301
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Lefcheck JS, Buchheister A, Laumann KM, Stratton MA, Sobocinski KL, Chak STC, Clardy TR, Reynolds PL, Latour RJ, Duffy JE. Dimensions of biodiversity in Chesapeake Bay demersal fishes: patterns and drivers through space and time. Ecosphere 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00284.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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302
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Venail PA, Vives MJ. Phylogenetic distance and species richness interactively affect the productivity of bacterial communities. Ecology 2014; 94:2529-36. [PMID: 24400504 DOI: 10.1890/12-2002.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of how biodiversity influences ecosystem functioning is entering a new stage of its development through the incorporation of information about the evolutionary relatedness of species. Bacteria are prime providers of essential ecosystem services, representing an excellent model system to perform biodiversity-ecosystem function research. By using bacteria isolated from petroleum-contaminated sites, we show that communities composed of poorly related species were more productive than those containing highly related species. The nature of the forces controlling this positive effect of phylogenetic diversity on community productivity depended on the number of species in culture. In communities of two species the positive effect of phylogenetic diversity on productivity was driven by changes in the selection effect. Communities of two distantly related species were dominated by the most productive species in monoculture, whereas communities of two closely related species were dominated by the less productive species in monoculture. In communities of four species the positive effect of phylogenetic diversity on productivity was driven by changes in the complementarity effect. In communities composed of four distantly related species the influence of positive interactions such as facilitation, cross-feeding, and niche partitioning seemed to outweigh the influence of negative interactions such as interference. As a consequence the proportion of species favored by the presence of other species increased as they became less related. Multiple facets of biodiversity may influence ecosystem functioning. Here, we present evidence of an interaction between phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity on community productivity, underlining the importance of considering multiple aspects of biodiversity when studying its impact on ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Venail
- Centro de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No 18A-10, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Martha J Vives
- Centro de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 No 18A-10, Bogotá, Colombia
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303
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Griffin JN, Byrnes JEK, Cardinale BJ. Effects of predator richness on prey suppression: a meta-analysis. Ecology 2014; 94:2180-7. [PMID: 24358704 DOI: 10.1890/13-0179.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that species richness of primary producers and primary consumers can enhance efficiency of resource uptake and biomass production of respective trophic levels. At the level of secondary consumers (predators), however, conclusions about the functional role of biodiversity have been mixed. We take advantage of a recent surge of published experiments (totaling 46 since 2005) to both evaluate general effects of predator richness on aggregate prey suppression (top-down control) and explore sources of variability among experiments. Our results show that, across experiments, predator richness enhances prey suppression relative to the average single predator species (mean richness effect), but not the best-performing species. Mean richness effects in predator experiments were stronger than those for primary producers and detritivores, suggesting that relationships between richness and function may increase with trophic height in food webs. The strength of mean predator richness effects increased with the spatial and temporal scale of experiments, and the taxonomic distinctness (TD, used as a proxy of phylogenetic diversity) of species present. This latter result suggests that TD captures important aspects of functional differentiation among predators and that measures of biodiversity that go beyond species richness may help to better predict the effects of predator species loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Griffin
- Department of Biosciences, Wallace Building, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA28PP United Kingdom.
| | - Jarrett E K Byrnes
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125, USA
| | - Bradley J Cardinale
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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304
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Milcu A, Roscher C, Gessler A, Bachmann D, Gockele A, Guderle M, Landais D, Piel C, Escape C, Devidal S, Ravel O, Buchmann N, Gleixner G, Hildebrandt A, Roy J. Functional diversity of leaf nitrogen concentrations drives grassland carbon fluxes. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:435-44. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Revised: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Milcu
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Christiane Roscher
- Department Community of Ecology; UFZ; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research; Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4 06120 Halle Germany
| | - Arthur Gessler
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF); Institute for Landscape Biogeochemistry; Eberswalderstr. 84 15374 Müncheberg Germany
| | - Dörte Bachmann
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences; ETH Zurich; Universitaetsstrasse 2 8092 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Annette Gockele
- Institut für Biologie II - Geobotanik; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg; Schänzlestr. 1 D-79104 Freiburg Germany
| | - Markus Guderle
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Institute of Geoscience; Burgweg 11 07749 Jena Germany
| | - Damien Landais
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Clément Piel
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Christophe Escape
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Sebastien Devidal
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Olivier Ravel
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
| | - Nina Buchmann
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences; ETH Zurich; Universitaetsstrasse 2 8092 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Gerd Gleixner
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry; POB 100164 07701 Jena Germany
| | - Anke Hildebrandt
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Institute of Geoscience; Burgweg 11 07749 Jena Germany
| | - Jacques Roy
- CNRS, Ecotron - UPS 3248; Campus Baillarguet; 34980 Montferrier-sur-Lez France
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305
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Genung MA, Schweitzer JA, Senior JK, O’Reilly-Wapstra JM, Chapman SK, Langley JA, Bailey JK. When Ranges Collide. ADV ECOL RES 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801374-8.00009-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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306
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Jain M, Flynn DFB, Prager CM, Hart GM, DeVan CM, Ahrestani FS, Palmer MI, Bunker DE, Knops JMH, Jouseau CF, Naeem S. The importance of rare species: a trait-based assessment of rare species contributions to functional diversity and possible ecosystem function in tall-grass prairies. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:104-12. [PMID: 24455165 PMCID: PMC3894892 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of species in ecosystems are rare, but the ecosystem consequences of losing rare species are poorly known. To understand how rare species may influence ecosystem functioning, this study quantifies the contribution of species based on their relative level of rarity to community functional diversity using a trait-based approach. Given that rarity can be defined in several different ways, we use four different definitions of rarity: abundance (mean and maximum), geographic range, and habitat specificity. We find that rarer species contribute to functional diversity when rarity is defined by maximum abundance, geographic range, and habitat specificity. However, rarer species are functionally redundant when rarity is defined by mean abundance. Furthermore, when using abundance-weighted analyses, we find that rare species typically contribute significantly less to functional diversity than common species due to their low abundances. These results suggest that rare species have the potential to play an important role in ecosystem functioning, either by offering novel contributions to functional diversity or via functional redundancy depending on how rare species are defined. Yet, these contributions are likely to be greatest if the abundance of rare species increases due to environmental change. We argue that given the paucity of data on rare species, understanding the contribution of rare species to community functional diversity is an important first step to understanding the potential role of rare species in ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meha Jain
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
| | - Dan FB Flynn
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
- Northwest Institute for Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesXining, 810008, China
| | - Case M Prager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
| | - Georgia M Hart
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
- Department of Botany, University of HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii, 96822
| | - Caroline M DeVan
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, New Jersey, 07102
| | - Farshid S Ahrestani
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania, 16802
| | - Matthew I Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
| | - Daniel E Bunker
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, New Jersey, 07102
| | - Johannes MH Knops
- School of Biological Sciences, University of NebraskaLincoln, Nebraska, 68588
| | - Claire F Jouseau
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Ecologie et Gestion de la BiodiversitéParis, 75231,, France
| | - Shahid Naeem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew York, New York, 10027
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307
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Fienberg HG, Nolan GP. Mass cytometry to decipher the mechanism of nongenetic drug resistance in cancer. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2014; 377:85-94. [PMID: 24578267 DOI: 10.1007/82_2014_365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Nongenetic resistance has recently been described as a major impediment to effective cancer therapy. Nongenetic resistance is challenging to study since it occurs nonuniformly, even in cell lines, and can involve the interplay of multiple survival pathways. Until recently, no technology allowed measurement of large-scale alterations in survival pathways with single-cell resolution. Mass cytometry, a flow-based technique in which the activation of up to 50 proteins can be measured simultaneously in single-cell, now provides the ability to examine nongenetic resistance on the functional level on a cell-by-cell basis. The application of mass cytometry, in combination with new bioinformatic techniques, will allow fundamental questions on nongenetic resistance to be addressed: Is resistance caused by selection of cells with a pre-existing survival phenotype or induction of a survival program? Which survival pathways are necessary for nongenetic resistance and how do they interact? Currently, mass cytometry is being used to investigate the mechanism of nongenetic resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The approaches being developed to understand resistance to TRAIL will likely be applied to elucidate the mechanisms of nongenetic resistance broadly and in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris G Fienberg
- Baxter Laboratory in Stem Cell Biology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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308
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Horváth Z, Vad CF, Tóth A, Zsuga K, Boros E, Vörös L, Ptacnik R. Opposing patterns of zooplankton diversity and functioning along a natural stress gradient: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. OIKOS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00575.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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309
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Vieira MC, Cianciaruso MV, Almeida-Neto M. Plant-pollinator coextinctions and the loss of plant functional and phylogenetic diversity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81242. [PMID: 24312281 PMCID: PMC3843674 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-pollinator coextinctions are likely to become more frequent as habitat alteration and climate change continue to threaten pollinators. The consequences of the resulting collapse of plant communities will depend partly on how quickly plant functional and phylogenetic diversity decline following pollinator extinctions. We investigated the functional and phylogenetic consequences of pollinator extinctions by simulating coextinctions in seven plant-pollinator networks coupled with independent data on plant phylogeny and functional traits. Declines in plant functional diversity were slower than expected under a scenario of random extinctions, while phylogenetic diversity often decreased faster than expected by chance. Our results show that plant functional diversity was relatively robust to plant-pollinator coextinctions, despite the underlying rapid loss of evolutionary history. Thus, our study suggests the possibility of uncoupled responses of functional and phylogenetic diversity to species coextinctions, highlighting the importance of considering both dimensions of biodiversity explicitly in ecological studies and when planning for the conservation of species and interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Costa Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | | | - Mário Almeida-Neto
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
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310
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Castagneyrol B, Jactel H, Vacher C, Brockerhoff EG, Koricheva J. Effects of plant phylogenetic diversity on herbivory depend on herbivore specialization. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Castagneyrol
- INRA; UMR 1202 BIOGECO; F-33610 Cestas France
- Univ. Bordeaux; BIOGECO; UMR 1202; F-33400 Talence France
- School of Biological Sciences; Royal Holloway University of London; Egham Surrey TW20 0EX UK
| | - Hervé Jactel
- INRA; UMR 1202 BIOGECO; F-33610 Cestas France
- Univ. Bordeaux; BIOGECO; UMR 1202; F-33400 Talence France
| | - Corinne Vacher
- INRA; UMR 1202 BIOGECO; F-33610 Cestas France
- Univ. Bordeaux; BIOGECO; UMR 1202; F-33400 Talence France
| | | | - Julia Koricheva
- School of Biological Sciences; Royal Holloway University of London; Egham Surrey TW20 0EX UK
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311
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Cardinale BJ, Gross K, Fritschie K, Flombaum P, Fox JW, Rixen C, van Ruijven J, Reich PB, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Wilsey BJ. Biodiversity simultaneously enhances the production and stability of community biomass, but the effects are independent. Ecology 2013; 94:1697-707. [PMID: 24015514 DOI: 10.1890/12-1334.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
To predict the ecological consequences of biodiversity loss, researchers have spent much time and effort quantifying how biological variation affects the magnitude and stability of ecological processes that underlie the functioning of ecosystems. Here we add to this work by looking at how biodiversity jointly impacts two aspects of ecosystem functioning at once: (1) the production of biomass at any single point in time (biomass/area or biomass/ volume), and (2) the stability of biomass production through time (the CV of changes in total community biomass through time). While it is often assumed that biodiversity simultaneously enhances both of these aspects of ecosystem functioning, the joint distribution of data describing how species richness regulates productivity and stability has yet to be quantified. Furthermore, analyses have yet to examine how diversity effects on production covary with diversity effects on stability. To overcome these two gaps, we reanalyzed the data from 34 experiments that have manipulated the richness of terrestrial plants or aquatic algae and measured how this aspect of biodiversity affects community biomass at multiple time points. Our reanalysis confirms that biodiversity does indeed simultaneously enhance both the production and stability of biomass in experimental systems, and this is broadly true for terrestrial and aquatic primary producers. However, the strength of diversity effects on biomass production is independent of diversity effects on temporal stability. The independence of effect sizes leads to two important conclusions. First, while it may be generally true that biodiversity enhances both productivity and stability, it is also true that the highest levels of productivity in a diverse community are not associated with the highest levels of stability. Thus, on average, diversity does not maximize the various aspects of ecosystem functioning we might wish to achieve in conservation and management. Second, knowing how biodiversity affects productivity gives no information about how diversity affects stability (or vice versa). Therefore, to predict the ecological changes that occur in ecosystems after extinction, we will need to develop separate mechanistic models for each independent aspect of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J Cardinale
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
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312
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Massa SI, Paulino CM, Serrão EA, Duarte CM, Arnaud-Haond S. Entangled effects of allelic and clonal (genotypic) richness in the resistance and resilience of experimental populations of the seagrass Zostera noltii to diatom invasion. BMC Ecol 2013; 13:39. [PMID: 24152760 PMCID: PMC3818440 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-13-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between species diversity and components of ecosystem stability has been extensively studied, whilst the influence of the genetic component of biodiversity remains poorly understood. Here we manipulated both genotypic and allelic richness of the seagrass Zostera noltii, in order to explore their respective influences on the resistance of the experimental population to stress. Thus far intra-specific diversity was seldom taken into account in management plans, and restoration actions showed very low success. Information is therefore needed to understand the factors affecting resistance and resilience of populations. RESULTS Our results show a positive influence of both allelic and genotypic richness on the resistance of meadows to environmental perturbations. They also show that at the low genotypic (i.e. clonal) richness levels used in prior experimental approaches, the effects of genotypic and allelic richness could not be disentangled and allelic richness was a likely hidden treatment explaining at least part of the effects hitherto attributed to genotypic richness. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these results emphasize the need to acknowledge and take into account the interdependency of both genotypic and allelic richness in experimental designs attempting to estimate their importance alone or in combination. A positive influence of allelic richness on resistance to perturbations, and of allelic richness combined with genotypic richness on the recovery (resilience) of the experimental populations is supported by differential mortality. These results, on the key species structuring of one of the most threatened coastal ecosystem worldwide, seagrass meadows, support the need to better take into account the distinct compartments of clonal and genetic diversity in management strategies, and in possible restoration plans in the future.
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313
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Venail PA, Alexandrou MA, Oakley TH, Cardinale BJ. Shared ancestry influences community stability by altering competitive interactions: evidence from a laboratory microcosm experiment using freshwater green algae. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131548. [PMID: 23945692 PMCID: PMC3757983 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of biodiversity on the stability of ecological communities has been debated among biologists for more than a century. Recently summarized empirical evidence suggests that biodiversity tends to enhance the temporal stability of community-level properties such as biomass; however, the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship remain poorly understood. Here, we report the results of a microcosm study in which we used simplified systems of freshwater microalgae to explore how the phylogenetic relatedness of species influences the temporal stability of community biomass by altering the nature of their competitive interactions. We show that combinations of two species that are more evolutionarily divergent tend to have lower temporal stability of biomass. In part, this is due to negative 'selection effects' in which bicultures composed of distantly related species are more likely to contain strong competitors that achieve low biomass. In addition, bicultures of distantly related species had on average weaker competitive interactions, which reduced compensatory dynamics and decreased the stability of community biomass. Our results demonstrate that evolutionary history plays a key role in controlling the mechanisms, which give rise to diversity-stability relationships. As such, patterns of shared ancestry may help us predict the ecosystem-level consequences of biodiversity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A Venail
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041, USA.
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314
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Narwani A, Alexandrou MA, Oakley TH, Carroll IT, Cardinale BJ. Experimental evidence that evolutionary relatedness does not affect the ecological mechanisms of coexistence in freshwater green algae. Ecol Lett 2013; 16:1373-81. [PMID: 24112458 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 08/04/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The coexistence of competing species depends on the balance between their fitness differences, which determine their competitive inequalities, and their niche differences, which stabilise their competitive interactions. Darwin proposed that evolution causes species' niches to diverge, but the influence of evolution on relative fitness differences, and the importance of both niche and fitness differences in determining coexistence have not yet been studied together. We tested whether the phylogenetic distances between species of green freshwater algae determined their abilities to coexist in a microcosm experiment. We found that niche differences were more important in explaining coexistence than relative fitness differences, and that phylogenetic distance had no effect on either coexistence or on the sizes of niche and fitness differences. These results were corroborated by an analysis of the frequency of the co-occurrence of 325 pairwise combinations of algal taxa in > 1100 lakes across North America. Phylogenetic distance may not explain the coexistence of freshwater green algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Narwani
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1041, USA
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315
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Venail PA, Vives MJ. Positive effects of bacterial diversity on ecosystem functioning driven by complementarity effects in a bioremediation context. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72561. [PMID: 24023751 PMCID: PMC3762786 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their importance as ecosystem drivers, our understanding of the influence of bacterial diversity on ecosystem functioning is limited. After identifying twelve bacterial strains from two petroleum-contaminated sites, we experimentally explored the impact of biodiversity on total density by manipulating the number of strains in culture. Irrespective of the origin of the bacteria relative to the contaminant, biodiversity positively influenced total density. However, bacteria cultured in the crude oil of their origin (autochthonous) reached higher densities than bacteria from another origin (allochthonous) and the relationship between diversity and density was stronger for autochthonous bacteria. By measuring the relative contribution of each strain to total density we showed that the observed positive effect of increasing diversity on total density was mainly due to positive interactions among species and not the presence of a particular species. Our findings can be explained by the complex chemical composition of crude oil and the necessity of a diverse array of organisms with complementary enzymatic capacities to achieve its degradation. The long term exposure to a contaminant may have allowed different bacteria to become adapted to the use of different fractions of the crude, resulting in higher complementarity in resource use in autochthonous bacteria compared to allochthonous ones. Our results could help improve the success of bioaugmentation as a bioremediation technique by suggesting the use of a diversified set of autochthonous organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A. Venail
- Centro de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- * E-mail:
| | - Martha J. Vives
- Centro de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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316
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Seger GDS, Duarte LDS, Debastiani VJ, Kindel A, Jarenkow JA. Discriminating the effects of phylogenetic hypothesis, tree resolution and clade age estimates on phylogenetic signal measurements. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2013; 15:858-867. [PMID: 23368095 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2012.00699.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how species traits evolved over time is the central question to comprehend assembly rules that govern the phylogenetic structure of communities. The measurement of phylogenetic signal (PS) in ecologically relevant traits is a first step to understand phylogenetically structured community patterns. The different methods available to estimate PS make it difficult to choose which is most appropriate. Furthermore, alternative phylogenetic tree hypotheses, node resolution and clade age estimates might influence PS measurements. In this study, we evaluated to what extent these parameters affect different methods of PS analysis, and discuss advantages and disadvantages when selecting which method to use. We measured fruit/seed traits and flowering/fruiting phenology of endozoochoric species occurring in Southern Brazilian Araucaria forests and evaluated their PS using Mantel regressions, phylogenetic eigenvector regressions (PVR) and K statistic. Mantel regressions always gave less significant results compared to PVR and K statistic in all combinations of phylogenetic trees constructed. Moreover, a better phylogenetic resolution affected PS, independently of the method used to estimate it. Morphological seed traits tended to show higher PS than diaspores traits, while PS in flowering/fruiting phenology depended mostly on the method used to estimate it. This study demonstrates that different PS estimates are obtained depending on the chosen method and the phylogenetic tree resolution. This finding has implications for inferences on phylogenetic niche conservatism or ecological processes determining phylogenetic community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D S Seger
- Laboratório de Fitoecologia e Fitogeografia, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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317
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Jucker T, Carboni M, Acosta ATR. Going beyond taxonomic diversity: deconstructing biodiversity patterns reveals the true cost of iceplant invasion. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Jucker
- Department of Plant Sciences; University of Cambridge; Downing Street Cambridge CB2 3EA UK
| | - Marta Carboni
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale; Università degli Studi di Roma Tre; V.le Marconi 446 Roma 00146 Italy
| | - Alicia T. R. Acosta
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale; Università degli Studi di Roma Tre; V.le Marconi 446 Roma 00146 Italy
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318
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Miranda M, Parrini F, Dalerum F. A categorization of recent network approaches to analyse trophic interactions. Methods Ecol Evol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Miranda
- Centre for African Ecology; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Private Bag 3, Wits 2050; Johannesburg; South Africa
| | - Francesca Parrini
- Centre for African Ecology; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Private Bag 3, Wits 2050; Johannesburg; South Africa
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319
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Cadotte M, Albert CH, Walker SC. The ecology of differences: assessing community assembly with trait and evolutionary distances. Ecol Lett 2013; 16:1234-44. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Cadotte
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Toronto - Scarborough; 1265 Military trail Toronto ON Canada M1C 1A4
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Wilcocks St. Toronto ON M5S 3B2 Canada
| | - Cecile H. Albert
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine; UMR CNRS 5553, CNRS; Universite Joseph Fourier; BP 53 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9 France
- Department of Biology; McGill University; 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue Montreal QC Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Steve C. Walker
- Departement de Sciences Biologiques; Universite de Montreal; C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville Montreal QC Canada H3C 3J7
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320
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Milcu A, Allan E, Roscher C, Jenkins T, Meyer ST, Flynn D, Bessler H, Buscot F, Engels C, Gubsch M, König S, Lipowsky A, Loranger J, Renker C, Scherber C, Schmid B, Thébault E, Wubet T, Weisser WW, Scheu S, Eisenhauer N. Functionally and phylogenetically diverse plant communities key to soil biota. Ecology 2013; 94:1878-85. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1936.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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321
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Selonen VAO, Kotiaho JS. Buffer strips can pre-empt extinction debt in boreal streamside habitats. BMC Ecol 2013; 13:24. [PMID: 23842291 PMCID: PMC3716660 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-13-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Conservation of biological diversity and economical utilization of natural resources form an almost inevitable confrontation between the two. In practice, however, a balance between the two ought to be found, and in managed boreal forests, preservation of woodland key habitats is increasingly used strategy to safeguard biological diversity. According to the Finnish Forests Act, certain Forest Act habitat (FAH) types must be safeguarded, provided they are clearly distinguishable from their surroundings. Furthermore, once the habitat has been identified as a FAH, its special characteristics must not be altered. Both of these aspects contain ambiguities that potentially undermine the practical application of the Act. We designed a replicated sampling study to address these ambiguities at the most common FAH type, riparian habitat of small boreal streams. As response variables we used vascular plants and mosses. We asked i) how wide is the FAH around small streams that is distinguishable from its surrounding and ii) how wide buffer strip around the FAH is sufficient for long term to preserve the natural species community composition of the FAH. Results We found that an average three meters wide strip around the stream constitutes the distinguishable FAH and that a minimum of 45 meters wide buffers on both sides of the stream are needed for the species community composition to remain unaltered. Conclusions We conclude that 45 meters wide buffers appear sufficient to safeguard vascular plant and moss species communities within the FAH, prevent local populations from extinctions and thus pre-empt extinction debt that would be realised with more narrow buffers. While 45 meters may seem intolerable from the commercial forestry point of view, anything less than that may be intolerable from the point of view of conservation, and thus against the idea of sustainable use of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ville A O Selonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO Box 35, 40014, Finland.
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322
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Dinnage R. Phylogenetic diversity of plants alters the effect of species richness on invertebrate herbivory. PeerJ 2013; 1:e93. [PMID: 23825795 PMCID: PMC3698468 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-standing ecological theory proposes that diverse communities of plants should experience a decrease in herbivory. Yet previous empirical examinations of this hypothesis have revealed that plant species richness increases herbivory in just as many systems as it decreases it. In this study, I ask whether more insight into the role of plant diversity in promoting or suppressing herbivory can be gained by incorporating information about the evolutionary history of species in a community. In an old field system in southern Ontario, I surveyed communities of plants and measured levels of leaf damage on 27 species in 38 plots. I calculated a measure of phylogenetic diversity (PSE) that encapsulates information about the amount of evolutionary history represented in each of the plots and looked for a relationship between levels of herbivory and both species richness and phylogenetic diversity using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) that could account for variation in herbivory levels between species. I found that species richness was positively associated with herbivore damage at the plot-level, in keeping with the results from several other recent studies on this question. On the other hand, phylogenetic diversity was associated with decreased herbivory. Importantly, there was also an interaction between species richness and phylogenetic diversity, such that plots with the highest levels of herbivory were plots which had many species but only if those species tended to be closely related to one another. I propose that these results are the consequence of interactions with herbivores whose diets are phylogenetically specialized (for which I introduce the term cladophage), and how phylogenetic diversity may alter their realized host ranges. These results suggest that incorporating a phylogenetic perspective can add valuable additional insight into the role of plant diversity in explaining or predicting levels of herbivory at a whole-community scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Dinnage
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
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323
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Daru BH, Yessoufou K, Mankga LT, Davies TJ. A Global Trend towards the Loss of Evolutionarily Unique Species in Mangrove Ecosystems. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66686. [PMID: 23805263 PMCID: PMC3689665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mangrove biome stands out as a distinct forest type at the interface between terrestrial, estuarine, and near-shore marine ecosystems. However, mangrove species are increasingly threatened and experiencing range contraction across the globe that requires urgent conservation action. Here, we assess the spatial distribution of mangrove species richness and evolutionary diversity, and evaluate potential predictors of global declines and risk of extinction. We found that human pressure, measured as the number of different uses associated with mangroves, correlated strongly, but negatively, with extinction probability, whereas species ages were the best predictor of global decline, explaining 15% of variation in extinction risk. Although the majority of mangrove species are categorised by the IUCN as Least Concern, our finding that the more threatened species also tend to be those that are more evolutionarily unique is of concern because their extinction would result in a greater loss of phylogenetic diversity. Finally, we identified biogeographic regions that are relatively species-poor but rich in evolutionary history, and suggest these regions deserve greater conservation priority. Our study provides phylogenetic information that is important for developing a unified management plan for mangrove ecosystems worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnabas H. Daru
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Kowiyou Yessoufou
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ledile T. Mankga
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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324
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Geslin B, Gauzens B, Thébault E, Dajoz I. Plant pollinator networks along a gradient of urbanisation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63421. [PMID: 23717421 PMCID: PMC3661593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Habitat loss is one of the principal causes of the current pollinator decline. With agricultural intensification, increasing urbanisation is among the main drivers of habitat loss. Consequently studies focusing on pollinator community structure along urbanisation gradients have increased in recent years. However, few studies have investigated how urbanisation affects plant-pollinator interaction networks. Here we assessed modifications of plant-pollinator interactions along an urbanisation gradient based on the study of their morphological relationships. Methodology/Principal Findings Along an urbanisation gradient comprising four types of landscape contexts (semi-natural, agricultural, suburban, urban), we set up experimental plant communities containing two plant functional groups differing in their morphological traits (“open flowers” and “tubular flowers”). Insect visitations on these communities were recorded to build plant-pollinator networks. A total of 17 857 interactions were recorded between experimental plant communities and flower-visitors. The number of interactions performed by flower-visitors was significantly lower in urban landscape context than in semi-natural and agricultural ones. In particular, insects such as Syrphidae and solitary bees that mostly visited the open flower functional group were significantly impacted by urbanisation, which was not the case for bumblebees. Urbanisation also impacted the generalism of flower-visitors and we detected higher interaction evenness in urban landscape context than in agricultural and suburban ones. Finally, in urban context, these modifications lowered the potential reproductive success of the open flowers functional group. Conclusions/Significance Our findings show that open flower plant species and their specific flower-visitors are especially sensitive to increasing urbanisation. These results provide new clues to improve conservation measures within urbanised areas in favour of specialist flower-visitors. To complete this functional approach, studies using networks resolved to the species level along urbanised gradients would be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Geslin
- Laboratoire Biogéochimie et Écologie des Milieux Continentaux UMR 7618, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, Île-de-France, France.
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325
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Experimental evidence that evolutionarily diverse assemblages result in higher productivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:8996-9000. [PMID: 23674676 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301685110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There now is ample experimental evidence that speciose assemblages are more productive and provide a greater amount of ecosystem services than depauperate ones. However, these experiments often conclude that there is a higher probability of including complementary species combinations in assemblages with more species and lack a priori prediction about which species combinations maximize function. Here, I report the results of an experiment manipulating the evolutionary relatedness of constituent plant species across a richness gradient. I show that assemblages with distantly related species contributed most to the higher biomass production in multispecies assemblages, through species complementarity. Species produced more biomass than predicted from their monocultures when they were in plots with distantly related species and produced the amount of biomass predicted from monoculture when sown with close relatives. This finding suggests that in the absence of any other information, combining distantly related species in restored or managed landscapes may serve to maximize biomass production and carbon sequestration, thus merging calls to conserve evolutionary history and maximize ecosystem function.
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326
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Stachowicz JJ, Kamel SJ, Hughes AR, Grosberg RK. Genetic Relatedness Influences Plant Biomass Accumulation in Eelgrass (Zostera marina). Am Nat 2013; 181:715-24. [DOI: 10.1086/669969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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327
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Abstract
Biogeochemical functioning of ecosystems is central to nutrient cycling, carbon balance, and several ecosystem services, yet it is not always clear why levels of function might vary among systems. Wetlands are widely recognized for their ability to alter concentrations of solutes and particles as water moves through them, but we have only general expectations for what attributes of wetlands are linked to variability in these processes. We examined changes in several water quality variables (dissolved oxygen, dissolved organic carbon, nutrients, and suspended particles) to ascertain which constituents are influenced during tidal exchange with a range of 17 tidal freshwater wetlands along the Hudson River, New York, USA. Many of the constituents showed significant differences among wetlands or between flooding and ebbing tidal concentrations, indicating wetland-mediated effects. For dissolved oxygen, the presence of even small proportional cover by submerged aquatic vegetation increased the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water returned to the main channel following a daytime tidal exchange. Nitrate concentrations showed consistent declines during ebbing tides, but the magnitude of decline varied greatly among sites. The proportional cover by graminoid-dominated high intertidal vegetation accounted for over 40% of the variation in nitrate decline. Knowing which water-quality alterations are associated with which attributes helps suggest underlying mechanisms and identifies what functions might be susceptible to change as sea level rise or salinity intrusion drives shifts in wetland vegetation cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Findlay
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York 12545, USA.
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328
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Dalerum F. Phylogenetic and functional diversity in large carnivore assemblages. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130049. [PMID: 23576787 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Large terrestrial carnivores are important ecological components and prominent flagship species, but are often extinction prone owing to a combination of biological traits and high levels of human persecution. This study combines phylogenetic and functional diversity evaluations of global and continental large carnivore assemblages to provide a framework for conservation prioritization both between and within assemblages. Species-rich assemblages of large carnivores simultaneously had high phylogenetic and functional diversity, but species contributions to phylogenetic and functional diversity components were not positively correlated. The results further provide ecological justification for the largest carnivore species as a focus for conservation action, and suggests that range contraction is a likely cause of diminishing carnivore ecosystem function. This study highlights that preserving species-rich carnivore assemblages will capture both high phylogenetic and functional diversity, but that prioritizing species within assemblages will involve trade-offs between optimizing contemporary ecosystem function versus the evolutionary potential for future ecosystem performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Dalerum
- Centre for Wildlife Management, Hatfield Experimental Farm, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa.
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329
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Ye L, Chang CY, García-Comas C, Gong GC, Hsieh CH. Increasing zooplankton size diversity enhances the strength of top-down control on phytoplankton through diet niche partitioning. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:1052-61. [PMID: 23506226 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
1. The biodiversity-ecosystem functioning debate is a central topic in ecology. Recently, there has been a growing interest in size diversity because body size is sensitive to environmental changes and is one of the fundamental characteristics of organisms linking many ecosystem properties. However, how size diversity affects ecosystem functioning is an important yet unclear issue. 2. To fill the gap, with large-scale field data from the East China Sea, we tested the novel hypothesis that increasing zooplankton size diversity enhances top-down control on phytoplankton (H1) and compared it with five conventional hypotheses explaining the top-down control: flatter zooplankton size spectrum enhances the strength of top-down control (H2); nutrient enrichment lessens the strength of top-down control (H3); increasing zooplankton taxonomic diversity enhances the strength of top-down control (H4); increasing fish predation decreases the strength of top-down control of zooplankton on phytoplankton through trophic cascade (H5); increasing temperature intensifies the strength of top-down control (H6). 3. The results of univariate analyses support the hypotheses based on zooplankton size diversity (H1), zooplankton size spectrum (H2), nutrient (H3) and zooplankton taxonomic diversity (H4), but not the hypotheses based on fish predation (H5) and temperature (H6). More in-depth analyses indicate that zooplankton size diversity is the most important factor in determining the strength of top-down control on phytoplankton in the East China Sea. 4. Our results suggest a new potential mechanism that increasing predator size diversity enhances the strength of top-down control on prey through diet niche partitioning. This mechanism can be explained by the optimal predator-prey body-mass ratio concept. Suppose each size group of zooplankton predators has its own optimal phytoplankton prey size, increasing size diversity of zooplankton would promote diet niche partitioning of predators and thus elevates the strength of top-down control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China; Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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330
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Stevens RD, Tello JS, Gavilanez MM. Stronger tests of mechanisms underlying geographic gradients of biodiversity: insights from the dimensionality of biodiversity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56853. [PMID: 23451099 PMCID: PMC3581556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Inference involving diversity gradients typically is gathered by mechanistic tests involving single dimensions of biodiversity such as species richness. Nonetheless, because traits such as geographic range size, trophic status or phenotypic characteristics are tied to a particular species, mechanistic effects driving broad diversity patterns should manifest across numerous dimensions of biodiversity. We develop an approach of stronger inference based on numerous dimensions of biodiversity and apply it to evaluate one such putative mechanism: the mid-domain effect (MDE). Species composition of 10,000-km(2) grid cells was determined by overlaying geographic range maps of 133 noctilionoid bat taxa. We determined empirical diversity gradients in the Neotropics by calculating species richness and three indices each of phylogenetic, functional and phenetic diversity for each grid cell. We also created 1,000 simulated gradients of each examined metric of biodiversity based on a MDE model to estimate patterns expected if species distributions were randomly placed within the Neotropics. For each simulation run, we regressed the observed gradient onto the MDE-expected gradient. If a MDE drives empirical gradients, then coefficients of determination from such an analysis should be high, the intercept no different from zero and the slope no different than unity. Species richness gradients predicted by the MDE fit empirical patterns. The MDE produced strong spatially structured gradients of taxonomic, phylogenetic, functional and phenetic diversity. Nonetheless, expected values generated from the MDE for most dimensions of biodiversity exhibited poor fit to most empirical patterns. The MDE cannot account for most empirical patterns of biodiversity. Fuller understanding of latitudinal gradients will come from simultaneous examination of relative effects of random, environmental and historical mechanisms to better understand distribution and abundance of the current biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard D Stevens
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America.
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331
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Kreso A, O’Brien CA, van Galen P, Gan OI, Notta F, Brown AMK, Ng K, Ma J, Wienholds E, Dunant C, Pollett A, Gallinger S, McPherson J, Mullighan CG, Shibata D, Dick JE. Variable clonal repopulation dynamics influence chemotherapy response in colorectal cancer. Science 2013; 339:543-8. [PMID: 23239622 PMCID: PMC9747244 DOI: 10.1126/science.1227670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 550] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity arises through the evolution of genetically diverse subclones during tumor progression. However, it remains unknown whether cells within single genetic clones are functionally equivalent. By combining DNA copy number alteration (CNA) profiling, sequencing, and lentiviral lineage tracking, we followed the repopulation dynamics of 150 single lentivirus-marked lineages from 10 human colorectal cancers through serial xenograft passages in mice. CNA and mutational analysis distinguished individual clones and showed that clones remained stable upon serial transplantation. Despite this stability, the proliferation, persistence, and chemotherapy tolerance of lentivirally marked lineages were variable within each clone. Chemotherapy promoted the dominance of previously minor or dormant lineages. Thus, apart from genetic diversity, tumor cells display inherent functional variability in tumor propagation potential, which contributes to both cancer growth and therapy tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonija Kreso
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Catherine A. O’Brien
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5L 1F4, Canada
| | - Peter van Galen
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Olga I. Gan
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Faiyaz Notta
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | | | - Karen Ng
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Jing Ma
- St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Erno Wienholds
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Cyrille Dunant
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Aaron Pollett
- Deparment of Pathology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Steven Gallinger
- Fred Litwin Centre for Cancer Genetics, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M7H 2B9, Canada
| | - John McPherson
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | | | - Darryl Shibata
- University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - John E. Dick
- Campbell Family Institute, Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada,To whom correspondence should be addressed.
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332
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Phylogenetic constraints on ecosystem functioning. Nat Commun 2013; 3:1117. [PMID: 23047675 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is consensus that biodiversity losses will result in declining ecosystem functioning if species have different functional traits. Phylogenetic diversity has recently been suggested as a predictor of ecosystem functioning because it could approximate the functional complementarity among species. Here we describe an experiment that takes advantage of the rapid evolutionary response of bacteria to disentangle the role of phylogenetic and species diversity. We impose a strong selection regime on marine bacterial lineages and assemble the ancestral and evolved lines in microcosms of varying lineage and phylogenetic diversity. We find that the relationship between phylogenetic diversity and productivity is strong for the ancestral lineages but brakes down for the evolved lineages. Our results not only emphasize the potential of using phylogeny to evaluate ecosystem functioning, but also they warn against using phylogenetics as a proxy for functional diversity without good information on species evolutionary history.
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333
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Hui C, Richardson DM, Pyšek P, Le Roux JJ, Kučera T, Jarošík V. Increasing functional modularity with residence time in the co-distribution of native and introduced vascular plants. Nat Commun 2013; 4:2454. [PMID: 24045305 PMCID: PMC3791474 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Species gain membership of regional assemblages by passing through multiple ecological and environmental filters. To capture the potential trajectory of structural changes in regional meta-communities driven by biological invasions, one can categorize species pools into assemblages of different residence times. Older assemblages, having passed through more environmental filters, should become more functionally ordered and structured. Here we calculate the level of compartmentalization (modularity) for three different-aged assemblages (neophytes, introduced after 1500 AD; archaeophytes, introduced before 1500 AD, and natives), including 2,054 species of vascular plants in 302 reserves in central Europe. Older assemblages are more compartmentalized than younger ones, with species composition, phylogenetic structure and habitat characteristics of the modules becoming increasingly distinctive. This sheds light on two mechanisms of how alien species are functionally incorporated into regional species pools: the settling-down hypothesis of diminishing stochasticity with residence time, and the niche-mosaic hypothesis of inlaid neutral modules in regional meta-communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cang Hui
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - David M. Richardson
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Petr Pyšek
- Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Johannes J. Le Roux
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Tomáš Kučera
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Jarošík
- Institute of Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic
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334
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Huang S, Stephens PR, Gittleman JL. Traits, trees and taxa: global dimensions of biodiversity in mammals. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:4997-5003. [PMID: 23097512 PMCID: PMC3497241 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Measures of biodiversity encompass variation along several dimensions such as species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional/trait diversity (TD). At the global scale, it is widely recognized that SR and PD are strongly correlated, but the extent to which either tends to capture variation in TD is unclear. Here, we assess relationships among PD, SR and TD for a number of traits both across clades and regional assemblages of mammals. We also contrast results using two different measures of TD, trait variance and a new measure we refer to as trait bin filling (the number of orders of magnitude of variation that contain at least one species). When TD is defined as trait variance, PD is a much stronger correlate of TD than SR across clades, consistent with hypotheses about the conservation value of PD. However, when TD is defined as bin filling, PD and SR show similar correlations with TD across clades and space. We also investigate potential losses of SR, PD and TD if species that are currently threatened were to go extinct, and find that threatened PD is often a similar predictor of threatened TD as SR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Huang
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30605, USA.
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335
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Winter M, Devictor V, Schweiger O. Phylogenetic diversity and nature conservation: where are we? Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 28:199-204. [PMID: 23218499 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Revised: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
To date, there is little evidence that phylogenetic diversity has contributed to nature conservation. Here, we discuss the scientific justification of using phylogenetic diversity in conservation and the reasons for its neglect. We show that, apart from valuing the rarity and richness aspect, commonly quoted justifications based on the usage of phylogenetic diversity as a proxy for functional diversity or evolutionary potential are still based on uncertainties. We discuss how a missing guideline through the variety of phylogenetic diversity metrics and their relevance for conservation might be responsible for the hesitation to include phylogenetic diversity in conservation practice. We outline research routes that can help to ease uncertainties and bridge gaps between research and conservation with respect to phylogenetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marten Winter
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser Str. 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
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336
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Montoya D, Rogers L, Memmott J. Emerging perspectives in the restoration of biodiversity-based ecosystem services. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 27:666-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2012.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Revised: 06/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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337
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Best RJ, Caulk NC, Stachowicz JJ. Trait vs. phylogenetic diversity as predictors of competition and community composition in herbivorous marine amphipods. Ecol Lett 2012; 16:72-80. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Revised: 08/28/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. J. Best
- Evolution and Ecology; University of California Davis; Davis; CA; 95616; USA
| | - N. C. Caulk
- Evolution and Ecology; University of California Davis; Davis; CA; 95616; USA
| | - J. J. Stachowicz
- Evolution and Ecology; University of California Davis; Davis; CA; 95616; USA
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338
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Naeem S, Duffy JE, Zavaleta E. The functions of biological diversity in an age of extinction. Science 2012; 336:1401-6. [PMID: 22700920 DOI: 10.1126/science.1215855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 335] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystems worldwide are rapidly losing taxonomic, phylogenetic, genetic, and functional diversity as a result of human appropriation of natural resources, modification of habitats and climate, and the spread of pathogenic, exotic, and domestic plants and animals. Twenty years of intense theoretical and empirical research have shown that such biotic impoverishment can markedly alter the biogeochemical and dynamic properties of ecosystems, but frontiers remain in linking this research to the complexity of wild nature, and in applying it to pressing environmental issues such as food, water, energy, and biosecurity. The question before us is whether these advances can take us beyond merely invoking the precautionary principle of conserving biodiversity to a predictive science that informs practical and specific solutions to mitigate and adapt to its loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Naeem
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
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339
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Dinnage R, Cadotte MW, Haddad NM, Crutsinger GM, Tilman D. Diversity of plant evolutionary lineages promotes arthropod diversity. Ecol Lett 2012; 15:1308-1317. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01854.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Revised: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell Dinnage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Harbord Street Toronto ON Canada M5S 3G5
| | - Marc W. Cadotte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Harbord Street Toronto ON Canada M5S 3G5
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Toronto-Scarborough; Toronto ON M1C 1A4 Canada
| | - Nick M. Haddad
- Department of Biology; North Carolina State University; Raleigh NC 27695 USA
| | | | - David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; University of Minnesota; Minneapolis MN 55108 USA
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340
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341
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Abstract
The most unique feature of Earth is the existence of life, and the most extraordinary feature of life is its diversity. Approximately 9 million types of plants, animals, protists and fungi inhabit the Earth. So, too, do 7 billion people. Two decades ago, at the first Earth Summit, the vast majority of the world's nations declared that human actions were dismantling the Earth's ecosystems, eliminating genes, species and biological traits at an alarming rate. This observation led to the question of how such loss of biological diversity will alter the functioning of ecosystems and their ability to provide society with the goods and services needed to prosper.
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342
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Reich PB, Tilman D, Isbell F, Mueller K, Hobbie SE, Flynn DFB, Eisenhauer N. Impacts of biodiversity loss escalate through time as redundancy fades. Science 2012; 336:589-92. [PMID: 22556253 DOI: 10.1126/science.1217909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 382] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Plant diversity generally promotes biomass production, but how the shape of the response curve changes with time remains unclear. This is a critical knowledge gap because the shape of this relationship indicates the extent to which loss of the first few species will influence biomass production. Using two long-term (≥13 years) biodiversity experiments, we show that the effects of diversity on biomass productivity increased and became less saturating over time. Our analyses suggest that effects of diversity-dependent ecosystem feedbacks and interspecific complementarity accumulate over time, causing high-diversity species combinations that appeared functionally redundant during early years to become more functionally unique through time. Consequently, simplification of diverse ecosystems will likely have greater negative impacts on ecosystem functioning than has been suggested by short-term experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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343
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Srivastava DS, Cadotte MW, MacDonald AAM, Marushia RG, Mirotchnick N. Phylogenetic diversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2012; 15:637-48. [PMID: 22583836 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01795.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2011] [Revised: 01/14/2012] [Accepted: 03/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phylogenetic diversity (PD) describes the total amount of phylogenetic distance among species in a community. Although there has been substantial research on the factors that determine community PD, exploration of the consequences of PD for ecosystem functioning is just beginning. We argue that PD may be useful in predicting ecosystem functions in a range of communities, from single-trophic to complex networks. Many traits show a phylogenetic signal, suggesting that PD can estimate the functional trait space of a community, and thus ecosystem functioning. Phylogeny also determines interactions among species, and so could help predict how extinctions cascade through ecological networks and thus impact ecosystem functions. Although the initial evidence available suggests patterns consistent with these predictions, we caution that the utility of PD depends critically on the strength of phylogenetic signals to both traits and interactions. We advocate for a synthetic approach that incorporates a deeper understanding of how traits and interactions are shaped by evolution, and outline key areas for future research. If these complexities can be incorporated into future studies, relationships between PD and ecosystem function bear promise in conceptually unifying evolutionary biology with ecosystem ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane S Srivastava
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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344
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Abstract
A substantial proportion of the world's living species, including one-third of the reef-building corals, are threatened with extinction and in pressing need of conservation action. In order to reduce biodiversity loss, it is important to consider species' contribution to evolutionary diversity along with their risk of extinction for the purpose of setting conservation priorities. Here I reconstruct the most comprehensive tree of life for the order Scleractinia (1,293 species) that includes all 837 living reef species, and employ a composite measure of phylogenetic distinctiveness and extinction risk to identify the most endangered lineages that would not be given top priority on the basis of risk alone. The preservation of these lineages, not just the threatened species, is vital for safeguarding evolutionary diversity. Tests for phylogeny-associated patterns show that corals facing elevated extinction risk are not clustered on the tree, but species that are susceptible, resistant or resilient to impacts such as bleaching and disease tend to be close relatives. Intensification of these threats or extirpation of the endangered lineages could therefore result in disproportionate pruning of the coral tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danwei Huang
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
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345
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Eisenhauer N, Scheu S, Jousset A. Bacterial diversity stabilizes community productivity. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34517. [PMID: 22470577 PMCID: PMC3314632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 03/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Stability is a crucial ecosystem feature gaining particular importance in face of increasing anthropogenic stressors. Biodiversity is considered to be a driving biotic force maintaining stability, and in this study we investigate how different indices of biodiversity affect the stability of communities in varied abiotic (composition of available resources) and biotic (invasion) contexts. Methodology/Principal Findings We set up microbial microcosms to study the effects of genotypic diversity on the reliability of community productivity, defined as the inverse of the coefficient of variation of across-treatment productivity, in different environmental contexts. We established a bacterial diversity gradient ranging from 1 to 8 Pseudomonas fluorescens genotypes and grew the communities in different resource environments or in the presence of model invasive species. Biodiversity significantly stabilized community productivity across treatments in both experiments. Path analyses revealed that different aspects of diversity determined stability: genotypic richness stabilized community productivity across resource environments, whereas functional diversity determined stability when subjected to invasion. Conclusions/Significance Biodiversity increases the stability of microbial communities against both biotic and abiotic environmental perturbations. Depending on stressor type, varying aspects of biodiversity contribute to the stability of ecosystem functions. The results suggest that both genetic and functional diversity need to be preserved to ensure buffering of communities against abiotic and biotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Eisenhauer
- Georg August University Göttingen, J. F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Göttingen, Germany.
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346
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Mouquet N, Devictor V, Meynard CN, Munoz F, Bersier LF, Chave J, Couteron P, Dalecky A, Fontaine C, Gravel D, Hardy OJ, Jabot F, Lavergne S, Leibold M, Mouillot D, Münkemüller T, Pavoine S, Prinzing A, Rodrigues ASL, Rohr RP, Thébault E, Thuiller W. Ecophylogenetics: advances and perspectives. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2012; 87:769-85. [PMID: 22432924 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2012.00224.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecophylogenetics can be viewed as an emerging fusion of ecology, biogeography and macroevolution. This new and fast-growing field is promoting the incorporation of evolution and historical contingencies into the ecological research agenda through the widespread use of phylogenetic data. Including phylogeny into ecological thinking represents an opportunity for biologists from different fields to collaborate and has provided promising avenues of research in both theoretical and empirical ecology, towards a better understanding of the assembly of communities, the functioning of ecosystems and their responses to environmental changes. The time is ripe to assess critically the extent to which the integration of phylogeny into these different fields of ecology has delivered on its promise. Here we review how phylogenetic information has been used to identify better the key components of species interactions with their biotic and abiotic environments, to determine the relationships between diversity and ecosystem functioning and ultimately to establish good management practices to protect overall biodiversity in the face of global change. We evaluate the relevance of information provided by phylogenies to ecologists, highlighting current potential weaknesses and needs for future developments. We suggest that despite the strong progress that has been made, a consistent unified framework is still missing to link local ecological dynamics to macroevolution. This is a necessary step in order to interpret observed phylogenetic patterns in a wider ecological context. Beyond the fundamental question of how evolutionary history contributes to shape communities, ecophylogenetics will help ecology to become a better integrative and predictive science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Mouquet
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR, CNRS, Université Montpellier, France.
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347
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Verdú M, Gómez-Aparicio L, Valiente-Banuet A. Phylogenetic relatedness as a tool in restoration ecology: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:1761-7. [PMID: 22158955 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.2268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biotic interactions assembling plant communities can be positive (facilitation) or negative (competition) and operate simultaneously. Facilitative interactions and posterior competition are among the mechanisms triggering succession, thus representing a good scenario for ecological restoration. As distantly related species tend to have different phenotypes, and therefore different ecological requirements, they can coexist, maximizing facilitation and minimizing competition. We suggest including phylogenetic relatedness together with phenotypic information as a predictor for the net effects of the balance between facilitation and competition in nurse-based restoration experiments. We quantify, by means of a Bayesian meta-analysis of nurse-based restoration experiments performed worldwide, the importance of phylogenetic relatedness and life-form disparity in the survival, growth and density of facilitated plants. We find that the more similar the life forms of neighbouring plants are the greater the positive effect of phylogenetic distance is on survival and density. This result suggests that other characteristics beyond life form are also contained in the phylogeny, and the larger the phylogenetic distance, the less is the niche overlap, and therefore the less is the competition. As a general rule, we can maximize the success of the nurse-based practices by increasing life-form disparity and phylogenetic distances between the neighbour and the facilitated plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CIDE, CSIC-UV-GV), Carretera Moncada-Náquera, Km. 4.5. Apartado Oficial, 46113 Moncada (Valencia), Spain.
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348
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Willig
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-4210, USA.
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349
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Cadotte MW. The new diversity: management gains through insights into the functional diversity of communities. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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350
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Brown KA, Flynn DFB, Abram NK, Ingram JC, Johnson SE, Wright P. Assessing natural resource use by forest-reliant communities in Madagascar using functional diversity and functional redundancy metrics. PLoS One 2011; 6:e24107. [PMID: 21909413 PMCID: PMC3164705 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity plays an integral role in the livelihoods of subsistence-based forest-dwelling communities and as a consequence it is increasingly important to develop quantitative approaches that capture not only changes in taxonomic diversity, but also variation in natural resources and provisioning services. We apply a functional diversity metric originally developed for addressing questions in community ecology to assess utilitarian diversity of 56 forest plots in Madagascar. The use categories for utilitarian plants were determined using expert knowledge and household questionnaires. We used a null model approach to examine the utilitarian (functional) diversity and utilitarian redundancy present within ecological communities. Additionally, variables that might influence fluctuations in utilitarian diversity and redundancy--specifically number of felled trees, number of trails, basal area, canopy height, elevation, distance from village--were analyzed using Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). Eighteen of the 56 plots showed utilitarian diversity values significantly higher than expected. This result indicates that these habitats exhibited a low degree of utilitarian redundancy and were therefore comprised of plants with relatively distinct utilitarian properties. One implication of this finding is that minor losses in species richness may result in reductions in utilitarian diversity and redundancy, which may limit local residents' ability to switch between alternative choices. The GLM analysis showed that the most predictive model included basal area, canopy height and distance from village, which suggests that variation in utilitarian redundancy may be a result of local residents harvesting resources from the protected area. Our approach permits an assessment of the diversity of provisioning services available to local communities, offering unique insights that would not be possible using traditional taxonomic diversity measures. These analyses introduce another tool available to conservation biologists for assessing how future losses in biodiversity will lead to a reduction in natural resources and provisioning services from forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry A Brown
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, Kingston University London, Surrey, United Kingdom.
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