Article
Engineering, Environmental
Nan Yang, Linqiong Wang, Li Lin, Yi Li, Wenlong Zhang, Lihua Niu, Huanjun Zhang, Longfei Wang
Summary: Cascade dams disrupt the river continuum, affecting hydrology, biodiversity, and nutrient cycles. This study reveals the discontinuity in microbial community composition and diversity caused by damming. The potential interactions between pelagic and benthic groups and dam-induced environmental variations influence the microbial food web. The findings suggest that pelagic-benthic trophic coupling may change the biogeochemical patterns in river systems.
FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Daniel R. Macnulty, Elaine M. Brice, Eric J. Larsen
Summary: Sampling the five tallest young aspen in a stand is useful for detecting aspen recruitment, but it overestimates the population response of aspen to wolf reintroduction.
Article
Ecology
Elaine M. Brice, Eric J. Larsen, Daniel R. MacNulty
Summary: Understanding trophic cascades in terrestrial wildlife communities is challenging due to the difficulty in properly sampling these systems. A tradition of non-random sampling in Yellowstone National Park has skewed the understanding of trophic cascades involving wolf recovery and elk behavior. Long-term data revealed that random sampling is essential for accurately describing trophic cascades in terrestrial wildlife systems.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Peipei Wu, Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Erwan Monier, Yanxu Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates that as trophic levels increase, biomagnification of MMHg becomes more significant. Trophic magnification factors show opposite spatial patterns between lower and higher trophic levels. With a warmer future climate, global average TMF is projected to increase, leading to higher MMHg exposure for top predators, such as humans, if no mitigation measures for Hg emission are implemented.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohamed Feroz Khan, Preetha Panikkar, Sibina Mol Salim, Ramya Vijayakumar Leela, Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Basanta Kumar Das, Vijayakumar Muttenahalli Eregowda
Summary: Invasive species like African catfish have a significant impact on the trophic structure and functioning of ecosystems. Observations from the study show strong competition and niche overlap exhibited by Clarias gariepinus, affecting various elements of the ecosystem. The findings will be useful for fishery managers in making informed decisions for ecosystem-based fishery management.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ayodeji Bello, Bo Wang, Yan Zhao, Wei Yang, Abiola Ogundeji, Liting Deng, Ugochi Uzoamaka Egbeagu, Sun Yu, Liyan Zhao, Detian Li, Xiuhong Xu
Summary: This study found that the use of biochar, compost, or a mixture of both has a positive impact on soil fungal communities and co-occurrence networks in a single cropping season, improving soil ecosystem, health, and quality, and mitigating climate change.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Felipe Rezende, Pablo A. P. Antiqueira, Owen L. Petchey, Luiz Felipe M. Velho, Luzia C. Rodrigues, Gustavo Q. Romero
Summary: This study reveals that while biodiversity promotes stability, trophic interactions and environmental changes play a crucial role in modulating this relationship in multitrophic communities. The loss of top predators indirectly decreases community stability by increasing mesopredator abundance and reducing species asynchrony and stability. Understanding the destabilizing effects of trophic downgrading is essential for the management of large food webs in the face of biodiversity loss and climate changes.
Article
Ecology
Haojie Su, Yuhao Feng, Jianfeng Chen, Jun Chen, Suhui Ma, Jingyun Fang, Ping Xie
Summary: The study found that fish have negative impacts on zooplankton and water clarity while having positive effects on primary producers and water nutrients in freshwater ecosystems. Additionally, factors such as eutrophication, warming, and predator abundance strengthen trophic cascade effects.
Article
Agronomy
Nguyen Van Sinh, Chau Minh Khoi, Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong, Tran Ba Linh, Dang Duy Minh, Roland N. Perry, Koki Toyota
Summary: Reducing intensive rice cultivation can decrease plant-parasitic nematodes and increase bacterivorous nematodes in salt-affected soils. Mixing reduced IRC with compost or silicate fertilizer can enhance nematode community structure, biodiversity, and trophic structure in the soil. This study highlights the potential benefits of these practices in improving soil health and nematode diversity.
Article
Soil Science
Honglin Wang, Guancheng Liu, Binbin Huang, Xiaochun Wang, Yajuan Xing, Qinggui Wang
Summary: Global change factors like nitrogen deposition and precipitation reduction have significant impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, affecting both aboveground and underground processes. This study found that both nitrogen addition and precipitation reduction caused changes in the composition of soil nematode communities, with nitrogen addition having a more severe negative effect compared to precipitation reduction. Additionally, nitrogen addition and precipitation reduction had a synergistic effect on soil nematode communities.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jian Chen, Zuomin Shi, Shun Liu, Miaomiao Zhang, Xiangwen Cao, Miao Chen, Gexi Xu, Hongshuang Xing, Feifan Li, Qiuhong Feng
Summary: Soil fungi play a crucial role in maintaining soil ecosystem functions. This study examines the composition and diversity of soil fungal communities in different vegetation types and altitudes in the alpine-gorge region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results show significant variations in fungal community composition among different vegetation types along altitude gradients, and the effects of soil properties on fungal community composition and diversity vary depending on nutrient modes and altitudes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhenguang Lv, Min Xu, Ying Liu, Regin Ronn, Christopher Rensing, Song Liu, Shenghan Gao, Hao Liao, Yu-Rong Liu, Wenli Chen, Yong-Guan Zhu, Qiaoyun Huang, Xiuli Hao
Summary: Phagotrophic protist communities in long-term Cu-contaminated soils have important impacts on Cu-resistant bacterial populations. Certain communities, such as Cercozoa and Amoebozoa, increase the relative abundance of Cu-resistant bacteria, while the relative abundance of Ciliophora decreases. Phagotrophs positively influence the relative abundance of Cu-resistant and -sensitive ecological clusters, contributing to the abundance of the Cu resistance gene (copA).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Nicola Mayrhofer, Gregory J. Velicer, Kaitlin A. Schaal, Marie Vasse
Summary: The study found that the predatory bacterium Myxococcus xanthus has a repellent effect on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, causing it to avoid patches that would normally be attractive. Additionally, the nematode influences the predatory behavior of the bacterium, increasing its swarming rate in response to worm density and prey identity. These findings suggest that nematodes and bacterial predators mutually influence each other's behavior, with potential implications for coevolution within complex microbial food webs.
Article
Soil Science
Mark Maraun, Tanja Thomas, Elisabeth Fast, Nico Treibert, Tancredi Caruso, Ina Schaefer, Jing-Zhong Lu, Stefan Scheu
Summary: Knowledge of the trophic ecology of soil animals is important for understanding their diversity and functional role in soil food webs. Stable isotope analysis has revolutionized the study of trophic ecology, providing insights into the feeding habits and niche differentiation of oribatid mites. These mites can be classified into six trophic groups, with some species showing trophic plasticity. However, stable isotope analysis has limitations, and other methods such as fatty acid and gut content analyses can complement the study of oribatid mite trophic ecology.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ricardo J. Albarino, Gerard P. Closs, Christoph D. Matthaei, Colin R. Townsend, Daniel Zamorano
Summary: This study experimentally manipulated the abundance of invertebrate grazers and fish in a stream in New Zealand and found that controlling herbivore abundance had an indirect positive effect on primary producers. It also found that in the center of larger substrate particles, grazers faced higher predation risk and therefore experienced lower grazing pressure.
Article
Ecology
Theresa S. Ibanez, David A. Wardle, Michael J. Gundale, Marie-Charlotte Nilsson
Summary: The study shows that high fire severity hampers seedling regeneration, while low burn severity promotes growth and regeneration of conifers. Different tree species respond differently to changes in soil properties following fire, affecting potential regeneration and species dominance in boreal forests. This highlights the importance of plant-soil-microbial feedbacks in promoting successful establishment in the face of increasingly severe fire regimes due to climate change.
Article
Ecology
Roger Grau-Andres, David A. Wardle, Paul Kardol
Summary: The research showed that bryosphere plays a crucial role in litter decomposition, as its removal led to reduced decomposition rates and micro-arthropod abundance, as well as colder micro-climate. However, micro-arthropods have a minor contribution to litter decomposition in boreal forest floor, suggesting that other factors have a greater influence on decomposition rates.
Correction
Environmental Sciences
Anthony Ricciardi, Josephine C. Iacarella, David C. Aldridge, Tim M. Blackburn, James T. Carlton, Jane A. Catford, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Philip E. Hulme, Jonathan M. Jeschke, Andrew M. Liebhold, Julie L. Lockwood, Hugh J. MacIsaac, Laura A. Meyerson, Petr Pysek, David M. Richardson, Gregory M. Ruiz, Daniel Simberloff, Montserrat Vila, David A. Wardle
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Guicai Ning, David A. Wardle, Steve Hung Lam Yim
Summary: This study evaluates ozone suppression in China and projects future ozone using hybrid models. The findings highlight the increasing severity of ozone suppression in future high-emission scenarios, emphasizing the importance of incorporating ozone suppression into chemical transport models.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Clydecia M. Spitzer, Maja K. Sundqvist, David A. Wardle, Michael J. Gundale, Paul Kardol
Summary: Elevational gradients have significant effects on the root traits of plants, but the responses vary among different traits and plant species. The coefficient of variation of root traits at the community level increases with elevation, and intraspecific variation plays a more important role. Intraspecific trait variation may drive plant community composition under global warming.
Article
Ecology
Case M. Prager, Aimee T. Classen, Maja K. Sundqvist, Maria Noelia Barrios-Garcia, Erin K. Cameron, Litong Chen, Chelsea Chisholm, Thomas W. Crowther, Julie R. Deslippe, Karl Grigulis, Jin-Sheng He, Jeremiah A. Henning, Mark Hovenden, Toke T. Thomas Hoye, Xin Jing, Sandra Lavorel, Jennie R. McLaren, Daniel B. Metcalfe, Gregory S. Newman, Marie Louise Nielsen, Christian Rixen, Quentin D. Read, Kenna E. Rewcastle, Mariano Rodriguez-Cabal, David A. Wardle, Sonja Wipf, Nathan J. Sanders
Summary: This paper presents a globally distributed experimental network that aims to study the direct and indirect effects of climate change. By utilizing natural environmental gradients, experimental approaches, and statistical techniques, the network provides valuable insights into the responses of ecosystems to climate change.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Aaron J. Bell, Kiara S. Calladine, David A. Wardle, Iain D. Phillips
Summary: Many insects are attracted to forest fires and reproduce in the aftermath of fire. Some of them prefer to lay eggs in burnt portions of trees. Heat-sterilized soil can improve the reproductive output of pyrophilic ground beetles.
Article
Ecology
Anne Kempel, Eric Allan, Martin M. Gossner, Malte Jochum, James B. Grace, David A. Wardle
Summary: In the absence of disturbance, ecosystems often undergo decline or retrogression, resulting in reductions in primary productivity, plant biomass, nutrient cycling and foliar quality. However, the effects of ecosystem retrogression on higher trophic levels, such as herbivores and predators, are not well understood. This study shows that the availability of nutrients strongly influences invertebrate herbivore biomass when predator abundance is low, but shifts to top-down control when predators are abundant. These findings highlight the importance of considering nutrient-independent variation in predator abundance when studying trophic cascades and herbivore effects on plant communities.
Article
Plant Sciences
Nur E. B. Rahman, Stuart W. Smith, Weng Ngai Lam, Kwek Yan Chong, Matthias S. E. Chua, Pei Yun Teo, Daniel W. J. Lee, Shi Yu Phua, Cheryl Y. Aw, Janice S. H. Lee, David A. Wardle
Summary: Decomposition and fire are important carbon pathways in tropical swamp forests, but their relationship is poorly understood. We found that decomposability and flammability are largely decoupled across species in these forests. Flammability is primarily driven by biochemical traits, while decomposition is driven by physical traits.
Article
Biology
Lindsay F. Banin, Elizabeth H. Raine, Lucy M. Rowland, Robin L. Chazdon, Stuart W. Smith, Nur Estya Binte Rahman, Adam Butler, Christopher Philipson, Grahame G. Applegate, E. Petter Axelsson, Sugeng Budiharta, Siew Chin Chua, Mark E. J. Cutler, Stephen Elliott, Elva Gemita, Elia Godoong, Laura L. B. Graham, Robin M. Hayward, Andy Hector, Ulrik Ilstedt, Joel Jensen, Srinivasan Kasinathan, Christopher J. Kettle, Daniel Lussetti, Benjapan Manohan, Colin Maycock, Kang Min Ngo, Michael J. O'Brien, Anand M. Osuri, Glen Reynolds, Yap Sauwai, Stefan Scheu, Mangarah Silalahi, Eleanor M. Slade, Tom Swinfield, David A. Wardle, Charlotte Wheeler, Kok Loong Yeong, David F. R. P. Burslem
Summary: This study assesses the contribution of tree planting to ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asia. The mortality rate of planted trees was found to be 18% after one year, increasing to 44% after five years. Active restoration resulted in faster accumulation of tree basal area, but tree species richness did not differ compared to natural regeneration. Planting for restoration is potentially rewarding but risky and context-dependent.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jing Hua Chiu, Kwek Yan Chong, Shawn K. Y. Lum, David A. A. Wardle
Summary: Invasive plants pose a growing ecological problem worldwide and biases in invasive plant research can limit our understanding of their ecology. This study analyzed 458 invasive plant papers from two specialized journals in invasion biology and found biases towards temperate grassland and forest ecosystems in the Americas, Europe, and Australia, as well as smaller herbaceous invasive plant species. The research also identified hot topics and trends in invasive plant research over time, highlighting the need for more studies in understudied ecosystems and plant groups to develop a more comprehensive understanding of invasive plant ecology.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mingshan Xu, Anna Yang, Xiaodong Yang, Wenting Cao, Zengke Zhang, Zengyan Li, Yu Zhang, Huaguo Zhang, Wenhui You, En-Rong Yan, David A. Wardle
Summary: Biodiversity on island ecosystems is influenced by human-driven land use change and biological invasion, as well as the direct and indirect effects of island size and remoteness. This study explores these relationships by analyzing the diversity of plants and soil bacteria on 37 continental shelf islands in eastern China.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elle J. J. Bowd, Eleonora Egidi, David B. B. Lindenmayer, David A. A. Wardle, Paul Kardol, Claire Foster
Summary: Fire is a significant driver of biodiversity in forests and influences above-ground and below-ground communities. Our study used DNA sequencing to investigate the temporal responses of soil fungal communities to fire and found that the effects of fire on fungal communities are strongest in the short to medium term. Ectomycorrhizal fungi, which play important roles in forest ecosystems, were disproportionately impacted by fire compared to saprotrophs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Therese Lamperty, Wen Xuan Chiok, Max D. Y. Khoo, Zachary Amir, Nick Baker, Marcus A. H. Chua, Yi Fei Chung, Yen Kheng Chua, Joshua J. -M. Koh, Benjamin P. Y. -H. Lee, Shawn K. Y. Lum, Calebe P. Mendes, Jonathan Ngiam, Anthony ODempsey, Kenny G. C. Png, Adia R. Sophie, Lorraine Tan, Robert Teo, Noel Thomas, Li Tianjiao, Bryan Lim Tze-Ming, Adrian H. B. Loo, David A. Wardle, Matthew Scott Luskin
Summary: Rewilding, or the re-establishment of extinct wildlife, is considered as a means to restore biodiversity and ecosystem processes, but there are limited real-world examples of this process, especially in Southeast Asia. Using camera trap data, occupancy models, and input from local experts, this study examines the natural recolonization of two native large herbivores in Singapore. Sambar deer have only colonized nearby forest fragments with low abundance, while wild pigs have rapidly expanded their range and abundance across Singapore. The divergent rewilding trajectories between these two species suggest different conservation outcomes and management requirements.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Geography
Yuti A. Fatimah, Zaenuddin Hudi Prasojo, Stuart W. Smith, N. Estya B. Rahman, David A. Wardle, Kwek Yan Chong, Asmadi Saad, Janice S. H. Lee
Summary: This paper examines the survivability of peatland-related programs in Indonesia and identifies how these programs re-arrange the relationship between the local community and peatland over time. It also highlights the role of non-human actors in shaping the programs and emphasizes the importance of adjusting the programs to the materiality of these actors.