Author: Functional Ecology

evolutionary ecology

Plants compensate for plant-mediated species interactions among their attackers.

Daan Mertens, Jacob C. Douma, Bram B. J. Kamps, Yunsheng Zhu, Sophie A. Zwartsenberg, Erik H. Poelman This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. During their lifetime, plants face the difficult challenge of growing and reproducing while under attack by a multitude of herbivorous insects. Herbivores directly affect a plant’s reproduction by consuming flowers or … Continue reading Plants compensate for plant-mediated species interactions among their attackers.

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evolutionary ecology

Fitness effects of symbiotic relationships between arthropod predators: synergy in a three-way spider symbiosis

Po Peng, Devi Stuart-Fox, Yong-Chao Su, Yuki G. Baba, Mark A. Elgar This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Symbioses, where individuals of different species live together, are among the more intriguing relationships between organisms. Much of our understanding of symbioses comes from studies of symbiotic relationships between two species, but symbioses frequently involve multiple … Continue reading Fitness effects of symbiotic relationships between arthropod predators: synergy in a three-way spider symbiosis

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ecosystems ecology

Contrasting strategies in Amazonian trees are related to stem and twig wood density variation

Gisele Biem Mori, Jochen Schöngart, Juliana Schietti, J. Ethan Householder, Michelle Robin, Florian Wittmann, Lourens Poorter, Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Tropical tree species vary immensely in their characteristics, enabling different species to occupy particular environments where they are best suited. Wood density is a characteristic related to growth, … Continue reading Contrasting strategies in Amazonian trees are related to stem and twig wood density variation

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ecosystems ecology

How multiple stressors interact and affect leaf decomposition in freshwaters.

Graciela Medina Madariaga, Verónica Ferreira, Roshni Arora, India Mansour, Gwendoline M. David, Sonja C. Jähnig, Fengzhi He This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Different stressors can affect ecological functions in freshwater ecosystems, such as the rate at which leaves decompose after falling into the water. The effects of individual stressors on leaf decomposition have … Continue reading How multiple stressors interact and affect leaf decomposition in freshwaters.

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evolutionary ecology

Does urban warming constrain spider’s body size?

Valentin Cabon, Hervé Quénol, Benoît Deletre, Louis Copin, Vincent Dubreuil, Benjamin Bergerot This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. In cities, the climate varies from the countryside to the centre, with temperature inside the city often higher on average, a phenomenon called the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Temperature variations at the scale of an … Continue reading Does urban warming constrain spider’s body size?

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ecosystems ecology

Does microbial carbon use efficiency differ between particulate and mineral-associated organic matter?

Lixiao Ma, Erxiong Zhu, Juan Jia, Ya Wang, Enze Kang, Wenxing, Zhenhui Jiang, Guohua Dai, Xiaojuan Feng This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Does microbial carbon use efficiency differ between particulate and mineral-associated soil organic matter? This is a key unsolved question to predict future changes in the carbon pool. Microbial carbon use efficiency … Continue reading Does microbial carbon use efficiency differ between particulate and mineral-associated organic matter?

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evolutionary ecology

Acclimating to warm temperatures is costly for reproduction in copepods with high thermal limits

Samuel N Bogan, Olivia I Porat, Michael J Meneses, and Gretchen E Hofmann This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Cold-blooded animals (ectotherms) can withstand stressfully warm temperatures by possessing either (i) a high thermal limit below which they can maintain normal biological functions or (ii) an ability to increase that limit by acclimating to … Continue reading Acclimating to warm temperatures is costly for reproduction in copepods with high thermal limits

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evolutionary ecology

High temperatures increase the nutrient demands for a small aquatic plant

Graydon J. Gillies, Amy L. Angert, Takuji Usui This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. To persist, species must confront competitors that require the same resources. When two competitors are growing in an environment where a certain resource is scarce, the competitor that is able to maintain a growing population with less of that limiting … Continue reading High temperatures increase the nutrient demands for a small aquatic plant

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community ecology

Above-ground leaf and below-ground root differ in their response to long-term grazing: root traits are more sensitive

Jinting Cai, Xiaobin Pan, Yingli Xiao, Yue Wang, Guangyin Li, Yao Wang, Minna Zhang, Ling Wang This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Livestock grazing is a complex disturbance that affects grassland ecosystem function through foraging, trampling and excreta. A promising way to understand the consequences of grazing on grassland ecosystem functioning is to focus … Continue reading Above-ground leaf and below-ground root differ in their response to long-term grazing: root traits are more sensitive

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plant physiological ecology

Leaf fluctuating asymmetry is not a reliable indicator of stress

Maria Májeková, Bettina Springer, Viktoria Ferenc, Michal Gruntman, Katja Tielbörger This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. For any organism with bilateral structures, if everything goes well during development, both left and right sides should be perfectly symmetric. Any stress experienced during development contributes to tiny imperfections, evident as subtle asymmetries between the left and … Continue reading Leaf fluctuating asymmetry is not a reliable indicator of stress

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