Tag: soil ecology

community ecology

A detailed look at plant roots and nutrients in the soil

Hana Skálová, Kateřina Jandová, Tereza Balšánková, Věroslava Hadincová, František Krahulec, Sylvie Pecháčková, Karol Krak, Tomáš Herben This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. To survive and grow, plants need a number of essential nutrients present in the soil. These nutrients are dissolved in the water present in the soil and are consumed by plants by … Continue reading A detailed look at plant roots and nutrients in the soil

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community ecology

The temporal and spatial response of soil fungal community composition and potential function to wildfire in a permafrost region in Canada

Yue-mei Zhang, Zhao-lei Qu, Outi-Maaria Sietiö, Xuan Zhou, Jussi Heinonsalo, Kajar Köster, Frank Berninger, Jukka Pumpanen, Hui Sun This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. The permafrost regions of boreal forests store a large amount of carbon, which can be affected by ecological disturbances, especially from forest fires. Soil microbes, especially fungi, play an important … Continue reading The temporal and spatial response of soil fungal community composition and potential function to wildfire in a permafrost region in Canada

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community ecology

Born with a silver spoon? How light condition experienced by parent plants influences the response of offspring to light

Wei Xue, Lin Huang, Fei-Hai Yu, T. Martijn Bezemer This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article that can be found here. It is a common phenomenon in humans, animals, and plants that environmental conditions experienced by a parent can influence their offspring. In plants, this effect can act through both parental effects (i.e. characteristic changes of the parent due to … Continue reading Born with a silver spoon? How light condition experienced by parent plants influences the response of offspring to light

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community ecology

The importance of soil bacteria related to N cycle in eucalyptus plantations under the near-natural management model

Zhao-lei Qu, Bing Liu, Yue-mei Zhang, Lin Huang, An-gang Ming, Hui Sun This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article that can be found here. Eucalyptus, due to its fast growth and high yield of commercial timber, is widely planted in China, especially in Guangxi province, a mountainous region in the far south of China. However, inappropriate plantation management strategies (e.g., … Continue reading The importance of soil bacteria related to N cycle in eucalyptus plantations under the near-natural management model

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plant physiological ecology

Soil nutrient availability and tree height control the physiology of the world’s tallest tropical trees

David Bartholomew, Lindsay Banin, Paulo Bittencourt, Mohd Aminur Faiz Suis, Lina Mercado, Reuben Nilus, David Burslem, Lucy Rowland This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. The tropical forests of Borneo in South-East Asia possess exceptionally high levels of biodiversity, act as important carbon stores and are home to the world’s tallest tropical trees. However, these characteristics … Continue reading Soil nutrient availability and tree height control the physiology of the world’s tallest tropical trees

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plant physiological ecology

Riparian trees change their sensitivity to dry air over the growing season

Jessica S. Guo, Susan E. Bush, Kevin R. Hultine This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Rising air temperatures also increase the atmospheric demand for water, which is a key driver of plant water uptake. In response to drier air, vascular plants can close their stomata (small pores on the surface of leaves) at the risk … Continue reading Riparian trees change their sensitivity to dry air over the growing season

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ecosystems ecology

Soil acidification suppresses multiple ecosystem functions

Yanan Wei, Xin Jing, Fanglong Su, Zhen Li, Fuwei Wang, Hui Guo This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Globally, higher inputs of acid rain and fertilization cause lower soil pH values, i.e., soil acidification. The decreased soil pH may broadly influence both above- and belowground biota and their habitats, exerting substantial effects on multiple ecosystem … Continue reading Soil acidification suppresses multiple ecosystem functions

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Six plant species (Phleum phleoides, Prunella grandiflora, Filipendula vulgaris, Plantago media, Festuca rubra, and Centaurea jacea) growing together in each experimental microcosm. Photo is taken at the end of the experiment (after 4 months).
community ecology, plant physiological ecology

Old meadow microbial community supports sensitive plants

Masoud M. Ardestani, Ondřej Mudrák, Jakub Vicena, Daquan Sun, Hana Veselá, Jan Frouz This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Meadows are one of the most species rich ecosystem on the world, but despite this, their large area was ploughed in the past, converted to arable land or destroyed in other way. Current activities of their … Continue reading Old meadow microbial community supports sensitive plants

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Four scales at which models consider soil microbes: the Earth system, ecosystem, community, and physiological scales.
Reviews, soil carbon storage and climate change, Special Features

Understanding the role of microbes in the Earth’s carbon cycle

Joe Wan, Thomas W. Crowther This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Soil microbes release massive amounts of carbon from organic compounds in soil. However, this flow of carbon is a major source of uncertainty in the models we currently use to predict Earth’s climate. This article reviews how researchers who develop mathematical models can address … Continue reading Understanding the role of microbes in the Earth’s carbon cycle

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We are investigating how soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and archaea, represented in magnifying glass) respond to changing moisture levels. In different types of biomes (wet systems, dry, or those with variable rainfall), we expect the microbes to respire different amounts of carbon depending on the moisture levels. Models use such curves to predict carbon dynamics in the future, but there is no consensus on which is the correct shape or whether it differs across biomes.
Reviews, soil carbon storage and climate change, Special Features

Microbes, memory, and moisture: predicting microbial moisture responses and their impact on carbon cycling

Sarah Evans, Steve Allison, Christine Hawkes This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which is published here. Soils store a larger amount of carbon than plants and emit more carbon than humans annually. Moisture is a big determinant of whether soil microorganisms release (by respiration) this carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2), or sequester it in the soil. … Continue reading Microbes, memory, and moisture: predicting microbial moisture responses and their impact on carbon cycling

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