Category: Reviews

evolutionary ecology, Reviews

Vertebrate bone content and its impact on ecosystems

Emily M. May, Rana W. El-Sabaawi This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here.   Bone is an important part of the vertebrate body, serving fundamental roles in structure, support, locomotion, and mineral storage as well as more specialized roles in reproduction (e.g. antlers) and defence (e.g. bony spines). In addition to these within-organism roles, bone can … Continue reading Vertebrate bone content and its impact on ecosystems

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plant-animal interaction, Reviews

The overlooked helpers: animals that move plants by carrying seeds and fruits

Kim R. McConkey, H. S. Sushma, Asmita Sengupta This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here Many plants move across landscapes by producing fruits that attract animals capable of moving the seeds within these fruits. For decades, research into these fruit and animal interactions has focused on animals that swallow seeds and later defecate them in … Continue reading The overlooked helpers: animals that move plants by carrying seeds and fruits

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behavioural ecology, Reviews

Predators’ energetic costs to hunt change through time and space: what does this mean for prey safety?

Yannis P. Papastamatiou, Benjamin Binder, Kevin Boswell, Margaret Malone, Michael Heithaus, Charlie Huveneers, Johann Mourier, Alastair R. Harborne This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Animals have to hunt in a world where their choices may literally mean life or death. While hunting they may themselves be at risk of being killed by a predator, … Continue reading Predators’ energetic costs to hunt change through time and space: what does this mean for prey safety?

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evolutionary ecology, Reviews

Ontogenetic shifts in plant functional traits evolve in response to predictable changes in environmental conditions as plants develop

Kasey Barton This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Plants shift in form and function dramatically as they develop through ontogeny, i.e. from the seedling to juvenile to adult stage. While ontogenetic trait variation has been described for many species, the underlying mechanisms regulating these phenotypic changes and their evolutionary drivers have not been well … Continue reading Ontogenetic shifts in plant functional traits evolve in response to predictable changes in environmental conditions as plants develop

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Reviews

What have we learned, and what more can we learn, from drought experiments?

Alan K. Knapp, Kathleen V. Condon, Christine C. Folks, Matthew A. Sturchio, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Steven A. Kannenberg, Amy S. Gill, Olivia L. Hajek, J. Alexander Siggers, Melinda D. Smith This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology Calow-Grace Review which can be found here. Drought, as one of the most common natural disasters impacting terrestrial ecosystems globally, has been studied extensively by … Continue reading What have we learned, and what more can we learn, from drought experiments?

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ecosystems ecology, Reviews

Going across taxa in functional ecology: Review and perspectives of an emerging field

André L. Luza, Diego R. Barneche, Cesar A. M. M. Cordeiro, Cristian S. Dambros, Carlos E. L. Ferreira, Sergio R. Floeter, Vinicius J. Giglio, Osmar J. Luiz, Thiago C. Mendes, Vitor A. P. Picolotto, Juan P. Quimbayo, Fernanda C. Silva, Luiza Waechter, Guilherme O. Longo, Mariana G. Bender This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. … Continue reading Going across taxa in functional ecology: Review and perspectives of an emerging field

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ecosystems ecology, Reviews

Reconstructing long-term changes in ecosystem dynamics using essential traits

Kerry A Brown, M. Jane Bunting, Fabio Carvalho, Francesco de Bello, Luke Mander, Katarzyna Marcisz, Ondrej Mottl, Triin Reitalu, and Jens-Christian Svenning This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. How will ecosystems respond to rapid changes brought on by climate change? Can ecosystems recover from biodiversity collapse? How resilient are ecosystems to climate change? Answers … Continue reading Reconstructing long-term changes in ecosystem dynamics using essential traits

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Ecosystem Engineers, Reviews, Special Features

Invasive ecosystem engineers transform terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services

Gil Rilov, João Canning-Clode, Tamar Guy-Haim This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article, for a special feature on Ecosystem Engineers, which can be found here. One of the major drivers of global change is the introduction of species to new regions with the aid of humans. This phenomenon is called “bioinvasions”. Invasive alien species can have huge impacts on the … Continue reading Invasive ecosystem engineers transform terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services

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plant physiological ecology, Reviews

Root ecology must be rooted again

Florian Fort This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Root systems come in a wide variety of shapes, colours, and organisation. Within a root system, some old roots may display absorbing hairs while young ones will not, which differs from the images in biology textbooks. This diversity helps plants acquire soil resources, mainly water and … Continue reading Root ecology must be rooted again

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Ecosystem Engineers, Reviews, Special Features

A roadmap for addressing how species maintain functional ecosystems

Gianalberto Losapio, Luísa Genes, Christopher J Knight, Tyler N McFadden, Lucas Pavan This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Species do not exist in isolation. Rather, they interact with each other and their environment, creating a web of interactions that form the basis of life. While all species play a part in this web, some … Continue reading A roadmap for addressing how species maintain functional ecosystems

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