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Maestre FT, Biancari L, Chen N, Corrochano-Monsalve M, Jenerette GD, Nelson C, Shilula KN, Shpilkina Y. Research needs on the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship in drylands. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2024; 3:12. [PMID: 39242863 PMCID: PMC11332164 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-024-00046-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Research carried out in drylands over the last decade has provided major insights on the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (BEFr) and about how biodiversity interacts with other important factors, such as climate and soil properties, to determine ecosystem functioning and services. Despite this, there are important gaps in our understanding of the BEFr in drylands that should be addressed by future research. In this perspective we highlight some of these gaps, which include: 1) the need to study the BEFr in bare soils devoid of perennial vascular vegetation and biocrusts, a major feature of dryland ecosystems, 2) evaluating how intra-specific trait variability, a key but understudied facet of functional diversity, modulate the BEFr, 3) addressing the influence of biotic interactions on the BEFr, including plant-animal interactions and those between microorganisms associated to biocrusts, 4) studying how differences in species-area relationships and beta diversity are associated with ecosystem functioning, and 5) considering the role of temporal variability and human activities, both present and past, particularly those linked to land use (e.g., grazing) and urbanization. Tackling these gaps will not only advance our comprehension of the BEFr but will also bolster the effectiveness of management and ecological restoration strategies, crucial for safeguarding dryland ecosystems and the livelihoods of their inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando T Maestre
- Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Lucio Biancari
- IFEVA, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
- Cátedra de Ecología, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina
| | - Ning Chen
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, No.222, Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Mario Corrochano-Monsalve
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
- Departamento de Genética, Antropología Física y Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - G Darrel Jenerette
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Corey Nelson
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Kaarina N Shilula
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Yelyzaveta Shpilkina
- Instituto Multidisciplinar Para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
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2
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Raza W, Jiang G, Eisenhauer N, Huang Y, Wei Z, Shen Q, Kowalchuk GA, Jousset A. Microbe-induced phenotypic variation leads to overyielding in clonal plant populations. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:392-399. [PMID: 38195997 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02297-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Overyielding, the high productivity of multispecies plant communities, is commonly seen as the result of plant genetic diversity. Here we demonstrate that biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships can emerge in clonal plant populations through interaction with microorganisms. Using a model clonal plant species, we found that exposure to volatiles of certain microorganisms led to divergent plant phenotypes. Assembling communities out of plants associated with different microorganisms led to transgressive overyielding in both biomass and seed yield. Our results highlight the importance of belowground microbial diversity in plant biodiversity research and open new avenues for precision ecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Raza
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China and Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute for Environmental Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gaofei Jiang
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China and Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yishuo Huang
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China and Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhong Wei
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China and Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Qirong Shen
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China and Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - George A Kowalchuk
- Institute for Environmental Biology, Ecology and Biodiversity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Jousset
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Key Lab of Organic-Based Fertilizers of China and Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
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Wang X, Wang Z, Miao H, Zhang C, Zou H, Yang Y, Zhang Z, Liu J. Appropriate livestock grazing alleviates the loss of plant diversity and maintains community resistance in alpine meadows. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119850. [PMID: 38141346 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Alpine meadows constitute one of the major ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with livestock grazing exerting a considerable impact on their biodiversity. However, the degree to which plant diversity influences community stability under different grazing intensities remains unclear in this region. This study conducted controlled grazing experiments across four levels of grazing intensity (no-, low-, medium-, and high-grazing) based on herbage utilization rate to assess the influence of grazing intensities on plant community structure and diversity-stability relationships. We discovered that high-grazing reduced plant diversity and attenuated the temporal stability and resistance of above-ground biomass. No- and low-grazing could alleviate plant biomass loss, with community resistance being optimal under low-grazing. The direct effects of livestock grazing on temporal stability were found to be negligible. Plant characteristics and diversity accounted for a substantial proportion of livestock grazing effects on community resistance (R2 = 0.46), as revealed by piecewise structural equation model analysis. The presence of plant diversity enhances the resistance of alpine meadows against disturbance and accelerates the recovery after grazing. Our results suggest that low-grazing intensity may represent a judicious option for preserving species diversity and community stability on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Zaiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Haitao Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Chunping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Hao Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Zhenghua Zhang
- Qinghai Haibei National Field Research Station of Alpine Grassland Ecosystem and Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Jie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Center for Grassland Microbiome, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China.
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Hassan S, Sabreena, Ganiee SA, Yaseen A, Zaman M, Shah AJ, Ganai BA. Unraveling the potential of environmental DNA for deciphering recent advances in plant-animal interactions: a systematic review. PLANTA 2023; 258:117. [PMID: 37957258 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04267-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Environmental DNA-based monitoring provides critical insights for enhancing our understanding of plant-animal interactions in the context of worldwide biodiversity decrease for developing a global framework for effective plant biodiversity conservation. To understand the ecology and evolutionary patterns of plant-animal interactions (PAI) and their pivotal roles in ecosystem functioning advances in molecular ecology tools such as Environmental DNA (eDNA) provide unprecedented research avenues. These methods being non-destructive in comparison to traditional biodiversity monitoring methods, enhance the discernment of ecosystem health, integrity, and complex interactions. This review intends to offer a systematic and critical appraisal of the prospective of eDNA for investigating PAI. The review thoroughly discusses and analyzes the recent reports (2015-2022) employing preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) to outline the recent progression in eDNA approaches for elucidating PAI. The current review envisages that eDNA has a significant potential to monitor both plants and associated cohort of prospective pollinators (avian species and flowering plants, bees and plants, arthropods and plants, bats and plants, etc.). Furthermore, a brief description of the factors that influence the utility and interpretation of PAI eDNA is also presented. The review establishes that factors such as biotic and abiotic, primer selection and taxonomic resolution, and indeterminate spatio-temporal scales impact the availability and longevity of eDNA. The study also identified the limitations that influence PAI detection and suggested possible solutions for better execution of these molecular approaches. Overcoming these research caveats will augment the assortment of PAI analysis through eDNA that could be vital for ecosystem health and integrity. This review forms a critical guide and offers prominent insights for ecologists, environmental managers and researchers to assess and evaluate plant-animal interaction through environmental DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahnawaz Hassan
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India.
| | - Sabreena
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Shahid Ahmad Ganiee
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Aarif Yaseen
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Muzafar Zaman
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Abdul Jalil Shah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
| | - Bashir Ahmad Ganai
- Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India.
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Angeler DG, Heino J, Rubio-Ríos J, Casas JJ. Connecting distinct realms along multiple dimensions: A meta-ecosystem resilience perspective. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 889:164169. [PMID: 37196937 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Resilience research is central to confront the sustainability challenges to ecosystems and human societies in a rapidly changing world. Given that social-ecological problems span the entire Earth system, there is a critical need for resilience models that account for the connectivity across intricately linked ecosystems (i.e., freshwater, marine, terrestrial, atmosphere). We present a resilience perspective of meta-ecosystems that are connected through the flow of biota, matter and energy within and across aquatic and terrestrial realms, and the atmosphere. We demonstrate ecological resilience sensu Holling using aquatic-terrestrial linkages and riparian ecosystems more generally. A discussion of applications in riparian ecology and meta-ecosystem research (e.g., resilience quantification, panarchy, meta-ecosystem boundary delineations, spatial regime migration, including early warning indications) concludes the paper. Understanding meta-ecosystem resilience may have potential to support decision making for natural resource management (scenario planning, risk and vulnerability assessments).
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA; The Brain Capital Alliance, San Francisco, CA, USA; IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 8000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Juan Rubio-Ríos
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; Andalusian Centre for the Evaluation and Monitoring of Global Change (CAESCG), Almería, Spain
| | - J Jesús Casas
- Department of Biology and Geology, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; Andalusian Centre for the Evaluation and Monitoring of Global Change (CAESCG), Almería, Spain; Universitary Institute of Water Research, University of Granada, 18003 Granada, Spain
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6
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Roswell M, Harrison T, Genung MA. Biodiversity-ecosystem function relationships change in sign and magnitude across the Hill diversity spectrum. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220186. [PMID: 37246374 PMCID: PMC10225862 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivated by accelerating anthropogenic extinctions, decades of biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) experiments show that ecosystem function declines with species loss from local communities. Yet, at the local scale, changes in species' total and relative abundances are more common than species loss. The consensus best biodiversity measures are Hill numbers, which use a scaling parameter, ℓ, to emphasize rarer versus more common species. Shifting that emphasis captures distinct, function-relevant biodiversity gradients beyond species richness. Here, we hypothesized that Hill numbers that emphasize rare species more than richness does may distinguish large, complex and presumably higher-functioning assemblages from smaller and simpler ones. In this study, we tested which values of ℓ produce the strongest BEF relationships in community datasets of ecosystem functions provided by wild, free-living organisms. We found that ℓ values that emphasized rare species more than richness does most often correlated most strongly with ecosystem functions. As emphasis shifted to more common species, BEF correlations were often weak and/or negative. We argue that unconventional Hill diversities that shift emphasis towards rarer species may be useful for describing biodiversity change, and that employing a wide spectrum of Hill numbers can clarify mechanisms underlying BEF relationships. This article is part of the theme issue 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Roswell
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Tina Harrison
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
| | - Mark A. Genung
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70504, USA
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7
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Yan H, Li F, Liu G. Diminishing influence of negative relationship between species richness and evenness on the modeling of grassland α-diversity metrics. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1108739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Species richness and evenness have been widely used to investigate the spatiotemporal variation of α-diversity. However, some studies have indicated that a negative relationship exists between species richness and evenness. The question is how the differing sensitivity of α-diversity metrics and interactive behavior between richness and evenness affect the modeling of α-diversity variation. Here, we explored the response of species diversity, represented by three Hill numbers (i.e., species richness, exponential of Shannon index – expShannon, and inverse of Simpson index – invSimpson) focusing on the abundance of rare and common species, and Pielou index underlining the evenness of a community, to α-diversity variation through structural equation modeling (SEM). The model scheme integrated three categories of variables, spectral variation hypothesis (SVH), community pattern, and vertical structure, along the precipitation gradient spanning three steppes, including meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe. Our results showed that there were large differences in species richness across the three steppes, with v-shaped patterns emerging along the gradient (low-point in the typical steppe). Differences between steppes were diminished in the expShannon or invSimpson indices, though the v-shaped patterns persisted. The Pielou index showed the opposite pattern, with the peak in the typical steppe. Accordingly, a negative relationship between species richness and Pielou index was found across the three steppes. The concurrent increases in annual species number and dominant species abundance in response to precipitation variations led to the negative relationship. As a result, the SEM fitness on expShannon and invSimpson indices over the region was substantially diminished by the negative relationship. Overall, community pattern better explained the variation in species richness, invSimpson and Pielou indices. The performance of SVH differed among α-diversity metrics due to the collinearity with the variables of community pattern and vertical structure. This study emphasizes the variability of α-diversity metrics in response to environmental change. Particularly, distinguishing the asynchronous behaviors between species richness and evenness is paramount to account for α-diversity variation over heterogeneous ecosystems.
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Genung MA, Reilly J, Williams NM, Buderi A, Gardner J, Winfree R. Rare and declining bee species are key to consistent pollination of wildflowers and crops across large spatial scales. Ecology 2023; 104:e3899. [PMID: 36263772 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity promotes ecosystem function (EF) in experiments, but it remains uncertain how biodiversity loss affects function in larger-scale natural ecosystems. In these natural ecosystems, rare and declining species are more likely to be lost, and function needs to be maintained across space and time. Here, we explore the importance of rare and declining bee species to the pollination of three wildflowers and three crops using large-scale (72 sites across 5000 km2 ), multi-year datasets. Half of the sampled bee species (82/164) were rare or declining, but these species provided only ~15% of overall pollination. To determine the number of species important to EF, we used two methods of "scaling up," both of which have previously been used for biodiversity-function analysis. First, we summed bee species' contributions to pollination across space and time and then found the minimum set of species needed to provide a threshold level of function across all sites; according to this method, effectively no rare and declining bee species were important to pollination. Second, we account for the "insurance value" of biodiversity by finding the minimum set of bee species needed to simultaneously provide a threshold level of function at each site in each year. The second method leads to the conclusion that 25 rare and eight declining bee species (36% and 53% of all rare and declining bee species, respectively) are included in the minimum set. Our findings provide some of the strongest evidence yet that rare and declining species are key to meeting threshold levels of EF, thereby providing a more direct link between real-world biodiversity loss and EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Genung
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - James Reilly
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Neal M Williams
- Department of Entomology, University of California - Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Andrew Buderi
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
| | - Joel Gardner
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Rachael Winfree
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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Yuan XQ, Guo ZL, Duan CQ, Yang J, Tang H, Li LY, Li T, Liu CE. Alleviation of heavy metal stress and enhanced plant complex functional restoration in abandoned Pb–Zn mining areas by the nurse plant Coriaria nepalensis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1006468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal pollution caused by mining has been a topic of concern globally because it threatens ecological functions and human health. Nearly all current remediation strategies take into account only such short-term issues as how to reduce or stabilize the content of heavy metals in soil, how to reduce the toxicity of heavy metals, and how to preserve water, soil and nutrients. However, little attention is paid to such long-term issues as whether plants can survive, whether communities can be stabilized, and whether ecosystem functions can be restored. Therefore, improving plant diversity and community stability are key aspects of improved mine restoration. To explore the possibility of reconstructing plant complexes in mining areas, the local nurse plant Coriaria nepalensis was selected as the research object for a study in the Huize Pb–Zn mining area of southwest China. C. nepalensis could increase the contents of nutrient elements (C, N, and P), reduce the contents of heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), and strengthen the plant complex functions (diversity, functional traits, and complex biomass) in its root zone. In general, C. nepalensis can form fertility islands (survival islands) in mining areas, which facilitate the colonization and success of additional less stress-resistant species. We propose C. nepalensis as a key species for use in restoration based on its ability to restore ecosystem functions under extremely stressful conditions. We encourage combination of C. nepalensis with other nurse plants to reinforce the rehabilitation of ecosystem functions.
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10
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Lemanski NJ, Williams NM, Winfree R. Greater bee diversity is needed to maintain crop pollination over time. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1516-1523. [PMID: 35995849 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01847-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The current biodiversity crisis underscores the need to understand how biodiversity loss affects ecosystem function in real-world ecosystems. At any one place and time, a few highly abundant species often provide the majority of function, suggesting that function could be maintained with relatively little biodiversity. However, biodiversity may be critical to ecosystem function at longer timescales if different species are needed to provide function at different times. Here we show that the number of wild bee species needed to maintain a threshold level of crop pollination increased steeply with the timescale examined: two to three times as many bee species were needed over a growing season compared to on a single day and twice as many species were needed over six years compared to during a single year. Our results demonstrate the importance of pollinator biodiversity to maintaining pollination services across time and thus to stable agricultural output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J Lemanski
- Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Natural Resources, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
| | - Neal M Williams
- University of California Davis, Department of Entomology & Nematology, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rachael Winfree
- Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution & Natural Resources, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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11
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Zhao L, Du M, Du W, Guo J, Liao Z, Kang X, Liu Q. Evaluation of the Carbon Sink Capacity of the Proposed Kunlun Mountain National Park. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19169887. [PMID: 36011521 PMCID: PMC9408621 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19169887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
National parks, as an important type of nature protected areas, are the cornerstone that can effectively maintain biodiversity and mitigate global climate change. At present, China is making every effort to build a nature-protection system, with national parks as the main body, and this approach considers China's urgent goals of obtaining carbon neutrality and mitigating climate change. It is of great significance to the national carbon-neutralization strategy to accurately predict the carbon sink capacity of national park ecosystems under the background of global change. To evaluate and predict the dynamics of the carbon sink capacity of national parks under climate change and different management measures, we combined remote-sensing observations, model simulations and scenario analyses to simulate the change in the carbon sink capacity of the proposed Kunlun Mountain National Park ecosystem over the past two decades (2000-2020) and the change in the carbon sink capacity under different zoning controls and various climate change scenarios from 2020 to 2060. Our results show that the carbon sink capacity of the proposed Kunlun Mountain National Park area is increasing. Simultaneously, the carbon sink capacity will be improved with the implementation of park management and control measures; which will be increased by 2.04% to 2.13% by 2060 in the research area under multiple climate change scenarios. The research results provide a scientific basis for the establishment and final boundary determination of the proposed Kunlun Mountain National Park.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhao
- School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi′an Jiaotong University, Xi′an 710049, China
- Northwest Surveying, Planning Institute of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory National Forestry Administration on Ecological Hydrology and Disaster Prevention in Arid Regions, Xi’an 710048, China
| | - Mingxi Du
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Correspondence: (M.D.); (Q.L.)
| | - Wei Du
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Jiahuan Guo
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Ziyan Liao
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiang Kang
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Qiuyu Liu
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- Institute of Environment Sciences, Department of Biology Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Case Postale 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, QU H3C 3P8, Canada
- Correspondence: (M.D.); (Q.L.)
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12
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Abstract
Soil microbes play a central role in ecosystem element cycling. Yet a central question in microbial ecology remains unanswered: to what extent does the taxonomic composition of soil microbial communities mediate biogeochemical process rates? In this quantitative review, we explore the mechanisms that lead to variation in the strength of microbial community structure-function relationships over space and time. To evaluate these mechanisms, we conduct a meta-analysis of studies that have monitored the decomposition of sterilized plant litter inoculated with different microbial assemblages. We find that the influence of microbial community composition on litter decay is pervasive and strong, rivalling in magnitude the influence of litter chemistry on decomposition. However, no single environmental or experimental attribute was correlated with variation in the inoculum effect. These results emphasize the need to better understand ecological dynamics within microbial communities, particularly emergent features such as cross-feeding networks, to improve predictions of soil biogeochemical function.
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13
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Orwin KH, Mason NWH, Berthet ET, Grelet G, Mudge P, Lavorel S. Integrating design and ecological theory to achieve adaptive diverse pastures. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:861-871. [PMID: 35842324 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Increasing plant diversity is often suggested as a way of overcoming some of the challenges faced by managers of intensive pasture systems, but it is unclear how to design the most suitable plant mixtures. Using innovative design theory, we identify two conceptual shifts that foster potentially beneficial design approaches. Firstly, reframing the goal of mixture design to supporting ecological integrity, rather than delivering lists of desired outcomes, leads to flexible design approaches that support context-specific solutions that should operate within identifiable ecological limits. Secondly, embracing, rather than minimising uncertainty in performance leads to adaptive approaches that could enhance current and future benefits of diversifying pasture. These two fundamental shifts could therefore accelerate the successful redesign of intensive pastures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate H Orwin
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand.
| | | | - Elsa T Berthet
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, UMR SADAPT, 75231 Paris, France; USC 1339, Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, INRAE, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Gwen Grelet
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand
| | - Paul Mudge
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Sandra Lavorel
- Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand; Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, 38000 Grenoble, France
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14
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Yang H, Xu H, Zhang W, Li Z, Fan H, Lambers H, Li L. Overyielding is accounted for partly by plasticity and dissimilarity of crop root traits in maize/legume intercropping systems. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
| | - Hua‐Sen Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
| | - Wei‐Ping Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
| | - Zhao‐Xin Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
| | - Hong‐Xia Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
| | - Hans Lambers
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia Crawley (Perth) WA Australia
| | - Long Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, Key Laboratory of Plant and Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development China Agricultural University Beijing China
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15
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Wooliver R, Kivlin SN, Jagadamma S. Links Among Crop Diversification, Microbial Diversity, and Soil Organic Carbon: Mini Review and Case Studies. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:854247. [PMID: 35547111 PMCID: PMC9082997 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.854247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between species above- and belowground are among the top factors that govern ecosystem functioning including soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. In agroecosystems, understanding how crop diversification affects soil biodiversity and SOC storage at the local scale remains a key challenge for addressing soil degradation and biodiversity loss that plague these systems. Yet, outcomes of crop diversification for soil microbial diversity and SOC storage, which are key indicators of soil health, are not always positive but rather they are highly idiosyncratic to agroecosystems. Using five case studies, we highlight the importance of selecting ideal crop functional types (as opposed to focusing on plant diversity) when considering diversification options for maximizing SOC accumulation. Some crop functional types and crop diversification approaches are better suited for enhancing SOC at particular sites, though SOC responses to crop diversification can vary annually and with duration of crop cover. We also highlight how SOC responses to crop diversification are more easily interpretable through changes in microbial community composition (as opposed to microbial diversity). We then develop suggestions for future crop diversification experiment standardization including (1) optimizing sampling effort and sequencing depth for soil microbial communities and (2) understanding the mechanisms guiding responses of SOC functional pools with varying stability to crop diversification. We expect that these suggestions will move knowledge forward about biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in agroecosystems, and ultimately be of use to producers for optimizing soil health in their croplands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Wooliver
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Stephanie N. Kivlin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Sindhu Jagadamma
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
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16
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Alberti M, Wang T. Detecting patterns of vertebrate biodiversity across the multidimensional urban landscape. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1027-1045. [PMID: 35113498 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Explicit characterisation of the complexity of urban landscapes is critical for understanding patterns of biodiversity and for detecting the underlying social and ecological processes that shape them. Urban environments exhibit variable heterogeneity and connectivity, influenced by different historical contingencies, that affect community assembly across scales. The multidimensional nature of urban disturbance and co-occurrence of multiple stressors can cause synergistic effects leading to nonlinear responses in populations and communities. Yet, current research design of urban ecology and evolutionary studies typically relies on simple representation of the parameter space that can be observed. Sampling approaches apply simple urban gradients such as linear transects in space or comparisons of urban sites across the urban mosaic accounting for a few variables. This rarely considers multiple dimensions and scales of biodiversity, and proves to be inadequate to explain observed patterns. We apply a multidimensional approach that integrates distinctive social, ecological and built characteristics of urban landscapes, representing variations along dimensions of heterogeneity, connectivity and historical contingency. Measuring species richness and beta diversity across 100 US metropolitan areas at the city and 1-km scales, we show that distinctive signatures of urban biodiversity can result from interactions between socioecological heterogeneity and connectivity, mediated by historical contingency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Urban Ecology Research Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tianzhe Wang
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Urban Ecology Research Lab, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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17
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Zhao Z, Li H, Sun Y, Shao K, Wang X, Ma X, Hu A, Zhang H, Fan J. How habitat heterogeneity shapes bacterial and protistan communities in temperate coastal areas near estuaries. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:1775-1789. [PMID: 34996132 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated microbial communities (bacteria and protist) in two coastal areas near the estuaries of the Liaohe (LH) River and Yalujiang (YLJ) River in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Due to the existence of Liaodong Peninsula and different levels of urbanization, geographical segregation and significant environmental heterogeneity were observed between these two areas. There were significantly different regional species pools and biogeographic patterns for both bacterial and protistan communities between LH and YLJ coastal areas. Species turnover was the main mechanism driving β-diversity patterns of both bacterial and protistan communities in each area. In addition, the contributed ratio of nestedness to the β-diversity patterns was significantly higher for protists compared to bacteria. Variation in regional species pools was found to be the dominant driver of differences of bacterial and protistan communities between the LH and YLJ coastal areas. For a single-studied area, local community assembly mechanisms, including heterogeneous selection and dispersal limitation, were found to shape the bacterial and protistan communities through calculation of the β-deviation index. Among them, the relative importance of heterogeneous selection and dispersal limitation on the community assembly varied according to microorganism type and habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelong Zhao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Hongjun Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yi Sun
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Kuishuang Shao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xiaocheng Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Xindong Ma
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Anyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Haikun Zhang
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Jinfeng Fan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
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18
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Thompson PL, Kéfi S, Zelnik YR, Dee LE, Wang S, de Mazancourt C, Loreau M, Gonzalez A. Scaling up biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships: the role of environmental heterogeneity in space and time. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202779. [PMID: 33715425 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationship is expected to be scale-dependent. The autocorrelation of environmental heterogeneity is hypothesized to explain this scale dependence because it influences how quickly biodiversity accumulates over space or time. However, this link has yet to be demonstrated in a formal model. Here, we use a Lotka-Volterra competition model to simulate community dynamics when environmental conditions vary across either space or time. Species differ in their optimal environmental conditions, which results in turnover in community composition. We vary biodiversity by modelling communities with different sized regional species pools and ask how the amount of biomass per unit area depends on the number of species present, and the spatial or temporal scale at which it is measured. We find that more biodiversity is required to maintain functioning at larger temporal and spatial scales. The number of species required increases quickly when environmental autocorrelation is low, and slowly when autocorrelation is high. Both spatial and temporal environmental heterogeneity lead to scale dependence in BEF, but autocorrelation has larger impacts when environmental change is temporal. These findings show how the biodiversity required to maintain functioning is expected to increase over space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L Thompson
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France.,Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Yuval R Zelnik
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France.,Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura E Dee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Claire de Mazancourt
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France
| | - Michel Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
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