Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Pollinators maintain biodiversity in assembling plant communities","authors":"Nathan M. Soley,&nbsp;Brian J. Wilsey","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70369","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecy.70369","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Most angiosperms are animal-pollinated, and animal pollination increases fitness in many plant species. Although it is less well-studied than other factors, plant biodiversity may be maintained by pollinators and the associated seedling recruitment that occurs after fertilization. We experimentally applied three levels of pollinator visitation to all forb flowers that emerged in patches of a prairie restoration with different graminoid/forb ratio seed mixes: (1) a pollinator exclusion treatment where flowers were bagged, (2) an augmented pollination treatment where flowers were hand-pollinated, and (3) a control that was untreated. Plant diversity was estimated in the fourth growing season. Pollinator exclusion led to a 50% reduction of viable seeds in animal-pollinated species, a 27% decline in animal-pollinated species richness, and a 23% decline in plant species richness overall. Pollinator exclusion also eliminated the positive relationship between forb abundance and plant richness observed in controls and augmented pollination treatments. Overall, our results suggest that pollinator decline in human-impacted environments may be leading to a plant−pollinator extinction vortex in which reduced pollination leads to reductions in local plant diversity, subsequent declines in pollinators, and further reductions in plant diversity. This suggests that plant biodiversity at the community level can be limited by animal pollinators.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"107 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.70369#accessDenialLayout","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147630270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Divergent temporal dynamics of native and non-native insular arthropods in fragmented forests","authors":"Yiheng Zhang,&nbsp;Paulo A. V. Borges,&nbsp;Sébastien Lhoumeau,&nbsp;Thomas J. Matthews,&nbsp;Jinbao Liao","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70363","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecy.70363","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Non-native species introductions have caused biodiversity loss worldwide, yet it is unclear how temporal diversity patterns vary across native and non-native communities, and what mechanisms control their respective dynamics and assembly. Using a unique 12-year time series dataset of arthropods sampled in forest fragments on Terceira Island, we observed no systematic species losses but steady temporal β-diversity (Sørensen dissimilarity based on species presence–absence) for non-native, native endemic, and native non-endemic assemblages. However, native endemics and non-endemics showed an overall increasing trend in Bray–Curtis dissimilarity (incorporating species abundances), with many previously abundant native species becoming progressively rarer. By constructing neutral models, we accurately predicted temporal diversity patterns for non-natives but not for native endemics and non-endemics, displaying their divergent temporal dynamics. These results indicate that non-native assemblages are more consistent with stochastic source-sink mass effect dynamics, while neutral drift interacting with non-natives and/or environmental changes might drive native assemblage dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"107 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147625564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predation of newly settled Dungeness crab by juvenile sunflower sea stars","authors":"Miles E. Rough,&nbsp;Aaron W. E. Galloway","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70379","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecy.70379","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Sunflower sea stars (&lt;i&gt;Pycnopodia helianthoides&lt;/i&gt;) are voracious, generalist predators that consume a wide variety of benthic invertebrates across intertidal and subtidal zones (Duggins, &lt;span&gt;1983&lt;/span&gt;; Shivji, &lt;span&gt;1983&lt;/span&gt;; Sloan &amp; Robinson, &lt;span&gt;1983&lt;/span&gt;). Historically abundant from the northern Aleutian Island chain in Alaska to Baja, California, populations of &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; have declined precipitously (&gt;94% across the range) following the outbreak of sea star wasting disease in 2013 (Hamilton et al., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;). &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; is currently listed as Critically Endangered (IUCN, &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;) with estimated population losses numbering in the billions (Hamilton et al., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;; IUCN, &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As one of the largest and fastest sea stars, &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; are capable of actively pursuing and capturing highly mobile prey, a trait that distinguishes them from many other sea stars. This capacity for active predation mirrors patterns seen in kelp forest consumers, which often derive substantial portions of their diet from both pelagic and benthic sources (Elliott Smith et al., &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;). While numerous studies have documented &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; trophic interactions and ecological roles (Burt et al., &lt;span&gt;2018&lt;/span&gt;; Galloway et al., &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;; Shivji, &lt;span&gt;1983&lt;/span&gt;), previous work has focused on adult stars, and the diets of juvenile &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt;, and the consumption of pelagic-sourced production in general by this key predator remains unexplored. Here, we define “juvenile” &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; as stars with a radius of &lt;10 cm, following Hodin et al. (&lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In June 2025, during a collection dive for &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; in Port Orford, Oregon, USA, we observed dense aggregations of recently settled Dungeness crab (&lt;i&gt;Metacarcinus magister&lt;/i&gt;) juveniles, as previously described by Galloway et al. (&lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). These recruits, based on their size, were likely settled from their life as pelagic zooplankton megalopae within days to weeks of this observation. At the time of the observation, the juvenile crabs were primarily concentrated in small sand pockets, between the rocky reef habitats where &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; were collected.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fourteen juvenile &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; (4.2–7.9 cm radius) were collected from Port Orford, Oregon, USA, on 1 June and 3 June 2025 from two locations: Port Orford Jetty (42.737689 N, −124.498104 W) and Tichenor Cove (42.738672 N, −124.504046 W). Dense aggregations of newly settled &lt;i&gt;M. magister&lt;/i&gt; recruits were present at both sites, but no direct predation by &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; was observed while underwater. Once &lt;i&gt;P. helianthoides&lt;/i&gt; were collected, they were placed in a cooler and transported to the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Charleston, Oregon, USA, which served as a temporary holding prior to their transfer to the Oregon Coast A","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"107 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70379","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147625561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct and interactive effects of multiple consumers on plant trade-offs and diversity in alpine meadows.","authors":"Yimin Zhao,Peng Zhang,Junsheng Ke,Yilin Dang,Kui Hu,Zijian Yu,Hongying Jiang,Chenrui Wang,Wenjie Li,Jing Zhang,Dong Zhang,Xue Zhang,Yao Xiao,Mu Liu,Xiang Liu","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70376","url":null,"abstract":"Plants face a fundamental trade-off between acquiring resources for growth or interspecific competition and simultaneously investing in anti-consumer defenses. These selective pressures shape species' life history strategies and promote stable coexistence. However, the specific roles of distinct consumer groups, particularly the often-overlooked oomycetes, in driving growth-defense trade-offs and sustaining plant diversity remain poorly understood. To this end, we conducted a factorial field experiment in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, manipulating the nitrogen supply (to test resource acquisition effects) and removing consumer groups (i.e., mammalian herbivores, fungi, and oomycetes) both individually and in combination. We used standardized major axis regression to investigate how plant species differentially allocate resources between growth, competition, and defense, and how such trade-offs influence plant species diversity. Species' responses to nitrogen addition and consumer removal were positively correlated, supporting the existence of widespread growth-defense trade-offs. The strength of this trade-off varied significantly among consumer removal treatments, with fungi and herbivores exerting stronger effects than oomycetes. The removal of both herbivores and oomycetes amplified their individual impacts on plant growth-defense trade-offs. Consistent with this pattern, the removal of fungi or herbivores, but not oomycetes, led to pronounced declines in plant diversity. Our findings reveal the divergent roles of individual consumer groups in shaping plant life history strategies and highlight that cross-trophic interactions, particularly those involving herbivores or fungal pathogens, are critical for maintaining plant diversity.","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"68 1","pages":"e70376"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A general framework for invasion cycles in ecology.","authors":"Violeta Calleja-Solanas,Rafael O Moura,José A Langa,José R Portillo,Fernando Soler-Toscano,Oscar Godoy","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70380","url":null,"abstract":"Theory predicts that indirect interactions in ecological networks sustain species diversity through oscillatory dynamics. However, a framework linking interaction structure to the presence, type, and complexity of these cycles is lacking. Here, we develop an analytical toolbox combining invasion graphs with a mathematical decomposition of interaction matrices into symmetric and antisymmetric components. We find that invasion cycles-closed loops of species invasions-are suppressed when symmetric interactions dominate, reflecting strong self-limitation. Conversely, antisymmetric dominance, indicating competitive asymmetries, leads to the well-known cycles of single-species invasion such as rock-paper-scissors as well as novel multispecies invasion patterns, in which several species simultaneously invade each transition of the cycle. As asymmetries increase, more complex cycles involving both sequential and simultaneous invasions emerge. Yet this potential for cycles is suppressed as variability in intrinsic growth rates increases. Our work clarifies when interactions drive cycles and introduces a simple ratio that assesses symmetric versus antisymmetric contributions in the interaction matrix, constraining cycle emergence and the number of species they can sustain.","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"29 1","pages":"e70380"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147695241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increases in species richness cause decreases in phylogenetic diversity in Mediterranean and Temperate plant assemblages","authors":"Arantzazu L. Luzuriaga,&nbsp;Jaime Madrigal-González,&nbsp;Marcelino de la Cruz,&nbsp;José M. Olano,&nbsp;Javier Peralta,&nbsp;Adrián Escudero","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70361","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecy.70361","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The relationship between taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities remains underexplored. Our goal was to determine whether a causal link exists between species richness and phylogenetic diversity and to determine the direction of this relationship. We aimed to evaluate whether species richness determines the phylogenetic diversity in realized assemblages (the <i>taxonomic determinant hypothesis</i>) or, conversely, whether phylogenetic diversity determines the species richness (the <i>phylogenetic determinant hypothesis</i>). We also hypothesized that this causal framework could shift under different climates. We sampled over 1700 plant assemblages in grasslands and shrublands across three bioclimatic regions in Navarra, Spain, along a sharp and long climate gradient of 160 km. Using non-recursive structural equation modeling, we found that species richness causes phylogenetic diversity, and that this relationship remains consistently negative and is unaffected by climate differences among regions. Specifically, greater plant richness leads to reduced standardized phylogenetic diversity. This means that the incorporation of new species into assemblages involves adding closely related species in phylogenetic terms, regardless of the bioclimatic region. Despite the pronounced environmental differences between Mediterranean and Temperate vegetation types, an increase in species richness caused a decrease in phylogenetic diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"107 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70361","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147584014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Black juice in the dark: Pollination of dark-nectared Jasminanthes mucronata (Apocynaceae) by nocturnal hawkmoths","authors":"Soma Chiyoda,&nbsp;Ko Mochizuki,&nbsp;Atsushi Kawakita","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70370","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecy.70370","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;While nectar is generally a transparent and colorless liquid, approximately 70 flowering plant species, with at least 15 independent origins, secrete colored nectar (Hansen et al., &lt;span&gt;2007&lt;/span&gt;). Colored nectar is often associated with diurnal pollination by vertebrates such as birds and geckos, and most previous research has focused on such systems (Hansen et al., &lt;span&gt;2007&lt;/span&gt;; Johnson et al., &lt;span&gt;2006&lt;/span&gt;). A few insect-pollinated plants also secrete colored nectar (Cai et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;; Funamoto, &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;), but these species are also plants with diurnal pollinators. For example, &lt;i&gt;Stemona tuberosa&lt;/i&gt;, which produces red-colored nectar, nectar secretion starts in the evening before the flowers open, but pollination is ultimately done by diurnal saprophagous flies (Cai et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). Consequently, although colored nectar has been discussed as a putative display for diurnal flower visitors, the presence of nocturnal pollinators that visually search for nectar sources, such as moths, raises the possibility that colored nectar may also occur in nocturnal pollination systems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The subfamily Asclepiadoideae (Gentianales, Apocynaceae) contains several genera with colored nectar, including &lt;i&gt;Hoya&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Gymnema&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Jasminanthes&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Stephanotis&lt;/i&gt;, and &lt;i&gt;Vincetoxicum&lt;/i&gt; (Hansen et al., &lt;span&gt;2007&lt;/span&gt;; Liede-Schumann et al., &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;; K. Mochizuki, personal observation). Of these, the genus &lt;i&gt;Jasminanthes&lt;/i&gt; Blume includes several species that produce black nectar (Makino, &lt;span&gt;1904&lt;/span&gt;; Rodda, &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;; Tran et al., &lt;span&gt;2018&lt;/span&gt;; Yeoh et al., &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;; Yokogawa, &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). &lt;i&gt;Jasminanthes mucronata&lt;/i&gt; is one such species. Distributed in the warm temperate forests of southern China, Taiwan, and Japan (Makino, &lt;span&gt;1904&lt;/span&gt;; Rodda, &lt;span&gt;2019&lt;/span&gt;), it bears white fragrant flowers filled with “black juice” (Makino, &lt;span&gt;1904&lt;/span&gt;; Figure 1a–c). The species' overall floral morphology and fragrance are broadly consistent with moth pollination syndrome (Willmer, &lt;span&gt;2011&lt;/span&gt;). Yamashiro (&lt;span&gt;2003&lt;/span&gt;) observed that pollinaria of this species were carried by bumblebees and geometrid and erebid moths, but these observations were based on a short-term study of a single population, leaving the identity of the primary pollinator unclear. Therefore, we investigated the pollination biology of &lt;i&gt;J&lt;/i&gt;. &lt;i&gt;mucronata&lt;/i&gt; to test whether colored nectar occurs in nocturnal pollination systems. We conducted field research in June of 2014–2025 at six sites in Japan (Appendix S1: Section S1, Table S1).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;J&lt;/i&gt;. &lt;i&gt;mucronata&lt;/i&gt; flowers began to open gradually after sunset, becoming accessible to nocturnal visitors during the night, although the timing of full opening appeared to vary somewhat among different inflorescences on the same plant (Appendix S1: Figures S1–S3). The nectar appeared black in ambient light but was dark gre","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"107 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70370","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147584051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing the role of foliar habit on nutrient losses in a sub-Antarctic forest.","authors":"Frida I Piper,Alex Fajardo","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70359","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70359","url":null,"abstract":"Biogeochemical cycles drive global biodiversity and plant productivity. In terrestrial ecosystems, nutrient losses through plants' litter are a critical component of these biogeochemical cycles. In forests, nutrient losses are thought to be higher in deciduous angiosperm species than in evergreen conifers. However, this premise of nutrient loss differentiation between contrasting leaf habits has not been evaluated in co-occurring deciduous and evergreen broadleaved tree species. We conducted a high-frequency monitoring study of nutrient losses in congeneric and sympatric broadleaved tree species with contrasting leaf habits. We collected litter periodically for three years from 979 co-occurring trees of the deciduous Nothofagus pumilio and Nothofagus antarctica and the evergreen Nothofagus dombeyi in a sub-Antarctic forest of southern Chile. We estimated and compared foliar habits' litterfall biomass (senescent and green leaves and fruits), nutrient return through litterfall's nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, and synchronization between litterfall mass and nutrient concentrations for each species. Annual litter biomass was higher in the two deciduous species (on average 2.01 t ha-1) than in the evergreen species (1.63 t ha-1), with senescent leaves representing >90% of litter in the three species. Litter N and P concentrations were significantly lower in the evergreen species. Thus, deciduous species had significantly higher N (15.82 kg ha-1) and P (1.55 kg ha-1) annual returns than the evergreen species (N: 8.20 kg ha-1, P: 0.83 kg ha-1) through litter of senescent leaves. A synchronization between maximum litterfall production and minimum litter concentrations for N but not for P was found in both leaf habits, although more consistently for deciduous than for the evergreen. Nutrient losses through litter were higher in deciduous than in evergreen Nothofagus species, demonstrating a nutrient loss differentiation between contrasting leaf habits of co-occurring broadleaved tree species. This study deepens our understanding of plant nutrient strategies associated with leaf habit and underscores the importance of diverse mechanisms of nutrient loss when evaluating forest nutrient dynamics.","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"21 1","pages":"e70359"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147680629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coming out of the cold: Vanadium is an important player in N-fixation in warm tropical environments","authors":"Ana Fávaro,&nbsp;Manuela Dal Forno,&nbsp;Daniel Stanton,&nbsp;Lara Cecília Oliveira Lourenço,&nbsp;Flávia de Freitas Coelho","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70367","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ecy.70367","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nitrogen (N)-fixation is a crucial source of reactive N in terrestrial environments. The nitrogenase enzyme (Nase), responsible for this conversion, has three isoforms: molybdenum (Mo)-, vanadium (V)-, and iron (Fe)-Nases. The Mo-Nase is found in all N-fixers, but the distribution pattern and drivers of V- and Fe-Nases remain poorly understood. Carbon and micronutrients (Mo and V) might be key contributors to N-fixation by affecting the metabolic demand for N and participating in Nase synthesis, respectively. Here, we investigated the presence of V-Nase genes in a tropical cyanolichen and explored the impact of micronutrient supply and elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations on N-fixation. The experiment revealed a significant influence of V and CO₂ concentrations on heterocyst investment. V-Nase genes were also detected in tropical lichen specimens, suggesting that tropical species might have both Mo- and V-Nases. Our study suggests that V-Nase is prevalent beyond cold environments, by reporting its presence in the warm tropics and demonstrating a significant response of N-fixing cells to V addition. We emphasize the importance of further research on N-fixation in the tropics, particularly on the role of different Nase isoforms.</p>","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"107 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.70367","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147584013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Precipitation variability interacts with mean precipitation to restructure a semiarid grassland community.","authors":"Jennifer A Rudgers,Laureano A Gherardi,Purbendra Yogi,Melissa Bacigalupa,Tom E X Miller,Jacob J Blais,Lana Bolin,Scott L Collins,Enqing Hou,Yiqi Luo,Javier O Morales,William T Pockman,Andrew D Richardson,Melissa Villatoro-Castañeda,Natasha K Wesely,Kenneth D Whitney,Yu Zhou","doi":"10.1002/ecy.70365","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70365","url":null,"abstract":"Climate forecasts project change not only in the mean of climate variables but also in their variance. If these dual changes interact, then future ecological dynamics will be difficult to predict using current experimental approaches, which typically change the mean or impose a single extreme event, such as drought. We designed a new field experiment to factorially reduce mean precipitation and increase its interannual variability. Across 4 years, drier, more variable precipitation additively reduced aboveground primary productivity by 48%-69% and interactively reduced the dominant plant species, but had no effect on the plant species predicted to dominate in the future, which could lead to state transition. Drier, more variable precipitation also interactively reduced biodiversity more than either climate factor alone, with 37%-42% fewer plant species than under ambient conditions, a pattern that matched declining richness during the past 20 years of ongoing climate change. Drier, more variable precipitation restructured the composition and spatiotemporal variation of the plant community. Altered precipitation mean or variance affected 14% of plant species, with eight species sensitive to the mean × variance interaction. Results suggest that future forecasts of plant community structure may be inadequate if they fail to incorporate climate mean × variance interactions.","PeriodicalId":11484,"journal":{"name":"Ecology","volume":"57 1","pages":"e70365"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147680484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}