Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Climate change and reseeding shape richness-evenness relationships in a subalpine grassland experiment

This study examines how climate change and reseeding affect the richness-evenness relationship in a subalpine grassland, showing that reseeding can mitigate treatment effects but not restore initial RER patterns.

Using a sequential sampling algorithm to apply the niche-neutral model to species occurrence patterns

The paper uses a niche-neutral model with a sequential sampling algorithm to analyze bird occurrence patterns on islands, identifying habitat diversity and immigration-rate variation as potential mechanisms.

TOP-DOWN CLIMATIC PROCESSES MODULATE BIODIVERSITY-FUNCTIONING RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS NORTH AMERICAN FORESTS

This study shows that top-down climatic processes influence biodiversity-functioning relationships in North American forests by shaping species richness and biomass patterns.

The role of dormant propagule banks in shaping eco-evolutionary dynamics of community assembly

This study investigates how dormant propagule banks influence eco-evolutionary dynamics in metacommunities by extending an individual-based model to include propagule banks and analyzing their effects on community assembly.

Quantifying seed rain patterns in a remnant and a chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairies in north central Missouri

The paper measures seed rain in restored and remnant tallgrass prairies to understand how seed rain quantity, diversity, and composition change over time and during community assembly.

Functional traits predict outcomes of current and novel competition under warmer climate

The paper investigates how functional traits predict competition outcomes between current and novel plant species under climate change, finding that traits explain competition better at lower elevations.

Phylogenetic and functional compositional shifts associated with selective logging and forest regrowth in tropical rainforests of the Congo Basin

This study examines how selective logging and forest regrowth affect phylogenetic and functional diversity in Congo Basin rainforests, finding altered community composition but no overdispersion or clustering.

Spatial patterns of vascular plant species richness in Poland: relations among species group richness and hot spot locations

The paper maps vascular plant species richness in Poland and finds positive correlations among native, neophyte, and conservation-value species, highlighting invasion threats and hotspot locations.

Global test of the enemy release hypothesis reveals similar patterns of herbivory across native and non-native plants

The paper tests the Enemy Release Hypothesis by comparing herbivory levels and variability between native and non-native plant populations globally, finding no evidence of reduced herbivory in non-native plants.

Darwin's Naturalization Conundrum explained by gradients of environmental stress and disturbance

The paper examines Darwin's Naturalization Conundrum by analyzing phylogenetic relatedness of non-native plant species along environmental gradients, finding that relatedness decreases with elevation and disturbance.

Detecting ecosystem trends in response to climate and disturbance across continental plot networks: a power analysis

This study assesses the power of a continental plot network to detect ecological changes in response to climate and disturbance using simulated scenarios and linear mixed effects models.

Invasive mammals disrupt native dung beetle community coexistence

This study shows invasive mammals threaten native dung beetle communities by increasing extinction risks for specialists and intensifying competition among generalists.

Variation in precipitation drives differences in interactions and short-term transient instability between grassland functional groups: a stage-structured community approach

The paper models short- and long-term responses of grassland functional groups to precipitation extremes using stage-structured community models and pseudospectral theory.

Unique belowground ecological strategies of subtropical and tropical plant species expand the root trait space

The paper assesses root trait diversity in subtropical and tropical species, finding they contribute significantly to global root functional space and show niche-driven trait variation in subtropical but not tropical species.

Arthropod Diversity at Two Sites with Different Disturbance Levels at the Texas A&M International University

This study compares arthropod diversity and abundance between two disturbed and less disturbed sites to assess their ecological impact on biological diversity.

The development of ecological systems along paths of least resistance

The paper shows that ecological systems develop in a sequenced order from fast-to slow-growing taxa due to environmental resistance minimization, supported by theoretical and empirical evidence.

Genetic diversity affects ecosystem functions across trophic levels as much as species diversity, but in an opposite direction

The paper examines how genetic and species diversity affect ecosystem functions across trophic levels, finding they have opposite impacts.

Quantifying extinction potential from invasive alien species

This paper introduces the Extinction Potential Metric (EPM) to quantify the ecological impact of invasive alien species and demonstrates its application across multiple taxa.

Solving the SLoSS debate: Scale-dependent effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity loss

The paper investigates the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity loss at different spatial and temporal scales, finding that spatial configuration impacts biodiversity loss depending on measurement scale and species dispersal capacity.

Stand structure as the proximate driver of endemic biodiversity and ecosystem functions in tropical mosaic landscapes

The paper assesses how stand structure and forest cover affect biodiversity and ecosystem functions in Madagascar's tropical landscapes, finding that complex structures enhance endemic species richness and functions.

Long-term non-trophic effects of large herbivores on plant diversity are underestimated

This study shows that non-trophic effects of large herbivores on plant diversity increase over time, surpassing trophic effects after 23 years in a 46-year salt marsh experiment.

Variable responses of alpine-plant communities to warming and loss of dominant species

The paper examines how alpine-plant communities respond to warming and loss of dominant species, finding varied and often combined responses across different sites.

Diversity-enhanced canopy space occupation and leaf functional diversity jointly promote overyielding in tropical tree communities

The paper investigates how tree species diversity and functional traits affect canopy space filling and productivity in tropical forests, finding that functional diversity and taxonomic diversity enhance overyielding.

Methodology for the identification and analysis of species associations in biological communities using statistical distributions

The paper describes a methodology to identify and analyze species associations using statistical distributions, illustrated with ecological data from the Volga River.

Integrity and miss grouping as support for clusters in agglomerative hierarchical methods: the R-package octopucs

The paper introduces a method to assess cluster support in hierarchical analyses using a consensus topology and ecological concepts, and provides an R package for implementation.

Centennial recovery of recent human-disturbed forests

The paper estimates recovery timescales for human-disturbed forests, finding significant differences from undisturbed forests after 150 years and projecting long-term differences for ecosystem attributes.

Legacy effects of extreme events

This study compares the long-term legacy effects of extreme heat and herbivory on plant communities, finding that extreme heat causes stochastic extinctions while large herbivores reduce population growth over generations.

Ecological and functional niches comparison reveals differentiated resource-use strategies and ecological thresholds in four key floating-leaved macrophytes

The paper compares ecological and functional niches of four floating-leaved macrophytes to reveal their resource-use strategies and ecological thresholds.

WITHIN AND ACROSS SPECIES VARIATION IN PLANT TRAITS IN RESPONSE TO LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTAL HERBIVORE EXCLUSION IN A SEMI-ARID SHRUBLAND

This study examines how herbivore exclusion affects plant trait variation and ecological strategies in a semi-arid shrubland, revealing shifts in resource use and intraspecific diversity.

Spatial signature of resource distribution is mediated by consumer body size and habitat preference

The paper models how consumer body size and habitat preference affect landscape-scale resource heterogeneity under global change.