Ecosphere最新文献

{"title":"Investigating changes to food web structure after fish removal using size spectra analysis","authors":"Tyler J. Butts,&nbsp;Martin A. Simonson,&nbsp;Michael J. Weber,&nbsp;Grace M. Wilkinson","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70240","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Biomanipulation can control eutrophication, but if there is no discernible change, it is difficult to disentangle whether the biomanipulation failed to substantially alter food web structure or was unable to overcome external nutrient loading. Traditional food web model analyses to monitor management interventions can be prohibitively time and data-intensive. Size spectra, the relationship between species abundance and body size, could be used to detect changes in food web structure following major disturbances. We fit size spectra in six shallow lakes in northwest Iowa from 2018 to 2020, four of which underwent commercial harvest of common carp (<i>Cyprinus carpio</i>) and bigmouth buffalo (<i>Ictiobus cyprinellus</i>) during this period, with two lakes serving as unmanipulated references. There were no improvements in water quality metrics in any of the lakes. Based on the size spectra slopes, there were also no significant changes in species size structure due to harvest or harvest intensity of common carp or bigmouth buffalo. Size spectra height (an index of overall organism size) decreased across all years in all lakes, likely reflecting broadscale regional influences. We demonstrated that incentivized harvest was unable to significantly shift size spectra slopes as intended, providing evidence that the lack of improvements in water quality may be due to a failure to induce strong top-down effects, despite substantial removals of bigmouth buffalo and common carp. We also provide support to the assumption that size spectra height is related to ecosystem productivity and show size spectra dynamics in extremely eutrophic ecosystems. Furthermore, we illustrate that size spectra analyses can be a powerful tool to understand and assess food web-focused management interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70240","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Early successional changes in coniferous forest small mammal communities following a high-severity summer wildfire","authors":"Mark A. Peyton,&nbsp;Sarah R. Garrison,&nbsp;Ruth B. Passernig,&nbsp;Martina M. Suazo,&nbsp;Robert R. Parmenter","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70280","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70280","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Forest fires in the southern Rocky Mountains are changing due to climate warming and increased fuel loads. Landscape-scale stand-replacement fires create extensive treeless swaths without regenerative seed sources, leading to long-term conversion of coniferous forest to montane meadows and chaparral. Small mammal wildlife responds to these abrupt habitat changes, influencing post-fire succession via trophic interactions (herbivory, granivory, insectivory, and fungivory) and soil disturbance (burrowing, foraging, and seed caching). We examined the effects of the 2011 high-severity Las Conchas wildfire on post-fire small mammal and vegetation successional changes in northern New Mexico's mixed conifer and ponderosa pine (<i>Pinus ponderosa</i>) forests. We sampled forest stand composition and herbaceous vegetation immediately after the fire, then sampled herbaceous vegetation and small mammals each spring and autumn for 3 years (2012–2014) on replicated burned and unburned stands. We recorded 15 small mammal species (11 rodents, one rabbit, and three shrews). Herbaceous vegetation cover increased from 10% to 12% on burned sites in 2011 to 91% in 2014, with no observed conifer regeneration. Small mammals exhibited lower species richness on burned mixed conifer sites than on unburned sites, but species richness was only slightly lower on burned ponderosa pine sites than on unburned sites. Deer mouse (<i>Peromyscus maniculatus</i>) abundances were comparable between burned and unburned sites, but two species of chipmunks (<i>Neotamias minimus</i>, <i>Neotamias quadrivitattus</i>), woodrats (<i>Neotoma</i> spp.), red squirrels (<i>Tamiasciurus hudsonicus</i>), three species of shrews (<i>Sorex</i> spp.), and mountain cottontail rabbits (<i>Sylvilagus nuttallii</i>) were rare or absent in burned forests. Golden-mantled ground squirrels (<i>Callospermophilus lateralis</i>) were more abundant on burned mixed conifer sites than on unburned sites, and voles (<i>Microtus</i>) colonized the burned sites within 3 years (<i>Microtus montanus</i> in 2013, <i>Microtus longicaudus</i> in 2014). Rodent demographic data indicated that mixed sex and age classes were present for the more abundant species, including reproductively active adult females; the exception was <i>M. longicaudus</i> in burned ponderosa pine forests, which had only male adults and subadults. Vole colonization occurred after burned sites attained 80%–90% herbaceous cover. Given the lack of conifer regeneration, we anticipate that the small mammal community will retain its composition of meadow-grassland species for the foreseeable future.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70280","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Non-native congeneric trees are poor-quality host plants for a larval Lepidopteran","authors":"Desiree L. Narango,&nbsp;Katherine Straley","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70274","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70274","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In managed ecosystems, cultivated plant diversity is a collection of native and introduced species composed of varying plant origins across scales: locally native, non-locally native, and non-native. Non-local and non-native plant species may be ill-suited as host plants for locally native insects. Yet, we lack information on the population- and individual-level consequences of introduced plants to phytophagous insects. Promethea moth (<i>Callosamia promethea</i>) is a Lepidopteran species regionally specialized to <i>Prunus</i> in the Northeastern United States. Here, we used a rearing experiment to compare Promethea caterpillar performance on 14 different <i>Prunus</i> host plants commonly found naturally and in horticulture and two non-hosts. Across all measures, <i>Prunus serotina</i> supported the highest survival, fastest growth, and largest larval biomass. We found little difference between locally native and non-local <i>Prunus</i> across most measures; however, few non-native <i>Prunus</i> supported living larvae to the fifth instar, and surviving larvae had reduced growth and biomass. Our results indicate that non-native congeners are poor replacements for locally native tree species in supporting specialized Lepidoptera. However, non-local, regionally native species in cultivation may serve as adequate, albeit suboptimal, host plants. These results further our understanding of how selection for plant traits or species impacts biodiversity in novel and managed ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70274","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144100670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Land use change, fragmentation, and sea level rise create escalating viability concerns for an imperiled salamander","authors":"Leyna R. Stemle,&nbsp;David Laabs,&nbsp;Christopher A. Searcy","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70284","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Many organisms with complex life cycles rely on both terrestrial and aquatic habitats to survive, which increases their susceptibility to habitat fragmentation as they require access to sufficient amounts of both habitat types as well as connectivity between them. Amphibian species are often very susceptible to these anthropogenic disturbances and are declining across the globe. We conducted the first range-wide geospatial analysis for the federally endangered Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (SCLTS; <i>Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum</i>) to address the impacts of land use change and habitat fragmentation as barriers to recovery. First, we used data from an extensive drift fence array to determine the mean, 95%, and 99% migration distances of SCLTS. We then used these calculated distances to determine the amount of suitable and accessible upland habitat around all current breeding ponds as well as those being considered as potential release sites. Land use changes (especially urban and agricultural development) have reduced the amount of suitable upland habitat within migration distance of SCLTS breeding ponds by 35.5% across the range. Habitat fragmentation due to roads has further reduced uplands both suitable and accessible to SCLTS by another 11.8%, and sea level rise projected by 2100 reduces it another 16.2%, leaving only 36.5% of potential terrestrial habitat suitable, accessible, and unflooded. This result raises substantial concerns about the long-term viability of the majority of SCLTS populations. This range-wide assessment also provides guidance on which breeding populations should be targeted for land use restoration and experimental road crossing structures and which potential breeding sites should be prioritized for release of captive-bred animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70284","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Hurricanes lead to declines in taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional richness and shifts in moth community composition","authors":"Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez,&nbsp;Pablo E. Gutiérrez-Fonseca,&nbsp;Ingi Agnarsson,&nbsp;Catherine M. Hulshof,&nbsp;Scott E. Miller,&nbsp;Taylor H. Ricketts","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70279","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Disturbances play a central role in shaping biodiversity, influencing both community structure and ecosystem function. The responses of biodiversity to disturbance are inherently multidimensional, often leading to shifts in taxonomic composition, functional traits, and evolutionary dynamics within biological communities. Unraveling these dimensions offers valuable insights into ecosystem resilience and how communities adapt under changing disturbance regimes. This study examines the immediate effects of large-scale hurricane disturbance on the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of moth biodiversity in a tropical forest. We conducted monthly moth surveys in two forest types within the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico, 5 months before and 6 months after Hurricanes Irma and María (September 2017). We collected 6152 individuals from 244 species across 19 families, performed DNA barcoding for phylogenetic analysis, and classified them by functional traits such as body size, coloration, and proboscis presence. Our findings show that hurricane disturbance reduced species richness across all diversity dimensions, while functional diversity among dominant species increased, suggesting potential stabilization of ecosystem functions despite reduced richness. In addition, the hurricanes altered both taxonomic and phylogenetic composition, with smaller grass-feeding species increasing in abundance post-hurricane, while larger arboreal-feeding species, especially geometrid moths, declined markedly. These shifts highlight potential effects on trophic interactions, given moths' key roles as herbivores, pollinators, and prey. Although these systems have evolved under repeated hurricane disturbances, the long-term consequences of a changing climate remain uncertain, particularly as more frequent and severe hurricanes may reset successional pathways and hinder forest recovery. By integrating multiple dimensions of biodiversity, our study provides a more holistic understanding of the complex consequences of hurricanes on insect communities and can inform conservation strategies aimed at enhancing ecosystem resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70279","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Wild Burmese python nest site selection, thermogenesis, and brooding behaviors in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem","authors":"Andrea F. Currylow,&nbsp;Lisa M. McBride,&nbsp;Gretchen E. Anderson,&nbsp;Jacquelyn C. Guzy,&nbsp;Matthew F. McCollister,&nbsp;Christina M. Romagosa,&nbsp;Kristen M. Hart,&nbsp;Amy A. Yackel Adams","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70271","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Invasive Burmese pythons (<i>Python bivittatus</i>) are extremely cryptic animals. Although their conservation status in their native range is Vulnerable, in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem (Florida, USA) they have become a dominant destructive force and usually are immediately removed whenever found. This poses a paradox where removals are occurring, yet the study and understanding of python ecology is needed to inform removal methods. An important component of life history includes the nesting season, but little is known about python nest site selection, nest brooding, thermogenesis, or hatching success in the wild. Here, we present the first complete and most detailed report of oviposition and brooding for this biologically significant time period of a female Burmese python. We describe anthropogenic nest site selection, document the extent of shivering thermogenesis, describe brooding behaviors, and provide photo-documentation of complete hatching of the largest python clutch on record.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70271","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Seedling passage times in gaps and closed canopies reveal decades of understory persistence in a New England forest","authors":"Isabella Stone,&nbsp;Jeffrey Mintz,&nbsp;Claudia J. Garnica-Díaz,&nbsp;Chia-Hao Chang-Yang,&nbsp;David A. Orwig,&nbsp;Audrey A. Barker Plotkin,&nbsp;April Zee,&nbsp;Raelene M. Crandall,&nbsp;Daniel J. Johnson,&nbsp;Lukas J. Magee","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70273","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The duration of tree seedling persistence in the understory varies greatly between forests and across environmental conditions within a forest ecosystem. To examine species-level variation in understory persistence and passage to the sapling life stage, we followed 5236 seedlings in single-tree canopy gaps and closed canopy conditions over three years and simulated seedling passage times and the number of seedlings required to produce one 1.5-m tall sapling of five common tree species in a hemlock–hardwood forest of Massachusetts, USA. Averaged across species, it took 26 years in gaps and 31 years under closed canopies to go from a first-year seedling to a 1.5-m sapling. Across species, the average number of seedlings needed for one sapling was 294 in gaps and 2674 in closed canopy environments. We observed high interspecific variation in passage times and number required for one sapling. <i>Betula</i> congeners and <i>Pinus strobus</i> took less time and significantly fewer individuals than <i>Acer rubrum</i> and <i>Tsuga canadensis</i>, which are generally regarded as more tolerant of understory conditions. The largest intraspecific difference in gaps versus closed canopy environments was for <i>Quercus rubra</i>, where we estimated the number of seedlings required to produce one sapling in closed canopies to be 172 times higher than in gaps. Stem breakage also increased the number of seedlings needed per sapling, especially in closed canopy environments. We evaluated our estimates in the lab by aging cross-sections obtained from seedlings in gap and closed canopy conditions. Compared to our empirical age-to-height relationships, most simulations tended to underpredict seedling age for a given height, suggesting that passage times may be even longer than our simulations indicated. Our study shows that trees can persist for decades in the seedling life stage, highlighting a need for better-parameterized recruitment processes in demographic forecasting.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70273","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Oxalate content of vegetation and termite frass in western South Africa","authors":"T. Nel,&nbsp;C. E. Clarke,&nbsp;M. L. Francis,&nbsp;D. Babenko,&nbsp;D. Breecker,&nbsp;D. A. Cowan,&nbsp;T. Gallagher,&nbsp;J. R. McAuliffe,&nbsp;M. Trindade","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70265","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70265","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Oxalate salts in organic matter are potential substrates for the oxalate-carbonate pathway, which can sequester carbon in drylands. We compared calcium oxalate (CaOx) and water-soluble oxalate (SOx) concentrations of samples of vegetation and termite excrement (frass) collected from termite mounds in sites across a regional rainfall gradient in western South Africa. We developed mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic models to quantify oxalate components in vegetation extracts (<i>n</i> = 30) and frass samples (<i>n</i> = 39). The MIR spectroscopic method was more efficient than chemical analytical techniques of oxalate measurement. The median CaOx concentration of plants (0.311 mmol g⁻¹) was four times greater than frass (0.081 mmol g⁻¹), which may be explained by degradation of oxalates by microorganisms or selective harvesting of low-oxalate vegetation by termites. The mean CaOx content of frass from sites in mesic regions (0.042 mmol g⁻¹) was lower relative to frass from sites in more arid regions (0.156 mmol g⁻¹), and lower in termite mounds (0.048 mmol g⁻¹) compared with off-mound samples (0.131 mmol g⁻¹). Frass collected from sites with higher rainfall had a lower mean SOx content (0.006 mmol g⁻¹, respectively) compared with frass from sites with lower rainfall (0.013 mmol g⁻¹, respectively). This may be attributed to faster degradation of CaOx in soils with greater moisture content. Estimated annual inputs of carbon (17.6 kg mound⁻¹) and calcium (2.55 kg mound⁻¹, 20% of which occurs as CaOx) due to termite frass deposition may be instrumental in the formation of calcite via the oxalate-carbonate pathway in soils of earthen mounds occupied by termites. This work is relevant to modeling carbon storage in drylands where termites are significant consumers of vegetation.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70265","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) oviposition preference on native milkweeds (Asclepias) of the northern Great Plains","authors":"Grace Damiano,&nbsp;Lora Perkins","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70275","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Milkweed (<i>Asclepias</i> ssp.) has faced population declines in the Northern Great Plains for several decades due primarily to agricultural conversion. Monarch butterflies (<i>Danaus plexippus</i>), which rely on milkweed as the host plant for their larva, have also declined in population throughout the past several decades in North America. Amidst ongoing efforts to protect the monarch butterfly by restoring milkweed populations, the relationship and preferences that monarchs may have for specific milkweed must be better understood. The objective of this study was to investigate monarch oviposition preferences on 18 species of milkweed native to the Northern Great Plains. In a common garden plot, 18 species of milkweed were planted in a randomized block design and assessed throughout the growing season for the presence of monarch eggs and larva. Additional data were collected on plant morphological characteristics to examine whether ovipositing monarchs preferred certain traits over others. The total number of eggs and larva found on plants within each species were used as response variables to determine monarch oviposition preference between species. Monarchs laid the most eggs on <i>Asclepias incarnata</i> throughout all three years of data collection, followed by <i>Asclepias syriaca</i>, <i>Asclepias speciosa</i>, and <i>Asclepias sullivantii</i> in 2022 and <i>A. syriaca</i>, <i>A. sullivantii</i>, and <i>Asclepias subverticillata</i> in 2023. Oviposition did not necessarily correlate to larval presence, suggesting higher survival rates on some species than others, such as <i>A. subverticillata</i>, which may serve as an ecological trap for monarchs, and <i>A. sullivantii</i>, which had a higher ratio of larvae to eggs, suggesting better chances of survival. Our site did not provide ideal conditions for every species of milkweed in this study, so species such as <i>Asclepias exaltata</i> may be more appealing to monarchs in different locations.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70275","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144074410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Micronutrients are drivers of abundance, richness, and composition of soil insect communities in tropical rainforests","authors":"Miquel Ferrín,&nbsp;Dolores Asensio,&nbsp;Albert Gargallo-Garriga,&nbsp;Oriol Grau,&nbsp;Joan Llusià,&nbsp;Laura Màrquez,&nbsp;Jérôme Murienne,&nbsp;Romà Ogaya,&nbsp;Jérôme Orivel,&nbsp;Jordi Sardans,&nbsp;Ivan A. Janssens,&nbsp;Josep Peñuelas,&nbsp;Guille Peguero","doi":"10.1002/ecs2.70200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70200","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Communities of soil insects in tropical rainforests are among the richest and most complex, but the mechanisms structuring them remain mostly unknown. Identifying whether nutrient availability plays a relevant role in the assembly of these communities poses several challenges due to the diverse nutritional requirements of insects. We investigated the importance of nutrient availability accounting for the abundance, richness, and composition of soil insect communities in tropical rainforests. We sampled soil insects in 72 1-m² sampling points at two sites in French Guiana, counted all specimens, and characterized each assemblage using DNA metabarcoding. We then determined the importance of nutrient availability by measuring 19 nutrient concentrations and collected 18,000 specimens from 2634 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Despite an extraordinary diversity and spatial heterogeneity, the concentrations of sodium, potassium, and magnesium positively correlated with either the abundance or the richness of the communities. These micronutrients were also important predictors of the composition of the assemblages. However, we found different relationships when analyzing the data separately for Blattodea, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Orthoptera, the most abundant insect orders with the most OTUs. Our results demonstrated that the availability of micronutrients played a large role in species selection during the assembly of the soil insect communities in these tropical rainforests, in contrast to the null impact of macronutrients. By accounting for the response at lower taxonomic levels, we argue that part of the unexplained variance might arise from contrastingly different responses to micronutrient availability among the most diverse orders. The high unexplained variance, however, also suggests that processes such as stochastic population drift and biotic interactions likely play complementary roles in structuring insect communities in the soils of tropical rainforests.</p>","PeriodicalId":48930,"journal":{"name":"Ecosphere","volume":"16 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecs2.70200","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143950099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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}