liu, Te-Sheng Sun, Li-Juan Chen
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2015)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Feng-Rui Li, Ji-Liang Liu, Te-Sheng Sun, Bo-Wen Jin, Li-Juan Chen
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2014)
Article
Environmental Sciences
JiLiang Liu, WenZhi Zhao, FengRui Li
JOURNAL OF ARID LAND
(2015)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ji-Liang Liu, Feng-Rui Li, Lu-Lu Liu, Kun Yang
Article
Geography, Physical
ChengChen Pan, Qi Feng, HaLin Zhao, XueYong Zhao, LinDe Liu, JiLiang Liu, Li Zhang, Jin Li
SCIENCES IN COLD AND ARID REGIONS
(2015)
Article
Ecology
Rui-Xue Niu, Xue-Yong Zhao, Ji-Liang Liu, Yu Qin
POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2013)