Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Early signs of plant community responses to climate warming along mountain roads in Switzerland

The paper detects a community thermophilization signal of +0.13°C over 10 years in Swiss mountain roadsides, but highlights that cover-weighted models obscure this signal due to low cover values of gained/lost species.

Ecological indicators predict functional diversity dynamics following glacier retreat

This study examines how glacier retreat affects plant functional diversity by analyzing a 140-year chronosequence, finding shifts in functional richness, dispersion, evenness, and divergence.

Resource-use plasticity governs the causal relationship between traits and community structure in model microbial communities

The paper shows that resource-use plasticity affects trait-abundance relationships in microbial communities, with transient dynamics influencing species sorting and community structure.

Insect herbivory on restored rainforest seedlings weakened by neighbours but unaffected by invasive coffee

The paper examines how invasive coffee affects herbivory on rainforest seedlings, finding no direct impact but a resource dilution effect from higher plant density and species-specific leaf traits.

Vegetation structural complexity uniquely captures competition between vascular plants and bryophytes over succession

This study shows vegetation structural complexity, measured via 3D-laser scanning, uniquely captures competition between vascular plants and bryophytes during succession, unlike traditional metrics.

Diversity and productivity of a natural grassland decline with the number of global change factors

This study shows that grassland productivity and diversity decrease with more global change factors, with 8 factors reducing productivity and species richness by 42.8% and 42.9% respectively.

Spatial clustering reveals the impact of higher-order interactions in a diverse annual plant community

The paper shows that spatial clustering of competitors in plant communities alters the strength of higher-order interactions, affecting seed production in focal plants.

Spatially variable competition contributes to mismatched responses of plant fitness and occurrence to environmental gradients

The paper shows that spatially variable competition causes mismatches between plant fitness and occurrence responses to environmental gradients, with effects varying by species and gradient.

The ecological memory of landscape complexity shapes diversity of freshwater communities

The paper shows that historical landscape complexity influences freshwater biodiversity, with species richness linked to past landscape entropy.

Experimental comparison of mowing and mulching on snail communities in wet meadows

This study compares the effects of mowing and mulching on snail communities in wet meadows, finding that mowing negatively impacts snails while mulching does not.

Functional diversity of a temperate continental flora: Wide but skewed coverage of the global spectrum of plant form and function

The paper examines the functional diversity of a temperate continental flora in central Argentina, finding it broadly covers the global spectrum of plant form and function but lacks certain tree types and is dominated by conservative herbs and shrubs.

Inferring intrinsic population growth rates and per capita interactions from ecological time-series

This paper infers intrinsic population growth rates and per capita interactions from ecological time-series using weighted multivariate regression, revealing trade-offs and facilitation in algal communities.

Impacts of human-introduced species on the geography of life on Earth

The paper assesses how non-native species alter global biogeographical patterns by analyzing 15 classical biogeographical rules.

Biomes do not show a clear-cut phylogeny

The paper examines biome phylogeny using trait data, finding a possible lineage among terrestrial biomes with tropical biomes showing a common ancestor.

Functional traits and soil water availability shape competitive interactions in a diploid-polyploid complex

The paper examines competitive interactions between polyploid and diploid cytotypes of Dianthus broteri under different water availability conditions, finding that higher ploidy levels have a competitive advantage in arid environments.

Higher functional resilience of temperate forests at intermediate latitudes of a large latitudinal gradient in South America

The paper assesses plant functional composition in temperate forests across a latitudinal gradient in South America, identifying key environmental drivers and highlighting regions with high functional resilience.

Biodiversity forecasting in natural plankton communities reveals temperature and biotic interactions as key predictors

The paper forecasts biodiversity changes in a lake plankton community using abiotic and biotic predictors, showing that temperature and biotic interactions are key for accurate long-term predictions.

Network theory predicts ecosystem robustness across environmental conditions

The paper constructs link-species relationships across 18 ecosystems to show that the log(L) ~ log(S) relationship remains constant despite environmental changes, indicating consistent ecosystem robustness.

Mixed evidence for species diversity affecting ecological forecasts in constant versus declining light

This study investigates how species diversity affects ecological forecasts under constant and declining light conditions, finding mixed evidence of an interactive effect on forecast accuracy.

Distribution patterns of invasive alien plant species in mainland Portugal

The paper maps the distribution of invasive alien plant species in mainland Portugal and identifies environmental and human factors driving their spread.

Invaders' trophic position and their direct and indirect relationship influence on resident food webs

This study examines how the trophic positions and interactions of invasive species affect resident food webs, showing that co-invasion impacts depend on trophic levels and interaction types.

Distribution and Effect of Echium Plantagineum L. on Floral Species Diversity in the Dejen District, Northern Ethiopia

This study examines the distribution and impact of the invasive plant Echium plantagineum on floral species diversity in Dejen District, Ethiopia, finding a significant reduction in species richness and diversity in invaded areas.

Forecasts for 80% of wild populations and communities predict no change, and why

The paper forecasts trends for 43,000 population and 10,000 community time series, finding 76.5% of populations and 84% of communities show no change, with biological factors influencing predictions.

Phylogenetic diversity and species diversity are decoupled under experimental warming and cooling in Rocky Mountain plant communities

This study examines how experimental warming and cooling affect community diversity metrics in Rocky Mountain plant communities, finding decoupling between species and phylogenetic diversity.

Beyond biomass: how interactions shape species' role for ecosystem functioning

The paper introduces a dynamic contribution metric to assess species' functional roles in ecosystems, showing that rare species can be crucial due to biotic interactions.

Spatial Biodiversity Indicators and a Composite Index for Conservation Prioritization in Switzerland

The paper develops spatial biodiversity indicators and a composite index for conservation planning in Switzerland using habitat suitability data across 17 taxonomic groups and 7,500 species.

CSR Calculator: An R package and Shiny application for assigning plant ecological strategies using trait data

The paper introduces an R package and Shiny app for calculating CSR ecological strategies using plant trait data, supporting multiple models and providing visualizations.

Invertebrate species distributions in urban ecosystems are driven by habitat availability, not by anthropogenic drivers

The paper uses DNA sampling and species distribution models to show that vegetation and water availability, not anthropogenic factors, drive invertebrate distributions in urban areas.

Rare species do not disproportionately contribute to phylogenetic diversity in a subalpine plant community

The study examines whether rare plant species contribute disproportionately to phylogenetic diversity in a subalpine community and finds they do not.

Landscape configuration and community structure jointlydetermine the persistence of mutualists under habitat loss

This study shows that landscape configuration and community structure together influence the persistence of mutualistic species under habitat loss, with heterogeneous landscapes being more resilient to uncorrelated loss but vulnerable to correlated loss.