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Wang C, Huang S, Wu C, Wang G, Wang L, Zhang Y, Wan J. Linear relationships between aboveground biomass and plant species diversity during the initial stage of degraded grassland restoration projects. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70128. [PMID: 39135726 PMCID: PMC11318339 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The relationship between aboveground biomass and plant diversity has been extensively examined to understand the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functions and services. Degraded grassland restoration projects can enhance carbon sequestration. However, the relationship between biomass and diversity remains one of the most actively debated topics regarding grassland ecosystems in degraded grassland restoration projects. We speculated that establishing the linear relationships between aboveground biomass and plant species diversity could contribute to enhancing the efficacy of degraded grassland restoration projects. This study sought to determine whether these relationships were linear during the initial stages of the restoration projects of degraded grasslands in Xing'an League, China. The investigations were based on an examination of seventy-six 1 × 1 m2 plots distributed among 15 areas in which the degraded grassland was at the initial stages of restoration. To quantify the species diversity of the degraded grassland communities, we used the species richness, Shannon-Wiener, inverse Simpson's reciprocal, and Pielou's evenness indices. Our analyses revealed that aboveground biomass had clear positive linear relationships with species richness during the initial stages of degraded grassland restoration. However, there were less pronounced associations with species diversity as assessed using the Shannon and inverse Simpson indices, based on regression models. Furthermore, weed biomass was found to have significant negative effects on species richness and Pielou's evenness. The weak linear relationship between aboveground biomass and species richness could be ascribed to an increase in weed biomass. We concluded that aboveground biomass and plant species diversity could be enhanced during the initial stages of degraded grassland restoration projects and suggest that the extent of weed biomass could serve as a key indicator of the efficacy of restoration from the perspective of plant species diversity and aboveground biomass in carbon sequestration projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun‐Jing Wang
- Sichuan Academy of ForestryChengduChina
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and AgricultureQinghai UniversityXiningChina
| | | | | | - Gai‐Ni Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and AgricultureQinghai UniversityXiningChina
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Wildlife and Protected AreaNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbinChina
| | - Yong‐Kun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and AgricultureQinghai UniversityXiningChina
| | - Ji‐Zhong Wan
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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2
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Bowd E, Lindenmayer D. Indirect and direct drivers of floristic condition in a threatened temperate woodland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174786. [PMID: 39009156 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Almost half of Earth's surface is threatened by agriculture, which has extensively degraded ecosystems and resulted in significant biodiversity loss. Remnant ecosystems in fragmented agricultural landscapes are threatened by past and present grazing and land-clearing. Declines in native diversity are common in these ecosystems, and their restoration is a key conservation goal globally. Understanding the drivers of change in floristic condition, reflecting continuity in floristic composition towards native plant communities, is fundamental to inform effective restoration practice. Previous investigations have demonstrated abiotic and biotic drivers of floristic condition independently. However, few consider the combined influence of these drivers on floristic condition, or the interactions between them, which may mediate indirect effects (e.g. plant-soil interactions). Despite this, ecological interactions may underpin changes in floristic condition, and provide critical insights needed to inform restoration. Here, we use structural equation modelling to disentangle the relationships between plants, soils and grass and litter biomass (leaf litter and fine woody debris) to elucidate the direct and indirect drivers of floristic condition in some of the most degraded landscapes globally: the critically endangered box-gum grassy woodlands in south-eastern Australia. We identify divergent plant-soil interactions between native versus exotic plants to key soil properties including soil nitrate and phosphorus. Specifically, native plants were negatively associated with increasing soil fertility, which favored exotic species. We also found evidence of indirect effects on floristic condition, mediated through interactions between litter biomass, soils and the basal area of overstorey trees. Our findings highlight the major role of soils in shaping floristic condition through direct and indirect pathways, and the role of multivariate interactions in mediating these pathways in a highly degraded, critically endangered ecosystem. Effective restoration must therefore consider the multivariate direct and indirect drivers of ecological condition to maximise positive outcomes in these landscapes and those similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elle Bowd
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - David Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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3
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Yu Y, Peñuelas J, Sardans J, Pei JY, Li G, Liu GL, Ye JS. Water addition but not reduction alters plant biomass-diversity relationship. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17430. [PMID: 39031432 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
The relationship between plant aboveground biomass and diversity typically follows a unimodal pattern, showing a positive correlation in resource-poor habitats and a negative correlation in resource-rich environments. Precipitation is a crucial resource for both plant biomass and diversity in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the impact of precipitation changes on the relationship between plant biomass and diversity remains unclear. We conduct a water addition field experiment in a semiarid grassland and identify a unimodal relationship between plant biomass and species richness under ambient conditions. Water addition delays the declining phase of this unimodal curve and shift it upward compared to ambient conditions. Our meta-analysis of water addition experiments conducted across major biomes worldwide (grassland, shrubland, desert, and forest) supports this finding, while water reduction does not alter the biomass-diversity relationship. Water addition increases biomass in all climate but only increases species richness in arid and semiarid climate. Similarly, water reduction decreases biomass in all climate but only reduces species richness in arid and semiarid climate. Species richness in dry subhumid and humid climate does not change significantly. Furthermore, our field experiment shows that water addition increases plant diversity while decreasing soil inorganic nitrogen levels. The increase in one resource, such as water, leads to the scarcity of another, such as nutrient, thus postponing the declining phase of the plant biomass-diversity relationship typically observed in resource-rich habitats. Our research contributes to predicting the plant biomass-diversity relationship under changing precipitation conditions and highlights the complex interplay between water availability, nutrient level, and plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jiu-Ying Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ge Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guo-Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jian-Sheng Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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4
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Arnillas CA, Carscadden K. When indices disagree: facing conceptual and practical challenges. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:634-643. [PMID: 38508921 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.02.001] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Hypothesis testing requires meaningful ways to quantify biological phenomena and account for alternative mechanisms that could explain the same pattern. Researchers combine experiments, statistics, and indices to account for these confounding mechanisms. Key concepts in ecology and evolution, such as niche breadth (NB) or fitness, can be represented by several indices, which often provide uncorrelated estimates. Is this because the indices use different types of noisy data or because the targeted phenomenon is complex and multidimensional? We discuss implications of these scenarios and propose five steps to aid researchers in identifying and combining indices, experiments, and statistics. Building on prior efforts to construct databases of hypotheses and indices and document assumptions, these steps help provide a formal strategy to reduce self-confirmatory bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alberto Arnillas
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto - Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Kelly Carscadden
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1900 Pleasant Street, Box 334, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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Luo Y, Du L, Zhang J, Ren H, Shen Y, Zhang J, Li N, Tian R, Wang S, Liu H, Xu Z. Nitrogen addition alleviates the adverse effects of drought on plant productivity in a temperate steppe. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2969. [PMID: 38562107 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Drought and nitrogen enrichment could profoundly affect the productivity of semiarid ecosystems. However, how ecosystem productivity will respond to different drought scenarios, especially with a concurrent increase in nitrogen availability, is still poorly understood. Using data from a 4-year field experiment conducted in a semiarid temperate steppe, we explored the responses of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) to different drought scenarios and nitrogen addition, and the underlying mechanisms linking soil properties, plant species richness, functional diversity (community-weighted means of plant traits, functional dispersion) and phylogenetic diversity (net relatedness index) to ANPP. Our results showed that completely excluding precipitation in June (1-month intense drought) and reducing half the precipitation amount from June to August (season-long chronic drought) both significantly reduced ANPP, with the latter having a more negative impact on ANPP. However, reducing half of the precipitation frequency from June to August (precipitation redistribution) had no significant effect on ANPP. Nitrogen addition increased ANPP irrespective of drought scenarios. ANPP was primarily determined by soil moisture and nitrogen availability by regulating the community-weighted means of plant height, rather than other aspects of plant diversity. Our findings suggest that precipitation amount is more important than precipitation redistribution in influencing the productivity of temperate steppe, and nitrogen supply could alleviate the adverse impacts of drought on grassland productivity. Our study advances the mechanistic understanding of how the temperate grassland responds to drought stress, and implies that management strategies to protect tall species in the community would be beneficial for maintaining the productivity and carbon sequestration of grassland ecosystems under climate drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Lan Du
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jiatao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Haiyan Ren
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yan Shen
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jinbao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Na Li
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Ru Tian
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Shan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Heyong Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Zhuwen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
- Autonomous Region Collaborative Innovation Center for Integrated Management of Water Resources and Water Environment in the Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River, Hohhot, China
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6
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Zhang S, Chen Y, Zhou X, Zhu B. Spatial patterns and drivers of ecosystem multifunctionality in China: Arid vs. humid regions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 920:170868. [PMID: 38367730 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) refers to an ecosystem's capacity to simultaneously uphold multiple ecological functions or services. In terrestrial ecosystems, the potential patterns and processes of EMF remain largely unexplored, limiting our comprehension of how ecosystems react to various driving factors. We collected environmental, soil and plant nutrient data, investigate the spatial distribution characteristics of EMF in China's terrestrial ecosystems, differentiating between arid and humid regions and examining the underlying drivers. Our findings reveal substantial spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of EMF across China's terrestrial ecosystems, with pronounced variations between arid and humid regions. In arid regions, the EMF index predominantly falls within the range of -1 to 1, including approximately 66.8 % of the total area, while in humid regions, the EMF index primarily falls within the range of 0 to 2, covering around 55.2 % of the total area. Climate, soil, and vegetation factors account for 61.4 % and 51.9 % of the total EMF variation in arid and humid regions, respectively. Notably, climate emerges as the dominant factor governing EMF variation in arid regions, whereas soil physicochemical properties take precedence in humid regions. Specifically, mean annual temperature (MAT) emerges as the primary factor influencing EMF variation in arid regions, while the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and soil biodiversity index (SBI) play pivotal roles in regulating EMF variation in humid regions. Indeed, climate can exert both direct and indirect influences on EMF. In summary, our study not only compared the disparities in the spatial distribution of EMF in arid and humid regions but also unveiled the distinct controlling factors that govern EMF changes in these different regions. Our research has contributed novel insights for evaluating the drivers responsible for mediating EMF in diverse ecosystems, shedding light on the adaptability and response mechanisms of ecosystems under varying environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 610041 Chengdu, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yusen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 610041 Chengdu, China.
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7
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Bai J, Long C, Quan X, Liao C, Zhai D, Bao Y, Men X, Zhang D, Cheng X. Reverse diversity-biomass patterns in grasslands are constrained by climates and stoichiometry along an elevational gradient. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170416. [PMID: 38281651 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170416] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Diversity and biomass play an important role in grassland ecosystem functions. However, diversity and biomass are variable because of their high sensitivity to environmental change in natural ecosystems. How plant diversity, biomass, and driving factors (climates, soils, and plants) in grasslands vary with environmental change remains unclear. We conducted intensive fieldwork (≈1000 km transect) on plant diversity, biomass, and associated drivers (i.e., climates, soils, and plants) to identify the patterns of diversity and biomass along an elevational gradient (50-4000 m) in grasslands of southwest China. Grassland biomass decreased significantly, but grassland diversity increased with increasing elevation. Consequently, a significant reverse pattern between biomass and diversity was detected along an elevational gradient. We also observed that the reverse pattern was primarily driven by the shifts in climates (i.e., temperature and precipitation), leaf stoichiometric traits (i.e., leaf N:P ratio), and soil properties (i.e., soil N content) along the elevational gradient. Our results contradicted previous studies on the positive diversity-biomass relationships, suggesting that previous studies might weaken the effects of climatic factors and plant stoichiometry under environmental change. These findings revealed that the reverse pattern between diversity and biomass in grasslands was shaped by the combined effects (climates, plants, soils) in grasslands, thus providing new insights into the debates and predictions on the diversity and biomass in grasslands under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiankun Bai
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Chunyan Long
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Xin Quan
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Chang Liao
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Deping Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Yong Bao
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Xiuxian Men
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China
| | - Xiaoli Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Transboundary Eco-security of Southwest China, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion Prevention and Green Development, Yunnan University, Kunming, PR China.
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8
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Ade L, Ren J, Wu J, Ma Z, Wang Y, Zhou Q, Hou F. Forage taste agents manage plant communities through modifying grazing behavior of yak in alpine meadow. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:169999. [PMID: 38242471 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.169999] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The use of taste agents to regulate the grazing behavior of livestock is a new attempt in pasture management, but the effects on grassland plant communities are not clear at present. Therefore, the following scientific questions need to be addressed: (1) how do different taste agents affected plant community structure by changing feed intake? (2) What was the mechanism of this effect? We proposed the following hypotheses: (1) Salt and sweetener increased feed intake of livestock and decreased the biomass of plant community, while bitters did the opposite. (2) Taste agents can regulate the relationship between plant species, and different taste agents can enhance or weaken the competitiveness of the different plants. In order to test the hypothesis, a grazing experiment with yaks was conducted in the alpine meadows of the Tibetan Plateau. Denatonium benzoate (Bitterant), NaCl (Salt), and sodium cyclamate (Sweetener) were sprayed onto the meadows twice a year, along with a control treatment of tap water. The results showed that (1) Salt increased the feed intake of yak significantly; bitterant decreased the feed intake of livestock and increased the biomass of plant community. (2) Salt increased the Pielou index of the plant community significantly. (3) The stability of plant community ranking from high to low is as follows: Control > Bitterant > Sweetener > Salt. (4) Bitterant and salt improved grazing tolerance of grassland and salt reduced the edibility of grassland. (5) The use of taste agents reduced the correlation between dominant species and led to the fragmentation of the relationship chain. The results of this study will provide a theoretical basis for using taste agents to regulate the community, species biodiversity management, restoration of degraded grassland, promoting utilization of grassland though controlling livestock selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luji Ade
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Jingfei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Jing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Zhouwen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Yingxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Qingping Zhou
- Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
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Wu Y, Yang Z, Chen S, Sui M, Zhang G, Liu Q, Chen D, Ding F, Zang L. How do species richness and its component dependence vary along the natural restoration in extremely heterogeneous forest ecosystems? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 354:120265. [PMID: 38382441 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120265] [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: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Giant habitat heterogeneity is an important factor contributing to the high species richness (SR) in karst forests. Yet, the driving factor behind the alterations in SR patterns during natural restoration remains unclear. In this study, we established the forest dynamics plots along the natural restoration sequence (including shrub-tree mixed forest stage (SC), secondary forest stage (SG) and old-growth forest sage (OG)) in degraded karst forests to compare the SR and the dependence on its components (including total community abundance, species abundance distribution (SAD), and conspecific spatial aggregation (CSA)) among stages of natural restoration. By evaluating the degree of contribution of the components to local SR and rarefied SR, we found that the SG exhibited the highest local SR, while the rarefied SR remained increasing along the restoration sequence after controlling the sample size. At SC-SG stage, SAD and CSA contributed negatively to the differences in SR, while abundance made a positive contribution to SR differences. At SG-OG, abundance contributed positively to the difference in SR at all scales, while SAD contributed negatively at small scales. No significant contribution of CSA was found at observed scales. In addition, local SR varied more significantly with PIE than with abundance. Our research emphasizes the importance of eliminating the influence of abundance on species richness in forest ecology and management, as well as the significance of separately evaluating the components that shape the diversity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Wu
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Zeyu Yang
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Shiren Chen
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Mingzhen Sui
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China; Guizhou Libo Karst Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Libo, Guizhou, 558400, China
| | - Guangqi Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China; Guizhou Libo Karst Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Libo, Guizhou, 558400, China
| | - Qingfu Liu
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China; Guizhou Libo Karst Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Libo, Guizhou, 558400, China
| | - Danmei Chen
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China; Guizhou Libo Karst Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Libo, Guizhou, 558400, China
| | - Fangjun Ding
- Guizhou Libo Karst Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Libo, Guizhou, 558400, China
| | - Lipeng Zang
- Research Center of Forest Ecology, Collage of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China; Guizhou Libo Karst Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Libo, Guizhou, 558400, China.
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10
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Lv P, Sun S, Li Y, Zhao S, Zhang J, Hu Y, Yue P, Zuo X. Growing-season drought and nitrogen addition interactively impair grassland ecosystem stability by reducing species diversity, asynchrony, and stability. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169122. [PMID: 38065502 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169122] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Aboveground net primary productivity controls the amount of energy available to sustain all living organisms, and its sustainable provision relies on the stability of grassland ecosystems. Human activities leading to global changes, such as increased nitrogen (N) deposition and the more frequent occurrence of extreme precipitation events, with N addition increasing the sensitivity of ecosystem production stability to changes in the precipitation regime. However, whether N addition, in combination with seasonal precipitation increases or severe drought, affects ecosystem stability remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a six-year environmental change monitoring experiment in a semiarid grassland in northern China to test the effects of N addition, seasonal drought, and precipitation increases on the temporal stability of ecosystem productivity. Our study revealed that an interaction between drought and N addition reduced species diversity, species asynchrony, species stability, and thus ecosystem stability. These environmental change drivers (except for precipitation increase) induced a positive relationship between species asynchrony and diversity, whereas N addition interactively with drought and precipitation increase led to a negative relationship between diversity and species stability. Only N addition interactively with drought induced a positive species diversity-ecosystem stability relationship because lower species stability was overcome by increased species asynchrony. Our study is great importance to illustrate that production temporal stability tends to be inhibited with drought, though interactively with nutrient N addition. These findings highlight the primary role of asynchronous dynamics among species in modulating the effects of environmental change on diversity-stability relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Lv
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shanshan Sun
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuqiang Li
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shenglong Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Tianshui Normal University, Tianshui 741000, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Information Center, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ya Hu
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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11
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Rybchak O, du Toit J, Delorme JP, Jüdt JK, Bieri M, Midgley G, Mukwashi K, Thau C, Feig G, Lucas-Moffat A, Brümmer C. Livestock grazing and biodiversity: Effects on CO 2 exchange in semi-arid Karoo ecosystems, South Africa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 910:168517. [PMID: 37981131 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168517] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Livestock use in semi-arid South African ecosystems has not been extensively studied in relation to the Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO2). We present four years of measurements from twinned eddy-covariance towers in Nama-Karoo, South Africa, to investigate the carbon fluxes and the impact of grazing intensity on NEE. The design contrasted NEE at a long-term site grazed at recommended levels (LG) with a long-term heavily grazed (EG) site that had been rested for 10 years, and was monitored for two years after which intensive grazing was reintroduced for this experiment. This allowed for the quantification of long-term NEE trends on "recovering" vegetations (years I, II) and short-term responses to an intensified land use (years III, IV). The results showed that the net release of CO2 was slightly higher at LG than on "recovering" vegetation at the EG site, where near-neutral exchange was observed during years I and II. However, after grazing was reintroduced to the EG site, differences between sites was reduced but not eliminated. These findings suggest that there is a somewhat higher carbon sequestration potential at the resting EG site than at the LG site, apparently associated with the dominance of unpalatable drought-tolerant grass species and local elimination of many palatable shrubs. Reduction of this sink potential by reintroduction of high-intensity grazing indicates the sensitivity of C-sequestration in this "recovering" system to heavy grazing, but underlines continued resilience of NEE under far heavier grazing than in the LG system. These data suggest notable trade-offs in these ecosystems between carbon storage, biodiversity, and livestock production with rainfall variability being a critical inter-annual driver. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study suggests that long-term resting of previously over-utilized southern African semi-arid vegetation supports enhanced carbon sequestration potential, even if over-utilization has transformed vegetation composition (i.e. has caused degradation through reduced plant species richness). However, this enhanced carbon sequestration potential can be quickly negated by the reintroduction of grazing, even after 10 years of resting. Achievement of carbon sequestration is dependent on average to above-average precipitation and its distribution throughout the year, with sink activity evident mainly after seasonal rains during the warm season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Rybchak
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig 38116, Germany.
| | - Justin du Toit
- Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute, Middelburg 5900, South Africa
| | | | - Jens-Kristian Jüdt
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
| | - Mari Bieri
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
| | - Guy Midgley
- School for Climate Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Kanisios Mukwashi
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
| | - Christian Thau
- Department for Earth Observation, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Gregor Feig
- South African Environmental Observation Network, Colbyn, Pretoria 0083, South Africa; Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
| | - Antje Lucas-Moffat
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig 38116, Germany; German Meteorological Service (DWD), Centre for Agrometeorological Research, Bundesallee 33, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christian Brümmer
- Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Braunschweig 38116, Germany
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12
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Andraczek K, Weigelt A, Cantuarias CJB, Fischer M, Hinderling J, Prati D, Rauwolf EMN, van der Plas F. Relationships between species richness and biomass production are context dependent in grasslands differing in land-use and seed addition. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19663. [PMID: 37952061 PMCID: PMC10640580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47020-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite evidence from grasslands experiments suggesting that plant species loss reduces biomass production, the strength of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in managed grasslands is still debated. High land-use intensity and reduced species pools are often suggested to make relationships between biodiversity and productivity less positive or even negative, but concrete evidence is still scarce. We investigated biodiversity-productivity relationships over two years in 150 managed grasslands in Germany. Specifically, we distinguished between relationships of biodiversity and biomass production in managed grasslands (1) varying in land-use intensity (e.g. of mowing, grazing and/or fertilization), (2) where land-use intensity is experimentally reduced, and (3) where additionally to land-use reductions, species pools are enlarged by seed addition. Among grasslands varying in land-use intensity, we found negative biodiversity-productivity relationships. Land-use reduction weakened these relationships, towards neutral, and sometimes, even positive relationships. Seed addition reduced species pool limitations, but this did not strengthen biodiversity-productivity relationships. Our findings indicate that land-use intensity is an important factor explaining the predominantly negative biodiversity-productivity relationships in managed grasslands. While we did not find that species pool limitations weakened biodiversity-productivity relationships, our results are based on a two-year-old experiment, possibly such effects are only visible in the long-term. Ultimately, advancing insights on biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships helps us to understand under which conditions agricultural production may benefit from promoting biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Andraczek
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Alexandra Weigelt
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 03401, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cristóbal J Bottero Cantuarias
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Judith Hinderling
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Esther M N Rauwolf
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fons van der Plas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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13
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Liu M, Yin F, Xiao Y, Yang C. Grazing alters the relationship between alpine meadow biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165445. [PMID: 37442474 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) depends on changes in environmental disturbance. Plant and soil biological diversity can mediate EMF, but how these change in response to grazing disturbance remains unknown. Here we present an 8-year experiment on sheep grazing control in alpine grasslands in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. Plant species richness, FRic (functional richness), PD (Faith's phylogenetic diversity), soil biological diversity (bacterial, fungal, and ciliate diversity), and multiple ecosystem functions were measured and calculated. The results showed that increasing grazing intensity caused a decrease in biodiversity and EMF and that biodiversity and ecosystem function differed significantly (P < 0.05) between grazing intensities. EMF was positively correlated with species richness, functional diversity, and soil bacterial diversity (P < 0.05), with 23.6 %, 10.8 %, and 12.1 % of EMF explained by changes in grazing intensity, respectively. The interaction terms of grazing intensity, plant species richness, and soil biological diversity were negatively correlated with EMF (P < 0.05). This shift in the relationship between plant or soil biological diversity and EMF occurs at a grazing intensity index of around 0.7, i.e., the impact of plant species richness on EMF is more significant when the grazing intensity index is below 0.67. The effect of soil biological diversity on EMF is more substantial when the grazing intensity index is above 0.86. Conclusion: High grazing intensity directly affects soil bulk density and pH and indirectly affects EMF by regulating plant species richness and soil biological diversity changes. Loss of plant and soil biological diversity can have extreme consequences under low and high grazing intensity disturbance conditions. Therefore, we must develop biodiversity conservation strategies for external disturbances to mitigate the effects of land use practices such as grazing disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minxia Liu
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Fengling Yin
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Yindi Xiao
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Cunliang Yang
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China
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14
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Spohn M, Bagchi S, Biederman LA, Borer ET, Bråthen KA, Bugalho MN, Caldeira MC, Catford JA, Collins SL, Eisenhauer N, Hagenah N, Haider S, Hautier Y, Knops JMH, Koerner SE, Laanisto L, Lekberg Y, Martina JP, Martinson H, McCulley RL, Peri PL, Macek P, Power SA, Risch AC, Roscher C, Seabloom EW, Stevens C, Veen GFC, Virtanen R, Yahdjian L. The positive effect of plant diversity on soil carbon depends on climate. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6624. [PMID: 37857640 PMCID: PMC10587103 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42340-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is currently known about how climate modulates the relationship between plant diversity and soil organic carbon and the mechanisms involved. Yet, this knowledge is of crucial importance in times of climate change and biodiversity loss. Here, we show that plant diversity is positively correlated with soil carbon content and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio across 84 grasslands on six continents that span wide climate gradients. The relationships between plant diversity and soil carbon as well as plant diversity and soil organic matter quality (carbon-to-nitrogen ratio) are particularly strong in warm and arid climates. While plant biomass is positively correlated with soil carbon, plant biomass is not significantly correlated with plant diversity. Our results indicate that plant diversity influences soil carbon storage not via the quantity of organic matter (plant biomass) inputs to soil, but through the quality of organic matter. The study implies that ecosystem management that restores plant diversity likely enhances soil carbon sequestration, particularly in warm and arid climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Spohn
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Lennart Hjelms väg 9, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Lori A Biederman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Kari Anne Bråthen
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Miguel N Bugalho
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria C Caldeira
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jane A Catford
- Department of Geography, King's College London, 30 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Hagenah
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sylvia Haider
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Institute of Ecology, Universitätsallee 1, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology and Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108, Halle, Germany
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Health and Environmental Sciences, Xián Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Sally E Koerner
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Lauri Laanisto
- Department of Biodiversity and Nature Tourism, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi St. 5, 51006, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ylva Lekberg
- MPG Ranch and University of Montana, Montana, USA
| | - Jason P Martina
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
| | - Holly Martinson
- Department of Biology, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD, 21157, USA
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Pablo L Peri
- National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Rio Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - Petr Macek
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sadkach 7, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sally A Power
- Haweksbury Institute for the Environment, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Anita C Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department Physiological Diversity, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eric W Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Carly Stevens
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - G F Ciska Veen
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Risto Virtanen
- Ecology & Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Laura Yahdjian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), CONICET, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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Zhu JT, Xue W, Gao JQ, Li QW, Yu WH, Yu FH. Does genotypic diversity of Hydrocotyle vulgaris affect CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1272313. [PMID: 37877084 PMCID: PMC10591177 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1272313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity plays important roles in ecosystem functions and genetic diversity is a key component of biodiversity. While effects of genetic diversity on ecosystem functions have been extensively documented, no study has tested how genetic diversity of plants influences greenhouse gas fluxes from plant-soil systems. We assembled experimental populations consisting of 1, 4 or 8 genotypes of the clonal plant Hydrocotyle vulgaris in microcosms, and measured fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from the microcosms. The fluxes of CO2 and CO2 equivalent from the microcosms with the 1-genotype populations of H. vulgaris were significantly lower than those with the 4- and 8-genotype populations, and such an effect increased significantly with increasing the growth period. The cumulative CO2 flux was significantly negatively related to the growth of the H. vulgaris populations. However, genotypic diversity did not significantly affect the flux of CH4. We conclude that genotypic diversity of plant populations can influence CO2 flux from plant-soil systems. The findings highlight the importance of genetic diversity in regulating greenhouse gas fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Tao Zhu
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Xue
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun-Qin Gao
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- The Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection in the Yellow River Basin of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Qian-Wei Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Han Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
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16
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Yao J, Huang J, Zang R. Alpha and beta diversity jointly drive the aboveground biomass in temperate and tropical forests. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10487. [PMID: 37664512 PMCID: PMC10468913 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in biodiversity often affect ecosystem functioning. However, most previous biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) studies have generally been limited to very small spatial grains. Thus, knowledge regarding the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships across spatial scales is lacking. Moreover, the multiscale nature of biodiversity, and specifically β diversity (i.e., spatial heterogeneity in species composition) was still largely missing in BEF studies. Here, using the vegetation and functional trait data collected from four 6-ha forest dynamics plots (FDPs) in temperate and tropical forests in China, we examine the scale-dependent relationships between tree diversity and the aboveground biomass (AGB), as well as the roles of species spatial heterogeneity in determining the AGB. In tropical forests, the effect of species richness on AGB decreased with spatial grains, while functional dominance played a stronger role at larger spatial grains. In temperate forests, positive relationship between diversity and AGB occurred at all spatial grains, especially on smaller scales. In both temperate and tropical forests, β diversity was positively correlated with AGB, but weaker than α diversity in determining AGB. Overall, complementarity and selection hypothesis play dominant role in determining AGB in temperate and tropical forests, respectively. The roles of these underlying mechanisms are more pronounced with increasing spatial scales. β diversity, a hitherto underexplored facet of biodiversity, is likely to increase ecosystem functions by species spatial turnover and should not be neglected in BEF explorations. Our findings have practical implications for forest management and demonstrate that biotic heterogeneity plays an important positive role in ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yao
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of ForestryKey Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jihong Huang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of ForestryKey Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Runguo Zang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of ForestryKey Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationBeijingChina
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
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17
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Qu Y, Qin T, Zhang J, Deng Y, Yu X, Wei X, Zhao N, Gao Y, Ren A. Endophytic infection increases the belowground over-yielding effects of the host grass community mainly by increasing the complementary effects. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1191904. [PMID: 37396649 PMCID: PMC10311445 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1191904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Increases in plant species diversity may increase the community diversity effect and produce community over-yielding. Epichloë endophytes, as symbiotic microorganisms, are also capable of regulating plant communities, but their effects on community diversity effects are often overlooked. Methods In this experiment, we investigated the effects of endophytes on the diversity effects of host plant community biomass by constructing artificial communities with 1-species monocultures and 2- and 4-species mixtures of endophyte-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E-) Achnatherum sibiricum and three common plants in its native habitat, which were potted in live and sterilized soil. Results and discussion The results showed that endophyte infection significantly increased the belowground biomass and abundance of Cleistogenes squarrosa, marginally significantly increased the abundance of Stipa grandis and significantly increased the community diversity (evenness) of the 4-species mixtures. Endophyte infection also significantly increased the over-yielding effects on belowground biomass of the 4-species mixtures in the live soil, and the increase in diversity effects on belowground biomass was mainly due to the endophyte significantly increasing the complementary effects on belowground biomass. The effects of soil microorganisms on the diversity effects on belowground biomass of the 4-species mixtures were mainly derived from their influences on the complementary effects. The effects of endophytes and soil microorganisms on the diversity effects on belowground biomass of the 4-species communities were independent, and both contributed similarly to the complementary effects on belowground biomass. The finding that endophyte infection promotes belowground over-yielding in live soil at higher levels of species diversity suggests that endophytes may be one of the factors contributing to the positive relationship between species diversity and productivity and explains the stable co-existence of endophyte-infected Achnatherum sibiricum with a variety of plants in the Inner Mongolian grasslands.
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18
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Ibáñez I, Petri L, Barnett DT, Beaury EM, Blumenthal DM, Corbin JD, Diez J, Dukes JS, Early R, Pearse IS, Sorte CJB, Vilà M, Bradley B. Combining local, landscape, and regional geographies to assess plant community vulnerability to invasion impact. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 33:e2821. [PMID: 36806368 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species science has focused heavily on the invasive agent. However, management to protect native species also requires a proactive approach focused on resident communities and the features affecting their vulnerability to invasion impacts. Vulnerability is likely the result of factors acting across spatial scales, from local to regional, and it is the combined effects of these factors that will determine the magnitude of vulnerability. Here, we introduce an analytical framework that quantifies the scale-dependent impact of biological invasions on native richness from the shape of the native species-area relationship (SAR). We leveraged newly available, biogeographically extensive vegetation data from the U.S. National Ecological Observatory Network to assess plant community vulnerability to invasion impact as a function of factors acting across scales. We analyzed more than 1000 SARs widely distributed across the USA along environmental gradients and under different levels of non-native plant cover. Decreases in native richness were consistently associated with non-native species cover, but native richness was compromised only at relatively high levels of non-native cover. After accounting for variation in baseline ecosystem diversity, net primary productivity, and human modification, ecoregions that were colder and wetter were most vulnerable to losses of native plant species at the local level, while warmer and wetter areas were most susceptible at the landscape level. We also document how the combined effects of cross-scale factors result in a heterogeneous spatial pattern of vulnerability. This pattern could not be predicted by analyses at any single scale, underscoring the importance of accounting for factors acting across scales. Simultaneously assessing differences in vulnerability between distinct plant communities at local, landscape, and regional scales provided outputs that can be used to inform policy and management aimed at reducing vulnerability to the impact of plant invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibáñez
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Laís Petri
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - David T Barnett
- Battelle, National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Evelyn M Beaury
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dana M Blumenthal
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Corbin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey Diez
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Dukes
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Regan Early
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Penryn Campus, Penryn, UK
| | - Ian S Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Cascade J B Sorte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Montserrat Vilà
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Bethany Bradley
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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19
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Ye C, Wang S, Wang Y, Zhou T, Li R. Impacts of human pressure and climate on biodiversity-multifunctionality relationships on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1106035. [PMID: 37332689 PMCID: PMC10270690 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1106035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have investigated the effects of environmental context on biodiversity or multifunctionality in alpine regions, but it is uncertain how human pressure and climate may affect their relationships. Here, we combined the comparative map profile method with multivariate datasets to assess the spatial pattern of ecosystem multifunctionality and further identify the effects of human pressure and climate on the spatial distribution of biodiversity-multifunctionality relationships in alpine ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Our results indicate that at least 93% of the areas in the study region show a positive correlation between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality across the QTP. Biodiversity-multifunctionality relationships with increasing human pressure show a decreasing trend in the forest, alpine meadow, and alpine steppe ecosystems, while an opposite pattern was found in the alpine desert steppe ecosystem. More importantly, aridity significantly strengthened the synergistic relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in forest and alpine meadow ecosystems. Taken together, our results provide insights into the importance of protecting and maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in response to climate change and human pressure in the alpine region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongchong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- School of Life Sciences and State Key Lab of Biological Control, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiancai Zhou
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruowei Li
- College of Grassland, Resource and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
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20
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Dee LE, Ferraro PJ, Severen CN, Kimmel KA, Borer ET, Byrnes JEK, Clark AT, Hautier Y, Hector A, Raynaud X, Reich PB, Wright AJ, Arnillas CA, Davies KF, MacDougall A, Mori AS, Smith MD, Adler PB, Bakker JD, Brauman KA, Cowles J, Komatsu K, Knops JMH, McCulley RL, Moore JL, Morgan JW, Ohlert T, Power SA, Sullivan LL, Stevens C, Loreau M. Clarifying the effect of biodiversity on productivity in natural ecosystems with longitudinal data and methods for causal inference. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2607. [PMID: 37147282 PMCID: PMC10163230 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Causal effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functions can be estimated using experimental or observational designs - designs that pose a tradeoff between drawing credible causal inferences from correlations and drawing generalizable inferences. Here, we develop a design that reduces this tradeoff and revisits the question of how plant species diversity affects productivity. Our design leverages longitudinal data from 43 grasslands in 11 countries and approaches borrowed from fields outside of ecology to draw causal inferences from observational data. Contrary to many prior studies, we estimate that increases in plot-level species richness caused productivity to decline: a 10% increase in richness decreased productivity by 2.4%, 95% CI [-4.1, -0.74]. This contradiction stems from two sources. First, prior observational studies incompletely control for confounding factors. Second, most experiments plant fewer rare and non-native species than exist in nature. Although increases in native, dominant species increased productivity, increases in rare and non-native species decreased productivity, making the average effect negative in our study. By reducing the tradeoff between experimental and observational designs, our study demonstrates how observational studies can complement prior ecological experiments and inform future ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Dee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Paul J Ferraro
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health & Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | | | - Kaitlin A Kimmel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jarrett E K Byrnes
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morissey Blvd, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Adam Thomas Clark
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Hector
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Xavier Raynaud
- Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, UPEC, IRD, CNRS, INRA, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, iEES Paris, Paris, France
| | - Peter B Reich
- Institute for Global Change Biology, and School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Alexandra J Wright
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos A Arnillas
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Kendi F Davies
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Andrew MacDougall
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Akira S Mori
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
| | - Melinda D Smith
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Peter B Adler
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Jonathan D Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 354115, Seattle, WA, 98195-4115, USA
| | - Kate A Brauman
- Global Water Security Center, The University of Alabama, Box 870206, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, US
| | - Jane Cowles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Kimberly Komatsu
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Johannes M H Knops
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xián Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Rebecca L McCulley
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546-0312, USA
| | - Joslin L Moore
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - John W Morgan
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Timothy Ohlert
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Sally A Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Lauren L Sullivan
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, 49060, USA
| | - Carly Stevens
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Michel Loreau
- Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS, 09200, Moulis, France
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21
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Hart JD, Jenkins DG. Experimental disturbance and productivity gradients drive community diversity in aquatic mesocosms. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10049. [PMID: 37168982 PMCID: PMC10164646 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Combined effects of disturbance and productivity on ecological diversity have been considered for decades as the dynamic equilibrium model (DEM) but are rarely tested together. Instead, most studies focus on either the intermediate disturbance hypothesis or sometimes the intermediate productivity hypothesis. In addition, most analyses of disturbance and productivity effects have relied on nonexperimental patterns, limited sample sizes, inaccurate proxies for productivity, and/or simple measures of diversity. The DEM operates at regional and local scales; here, we conducted a year-long experiment at local scales using submersed aquatic vegetation in outdoor mesocosms with a factorial combination of physical disturbance and productivity treatments. We evaluated diversity in several ways, directly measured productivity, and compared alternative hypotheses using model selection. The DEM was supported for effective diversity; both productivity and disturbance effects were clear, though productivity effects were stronger. Other diversity measures for the simple communities in the mesocosms did not clearly reflect treatments. The DEM is a valuable general framework for understanding disturbance and productivity effects on ecological systems and is made more general by minor conceptual adjustments here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Hart
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Central FloridaOrlandoFloridaUSA
| | - David G. Jenkins
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Central FloridaOrlandoFloridaUSA
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22
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Maciá-Vicente JG, Francioli D, Weigelt A, Albracht C, Barry KE, Buscot F, Ebeling A, Eisenhauer N, Hennecke J, Heintz-Buschart A, van Ruijven J, Mommer L. The structure of root-associated fungal communities is related to the long-term effects of plant diversity on productivity. Mol Ecol 2023. [PMID: 37081579 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Root-associated fungi could play a role in determining both the positive relationship between plant diversity and productivity in experimental grasslands, and its strengthening over time. This hypothesis assumes that specialized pathogenic and mutualistic fungal communities gradually assemble over time, enhancing plant growth more in species-rich than in species-poor plots. To test this hypothesis, we used high-throughput amplicon sequencing to characterize root-associated fungal communities in experimental grasslands of 1 and 15 years of age with varying levels of plant species richness. Specifically, we tested whether the relationship between fungal communities and plant richness and productivity becomes stronger with the age of the experimental plots. Our results showed that fungal diversity increased with plant diversity, but this relationship weakened rather than strengthened over the two time points. Contrastingly, fungal community composition showed increasing associations with plant diversity over time, suggesting a gradual build-up of specific fungal assemblages. Analyses of different fungal guilds showed that these changes were particularly marked in pathogenic fungi, whose shifts in relative abundance are consistent with the pathogen dilution hypothesis in diverse plant communities. Our results suggest that root-associated fungal pathogens play more specific roles in determining the diversity-productivity relationship than other root-associated plant symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose G Maciá-Vicente
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Davide Francioli
- Department of Nutritional Crop Physiology, Institute of Crop Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alexandra Weigelt
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cynthia Albracht
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kathryn E Barry
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - François Buscot
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Soil Ecology Department, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anne Ebeling
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Justus Hennecke
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Heintz-Buschart
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jasper van Ruijven
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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23
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Zhao X, Feng Y, Xu K, Cao M, Hu S, Yang Q, Liu X, Ma Q, Hu T, Kelly M, Guo Q, Su Y. Canopy structure: An intermediate factor regulating grassland diversity-function relationships under human disturbances. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 3:179-187. [PMID: 38932927 PMCID: PMC11197697 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmre.2022.10.007] [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: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Grasslands are one of the largest coupled human-nature terrestrial ecosystems on Earth, and severe anthropogenic-induced grassland ecosystem function declines have been reported recently. Understanding factors influencing grassland ecosystem functions is critical for making sustainable management policies. Canopy structure is an important factor influencing plant growth through mediating within-canopy microclimate (e.g., light, water, and wind), and it is found coordinating tightly with plant species diversity to influence forest ecosystem functions. However, the role of canopy structure in regulating grassland ecosystem functions along with plant species diversity has been rarely investigated. Here, we investigated this problem by collecting field data from 170 field plots distributed along an over 2000 km transect across the northern agro-pastoral ecotone of China. Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and resilience, two indicators of grassland ecosystem functions, were measured from field data and satellite remote sensing data. Terrestrial laser scanning data were collected to measure canopy structure (represented by mean height and canopy cover). Our results showed that plant species diversity was positively correlated to canopy structural traits, and negatively correlated to human activity intensity. Canopy structure was a significant indicator for ANPP and resilience, but their correlations were inconsistent under different human activity intensity levels. Compared to plant species diversity, canopy structural traits were better indicators for grassland ecosystem functions, especially for ANPP. Through structure equation modeling analyses, we found that plant species diversity did not have a direct influence on ANPP under human disturbances. Instead, it had a strong indirect effect on ANPP by altering canopy structural traits. As to resilience, plant species diversity had both a direct positive contribution and an indirect contribution through mediating canopy cover. This study highlights that canopy structure is an important intermediate factor regulating grassland diversity-function relationships under human disturbances, which should be included in future grassland monitoring and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuhao Feng
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Kexin Xu
- Patent Examination Cooperation Sichuan Center of the Patent Office, China National Intellectual Property Administration, Chengdu, Sichuan 610213, China
| | - Mengqi Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuya Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiuli Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tianyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Maggi Kelly
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Qinghua Guo
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yanjun Su
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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24
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Xie L, Chen H, Wei L, Chen S, Wang L, Xu B, Yi X, Wang X, Ding H, Fang Y. Scale-dependent effects of species diversity on aboveground biomass and productivity in a subtropical broadleaved forest on Mt. Huangshan. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9786. [PMID: 36744073 PMCID: PMC9891959 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between species diversity and biomass/productivity is a major scientific question in ecology. Exploring this relationship is essential to understanding the mechanisms underpinning the maintenance of biodiversity. Positive, negative, and neutral relationships have been identified in controlled experiments and observational research. However, increasing evidence suggests that the effects of species diversity on aboveground biomass and productivity are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, but it remains unclear whether scale-dependent effects affect aboveground biomass and productivity. Herein, we used a generalized linear regression model and a structural equation model to explore relationships between species diversity and productivity/aboveground biomass under different scales and to investigate the effects of topographical factors and species diversity on ecosystem functioning. The results revealed a positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning based on species diversity and aboveground biomass. Different sampling scales may impact the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functioning. A positive relationship was found between species richness and productivity at medium and large scales; however, ambiguous relationships were found in productivity and other species diversity indices. Elevation was a key factor affecting both biomass and productivity. These results suggest that species diversity is not the only factor affecting biomass and productivity, and the positive correlation between species diversity and ecosystem functioning is mediated by abiotic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xie
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Hao Chen
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina,Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Biodiversity Comprehensive Observation Station for Wuyi Mountains, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on BiosafetyNanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of ChinaNanjingChina
| | - Lai Wei
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Shuifei Chen
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Biodiversity Comprehensive Observation Station for Wuyi Mountains, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on BiosafetyNanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of ChinaNanjingChina
| | - Lu Wang
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Baokun Xu
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Biodiversity Comprehensive Observation Station for Wuyi Mountains, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on BiosafetyNanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of ChinaNanjingChina
| | - Xiangui Yi
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xianrong Wang
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Hui Ding
- Research Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Ecological Environment of Wuyi Mountains, Biodiversity Comprehensive Observation Station for Wuyi Mountains, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory on BiosafetyNanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of ChinaNanjingChina
| | - Yanming Fang
- Co‐Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity ConservationNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
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25
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Michalet R, Delerue F, Liancourt P. Disentangling the effects of biomass and productivity in plant competition. Ecology 2023; 104:e3851. [PMID: 36054759 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3851] [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: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between competition and productivity in plant communities is unclear, and this is likely to be due to (1) a confusion in the literature between productivity and biomass, (2) the lack of studies assessing variation in competition in all combinations of biomass and productivity. We assessed the outcome of plant-plant interactions by removing the neighbors around five focal species in 14 herbaceous communities with contrasting biomasses and productivities: meadows with high biomass and productivity, heathlands with high biomass and low productivity, understory communities of deciduous forests with low biomass and high productivity and calcareous grasslands with low biomass and low productivity. Competition intensity was quantified with the relative interaction index (RII) calculated for both survival and growth of the transplanted targets assessed with the increase in leaf number. To examine which traits better explain variation in competition and what drives variation in diversity, we also quantified litter decomposition rate, species composition and diversity and six morphological traits related to plant size and growth rate for eight dominant species of each community. Our main questions were: (1) Is competition mostly related to biomass or productivity? (2) Which traits of the community dominants better explain variation in competition? (3) Is variation in competition and related traits correlated with variation in diversity? Competition for survival significantly increased with increasing community biomass (but not productivity). In addition, competition for survival increased with the size traits and competitive effects of the dominant species of the communities, whereas diversity decreased. Competition for growth also increased with increasing productivity, but only for high-biomass communities. Additionally, the increase in competition for growth with increasing soil fertility, as measured with litter decomposition rate, was only due to an increase in target growth in plots without neighbors and was unrelated to community competitive effects and species diversity. The results of our study illustrate how the confusion between productivity and biomass could have contributed to the long-standing debate on variation in competition along productivity gradients and its consequence for diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Michalet
- UMR Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Florian Delerue
- UMR Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux, Bordeaux INP, Pessac, France
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic.,Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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26
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Abrahão A, Marhan S, Boeddinghaus RS, Nawaz A, Wubet T, Hölzel N, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Freitag M, Hamer U, Oliveira RS, Lambers H, Kandeler E. Microbial drivers of plant richness and productivity in a grassland restoration experiment along a gradient of land-use intensity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1936-1950. [PMID: 36128644 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18503] [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: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) underlying grassland plant richness and productivity are typically coupled with nutrient availability; however, we lack understanding of how restoration measures to increase plant diversity might affect PSFs. We examined the roles of sward disturbance, seed addition and land-use intensity (LUI) on PSFs. We conducted a disturbance and seed addition experiment in 10 grasslands along a LUI gradient and characterized plant biomass and richness, soil microbial biomass, community composition and enzyme activities. Greater plant biomass at high LUI was related to a decrease in the fungal to bacterial ratios, indicating highly productive grasslands to be dominated by bacteria. Lower enzyme activity per microbial biomass at high plant species richness indicated a slower carbon (C) cycling. The relative abundance of fungal saprotrophs decreased, while pathogens increased with LUI and disturbance. Both fungal guilds were negatively associated with plant richness, indicating the mechanisms underlying PSFs depended on LUI. We show that LUI and disturbance affect fungal functional composition, which may feedback on plant species richness by impeding the establishment of pathogen-sensitive species. Therefore, we highlight the need to integrate LUI including its effects on PSFs when planning for practices that aim to optimize plant diversity and productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Abrahão
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Biology, Science Center, Federal University of Ceará - UFC, Fortaleza, CE, 60440-900, Brazil
| | - Sven Marhan
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Runa S Boeddinghaus
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
- Landwirtschaftliches Technologiezentrum Augustenberg, 76227, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ali Nawaz
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ - Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall 3, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Tesfaye Wubet
- Department of Community Ecology, UFZ - Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Valentin H Klaus
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstr. 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Till Kleinebecker
- Institute of Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, D-35392, Gießen, Germany
- Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 3, 35390, Giessen, Germany
| | - Martin Freitag
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Ute Hamer
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, D-48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Rafael S Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Ellen Kandeler
- Department of Soil Biology, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, 70599, Stuttgart, Germany
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27
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Phenomenology and dynamics of competitive ecosystems beyond the niche-neutral regimes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204394119. [PMID: 36251996 PMCID: PMC9618050 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204394119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Structure, composition, and stability of ecological populations are shaped by the inter- and intraspecies interactions within their communities. It remains to be fully understood how the interplay of these interactions with other factors, such as immigration, controls the structure, the diversity, and the long-term stability of ecological systems in the presence of noise and fluctuations. We address this problem using a minimal model of interacting multispecies ecological communities that incorporates competition, immigration, and demographic noise. We find that a complete phase diagram exhibits rich behavior with multiple regimes that go beyond the classical "niche" and "neutral" regimes, extending and modifying the "rare biosphere" or "niche-like" dichotomy. In particular, we observe regimes that cannot be characterized as either niche or neutral where a multimodal species abundance distribution is observed. We characterize the transitions between the different regimes and show how these arise from the underlying kinetics of the species turnover, extinction, and invasion. Our model serves as a minimal null model of noisy competitive ecological systems, against which more complex models that include factors such as mutations and environmental noise can be compared.
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28
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Xu Y, Wang L, Tang Q, Naselli-Flores L, Jeppesen E, Han BP. The Relationship Between Phytoplankton Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning Changes with Disturbance Regimes in Tropical Reservoirs. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00791-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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29
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Zhang Z, Bao T, Hautier Y, Yang J, Liu Z, Qing H. Intra-annual growing season climate variability drives the community intra-annual stability of a temperate grassland by altering intra-annual species asynchrony and richness in Inner Mongolia, China. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9385. [PMID: 36225823 PMCID: PMC9532246 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the factors that regulate the functioning of our ecosystems in response to environmental changes can help to maintain the stable provisioning of ecosystem services to mankind. This is especially relevant given the increased variability of environmental conditions due to human activities. In particular, maintaining a stable production and plant biomass during the growing season (intra‐annual stability) despite pervasive and directional changes in temperature and precipitation through time can help to secure food supply to wild animals, livestock, and humans. Here, we conducted a 29‐year field observational study in a temperate grassland to explore how the intra‐annual stability of primary productivity is influenced by biotic and abiotic variables through time. We found that intra‐annual precipitation variability in the growing season indirectly influenced the community intra‐annual biomass stability by its negative effect on intra‐annual species asynchrony. While the intra‐annual temperature variability in the growing season indirectly altered community intra‐annual biomass stability through affecting the intra‐annual species richness. At the same time, although the intra‐annual biomass stability of the dominant species and the dominant functional group were insensitive to climate variability, they also promoted the stable community biomass to a certain extent. Our results indicate that ongoing intra‐annual climate variability affects community intra‐annual biomass stability in the temperate grassland, which has important theoretical significance for us to take active measures to deal with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China.,Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
| | - Tiejun Bao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China.,Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology Utrecht University Utrecht Netherlands
| | - Jie Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China.,Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
| | - Zhongling Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China.,Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
| | - Hua Qing
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China.,Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University Hohhot China
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30
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Obrist DS, Fitzpatrick OT, Brown NEM, Hanly PJ, Nijland W, Reshitnyk LY, Wickham SB, Darimont CT, Reynolds JD, Starzomski BM. Scale-dependent effects of marine subsidies on the island biogeographic patterns of plants. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9270. [PMID: 36177118 PMCID: PMC9461347 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Although species richness can be determined by different mechanisms at different spatial scales, the role of scale in the effects of marine inputs on island biogeography has not been studied explicitly. Here, we evaluated the potential influence of island characteristics and marine inputs (seaweed wrack biomass and marine‐derived nitrogen in the soil) on plant species richness at both a local (plot) and regional (island) scale on 92 islands in British Columbia, Canada. We found that the effects of subsidies on species richness depend strongly on spatial scale. Despite detecting no effects of marine subsidies at the island scale, we found that as plot level subsidies increased, species richness decreased; plots with more marine‐derived nitrogen in the soil hosted fewer plant species. We found no effect of seaweed wrack at either scale. To identify potential mechanisms underlying the decrease in diversity, we fit a spatially explicit joint species distribution model to evaluate species level responses to marine subsidies and effects of biotic interactions among species. We found mixed evidence for competition for both light and nutrients, and cannot rule out an alternative mechanism; the observed decrease in species richness may be due to disturbances associated with animal‐mediated nutrient deposits, particularly those from North American river otters (Lontra canadensis). By evaluating the scale‐dependent effects of marine subsidies on island biogeographic patterns of plants and revealing likely mechanisms that act on community composition, we provide novel insights on the scale dependence of a fundamental ecological theory, and on the rarely examined links between marine and terrestrial ecosystems often bridged by animal vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora S Obrist
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada.,Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Owen T Fitzpatrick
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Norah E M Brown
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Patrick J Hanly
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada.,Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA
| | - Wiebe Nijland
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada.,Department of Physical Geography Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
| | | | - Sara B Wickham
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Chris T Darimont
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,Department of Geography University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada.,Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
| | - John D Reynolds
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia Canada.,Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada
| | - Brian M Starzomski
- Hakai Institute Heriot Bay British Columbia Canada.,School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
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31
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Delabye S, Storch D, Sedláček O, Albrecht T, Hořák D, Maicher V, Tószögyová A, Tropek R. Moth Diversity Increases along a Continent-Wide Gradient of Environmental Productivity in South African Savannahs. INSECTS 2022; 13:778. [PMID: 36135479 PMCID: PMC9500993 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental productivity, i.e., the amount of biomass produced by primary producers, belongs among the key factors for the biodiversity patterns. Although the relationship of diversity to environmental productivity differs among studied taxa, detailed data are largely missing for most groups, including insects. Here, we present a study of moth diversity patterns at local and regional scales along a continent-wide gradient of environmental productivity in southern African savannah ecosystems. We sampled diversity of moths (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) at 120 local plots along a gradient of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from the Namib Desert to woodland savannahs along the Zambezi River. By standardized light trapping, we collected 12,372 specimens belonging to 487 moth species. The relationship between species richness for most analyzed moth groups and environmental productivity was significantly positively linear at the local and regional scales. The absence of a significant relationship of most moth groups' abundance to environmental productivity did not support the role of the number of individuals in the diversity-productivity relationship for south African moths. We hypothesize the effects of water availability, habitat complexity, and plant diversity drive the observed moth diversity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Delabye
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - David Storch
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University, Prague and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Jilská 1, 11000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Sedláček
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Albrecht
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Studenec 122, 67502 Koněšín, Czech Republic
| | - David Hořák
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vincent Maicher
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Dr., Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anna Tószögyová
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University, Prague and the Czech Academy of Sciences, Jilská 1, 11000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Tropek
- Departments of Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12844 Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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32
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An equation of state unifies diversity, productivity, abundance and biomass. Commun Biol 2022; 5:874. [PMID: 36008589 PMCID: PMC9411111 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03817-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To advance understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem function, ecologists seek widely applicable relationships among species diversity and other ecosystem characteristics such as species productivity, biomass, and abundance. These metrics vary widely across ecosystems and no relationship among any combination of them that is valid across habitats, taxa, and spatial scales, has heretofore been found. Here we derive such a relationship, an equation of state, among species richness, energy flow, biomass, and abundance by combining results from the Maximum Entropy Theory of Ecology and the Metabolic Theory of Ecology. It accurately captures the relationship among these state variables in 42 data sets, including vegetation and arthropod communities, that span a wide variety of spatial scales and habitats. The success of our ecological equation of state opens opportunities for estimating difficult-to-measure state variables from measurements of others, adds support for two current theories in ecology, and is a step toward unification in ecology. Combining metabolic and maximum entropy theories of ecology, the authors derive an equation of state capable of capturing the relationships between multiple ecological variables across varied spatial scales and habitats.
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33
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Peng J, Ma F, Quan Q, Chen X, Wang J, Yan Y, Zhou Q, Niu S. Nitrogen enrichment alters climate sensitivity of biodiversity and productivity differentially and reverses the relationship between them in an alpine meadow. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 835:155418. [PMID: 35472341 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155418] [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: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity and productivity that highly determine ecosystem services are varying largely under global change. However, the climate sensitivity of them and their relationship are not well understood, especially in the context of increasing nitrogen (N) deposition. Here, based on a six-year N manipulation experiment in an alpine meadow, we quantified interannual climate sensitivity of species richness (SR) and above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) as well as SR-ANPP relationship as affected by six N addition rate (Nrate) gradients. We found that interannual variations in ANPP and SR were mainly driven by temperature instead of precipitation. In the plots without N addition, higher temperature substantially increased ANPP but reduced SR across years, thus resulting in a negative SR-ANPP relationship. However, the negative and positive responses of SR and ANPP to temperature increased and declined significantly with increasing Nrate, respectively, leading to a shift of the negative relationship between SR and ANPP into a positive one under high Nrate. Moreover, the adverse influence of drought on SR and ANPP would be aggravated by N fertilization, as indicated by the increased positive effect of precipitation on them under N enrichment. Our findings indicate that climate sensitivity of productivity and biodiversity may be misestimated if the impact of N deposition is not considered, and the importance of biodiversity to maintain productivity would enhance as N deposition increases. This study provides a new insight to explain variation of biodiversity-productivity relationship along with environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlong Peng
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fangfang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Quan Quan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinli Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yingjie Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qingping Zhou
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Shuli Niu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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34
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Wang Y, Du J, Pang Z, Liu Y, Xue K, Hautier Y, Zhang B, Tang L, Jiang L, Ji B, Xu X, Zhang J, Hu R, Zhou S, Wang F, Che R, Wang D, Zhou C, Cui X, Eisenhauer N, Hao Y. Unimodal productivity-biodiversity relationship along the gradient of multidimensional resources across Chinese grasslands. Natl Sci Rev 2022; 9:nwac165. [PMID: 36519072 PMCID: PMC9743175 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwac165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Resources can affect plant productivity and biodiversity simultaneously and thus are key drivers of their relationships in addition to plant-plant interactions. However, most previous studies only focused on a single resource while neglecting the nature of resource multidimensionality. Here we integrated four essential resources for plant growth into a single metric of resource diversity (RD) to investigate its effects on the productivity-biodiversity relationship (PBR) across Chinese grasslands. Results showed that habitats differing in RD have different PBRs-positive in low-resource habitats, but neutral in medium- and high-resource ones-while collectively, a weak positive PBR was observed. However, when excluding direct effects of RD on productivity and biodiversity, the PBR in high-resource habitats became negative, which leads to a unimodal instead of a positive PBR along the RD gradient. By integrating resource effects and changing plant-plant interactions into a unified framework with the RD gradient, our work contributes to uncovering underlying mechanisms for inconsistent PBRs at large scales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jianqing Du
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China,Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China
| | - Zhe Pang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Yali Liu
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing100083, China
| | - Kai Xue
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China,Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht3584CH, The Netherlands
| | - Biao Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Li Tang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Lili Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Baoming Ji
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing100083, China
| | - Xingliang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing100083, China
| | - Ronghai Hu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China,Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China
| | - Shutong Zhou
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Fang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Rongxiao Che
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming650091, China
| | - Di Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Chaoting Zhou
- Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Xiaoyong Cui
- Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig04103, Germany,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig04103, Germany
| | - Yanbin Hao
- Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing101408, China,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
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35
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Hodžić J, Pearse I, Beaury EM, Corbin JD, Bakker JD. Root hemiparasitic plants are associated with more even communities across North America. Ecology 2022; 103:e3837. [PMID: 36178041 PMCID: PMC10077900 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Root hemiparasitic plants both compete with and extract resources from host plants. By reducing the abundance of dominant plants and releasing subordinates from competitive exclusion, they can have an outsized impact on plant communities. Most research on the ecological role of hemiparasites is manipulative and focuses on a small number of hemiparasitic taxa. Here, we ask whether patterns in natural plant communities match the expectation that hemiparasites affect the structure of plant communities. Our data were collected on 129 national park units spanning the continental United States. The most common hemiparasite genera were Pedicularis, Castilleja, Krameria, and Comandra. We used null models and linear mixed models to determine whether hemiparasites were associated with changes in community richness and evenness. Hemiparasite presence did not affect community metrics. Hemiparasite abundance was positively associated with increasing evenness of herbaceous species, but not with species richness. The associations that we observed on a continental scale are consistent with evidence that the impacts of root hemiparasitic plants on evenness can be substantial and abundance dependent but that effects on richness are less pronounced. Hemiparasites mediate competitive exclusion in communities to facilitate species coexistence and merit consideration of inclusion in ecological theories of coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasna Hodžić
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA
| | - Ian Pearse
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center Fort Collins CO
| | - Evelyn M. Beaury
- Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA
| | | | - Jonathan D. Bakker
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of Washington Seattle WA
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36
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A Comparison of Models of Stand Volume in Spruce-Fir Mixed Forest in Northeast China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13071117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Based on a multiple linear regression model, random forest algorithm and generalized additive model, a stand volume model was constructed to provide a theoretical basis for sustainable management. A total of 224 fixed plots in the Jingouling forest farm, Wangqing County, Jilin Province, were used as data sources. Specifically, 157 plots were used as training data, and 77 plots were used as test data. The effects of stand structure variables, topography variables, cutting variables, diversity variables and climate variables on stand volume were analyzed. The random forest algorithm explained 95.51% of the stand volume, and the generalized additive model explained 95.45% of the stand volume. Stand structure variables and topography variables had more influence on the stand volume of spruce-fir than other variables. Among the diversity variables, the evenness index, Shannon index and Simpson index had a relatively greater impact on the stand volume. The cutting times and the intensity of the first cutting had a direct relationship with stand volume. The influence of climate variables on the stand volume was relatively small in the study area.
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37
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Richness, not evenness, varies across water availability gradients in grassy biomes on five continents. Oecologia 2022; 199:649-659. [PMID: 35833986 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05208-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
We sought to understand the role that water availability (expressed as an aridity index) plays in determining regional and global patterns of richness and evenness, and in turn how these water availability-diversity relationships may result in different richness-evenness relationships at regional and global scales. We examined relationships between water availability, richness and evenness for eight grassy biomes spanning broad water availability gradients on five continents. Our study found that relationships between richness and water availability switched from positive for drier (South Africa, Tibet and USA) vs. negative for wetter (India) biomes, though were not significant for the remaining biomes. In contrast, only the India biome showed a significant relationship between water availability and evenness, which was negative. Globally, the richness-water availability relationship was hump-shaped, however, not significant for evenness. At the regional scale, a positive richness-evenness relationship was found for grassy biomes in India and Inner Mongolia, China. In contrast, this relationship was weakly concave-up globally. These results suggest that different, independent factors are determining patterns of species richness and evenness in grassy biomes, resulting in differing richness-evenness relationships at regional and global scales. As a consequence, richness and evenness may respond very differently across spatial gradients to anthropogenic changes, such as climate change.
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38
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Hossain ML, Li J, Hoffmann S, Beierkuhnlein C. Biodiversity showed positive effects on resistance but mixed effects on resilience to climatic extremes in a long-term grassland experiment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 827:154322. [PMID: 35257775 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem functioning and stability under increasing frequency and magnitude of climatic extremes has fascinated ecologists for decades. Although growing evidence suggests that biodiversity affects ecosystem productivity and buffers ecosystem against climatic extremes, it remains unclear whether the stability of an ecosystem is caused by its resistance against disturbances or resilience towards perturbations or both. In attempting to explore how species richness affects resistance and resilience of above-ground net primary productivity (ANPP) against climatic extremes, we analyzed the grassland ANPP of the long-running (1997-2020) Bayreuth Biodiversity experiment in Germany. We used the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index to identify climatic conditions based on 5- and 7-class classifications of climatic conditions. Mixed-effects models and post-hoc test show that ANPP varied significantly among different intensities (e.g. moderate or extreme) and directions (e.g. dry or wet) of climatic conditions, with the highest ANPP in extreme wet and the lowest in extreme dry conditions. Resistance and resilience of ANPP to climatic extremes in different intensities were examined by linear-mixed effects models and we found that species richness increased ecosystem resistance against all dry and wet climatic extremes, but decreased ecosystem resilience towards all dry climatic extremes. Species richness had no effects on ecosystem resilience towards wet climatic extremes. When the five level of species richness treatment (i.e., 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 species) were considered, the relationships between species richness and resistance and resilience of ANPP under extreme wet and dry conditions remained similar. Our study emphasizes that plant communities with greater species richness need to be maintained to stabilize ecosystem productivity and increase resistance against different climatic extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Lokman Hossain
- Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Department of Environment Protection Technology, German University Bangladesh, 1702 Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Department of Geography, Hong Kong Baptist University, Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Samuel Hoffmann
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Carl Beierkuhnlein
- Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; BayCEER, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, Universitätsstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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39
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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Simulated Gradient Warming and Grazing. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11111428. [PMID: 35684201 PMCID: PMC9182780 DOI: 10.3390/plants11111428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Biodiversity and ecosystem functions and their relationship with environmental response constitute a major topic of ecological research. However, the changes in and impact mechanisms of multi-dimensional biodiversity and ecosystem functions in continuously changing environmental gradients and anthropogenic activities remain poorly understood. Here, we analyze the effects of multi-gradient warming and grazing on relationships between the biodiversity of plant and soil microbial with productivity/community stability through a field experiment simulating multi-gradient warming and grazing in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau. We show the following results: (i) Plant biodiversity, soil microbial diversity and community productivity in alpine grasslands show fluctuating trends with temperature gradients, and a temperature increase below approximately 1 °C is beneficial to alpine grasslands; moderate grazing only increases the fungal diversity of the soil surface layer. (ii) The warming shifted plant biomass underground in alpine grasslands to obtain more water in response to the decrease in soil moisture caused by the temperature rise. Community stability was not affected by warming or grazing. (iii) Community stability was not significantly correlated with productivity, and environmental factors, rather than biodiversity, influenced community stability and productivity.
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40
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Sehrawat JS, Agrawal S, Sankhyan D, Singh M, Kumar S, Prakash S, Rajpal R, Chaubey G, Thangaraj K, Rai N. Pinpointing the Geographic Origin of 165-Year-Old Human Skeletal Remains Found in Punjab, India: Evidence From Mitochondrial DNA and Stable Isotope Analysis. Front Genet 2022; 13:813934. [PMID: 35571044 PMCID: PMC9095824 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.813934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2014, 157 years after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, several unidentified human skeletons were discovered in an abandoned well at Ajnala, Punjab. The most prevailing hypothesis suggested them as Indian soldiers who mutinied during the Indian uprising of 1857. However, there is an intense debate on their geographic affinity. Therefore, to pinpoint their area of origin, we have successfully isolated DNA from cementum-rich material of 50 good-quality random teeth samples and analyzed mtDNA haplogroups. In addition to that, we analyzed 85 individuals for oxygen isotopes (δ18O values). The mtDNA haplogroup distribution and clustering pattern rejected the local ancestry and indicated their genetic link with the populations living east of Punjab. In addition, the oxygen isotope analysis (δ18O values) from archaeological skeletal remains corroborated the molecular data and suggested the closest possible geographical affinity of these skeletal remains toward the eastern part of India, largely covering the Gangetic plain region. The data generated from this study are expected to expand our understanding of the ancestry and population affinity of martyr soldiers.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Sehrawat
- Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Deeksha Sankhyan
- Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Monika Singh
- Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sachin Kumar
- Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Satya Prakash
- Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Richa Rajpal
- Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Gyaneshwer Chaubey
- Cytogenetic Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Kumarasamy Thangaraj
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.,Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India
| | - Niraj Rai
- Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India
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41
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Memtsas G, Lazarina M, Sgardelis S, Petanidou T, Kallimanis A. What plant–pollinator network structure tells us about the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional biodiversity productivity relationship? Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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42
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Grazing Land Productivity, Floral Diversity, and Management in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean Landscape. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14084623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Most grazing lands in Mediterranean ecosystems that support extensive sheep farming systems are characterized by unfavorable edapho-climatic conditions, especially in semi-arid areas. Often, though, their use is far from sustainable, causing erosion and ecosystem degradation impacts. In this paper, we explore the use, productivity, and flora diversity of typical Mediterranean grazing lands in four farms at the Agra locality in the western part of Lesvos Island, Greece. For a period of two consecutive growing seasons (September to June), we recorded herbage biomass on 16 plots of grazing lands with three measurements per season of land cover and plant productivity (biomass) inside small exclosures (cages) protected from grazing. We recorded the species richness of herbaceous plant communities within and outside the cages at the end of every growing season, the period of maximum growth of herbaceous species. We also chemically analyzed the biomass for crude protein at the end of each season. Results show sizable productivity differences among pasture plots as well as seasons and an overall medium to high degree of productivity and species richness considering the relatively intensive grazing, with little differences over the different cages and the degree of grazing intensity. These results suggest that the “history” of the fields is important, as grazing lands that had been used for arable crops in the past, as well as those leveled and in favorable locations, were the most productive and diverse ones, while shallower soils and inclined grazing lands showed signs of overuse and degradation. Overall, though, these ecosystems showed a high degree of resilience despite their intensive use.
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43
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Braun L, Kadmon R, Tomiolo S, Májeková M, Tielbörger K. Is more less? A comprehensive experimental test of soil depth effects on grassland diversity. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lara Braun
- Inst. of Ecology and Evolution, Plant Ecology Group, Univ. of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Ronen Kadmon
- Dept of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, The Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem Givat Ram Jerusalem Israel
| | - Sara Tomiolo
- Inst. of Ecology and Evolution, Plant Ecology Group, Univ. of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Maria Májeková
- Inst. of Ecology and Evolution, Plant Ecology Group, Univ. of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
| | - Katja Tielbörger
- Inst. of Ecology and Evolution, Plant Ecology Group, Univ. of Tübingen Tübingen Germany
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44
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Shen H, Dong S, DiTommaso A, Xiao J, Lu W, Zhi Y. Nitrogen Deposition Shifts Grassland Communities Through Directly Increasing Dominance of Graminoids: A 3-Year Case Study From the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:811970. [PMID: 35317015 PMCID: PMC8934429 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.811970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition has been increasing for decades and has profoundly influenced the structure and function of grassland ecosystems in many regions of the world. However, the impact of N deposition on alpine grasslands is less well documented. We conducted a 3-year field experiment to determine the effects of N deposition on plant species richness, composition, and community productivity in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. We found that 3 years of N deposition had a profound effect on these plant community parameters. Increasing N rates increased the dominance of graminoids and reduced the presence of non-graminoids. Species richness was inversely associated with aboveground biomass. The shift in plant species and functional group composition was largely responsible for the increase in productivity associated with N deposition. Climatic factors also interacted with N addition to influence productivity. Our findings suggest that short-term N deposition could increase the productivity of alpine meadows through shifts in composition toward a graminoid-dominated community. Longer-term studies are needed to determine if shifts in composition and increased productivity will be maintained. Future work must also evaluate whether decreasing plant diversity will impair the long-term stability and function of sensitive alpine grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Shen
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Antonio DiTommaso
- Soil and Crop Sciences, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Jiannan Xiao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Lu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolia Plateau, Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security, College of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yangliu Zhi
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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45
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Chang CW, Miki T, Ye H, Souissi S, Adrian R, Anneville O, Agasild H, Ban S, Be'eri-Shlevin Y, Chiang YR, Feuchtmayr H, Gal G, Ichise S, Kagami M, Kumagai M, Liu X, Matsuzaki SIS, Manca MM, Nõges P, Piscia R, Rogora M, Shiah FK, Thackeray SJ, Widdicombe CE, Wu JT, Zohary T, Hsieh CH. Causal networks of phytoplankton diversity and biomass are modulated by environmental context. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1140. [PMID: 35241667 PMCID: PMC8894464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28761-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Untangling causal links and feedbacks among biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and environmental factors is challenging due to their complex and context-dependent interactions (e.g., a nutrient-dependent relationship between diversity and biomass). Consequently, studies that only consider separable, unidirectional effects can produce divergent conclusions and equivocal ecological implications. To address this complexity, we use empirical dynamic modeling to assemble causal networks for 19 natural aquatic ecosystems (N24◦~N58◦) and quantified strengths of feedbacks among phytoplankton diversity, phytoplankton biomass, and environmental factors. Through a cross-system comparison, we identify macroecological patterns; in more diverse, oligotrophic ecosystems, biodiversity effects are more important than environmental effects (nutrients and temperature) as drivers of biomass. Furthermore, feedback strengths vary with productivity. In warm, productive systems, strong nitrate-mediated feedbacks usually prevail, whereas there are strong, phosphate-mediated feedbacks in cold, less productive systems. Our findings, based on recovered feedbacks, highlight the importance of a network view in future ecosystem management. Disentangling causal interactions among biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and environmental factors is key to understanding how ecosystems respond to changing environment. This study presents a global scale analysis quantifying causal interactions and feedbacks among phytoplankton diversity, biomass and nutrients along environmental gradients of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wei Chang
- National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.,Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Takeshi Miki
- Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Ryukoku University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2194, Japan.,Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.,Center for Biodiversity Science, Ryukoku University, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2194, Japan
| | - Hao Ye
- Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Sami Souissi
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ, Littoral Côte D'Opale, IRD, UMR 8187, LOG- Laboratoire D'Océanologie et de Géosciences, Station Marine de Wimereux, F- 59000, Lille, France
| | - Rita Adrian
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, IGB, 12587, Berlin, Germany.,Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Orlane Anneville
- National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), CARRTEL, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, 74200, Thonon les Bains, France
| | - Helen Agasild
- Centre for Limnology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5D, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Syuhei Ban
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, Hikone, 522-8533, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yaron Be'eri-Shlevin
- Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, P.O. Box 447, 14950, Migdal, Israel
| | - Yin-Ru Chiang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Heidrun Feuchtmayr
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Gideon Gal
- Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, P.O. Box 447, 14950, Migdal, Israel
| | - Satoshi Ichise
- Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, Otsu, 520-0022, Japan
| | - Maiko Kagami
- Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, 240-8502, Kanagawa, Japan.,Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan
| | - Michio Kumagai
- Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, Otsu, 520-0022, Japan.,Research Center for Lake Biwa & Environmental Innovation, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, 525-0058, Shiga, Japan
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, Hikone, 522-8533, Shiga, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro S Matsuzaki
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Marina M Manca
- CNR Water Research Institute (IRSA), L.go Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Pallanza, Italy
| | - Peeter Nõges
- Centre for Limnology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5D, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Roberta Piscia
- CNR Water Research Institute (IRSA), L.go Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Pallanza, Italy
| | - Michela Rogora
- CNR Water Research Institute (IRSA), L.go Tonolli 50, 28922, Verbania, Pallanza, Italy
| | - Fuh-Kwo Shiah
- Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.,Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Stephen J Thackeray
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4AP, UK
| | | | - Jiunn-Tzong Wu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Tamar Zohary
- Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, P.O. Box 447, 14950, Migdal, Israel
| | - Chih-Hao Hsieh
- National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan. .,Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan. .,Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan. .,Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
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46
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Norberg J, Blenckner T, Cornell SE, Petchey OL, Hillebrand H. Failures to disagree are essential for environmental science to effectively influence policy development. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1075-1093. [PMID: 35218290 PMCID: PMC9542146 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
While environmental science, and ecology in particular, is working to provide better understanding to base sustainable decisions on, the way scientific understanding is developed can at times be detrimental to this cause. Locked‐in debates are often unnecessarily polarised and can compromise any common goals of the opposing camps. The present paper is inspired by a resolved debate from an unrelated field of psychology where Nobel laureate David Kahneman and Garry Klein turned what seemed to be a locked‐in debate into a constructive process for their fields. The present paper is also motivated by previous discourses regarding the role of thresholds in natural systems for management and governance, but its scope of analysis targets the scientific process within complex social‐ecological systems in general. We identified four features of environmental science that appear to predispose for locked‐in debates: (1) The strongly context‐dependent behaviour of ecological systems. (2) The dominant role of single hypothesis testing. (3) The high prominence given to theory demonstration compared investigation. (4) The effect of urgent demands to inform and steer policy. This fertile ground is further cultivated by human psychological aspects as well as the structure of funding and publication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Norberg
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | | | | | - Owen L Petchey
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Helmut Hillebrand
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of Marine Environments [ICBM], Carl-von-Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
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47
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Luna P, Villalobos F, Escobar F, Neves FS, Dáttilo W. Global trends in the trophic specialisation of flower-visitor networks are explained by current and historical climate. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:113-124. [PMID: 34761496 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Trophic specialisation is known to vary across space, but the environmental factors explaining such variation remain elusive. Here we used a global dataset of flower-visitor networks to evaluate how trophic specialisation varies between latitudinal zones (tropical and temperate) and across elevation gradients, while considering the environmental variation inherent in these spatial gradients. Specifically, we assessed the role of current (i.e., net primary productivity, temperature, and precipitation) and historical (i.e., temperature and precipitation stability) environmental factors in structuring the trophic specialisation of floral visitors. Spatial variations in trophic specialisation were not explained by latitudinal zones or elevation. Moreover, regardless of network location on the spatial gradient, there was a tendency for higher trophic specialisation in sites with high productivity and precipitation, whereas historical temperature stability was related to lower trophic specialisation. We highlight that both energetic constraints in animal foraging imposed by climate and resource availability may drive the global variation in trophic specialisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Luna
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Fabricio Villalobos
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Federico Escobar
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Frederico S Neves
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
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48
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Plant Community Diversity at Two Reclaimed Mine Tailing Storage Facilities in Québec, Canada. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10111191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mining activities generate residues during the ore concentration process. These wastes are placed into large tailing storage facilities, and upon mine closure, these tailings must be reclaimed. This study aimed to determine how different reclamation methods, involving combinations of planted boreal woody species and organic amendments application (paper mill sludge biosolids, chicken manure, and topsoil) affected plant community diversity at two tailing storage facilities in Québec, Canada. We recorded the composition of the plant communities using the percent cover of plant species within 1 m × 1 m quadrats. At the Niobec mine site, paper mill sludge mixed with topsoil enhanced total plant cover was compared with the use of topsoil only; the former amendment, however, reduced evenness (J′) and diversity (1−D) due to the increased growth of grasses and invasive forbs. At the Mont-Wright site, plots having received paper mill sludge mixed with a “Norco” treatment (a mixture of chicken manure, hay, and grass seeds) produced the highest total plant cover. The Norco treatment mixed with topsoil and the single application of topsoil and biosolids produced the highest evenness (J′) and diversity (1−D). Overall, organic amendment applications promoted vegetation cover on tailings and contributed to the colonization of diverse plant communities.
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49
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Refocusing multiple stressor research around the targets and scales of ecological impacts. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1478-1489. [PMID: 34556829 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01547-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ecological communities face a variety of environmental and anthropogenic stressors acting simultaneously. Stressor impacts can combine additively or can interact, causing synergistic or antagonistic effects. Our knowledge of when and how interactions arise is limited, as most models and experiments only consider the effect of a small number of non-interacting stressors at one or few scales of ecological organization. This is concerning because it could lead to significant underestimations or overestimations of threats to biodiversity. Furthermore, stressors have been largely classified by their source rather than by the mechanisms and ecological scales at which they act (the target). Here, we argue, first, that a more nuanced classification of stressors by target and ecological scale can generate valuable new insights and hypotheses about stressor interactions. Second, that the predictability of multiple stressor effects, and consistent patterns in their impacts, can be evaluated by examining the distribution of stressor effects across targets and ecological scales. Third, that a variety of existing mechanistic and statistical modelling tools can play an important role in our framework and advance multiple stressor research.
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50
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Qiao X, Zhang N, Zhang C, Zhang Z, Zhao X, Gadow K. Unravelling biodiversity–productivity relationships across a large temperate forest region. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xuetao Qiao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration Beijing Forestry University Beijing China
| | - Naili Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration Beijing Forestry University Beijing China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration Beijing Forestry University Beijing China
| | - Zhonghui Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences Changchun China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry and Grassland Administration Beijing Forestry University Beijing China
| | - Klaus Gadow
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest Ecology Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Department of Forest and Wood Science University of Stellenbosch Stellenbosch South Africa
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