BMC ecology and evolution最新文献

{"title":"Gastrointestinal microbiota of sympatric pipefish (Syngnathus typhle) and stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) indicate trade-off associated with evolutionary stomach loss.","authors":"Ralf F Schneider, Jule Peter, Nils Newrzella, Silke-Mareike Marten, Isabel Tanger, Olivia Roth","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02546-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02546-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Animal gastrointestinal tracts generally evolved towards a diverse and spatially structured organ system for efficient food digestion. In it, food is chemically broken down and bacterial load reduced by gastric acid in the stomach, acting as a \"gatekeeper\" for microbes entering the intestines where chyme nutrients and water are absorbed. The natural microbiota across gastrointestinal tract zones support digestion, compete with ingested pathogens and acts itself as an immune stimulus. Despite its important role, several lineages of fish, such as pipefishes, have secondarily lost their stomach and evolved agastric digestion, with unknown consequences to their intestines' microbiomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Here, we test how stomach loss might affect the microbiome by investigating the fore-, mid- and hindgut's autochthonous microbiota of the Baltic Sea broadnosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle, and comparing it to the stomach, fore- and hindgut's autochthonous microbiota of the sympatric and ecologically similar three-spine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus. Using 16S-rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR, we show that microbial abundance is high in the stomach, accompanied by high alpha diversity, but low in the intestine of G. aculeatus, although microbial diversity remains at intermediate levels - a pattern almost inversed in S. typhle. G. aculeatus' stomach has the most distinct microbiota across gastrointestinal zones; however, this species' intestines' microbes are also found in S. typhle. In contrast, the pipefish's hindgut is the most distinct zone, and many microbes shared across its whole intestine are not found in the G. aculeatus.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our data supports the notion of the stomach and its distinct microbiome being an immunological gatekeeper for the gut, but also suggests that S. typhle might benefit from the additional microbes as many indicator taxa are suspected to act as mutualistic symbionts. Stomach-loss may therefore be a trade-off between improved chemical digestion capabilities and an immunological gate-keeper vs. improved microbial digestion and increased immune stimulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13344009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"De novo genome assemblies of threatened Asian hornbills (Bucerotidae) reveal declining population trajectories during the late Pleistocene.","authors":"Pooja Yashwant Pawar, Gopi Krishnan, Rohit Naniwadekar, Jahnavi Joshi","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02547-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02547-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asian hornbills are flagship species of the wet tropics that face significant threats from hunting, habitat loss, and fragmentation. Despite being conservation flagships, whole genome information is available for only two of the 32 Asian hornbill species. In this study, we provide the first de novo genome assemblies for four hornbill species (Bucerotidae) in Asia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used a combination of long-read and short-read sequencing data to assemble and annotate de novo hybrid genomes of four species of hornbills. We also assembled and compared mitochondrial genomes of these species. Using a comparative genomics approach, we performed orthology assignment and gene evolution analyses to identify unique gene families in Asian hornbills, gene families that showed significant expansion, their functions and structural variation. Furthermore, using the Pairwise Sequentially Markov Coalescent (PSMC) method, we reconstructed demographic histories of hornbill species to examine changes in their population trajectories in the past.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We present hybrid genome assemblies for Great Hornbill (B. bicornis - GH), Rufous-necked Hornbill (A. nipalensis- RNH), Malabar Pied Hornbill (A. coronatus- MPH) and Wreathed Hornbill (R. undulatus- WH). The genome sizes of these hornbills range from 1.1 Gb to 1.3 Gb, with over 95.9% completeness and gene prediction BUSCO. We reported 10,525 orthogroups shared among four Asian hornbill species and identified significant expansion in gene families associated with structural keratin development in Asian hornbills compared to their ancestors. We also provide annotated mitogenomes for each of these species. Furthermore, we found that the WH, a more abundant, widely distributed, and migratory species, showed a higher Ne than the other three hornbill species. However, an overall decline in Ne for all species was recorded during the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We present the first-ever, high-quality reference genomes for the threatened hornbill species from Asia. Hornbills have shown significant expansion in genes involved in structural keratin development. Our results indicate that Pleistocene climatic fluctuations have led to dramatic population declines in all four species. We believe that this study provides robust genomic resources to support future comparative and conservation genomics efforts for hornbills.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13321546/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148355020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective population size and N_e/N ratio for two populations of Northern chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) on the edge of the species' distribution range.","authors":"Susanne Jacobs, Hendrik Edelhoff, Cornelia Ebert, Wibke Peters","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02543-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02543-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Effective population size (N_e) is a fundamental parameter in conservation genetics, providing relevant information on the adaptability and long-term viability of populations. In contrast, wildlife management strategies, particularly for hunted species, often rely on estimates of abundance (N) without incorporating genetic data. Accounting for N_e in wildlife management concepts could add important information on population viability, especially for species that are regulated mainly by humans. The iconic mountain dwelling chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is widespread throughout the Alps, and many populations are influenced by human activities, including hunting.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We derived N_e using genetic data from 16 microsatellite loci for two chamois populations in the Bavarian Alps, Germany. Estimates of N based on Bayesian spatial capture-recapture (SCR) from a previous study allowed us to calculate the N_e/N ratio. N_e values per generation in the two study areas were 514 (CI 342-949) and 179 (CI 129-266). Estimated median N_e/N ratios were similar in both study areas but had large confidence intervals: 0.56 (CI 0.34-0.96) and 0.58 (CI 0.39-0.88). Confidence intervals of N_e estimates varied between the two study areas, and sample size had a substantial influence on the precision of the estimates, as expected from previous studies. We discuss the challenges in obtaining robust N_e/N estimates, which are crucial when N_e and N are applied for conservation purposes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>N_e/N ratios were similar between the two study areas, but confidence intervals were wide, reflecting substantial uncertainty. Even with extensive data, accurately estimating these ratios remains challenging, highlighting potential limitations for their use in population monitoring and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13310441/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148341571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High connectivity and genetic diversity in the Endangered endemic white-spotted sand bass 'camotillo' (Paralabrax albomaculatus) within the Galápagos Marine Reserve.","authors":"Sarah M Griffiths, Alicia C Bertolotti, Pelayo Salinas-de-León, Rebecca Morris, N Kobun Truelove, Stephen Box, Richard F Preziosi","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02512-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02512-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Paralabrax albomaculatus, known as the camotillo or white-spotted sand bass, is a finfish endemic to the Galápagos Islands. An important species in the artisanal fishery, P. albomaculatus has undergone heavy population declines in recent decades, and is categorised as Endangered by the IUCN. Despite its socio-economic importance and endemic status, nothing is currently known about the population structure of the species, impeding evidence-based fisheries management. In this study, we use microsatellite markers to investigate its population structure and genetic diversity over the east, south and west of the Galápagos archipelago.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found evidence of high connectivity across the archipelago, with the species constituting a single population. We also found that genetic diversity was high, despite fishing pressure and recorded ongoing population declines.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results suggest that P. albomaculatus should be managed as a single fishery stock across the Galápagos. As a single-population species and fishery, managers should also be aware that P. albomaculatus is inherently vulnerable to perturbation as recruitment from other populations is not possible in the event of population decline. However, high genetic diversity gives cause for cautious optimism regarding the genetic capacity for resilience of the population to novel environmental stressors. These results should aid in the implementation of a species-specific management plan for this Galápagos endemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13573344/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148280337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual differences of temporal marking and communication behaviours of common leopards (Panthera pardus) in Luolong County, Tibet.","authors":"Keji Guo, Yonglei Lv, Zijun Tang, Ming Su, Tong Zhang, Fu Shu, Qi Li, Changjian Wang, Mengfei Zhang, Haochun Chen, Yang Yu, Yi Chen, Yang Xiao, Jinzhen Liu, Muhammad Zaman, Zuofu Xiang","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02539-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02539-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Carnivores frequently rely on scent and visual markings for intraspecific communication, delineating territorial boundaries, attracting mates and assessing competitors. However, studying such behaviours in rare and elusive species poses significant challenges. To enhance our understanding of the diel marking behaviours of common leopard (Panthera pardus), from November, 2019 to June, 2023, we conducted a comprehensive camera-trap survey in Luolong county of Tibet, China.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our monitoring encompassed 159 locations yielded 1,208 (excluded 700 unknown sex) individual leopard detections over 60,000 trap days, allowing us to quantify the frequency and temporal patterns of marking behaviours. Of these, 153 detections involved territorial marking in snowy conditions, while 355 occurred in snow-free environments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Female leopards in mixed forests and shrublands exhibited higher diurnal activity in snow-presence days. Male leopards engaged in a range of behaviours - including sniffing and rolling - primarily within mixed, coniferous and shrubland habitats. Male leopards engaged more frequently in behaviours such as sniffing, scraping, urine spraying, body rubbing, vocalizations, rolling and scat deposition with notable differences in scraping frequency compared to females. Female leopards displayed similar behaviours but at reduced levels particularly in scraping activities. The number of scrapes observed at camera-trap sites appears to be an indicator of leopard visitation rates suggesting its usefulness for optimizing monitoring efforts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings contribute valuable insights into how environmental factors influence social communication strategies in leopards, enhance our understanding of male and female leopard territorial and making behaviours in various environments, and benefit for the conservation and monitoring of carnivore populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13551852/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148274105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Introgression among maternal lineages inferred from complete mitogenomes and molecular dating helps resolve phylogeography of European roe deer.","authors":"Elena Buzan, Stefan Cidilko, Luka Duniš, Tilen Komel, Boštjan Pokorny, A J Mark Hewison, Anna Korzekwa","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02540-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02540-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is one of the most widespread ungulates in Europe, with a phylogeographic structure mainly shaped by Pleistocene glacial cycles and secondary contacts with the Siberian roe deer (C. pygargus).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We sequenced 52 complete mitogenomes of C. capreolus from Slovenia, Poland and France, and combined them with 24 publicly available sequences of C. capreolus and C. pygargus, yielding an alignment of 76 genomes representing 59 haplotypes (42 from C. capreolus and 17 from C. pygargus). Phylogeographic structure was assessed using a median-joining network, and divergence times were estimated using a time-calibrated Bayesian phylogeny based on mitochondrial coding regions, incorporating published ancient C. pygargus mitogenomes. We additionally screened mitochondrial protein-coding genes for selection.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The haplotype network recovered the three major European roe deer clades (Eastern, Central, and Western) and detected Central-clade haplotypes in France. Two Polish haplotypes (Cp9 and Cp10), detected in C. capreolus, clustered within the C. pygargus mitochondrial lineage, supporting mitochondrial introgression. Time-calibrated phylogenies placed introgressed haplotypes within established C. pygargus lineages. Selection analyses provided limited evidence for episodic positive selection restricted to a small number of codons.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Whole mitogenomes improve resolution of roe deer phylogeography and reveal introgressed maternal lineages, while time-calibrated phylogenies and selection tests add evolutionary context for interpreting mtDNA diversity in genus Capreolus.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13563815/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148274146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistence in ecological footprint inequality across European Union countries: evidence from unit root tests.","authors":"Şekip Yazgan, Bengü Açdoyuran, Nazife Özge Beşer, Magdalena Radulescu, Loredana Tuta","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02541-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02541-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To develop effective and equitable emission reduction policies in the European Union, it is necessary to consider not only the level of environmental inequality but also its persistence over time. Therefore, examining the stationarity properties of inequality indicators is important for determining whether such inequalities are temporary or permanent. Accordingly, this study analyzes the stationarity characteristics of ecological footprint inequality in the European Union for the period 1961-2024. Ecological footprint inequality is measured using three complementary inequality indices: the Gini coefficient, the Theil-T index, and the Atkinson index. In addition to traditional unit root tests such as ADF, PP, and KPSS, the analysis employs Fourier-based tests, structural break unit root tests, and the artificial intelligence-based ARNN-ADF test to examine the stationarity structure of the series. Furthermore, the ARFIMA model is employed as a robustness check to assess the long-memory properties of ecological footprint inequality. The findings of this study are test-dependent. Conventional unit root tests suggest level stationarity, whereas Fourier-based, structural-break and nonlinear tests provide stronger evidence of persistence. ARFIMA results further indicate a stationary long-memory process operating close to the non-stationarity boundary. These findings suggest that shocks to ecological footprint inequality are not purely transitory but tend to persist over long periods. Overall, the results highlight the need for structural and long-term policies to reduce ecological footprint inequalities across European Union countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13495259/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148240742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct effects of AM fungi and root pathogens drive differential plant-microbial interactions in steppe graminoids and forbs.","authors":"Jiahuan Li, Zijian Ding, Jing Man, Xiaori Han","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02531-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02531-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant-microbial interactions (PMI), governed by both mutualistic and antagonistic soil microorganisms, are crucial for plant performance. However, empirical evidence directly linking PMI strength to the extent of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal colonization or pathogen infection remains limited, particularly across varying biotic and abiotic contexts. Here, we quantified AM fungal colonization and root pathogen incidence across two plant functional groups (13 grassland species) under monoculture and interspecific competition in overgrazed and restored soils, and investigated their relationships with PMI. Results showed that the strength of plant-microbial interaction varied significantly among different plant species. Notably, graminoid species, such as Leymus chinensis, Agropyron cristatum, Stipa capillata and Elymus dahuricus exhibited negative PMI, whereas forbs exhibited positive PMI. Forbs had higher AM fungal colonization in overgrazed soil, and their PMI was positively correlated with colonization across all treatments. Conversely, graminoids had higher pathogen incidence, and their PMI was negatively correlated with pathogen incidence under overgrazed, monoculture conditions. Our findings demonstrate that PMI in steppe ecosystems is functionally dichotomous, being primarily mediated by AM fungi for forbs and by pathogens for graminoids, with direct implications for grassland management and restoration.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13480202/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148221353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Within-population isotopic niche variation of mammalian herbivores over a body mass and habitat gradient.","authors":"Runè van der Merwe, Chanel Lewis, Daryl Codron","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02528-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02528-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Individuals within populations may have distinct ecological niches, leading to a partitioned population niche structure. Such structure occurs because of both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Body mass is suggested to limit between-individual diet niche variation within large-bodied mammalian herbivore populations, as their high intake requirements and associated search costs restricts opportunity for individuals to specialise. This study used stable isotope analysis to investigate niche structure within populations of mammalian herbivores to determine if (1) body mass correlates with the degree of niche structure and if (2) environmental conditions mediate this relationship. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of faecal material of 16 herbivore species ranging in body mass (~ 10 to ~ 1420 kg) and geographical location were analysed. For each population, isotopic niche width (ellipse areas) and dispersion patterns (variance in geometric distance between individuals) in isotopic bi-space were quantified as proxies for population niche structure. Linear mixed models were used to test the effect of body mass, and local rainfall and reserve area (proxy for ecological conditions) on these indices of structure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Isotopic niche widths and dispersion metrics varied between species both within and between reserves, but the directionality of differences was not consistent, with some populations having broader niche widths and/or higher levels of dispersion than others, even within the same species. Although species differed in the degree of niche structuring within their respective populations, there was no effect of interspecific differences in body mass. The degree of dispersion (and thus between individual isotopic niche differences) is also not a function of ecological opportunity, but increased area might allow populations to expand their isotopic niche widths.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that niche variation and dispersion patterns in herbivore populations is limited by factors other than body size and intake requirement, despite the well-established role of body mass in shaping diet, as well as many other behavioural, ecological, and life history traits.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13474679/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148159628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diverging impacts of precipitation change on aboveground and belowground ecosystem functioning in a desert steppe.","authors":"Liu Bai, Yuanyuan Cui, Zhongwu Wang, Yahong Liu","doi":"10.1186/s12862-026-02537-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12862-026-02537-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Precipitation is a limiting factor for various system functions in desert steppe ecosystems, and its impacts on aboveground and belowground processes may diverge. To evaluate these differences, for five years, we conducted field experiments to examine the effects of four different precipitation treatments [natural precipitation (W_CK), as well as a 50% decrease (W_- 50%), 50% increase (W_+ 50%), and 100% increase (W_+ 100%) in natural precipitation] on the functioning of a desert steppe.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed that W_- 50% significantly reduced aboveground ecosystem multifunctionality (AEMF), while W_+ 50% and W_+ 100% significantly increased AEMF and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). There was no significant difference in belowground ecosystem multifunctionality (BEMF) between these treatments. Furthermore, precipitation alterations significantly modified soil water content and pH, while also influencing vegetation coverage and species richness. Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) revealed that precipitation primarily drove changes in AEMF through a direct cascading pathway by significantly regulating the soil microenvironment, rather than directly through shifts in vegetation characteristics. Additionally, the model demonstrated a lack of explanatory power for BEMF.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The asymmetric precipitation response of desert steppes highlights the critical need to determine belowground stability thresholds for sustainable ecosystem management under climate extremes.</p>","PeriodicalId":93910,"journal":{"name":"BMC ecology and evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13450519/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148152555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}