Article
Biology
Heloise Gibb, Glenda M. Wardle, Aaron C. Greenville, Blair F. Grossman, Chris R. Dickman
Summary: This study conducted a 22-year investigation in the Simpson Desert, Australia, and found that both spatial and temporal variations in ecosystem productivity have impacts on the trophic structure of ants. The spatial impacts were more pronounced at the higher trophic level of predators, while the temporal impacts were most significant for the lower trophic level of herbivores. The structuredness of ecosystems in response to productivity variation depends on the scale and dimension of productivity.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaoming Lu, Xuezhen Zhao, Taiki Tachibana, Kei Uchida, Takehiro Sasaki, Yongfei Bai
Summary: The quantity and quality of plants can independently affect the diversity of arthropod communities in grassland ecosystems, and these effects can cascade up the food web to influence the diversity of higher trophic levels. Plant productivity and host leaf traits indirectly affect herbivore taxon richness, which, in turn, affects predator taxon richness. Different herbivore taxa show different responses to plant quality indicators. Parasitoids, other predators, and spiders exhibit positive responses to different herbivores, which can be attributed to their different diet preferences. Predator diversity is promoted through prey partitioning among predator guilds. The richness of most predator families is positively correlated with that of more than one herbivore family, suggesting that high predator diversity may be caused by balanced diets owing to high prey diversity. These findings are important for understanding the interactions between plants and arthropods.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
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
Ecology
Guillaume Minard, Aapo Kahilainen, Arjen Biere, Hannu Pakkanen, Johanna Mappes, Marjo Saastamoinen
Summary: Many herbivores have developed strategies to cope with plant defenses, and gut microbiota may play a role in these adaptations. This study found that the history of plant use and microbiota may interact with plant defense adaptation. The gut microbiota were significantly impacted by both larval population origin and host plant defense compound levels.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Mary E. DuPre, David K. Weaver, Tim F. Seipel, Fabian D. Menalled
Summary: Ground beetles are important natural predators in agroecosystems, but their response to different cover crop rotations and termination methods varies. Our study found that ground beetle activity and community composition were influenced by the timing and type of cover crops used, suggesting potential implications for pest management in dryland cropping systems.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shinji Sugiura
Summary: Some animals have evolved chemical weapons to deter predators, such as bombardier beetles that can eject toxic chemicals at high temperatures from their abdomens. Experimental results show that bombing is essential for Pheropsophus jessoensis to defend against praying mantises, enabling them to successfully deter mantises.
Article
Ecology
Kohmei Kadowaki, Satoshi Yamamoto, Hirotoshi Sato, Akifumi S. Tanabe, Hirokazu Toju
Summary: In temperate forests, ectomycorrhizal tree species tend to dominate over arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species, but they generally coexist. Ecological feedbacks mediated by aboveground herbivory are more plant species-specific, while belowground fungal feedbacks are more mycorrhizal type-specific in regulating temperate tree diversity.
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
Morgane Gicquel, Marion L. East, Heribert Hofer, Sarah Cubaynes, Sarah Benhaiem
Summary: We investigated the impact of climate change on female spotted hyenas and their clans. The results showed that changes in rainfall volume affected the presence of migratory herds and maternal den presence, but hyenas exhibited high adaptability to these environmental changes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bianca de Sousa Rangel, Neil Hammerschlag, Renata Guimaraes Moreira
Summary: The field of marine urban ecology is a growing area of research. This study investigated the influence of urbanization on the dietary patterns and nutritional quality of nurse sharks, finding that urban sharks had lower nutritional quality than non-urban sharks, which may have long-term consequences on their health and growth.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Theresa Sporer, Johannes Koernig, Natalie Wielsch, Steffi Gebauer-Jung, Michael Reichelt, Yvonne Hupfer, Franziska Beran
Summary: Phyllotreta armoraciae, a specialist flea beetle, is able to accumulate high levels of glucosinolates in the body, partially avoiding plant myrosinase activity. In feeding experiments, Arabidopsis myrosinases hydrolyzed ingested glucosinolates, reducing the sequestration rate in adult beetles by up to 50%. The ability to tolerate plant myrosinase activity and a fast glucosinolate uptake mechanism are key adaptations of P. armoraciae to their brassicaceous host plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Xoaquin Moreira, Luis Abdala-Roberts
Summary: State of the art theory predicts weaker herbivore pressure on islands than on the mainland, leading to lower investment in plant defenses against herbivory. While early studies supported this prediction, recent research questions this paradigm, suggesting that islands may actually experience higher herbivory and plant defenses. Further research is needed to reassess predictions and investigate underlying mechanisms for observed patterns.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Arash Kheirodin, Pedro F. S. Toledo, Alvin M. Simmons, Jason M. Schmidt
Summary: Insect herbivore abundances in agricultural fields are influenced by the surrounding landscape complexity, which can regulate herbivore populations through direct and indirect effects. More research is needed to study how landscape complexity mediates multi-species interactions within fields.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jane M. Lucas, Jayne Jonas, Angela N. Laws, David H. Branson, Steven C. Pennings, Chelse M. Prather, Michael S. Strickland
Summary: This study examined the interactions between herbivore species and functional diversity with nutrient availability in shaping above- and below-ground ecosystems. Results showed that herbivores affected plant biomass, richness, and soil microbial communities, and interactions with fertilizer influenced below-ground carbon availability and microbial biomass. The effects of herbivore diet and taxonomic composition on ecosystems highlight the importance of considering multiple diversity metrics in studies of herbivore-mediated effects.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Maartje J. Klapwijk, Michael B. Bonsall
Summary: The indirect interactions between a focal and alternative resource mediated by a generalist consumer can be influenced by associational effects, resulting in various dynamics such as apparent competition and apparent mutualism. The inclusion of density-dependence expands the range where alternative resources positively influence the focal resource.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xi Shu, Marja Mesimaki, D. Johan Kotze, Mark Wales, Long Xie, Renan Benicke, Susanna Lehvavirta
Summary: The study highlights the importance of children in urban green space planning and design, and how they can express their needs and preferences through empathy-based stories. Both designed green spaces and wild nature offer a range of activities and experiences for children.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christine C. Rega-Brodsky, Myla F. J. Aronson, Max R. Piana, Ela-Sita Carpenter, Amy K. Hahs, Adriana Herrera-Montes, Sonja Knapp, D. Johan Kotze, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Marco Moretti, Allyson B. Salisbury, Nicholas S. G. Williams, Kirsten Jung, Madhusudan Katti, Ian MacGregor-Fors, J. Scott MacIvor, Frank A. La Sorte, Vallari Sheel, Caragh G. Threfall, Charles H. Nilon
Summary: Since the 1990s, urban biodiversity research has gained increasing recognition. However, the majority of studies have focused on single cities in the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, with a limited scope for research in the Global South and integration of multi-species and multi-trophic interactions. Furthermore, there is a need to link biodiversity to ecosystem function and services.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
D. Johan Kotze, Elizabeth C. Lowe, J. Scott MacIvor, Alessandro Ossola, Briony A. Norton, Dieter F. Hochuli, Luis Mata, Marco Moretti, Sara A. Gagne, I. Tanya Handa, Theresa M. Jones, Caragh G. Threlfall, Amy K. Hahs
Summary: Invertebrates are the most diversified animal group on Earth and play a crucial role in almost all terrestrial ecosystems, including urban forests. Understanding their role can help preserve biodiversity in urban environments and raise awareness of their importance in maintaining healthy greenspaces.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
William N. W. Fincham, John W. Redhead, Ben A. Woodcock, Richard F. Pywell
Summary: This study investigates the factors that limit agricultural yield and explores the relationships between in-field yield patterns and local landscape context. The findings suggest that proximity to the field edge and the presence of semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape can reduce crop yields. The study highlights the need for high-resolution environmental data to inform precision agriculture management and environmental policies.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juanjo Galan, Francisco Galiana, D. Johan Kotze, Kevin Lynch, Daniele Torreggiani, Bas Pedroli
Summary: The development of landscape adaptation planning for climate change relies on understanding the unique characteristics of the landscape and its inhabitants, including spatial patterns, culture, governance systems, socio-economic structures, planning methods, history, and collectively envisioned futures. This requires a systemic and integrative approach to address various drivers of change, challenges, and interests.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Audrey Labonte, Lucie S. Monticelli, Melinda Turpin, Emeline Felten, Emilien Laurent, Annick Matejicek, Chantal Ducourtieux, Eric Vieren, Violaine Deytieux, Stephane Cordeau, David Bohan, Adam J. Vanbergen
Summary: The competition and facilitation of pollination among plants and the availability of abiotic resources have an impact on plant reproduction. Floral resource succession and spatial heterogeneity affect plant-pollinator interactions at different ecological scales. Variations in flowering phenology influence the level of spatio-temporal heterogeneity in floral resources and pollinator interactions, thereby affecting reproduction. This study examined the effects of abiotic resources and multi-scale plant-pollinator interactions on individual plant seed set. The results demonstrated the importance of plant attractiveness, assemblage floral density, and conspecific pollen donor density in seed set, while the impact of abiotic conditions on seed set was minimal.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Harri Silvennoinen, Matti Koivula, Jukka Tikkanen, Liisa Tyrvainen
Summary: Assessments of human environmental perceptions are based on visible features, roles and functioning of the environment, and personal, cultural, social and experience-based values. Photos have been widely used in assessment research, but field visits are considered more reliable. A study in Finnish pine forests found a strong correlation between attractiveness perceptions based on photos and field visits. However, the scores differed among respondent groups and in different forest management attitudes. In summary, photos can accurately reflect the characteristics of simple forests, but more complex environments require advanced assessment techniques.
JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM-RESEARCH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Nicolay Leme da Cunha, Natacha Paola Chacoff, Agustin Saez, Reto Schmucki, Leonardo Galetto, Mariano Devoto, Julieta Carrasco, Mariana Paola Mazzei, Silvio Eugenio Castillo, Tania Paula Palacios, Jose Luis Vesprini, Kayna Agostini, Antonio Mauro, Ben Alex Woodcock, Jeff Ollerton, Marcelo Adrian Aizen
Summary: Identifying large-scale patterns of variation in pollinator dependence (PD) in crops is important. Evidence from wild plants shows that this variation is latitudinally structured. This study examined latitudinal variation in soybean's PD and found that PD decreases abruptly at high latitudes, suggesting a relative increase in autogamous seed production. Pollinator supplementation does not seem to increase seed production at any latitude.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew J. Tanentzap, Georgia Daykin, Thea Fennell, Ella Hearne, Matthew Wilkinson, Peter D. Carey, Ben A. Woodcock, Matthew S. Heard
Summary: Trophic rewilding, a method that reintroduces functional analogues for extinct large herbivores, can promote biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, it may have negative impacts on plant diversity and carbon storage, although it is still beneficial compared to continued agricultural production. Therefore, trophic rewilding needs to be used in combination with other interventions to address biodiversity loss and climate change.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marek Czerwinski, Alain Vian, Ben A. Woodcock, Piotr Golinski, Laura Recuero Virto, Lukasz Januszkiewicz
Summary: There has been a significant increase in wireless communication networks and the resulting RF-EMF exposure in the past three decades. Research shows that RF-EMF radiation can affect plant growth and development, but its effects in real ecosystems are still unclear. This study investigates the long-term effects of RF-EMF exposure on wild plants and finds that the effects are generally weak, except for one plant species, Trifolium arvense.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Elizabeth M. Alejandre, Laura Scherer, Jeroen B. Guinee, Marcelo A. Aizen, Matthias Albrecht, Mario V. Balzan, Ignasi Bartomeus, Danilo Bevk, Laura A. Burkle, Yann Clough, Lorna J. Cole, Casey M. Delphia, Lynn V. Dicks, Michael P. D. Garratt, David Kleijn, Aniko Kovacs-Hostyanszki, Yael Mandelik, Robert J. Paxton, Theodora Petanidou, Simon Potts, Miklos Sarospataki, Catharina J. E. Schulp, Menelaos Stavrinides, Katharina Stein, Jane C. Stout, Hajnalka Szentgyorgyi, Androulla I. Varnava, Ben A. Woodcock, Peter M. van Bodegom
Summary: While wild pollinators are crucial for global food production, they are currently not included in the commonly used environmental impact assessment method, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), due to data limitations and compatibility issues. To address this gap, a Delphi assessment was conducted to obtain relative pollinator abundance estimates from 25 experts covering 16 nationalities and 45 countries. Based on the estimates, globally generic characterization factors (CFs) were developed to assess the impact of land use on wild pollinator abundance in LCA studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Francesca Mancini, Rob Cooke, Ben A. A. Woodcock, Arran Greenop, Andrew C. C. Johnson, Nick J. B. Isaac
Summary: Modern agriculture has had significant impacts on global landscapes and wildlife populations. Despite improved policy and management approaches, invertebrate communities are declining, particularly in high-cropland regions. New policy-based drivers and incentives are needed to support the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Artur R. M. Serrano
Summary: This paper describes four new species of Afrotropical ground beetles of the genus Macrocheilus Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera, Carabidae): M. assmanni n. sp. from Tanzania, M. kudrnai n. sp. from Benin and Burkina Faso, M. philippeorum n. sp. from Benin, Burkina Faso and Senegal, and M. schuelei n. sp. from Central African Republic. An annotated checklist of 19 Afrotropical species and subspecies is provided, along with information on their general distribution and new distribution records at the country level. Furthermore, a dichotomic key for identification of Afrotropical Macrocheilus species and subspecies (excluding Madagascar) is presented, and morphological characters of males and females are illustrated.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anton M. Potapov, Carlos A. Guerra, Johan van den Hoogen, Anatoly Babenko, Bruno C. Bellini, Matty P. Berg, Steven L. Chown, Louis Deharveng, Lubomir Kovac, Natalia A. Kuznetsova, Jean-Francois Ponge, Mikhail B. Potapov, David J. Russell, Douglas Alexandre, Juha M. Alatalo, Javier I. Arbea, Ipsa Bandyopadhyaya, Veronica Bernava, Stef Bokhorst, Thomas Bolger, Gabriela Castano-Meneses, Matthieu Chauvat, Ting-Wen Chen, Mathilde Chomel, Aimee T. Classen, Jerome Cortet, Peter Cuchta, Ana Manuela de la Pedrosa, Susana S. D. Ferreira, Cristina Fiera, Juliane Filser, Oscar Franken, Saori Fujii, Essivi Gagnon Koudji, Meixiang Gao, Benoit Gendreau-Berthiaume, Diego F. Gomez-Pamies, Michelle Greve, I. Tanya Handa, Charlene Heiniger, Martin Holmstrup, Pablo Homet, Mari Ivask, Charlene Janion-Scheepers, Malte Jochum, Sophie Joimel, Bruna Claudia S. Jorge, Edite Jucevica, Olga Ferlian, Luis Carlos Iunes de Oliveira Filho, Osmar Klauberg-Filho, Dilmar Baretta, Eveline J. Krab, Annely Kuu, Estevam C. A. de Lima, Dunmei Lin, Zoe Lindo, Amy Liu, Jing-Zhong Lu, Maria Jose Lucianez, Michael T. Marx, Matthew A. McCary, Maria A. Minor, Taizo Nakamori, Ilaria Negri, Raul Ochoa-Hueso, Jose G. Palacios-Vargas, Melanie M. Pollierer, Pascal Querner, Natalia Raschmanova, Muhammad Imtiaz Rashid, Laura J. Raymond-Leonard, Laurent Rousseau, Ruslan A. Saifutdinov, Sandrine Salmon, Emma J. Sayer, Nicole Scheunemann, Cornelia Scholz, Julia Seeber, Yulia B. Shveenkova, Sophya K. Stebaeva, Maria Sterzynska, Xin Sun, Winda I. Susanti, Anastasia A. Taskaeva, Madhav P. Thakur, Maria A. Tsiafouli, Matthew S. Turnbull, Mthokozisi N. Twala, Alexei V. Uvarov, Lisa A. Venier, Lina A. Widenfalk, Bruna R. Winck, Daniel Winkler, Donghui Wu, Zhijing Xie, Rui Yin, Douglas Zeppelini, Thomas W. Crowther, Nico Eisenhauer, Stefan Scheu
Summary: Soil life plays a crucial role in maintaining the functioning and biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Among soil arthropods, springtails are highly abundant and they regulate soil fertility and energy flow in above- and belowground food webs. However, we currently have limited knowledge about the global distribution of springtail diversity and density, as well as their relationship with energy fluxes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Zoe Lindo, Thomas Bolger, Tancredi Caruso
Summary: Ecologists acknowledge the significance of stochastic processes in generating spatial and temporal variation in biological communities, particularly in soil, which harbors a large amount of biodiversity and plays a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystem responses. Stochasticity in ecology mainly arises from measurement errors, demographic stochasticity, and environmental stochasticity. This research synthesizes how these sources of stochasticity are quantified and incorporated in soil biodiversity studies, emphasizing current limitations, potential solutions, and future research priorities.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)