Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Recent vegetation shifts in the French Alps with winners outnumbering losers","authors":"Romain Goury, Wilfried Thuiller, Sylvain Abdulhak, Gilles Pache, Jérémie Van Es, Diana E. Bowler, Julien Renaud, Cyrille Violle, Tamara Münkemüller","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70159","url":null,"abstract":"<h2>1 INTRODUCTION</h2>\u0000<p>Maintaining the integrity and biodiversity of natural ecosystems is a growing global concern, as reflected in initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Protecting terrestrial ecosystems, preserving their biodiversity and restoring degraded ecosystems are essential for sustaining their contributions to people (e.g. carbon sequestration, food supply, timber production and flood protection). Despite these efforts, terrestrial biodiversity has continued to decline substantially over recent decades (IPBES, <span>2019</span>). Achieving the GBF targets, that is, stabilize biodiversity loss by 2030 and foster the recovery of natural ecosystems in the subsequent two decades, requires a robust framework for identifying declining and expanding species, quantifying range shifts and understanding the associated functional and evolutionary consequences (Cardinale et al., <span>2018</span>; Dornelas et al., <span>2019</span>). Regional-scale studies are increasingly recognized as pivotal in advancing progress towards these targets Gonzalez et al. (<span>2023</span>).</p>\u0000<p>Mountain ecosystems are critical sentinels of global change Guisan et al. (<span>2019</span>), making them essential for studying biodiversity dynamics. These ecosystems are characterized by pronounced plant stratification along elevational gradients, historically shaped by a combination of temperature and humidity. Over the past ~10,000 years, this stratification has also been influenced by human activities, including cycles of settlement and land abandonment (Gehrig-Fasel et al., <span>2007</span>; MacDonald et al., <span>2000</span>). The stratification of vegetation along these gradients significantly impacts other components of the local biodiversity, influencing both above-ground communities Martinez-Almoyna et al. (<span>2024</span>) and below-ground systems (Calderón-Sanou et al., <span>2024</span>). Together, these components provide essential services for human well-being in mountainous regions, such as carbon sequestration, timber production and pastures (Bardgett & van der Putten, <span>2014</span>; Delgado-Baquerizo et al., <span>2020</span>).</p>\u0000<p>Due to their unique environmental contexts, mountain ecosystems world-wide host exceptionally high levels of plant biodiversity (Rahbek et al., <span>2019</span>), with many endemic species and a diverse array of life forms. Higher alpine belts, for instance, are dominated by a few plant families that have evolved traits to tolerate low temperatures (Qian et al., <span>2021</span>), which could make them particularly susceptible to ongoing climate change (Chen et al., <span>2011</span>; Lenoir et al., <span>2008</span>). Extreme environmental conditions have historically protected mountain ecosystems from biological invasions. However, growing human appropriation o","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145117234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Density dependence of tree growth varies with temperature gradient and mycorrhizal type","authors":"Hong‐Tu Zhang, Xiulian Chi, Qiang Guo, Zhiyao Tang","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70158","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) plays a key role in maintaining species coexistence and theoretically contributes to large‐scale diversity patterns. However, the effect of CNDD on large‐scale tree diversity patterns remains debated, particularly for long‐lived tree species.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In this study, we collected decadal dynamic tree growth data from 50 forest plots across eastern China. We evaluated density‐dependent tree growth responses to conspecific versus heterospecific neighbours along the temperature gradient. Specifically, we compared the stabilizing CNDD effect that was calculated as the difference between conspecific and heterospecific density effects on tree growth between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) tree species.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results revealed that the strength of both CNDD and stabilizing CNDD in AM tree species became more negative with increasing temperature, while remaining constant in EM tree species along the temperature gradient. The observed CNDD patterns correspond well with climatic patterns of local tree species richness, where the increase in species richness along the temperature gradient is mainly attributed to AM tree species. Furthermore, we found stronger conspecific limitation on tree growth in AM trees compared to EM trees in warm forests.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis.</jats:italic> Our results support a close link between the strength of CNDD and local tree species richness patterns along the temperature gradient. These findings highlight the critical role of mycorrhizal symbiosis in mediating CNDD processes and shaping large‐scale tree diversity patterns.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"164 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Plant–pollinator interactions in a tropical dry forest: Spatiotemporal shifts in floral trait importance","authors":"Alana Freytes‐Rivera, Julissa Rojas‐Sandoval, José J. Fumero‐Cabán, James D. Ackerman","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70156","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>The pollination syndrome hypothesis predicts that plants pollinated by the same pollinator group exhibit convergent combinations of specific floral traits. However, studies show these combinations often predict pollinators with relatively low accuracy. This discrepancy may result from shifts in the relative importance of floral traits for different pollinator groups under varying environmental conditions. In particular, the role of phenological patterns (e.g. seasonality) and habitat type in shaping pollination syndromes remains understudied. Understanding these influences is crucial, especially in seasonally tropical systems where environmental fluctuations can strongly impact plant–pollinator interactions.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>To investigate this, we collected data on floral traits and documented plant–pollinator interactions across multiple seasons and habitat types in a tropical dry forest. Using machine learning models, we evaluated how the relative importance of floral traits shifts among primary pollinator groups and examined the extent to which seasonality and habitat type influence trait inclusion and importance. This approach allowed us to disentangle the interplay between floral traits, environmental factors and pollinator visitation patterns across different ecological contexts, revealing nonlinear relationships and subtle patterns that traditional methods might overlook.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results demonstrate that floral trait importance is context‐dependent and dynamic, varying across seasons, habitat types and pollinator groups. We found that preferences for floral traits among primary pollinator groups are largely consistent with traditional pollination syndromes; however, the floral trait most important to a pollinator group often shifts depending on habitat and season. Furthermore, traits that ranked highly in one habitat or season were often less critical in others, suggesting that plant–pollinator interactions are influenced by a combination of temporal and spatial factors. These findings challenge the static view of pollination syndromes at the community level and reveal their inherent flexibility.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic>. This study highlights the dynamic nature of pollination syndromes, showing that floral trait importance shifts across time and space. Future research should incorporate temporal and spatial variability when examining pollination syndromes to avoid oversimplifying these complex systems. Recognizing the flexibility of trait associations is essential for understanding plant–pollination networks and their resilience in a changing world.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Density‐dependent growth and dispersal can accurately forecast near‐term range shifts in a dominant dryland tree species","authors":"Elise Pletcher, Robert K. Shriver","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70157","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Forecasting how species will shift their distribution and abundance in response to global change is a pressing challenge facing ecologists. Over broad scales, extrinsic environmental factors (e.g. climate) are often recognized as the primary driver of species range limits. Yet, range limits are the culmination of a complex set of scale‐dependent mechanisms that ultimately drive a population to shift in space, and the degree to which each of these factors must be captured to accurately forecast near‐term species range shifts is unclear.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Using a hierarchical Bayesian spatiotemporal modelling approach, we tested the extent to which external drivers (climate and topography) and intrinsic population dynamics (density‐dependent growth and dispersal) could predict observed species range expansions in one of the most widespread vegetation types in the western US, Pinyon‐Juniper woodlands.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We built and trained a hierarchical Bayesian spatiotemporal model using 31 years of remotely sensed tree cover data along a historically expanding range margin. We tested a suite of models with varying environmental covariates and evaluated forecast performance on a 5‐year holdout period. We also evaluated model transferability and forecast performance in new locations.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We found that the addition of climatic and topographic covariates to our base population model did not result in higher forecast accuracy. In sample, all models resulted in normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 0.1, for a 5‐year holdout period. Additionally, the base model emerged with the highest forecast accuracy in new locations, and performance was markedly similar to the original, in sample location, by the last 5 years of a 35‐year holdout period (NRMSE 0.17–0.19).</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis.</jats:italic> We found that the inclusion of external drivers such as climate conditions or topography generally did not improve forecast accuracy and that at multidecadal time scales, intrinsic population processes (density‐dependent growth and dispersal dynamics) can accurately predict shifting abundances along a historical range margin. Our results suggest that accurate near‐term forecasts of changing plant distributions and abundances may be possible using comparatively simple ecological models.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Temporal dynamics of bark and wood functional traits in determining invertebrate communities during coarse and fine woody debris decomposition","authors":"Hang Ci, Chao Guo, Bi‐Le Sai, Bin Tuo, Dong He, Han‐Tang Qin, Shou‐Shuai Zhao, En‐Rong Yan, Sebastian Seibold","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70155","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70155","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Plant functional traits act as environmental filters, influencing invertebrate community assembly during decomposition processes and thus biogeochemical cycling. Within a plant, bark and wood exhibit distinct functional trait characteristics, and these traits further vary among different sizes of deadwood, such as coarse woody debris (CWD) and fine woody debris (FWD), as well as different decomposition stages. Despite this, studies on deadwood biodiversity and decomposition often ignore differences between bark and wood.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Using a 42‐month experiment with 41 woody species in subtropical forests, we examined how bark and wood functional traits structure invertebrate communities during deadwood decomposition. We hypothesized that (i) invertebrate abundance and diversity are higher for resource‐acquisitive traits than for resource‐conservative traits; (ii) bark traits are more important for FWD and wood traits are more important for CWD in determining invertebrate communities; and (iii) the effect of bark traits on invertebrate communities dominates during the early decomposition stage, while the effect of wood traits dominates during later decay stages.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results demonstrated size‐ and stage‐dependent trait effects on invertebrate communities. The bark economics spectrum was positively related to invertebrate abundance and richness during early decomposition (18 months), with stronger effects for FWD than for CWD. In contrast, the wood economics spectrum (WES) influenced invertebrate diversity only in CWD but not in FWD. Effects of WES persisted through both early and later decomposition stages (42 months), but the effect strength and direction showed strong site dependency.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis.</jats:italic> We found that bark traits are important drivers of invertebrate diversity in deadwood during early decomposition for both FWD and CWD, whereas the effects of wood traits are longer lasting but restricted to CWD. These findings expand our understanding of the afterlife effect of plant traits by demonstrating that bark and wood traits play distinct roles for invertebrate community assembly, while their relative importance shifts during deadwood decay. Studies of deadwood‐decomposer succession and plant–invertebrate interactions should therefore consider bark and wood traits.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Global coordination and trade‐off of grassland species traits and climatic drivers","authors":"Kuo Sun, Ruojun Sun, Leren Liu, Yibo Li, Guangsheng Zhou, Zhenzhu Xu","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70153","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Plant functional traits and their interrelationships are critical in shaping the evolutionary and adaptive trajectories of plant species, as well as their responses to environmental changes. Grassland ecosystems serve as a natural laboratory for exploring plant trait coordination, given their high biodiversity, environmental heterogeneity and intricate species interactions. However, the patterns of trait covariation across grasslands—the largest terrestrial ecosystems globally—and their environmental dependencies remain poorly understood.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In this study, we compiled a newly updated dataset for grassland ecosystems to analyse global patterns of leaf traits across grassland species and to identify their key climatic drivers. A global database comprising 9158 site‐level observations was used.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We found that leaf traits and their relationships varied significantly across climatic zones and plant functional types. Globally, C<jats:sub>4</jats:sub> plants, forbs and annuals exhibited a resource acquisition strategy. Plants in temperate climates tended to adopt a conservative strategy, whereas those in boreal, subtropical, tropical and Mediterranean climates were more likely to employ a resource acquisition strategy. A clear conservative‐acquisitive trade‐off axis among functional traits was observed across global grasslands. Precipitation primarily drove the first axis of trait variation, which largely reflected a resource‐acquisition strategy. In contrast, temperature predominantly influenced the second axis, which was associated with leaf nitrogen status.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic>. Our findings underscore the strong global associations among plant functional traits, the pivotal role of plant functional types in mediating trait coordination and trade‐offs and their dependencies on climatic zones and environmental factors. These findings provide valuable insights into the coordination and trade‐offs of trait relationships at a global scale.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Several candidate size metrics explain vital rates across multiple populations throughout a widespread species' range","authors":"Maude E. A. Baudraz, Dylan Z. Childs, Ruth Kelly, Annabel L. Smith, Jesus Villellas, Martin Andrzejak, Benedicte Bachelot, Lajos K. Benedek, Simone P. Blomberg, Judit Bodis, Francis Q. Brearley, Anna Bucharova, Christina M. Caruso, Jane A. Catford, Matthew Coghill, Aldo Compagnoni, Anna Mária P. Csergő, Richard P. Duncan, John Dwyer, Johan Ehrlén, Bret D. Elderd, Alain Finn, Lauchlan Fraser, Maria B. García, Jennifer R. Gremer, Ronny Groenteman, Liv Norunn Hamre, Aveliina Helm, Maria Höhn, Lotte Korell, Lauri Laanisto, Anna‐Liisa Laine, Michele Lonati, Caroline M. McKeon, Aoife Molloy, Joslin L. Moore, Melanie Morales, Sergi Munne‐Bosch, Zuzana Münzbergová, Siri L. Olsen, Adrian Oprea, Meelis Pärtel, Rachel M. Penczykowski, William K. Petry, Satu Ramula, Pil U. Rasmussen, Simone Ravetto Enri, Deborah A. Roach, Anna Roeder, Christiane Roscher, Marjo Saastamoinen, Cheryl Schultz, R. Drew Sieg, Olav Skarpaas, Ayco J. M. Tack, Joachim Töpper, Peter A. Vesk, Gregory Vose, Elizabeth M. Wandrag, Glenda M. Wardle, Astrid Wingler, Yvonne M. Buckley","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70148","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Individual plant size often determines the vital rates of growth, survival and reproduction. However, size can be measured in several ways (e.g. height, biomass, leaf length). There is no consensus on the best size metric for modelling vital rates in plants.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Demographic datasets are expanding in geographic extent, leading to choices about how to represent size for the same species in multiple ecological contexts. If the choice of size variable varies among locations, inter‐population comparative demography increases in complexity.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Here, we present a framework to perform size metric selection in large‐scale demographic studies. We highlight potential pitfalls and suggest methods applicable to diverse study organisms.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We assessed the performance of five different size metrics for the perennial herb <jats:italic>Plantago lanceolata</jats:italic>, across 55 populations on three continents within its native and non‐native ranges, using the spatially replicated demographic dataset PlantPopNet. We compared the performance of each candidate size metric for four vital rates (growth, survival, flowering probability and reproductive output) using generalized linear mixed models. We ranked the candidate size metrics based on their overall performance (highest generalized <jats:italic>R</jats:italic><jats:sup>2</jats:sup>) and homogeneity of performance across populations (lowest total magnitude of, and variance in, population‐level error).</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>While all size variables performed well for modelling vital rates, the number of leaves (modelled as a discrete variable, without transformation) was selected as the best size metric, followed by leaf length. We show how to interrogate potential trade‐offs between overall explanatory power and homogeneity of predictions across populations in any organism.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic>. Size is an important determinant of vital rates. Using a dataset of unprecedented spatial extent, we find (a) consistent size‐based models of growth, survival and reproduction across native and non‐native populations of this cosmopolitan plant species and (b) that several tested size metrics perform similarly well. This is encouraging for large‐scale demographic studies and for comparative projects using different size metrics, as they may be robust to this methodological difference.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Resolving the effects of functional traits on tree growth rates: The influence of temporal dynamics and divergent strategies by leaf habit","authors":"Mégane Déziel, Daniel Schoenig, Rita Sousa‐Silva, Eric B. Searle, William C. Parker, Jeannine Cavender‐Bares, Simone Mereu, Michael Scherer‐Lorenzen, Charles A. Nock, Christian Messier, Peter Reich, Artur Stefanski, Ning Dong, Peter Hajek, Dominique Gravel, Alain Paquette","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70151","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Ensuring the sustainability of forest ecosystems requires understanding the mechanisms underlying tree growth and predicting their relative influence across taxa and environments.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Functional ecology posits that variation in tree growth is related to individual differences in functional traits, which serve as proxies for resource acquisition and investment strategies. However, studies of trait–growth relationships have produced inconsistent results, likely due to unaccounted factors like interspecific interactions, ontogeny, differing leaf habit strategies, and variation in resource acquisition and allocation.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We investigated the utility of key functional traits as predictors of tree height growth rates in common garden experiments in the absence of interspecific interactions. We posit that trait–growth relationships vary with age and between two groups relating to leaf habit: deciduous and evergreen species.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Using data from 38 tree species planted in monoculture plots across seven sites of the International Diversity Experiment Network with Trees (IDENT) in North America and Europe, we compiled height growth rates over 9 years post‐germination. We modelled growth using a Bayesian hierarchical generalized linear model incorporating four above‐ground functional traits related to resource acquisition and investment: specific leaf area (SLA), wood density (WD), leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and seed mass (SM). Improvements in predictive power due to the variation of trait effects with age and leaf habit were evaluated via alternative hypothesis‐driven models, using the Expected Log Pointwise Predictive Density (ELPD) as a performance measure.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Trait effects on growth varied with age and leaf habit, shifting between positive and negative effects, reflecting changes in resource acquisition and investment strategies. The relationships between traits and growth were strongest during the first three growing seasons for deciduous species and during the seventh to the ninth for evergreen species. Accounting for age and leaf habit substantially improved predictive power.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis.</jats:italic> Traits are not consistently associated with tree growth rates but instead reflect dynamic resource acquisition and investment strategies over time and between deciduous and evergreen species. Despite this variability, our findings confirm the utility of functional traits to predict tree growth rates, especially when trait effects are considered to vary with age and leaf habit.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"314 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145072044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Deciphering the mycorrhizal nexus: Root economic trade‐offs shape arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal assembly dynamics to enhance crop productivity","authors":"Lele Jin, Xiaoyue Wang, Jie Zheng, Guangping Shi, Yuji Jiang","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70154","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>Whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) symbionts are more likely to form in low‐ or high‐fertility soils has been debated for decades. The symbiotic efficiency of AMF on plants is determined not only by a trait‐based framework, such as root economics space (RES), but also by the environmental adaptability and the assembly processes of AMF communities. However, it remains unknown how RES regulates AMF community assembly and, in turn, affects AMF per cent colonization and plant productivity.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We characterized RES based on maize root traits across a long‐term soil fertility gradient. In parallel, we explored the assembly processes of AMF generalists and specialists and elucidated how RES regulates AMF percent colonization.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our results indicated that carbon inputs and lime amendments enhanced the RES symbiosis gradient by improving soil fertility. AMF generalists were assembled primarily through stochastic processes, whereas AMF specialists were shaped by deterministic processes. We further revealed the dual mechanisms by which the symbiosis gradient regulated plant productivity. Under low‐nutrient conditions, a low symbiosis gradient increased the determinism of AMF specialists, ultimately enhancing plant productivity through increased AMF percent colonization. In contrast, under high‐nutrient conditions, a high symbiosis gradient increased stochastic assembly of AMF generalists, thereby enhancing plant productivity.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis.</jats:italic> Our research provides new insights into plant–AMF interactions, highlighting their role in optimizing crop productivity and developing sustainable agricultural practices.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145035253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Causal interpretations can be based on mechanistic knowledge","authors":"James B. Grace, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Kevin J. Buffington, Justine A. Neville, Karen M. Thorne, Michael J. Osland, Melinda Martinez, Joel A. Carr, Debra A. Willard","doi":"10.1111/1365-2745.70152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70152","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:list> <jats:list-item>There exists a long‐standing disconnect between statistical and mechanistic approaches to the development of causal understanding. Statistical approaches, which have dominated the literature, have focused on the need to obtain perfectly unbiased estimates of causal effects often using either experimental, quasi‐experimental or other methods. Mechanistic approaches have instead focused on investigating how systems work by elucidating the structures and processes whereby variations in one system property can propagate to other system properties. Explicit references to ‘causal effects’ have tended to require adherence to statistical methods and standards, inadvertently downplaying the suitability of mechanistic knowledge for that purpose.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>It has been recently demonstrated that both mechanistic and statistical approaches can contribute to the long‐term goal of developing causal knowledge and understanding. Proponents of statistical causal inference have seldom recommended that mechanistic evidence be relied upon to support causal interpretations. This paper provides a clear and thorough example where a causal interpretation can be supported based on mechanistic knowledge.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Arguing for a causal interpretation based on knowledge of mechanisms has typically been an informal process and one that has thus far infrequently led to explicit declarations of causal knowledge by scientists. To overcome this problem, we illustrate a recently described procedure referred to as ‘causal knowledge analysis’ to summarize explicit support for causal interpretations.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>In this paper, we first clarify the basis of the long‐standing disagreement by describing the crux of the problem as viewed from a statistical perspective and by describing how it can be overcome when there is sufficient mechanistic knowledge. We then offer a proof‐of‐concept example based on robust documentation and description of the mechanisms whereby plants causally regulate the responses of coastal marsh elevation to changes in sea level.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item><jats:italic>Synthesis</jats:italic>—The evidential requirements for declaring a relationship to be causal have been obscured until very recently, leading to a long neglect of this issue by scientists. Meanwhile, subject matter experts have accumulated a vast body of undeclared causal knowledge that we now need to recognize in order to position scientists as essential players in defending causal interpretations.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":191,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ecology","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145035254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}