Category: Special Features

Infection-Induced Phenotypes, Reviews, Special Features

Behavioural responses to parasites differ based on host social organization

Sebastian Stockmaier, Yuko Ulrich, Gregory F. Albery, Sylvia Cremer, Patricia C. Lopes This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Like us, many animals are social. While social group living has many benefits, it increases the chances to acquire socially transmitted parasites and, hence, many animals have evolved behaviours to either avoid, resist, or tolerate infections … Continue reading Behavioural responses to parasites differ based on host social organization

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Infection-Induced Phenotypes, Special Features

A lethal fungal pathogen causes widespread disruption to amphibian hosts, but responses differ by species

Nicholas C. Wu This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Emerging infectious diseases have contributed to the ongoing loss of biodiversity worldwide. How species respond to infectious pathogens depends on a myriad of environmental factors, as well as differences in the host and pathogen traits. However, the onset of disease largely depends on the amount … Continue reading A lethal fungal pathogen causes widespread disruption to amphibian hosts, but responses differ by species

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Fire as a dynamic ecological and evolutionary force, Special Features

Combined response and effect plant fire traits differ among regions with different fire histories

Pedro Jaureguiberry, Sandra Díaz This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology Research article which can be found here. Fire is a very important ecological factor in many regions of the world, influencing the characteristics of a region’s vegetation. Plants can respond to fire via resprouting (R) or seeding (S), which rely on the regeneration from vegetative tissues that survived fire or on … Continue reading Combined response and effect plant fire traits differ among regions with different fire histories

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Fire as a dynamic ecological and evolutionary force, Reviews, Special Features

Challenges for continued forest cover persistence under contemporary climate and wildfire in the western USA

Shuang Liang, Matthew D. Hurteau This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology review article which can be found here. Fire plays a key role in the distribution of forest ecosystems in the western US. Fire alters tree demography and tree species composition, creating heterogeneous landscape structure that feeds back to influence fire behavior and subsequent impacts on vegetation. The fire-vegetation interaction occurs … Continue reading Challenges for continued forest cover persistence under contemporary climate and wildfire in the western USA

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Infection-Induced Phenotypes, Special Features

Ghosts of parasites past

Marco A. Vindas, Helene L. E. Midttun, Lauren E. Nadler, Romain Fontaine, Finn-Arne Weltzien, Øyvind Øverli, Ida B. Johansen This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Have you ever considered the possibility that you are not entirely in control of your own mind and behaviour? Well, you should. Tiny parasites living inside human bodies, and … Continue reading Ghosts of parasites past

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Animal Functional Traits, Special Features

Does size matter? Risk of extinction does not increase in species with larger genomes

Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, Lilly P. Harvey, Jack V. Johnson, Dave Hudson, Catherine Finn, Luke E. B. Goodyear, Jacinta Guirguis, Edel M. Hyland, Dave J. Hodgson This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The DNA that carries the genetic code of species varies enormously across nature. While the genomes of some species are made of very few … Continue reading Does size matter? Risk of extinction does not increase in species with larger genomes

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Infection-Induced Phenotypes

Worms induce immunological changes in the host that favor protozoa

Mauricio Seguel, Sarah A. Budischak, Anna E. Jolles, Vanessa O. Ezenwa This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. In nature, most animals are simultaneously infected with a diverse range of parasites. Some of these parasites, like gastrointestinal (GI) worms, can cause profound changes in the host that affect co-occurring parasites. In this study, focusing on … Continue reading Worms induce immunological changes in the host that favor protozoa

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Animal Functional Traits

Predicted extinctions target the planet’s most unique bird species

Jarome R. Ali, Benjamin W. Blonder, Alex L. Pigot, Joseph A. Tobias This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Extinction rates are projected to increase worldwide, but it remains unclear how this loss of biodiversity might affect the way ecosystems function. Since ecological processes are hard to quantify at global scales, morphological traits can provide … Continue reading Predicted extinctions target the planet’s most unique bird species

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Animal Functional Traits

Plant-animal interactions: The search for general interaction rules brings energetic traits into focus

Alexander Neu, Huw Cooksley, Karen J. Esler, Anton Pauw, Francois Roets, Frank M. Schurr, Matthias Schleuning This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Plants and animals interact in different ways with each other. Interactions can be positive for both partners (e.g., mutualistic interactions between plants and their pollinators), or they can be positive for one … Continue reading Plant-animal interactions: The search for general interaction rules brings energetic traits into focus

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Infection-Induced Phenotypes

Zombie ant fungi and their hosts’ final choices of where to die

Ian Will, Sara Linehan, David G. Jenkins, Charissa de Bekker This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Ophiocordyceps “zombie ant fungi” infect and modify the behavior of carpenter ants. In the final moments before death, the infected ant wanders the forest vegetation in search of an elevated position that benefits production and spread of fungal … Continue reading Zombie ant fungi and their hosts’ final choices of where to die

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