community ecology

Who Eats Who in Urban Soils? Uncovering the Underground Food Web in Woodlands and Grasslands

Haifeng Yao, Zhipeng Li, Saichao Zhang, Shasha Hu, Huayuan Shangguan, Xin Sun, Anton M. Potapov This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Urban development changes more than buildings and roads; it also changes life in the soil. Soil animals—such as mites, springtails, worms, beetles, and spiders—form feeding networks that drive litter decomposition, nutrient recycling, and … Continue reading Who Eats Who in Urban Soils? Uncovering the Underground Food Web in Woodlands and Grasslands

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animal physiological ecology, Special Features, zoogeochemistry

Seasonal Diet Shifts in Birds Impact Nutrient Cycling

Linsey Chen, Alexander S. Flecker, Ethan S. Duvall This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Animals play an important role in keeping ecosystems healthy—not just by moving around, but by moving nutrients. When birds eat, digest, and excrete waste, they help redistribute important nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, to the environment. These nutrients … Continue reading Seasonal Diet Shifts in Birds Impact Nutrient Cycling

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ecosystems ecology

Functionally diverse stands promote leaf litter decomposition irrespective of litter species’ resource acquisition strategy

Bai-Yu Yang, Xiao-Chen Fang, Johannes H. C. Cornelissen, Li-Ting Zheng, Di-Feng Bao, Li Zhang, Zhao Zhao, Ci-Liang Zhao, Hai-Jun Mao, Zai-Ping Yu, Dan-Yan Ou, Marc W. Cadotte, En-Rong Yan This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The natural breakdown of dead leaves (litter decomposition) makes nutrients available for plant growth. The speed of this important … Continue reading Functionally diverse stands promote leaf litter decomposition irrespective of litter species’ resource acquisition strategy

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ecosystems ecology

Different rice growth stages rely on different carbon and nitrogen conditions for nitrogen fixation

Xinyue Hu, Wei Gao, Xupeng Wang, Yan Li, Jianlin Shen, Xiangbi Chen, Xiaobin Guo, Lianfeng Wang, Yun Niu, Manyun Zhang, Jinshui Wu This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are widely used in agriculture to promote crop growth, but it remains unclear how long-term N application affects soil microorganisms that naturally fix … Continue reading Different rice growth stages rely on different carbon and nitrogen conditions for nitrogen fixation

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Commentary, plant-animal interaction

Are crop yields limited by pollinators? Proper assessments using pollinator density require measurements of flower density and yield potential

Stan Chabert, James H. Cane, Bernard E. Vaissière, Rachel E. Mallinger This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. It is generally accepted in studies of animal-pollinated crops that increasing pollinator density per unit area in fields leads to increased crop yields. Two recent studies have revisited this concept, proposing that crop yield increases with pollinator … Continue reading Are crop yields limited by pollinators? Proper assessments using pollinator density require measurements of flower density and yield potential

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community ecology

How mimicry shapes diversity in bumblebee communities

Paola Laiolo, José Ramón Obeso This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Many animals use bright colours as a warning to predators: don’t eat me. In some cases, different dangerous species end up looking alike, sharing the same warning colours. This phenomenon is known as Müllerian mimicry. Scientists have long studied why these colour patterns … Continue reading How mimicry shapes diversity in bumblebee communities

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community ecology

Larval diet breadth and wingspan mediate landscape–richness relationship in butterfly communities

Vujanović Dušanka, Knežević Maja, Đorđević Aleksandra, Andrić Andrijana, Ranković Perišić Milica, Janković Milosavljević Marina, Veselić Sanja, Gianalberto Losapio, de Groot Maarten, Vujić Ante, Radenković Snežana This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Butterflies respond strongly to changes in their surroundings, making them powerful indicators of how human landscapes influence biodiversity. Yet it is still unclear … Continue reading Larval diet breadth and wingspan mediate landscape–richness relationship in butterfly communities

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ecosystems ecology

Uncovering what shapes the spatial distribution of a key phosphorus-cycling gene (PhoD) in tropical and subtropical forests

Sandhya Mishra, Shangwen Xia, Wenting Wang, Xiaodong Yang This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology reseacrh article which can be found here. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient, critical for the growth and function of plants and the forest ecosystem. In nature, forest soils are often low in phosphorus, which can limit plant productivity. To get this vital nutrient, plants rely on partnerships … Continue reading Uncovering what shapes the spatial distribution of a key phosphorus-cycling gene (PhoD) in tropical and subtropical forests

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ecosystems ecology

Long-term protection in grasslands enhances soil carbon storage via reduced disturbance and community trait diversity–environment adaptations

Yves Theoneste Murindangabo, Ondřej Mudrák, Martin Bartuška, Jaroslavá Frouzova, Olha Kachalová, Jakub Houška, Jan Frouz This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Soil carbon storage underpins ecosystem resilience and climate regulation, yet how land protection shapes its accumulation remains uncertain. Grasslands, holding roughly one-third of global terrestrial carbon, provide an ideal system for examining these … Continue reading Long-term protection in grasslands enhances soil carbon storage via reduced disturbance and community trait diversity–environment adaptations

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evolutionary ecology

Warm waters undermine cryptic female choice

Matthew C. Kustra, Louise M. Alissa, Michaela M. Rogers, Megan M. Molinari, Kelly A. Stiver, Susan Marsh-Rollo, Jennifer K. Hellmann, Suzanne H. Alonzo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Understanding how temperature influences reproduction is vital in a warming world. Yet, we still have a limited understanding of the extent to which temperature may … Continue reading Warm waters undermine cryptic female choice

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