Pub Date : 2025-08-29DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104114
Juraj Litavský , Pavol Prokop , Oto Majzlan , Hubert Žarnovičan
The expansion of road networks has been instrumental in facilitating human mobility and economic development. However, this infrastructure presents significant challenges to ecological systems. While most research focusses on the ecology of vertebrates, the potential effects on invertebrates remain understudied. This study investigated the impact of roads on the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods, specifically harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The results showed that the distance from the road positively influenced the abundance (but not diversity) of beetles, while both the abundance and diversity of the harvestmen were highest near the roads. Further analysis revealed that dead insects were significantly more common near high-speed road sections compared to low-speed sections, probably due to increased road collisions. The abundance of harvestmen (but not beetles) was significantly affected by the presence of dead insects. Mediation analysis showed that high speed roads influence harvestmen abundance indirectly through its effect on dead insects abundance. It seems that the carabid beetles avoided the high-speed sections of the roads. Our findings suggest that roads causes mortality of flying insects via collisions but also serve as an important food source for scavengers such as harvestmen. Thus, road collisions with arthropods generate conditions similar to those observed for vertebrate scavengers feeding on roadkill.
{"title":"Arthropod-related vehicle collisions increase harvestmen populations along road verges","authors":"Juraj Litavský , Pavol Prokop , Oto Majzlan , Hubert Žarnovičan","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The expansion of road networks has been instrumental in facilitating human mobility and economic development. However, this infrastructure presents significant challenges to ecological systems. While most research focusses on the ecology of vertebrates, the potential effects on invertebrates remain understudied. This study investigated the impact of roads on the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods, specifically harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The results showed that the distance from the road positively influenced the abundance (but not diversity) of beetles, while both the abundance and diversity of the harvestmen were highest near the roads. Further analysis revealed that dead insects were significantly more common near high-speed road sections compared to low-speed sections, probably due to increased road collisions. The abundance of harvestmen (but not beetles) was significantly affected by the presence of dead insects. Mediation analysis showed that high speed roads influence harvestmen abundance indirectly through its effect on dead insects abundance. It seems that the carabid beetles avoided the high-speed sections of the roads. Our findings suggest that roads causes mortality of flying insects via collisions but also serve as an important food source for scavengers such as harvestmen. Thus, road collisions with arthropods generate conditions similar to those observed for vertebrate scavengers feeding on roadkill.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144913022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-08-26DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104110
David Cerqueira Souza , Isabelle Leite de Holanda Silva , Pavel Dodonov
Edge effects resulting from habitat loss and fragmentation are significantly impact biodiversity, potentially disrupting vital ecological processes like pollination. With the ongoing global trend of habitat loss due to human activities, particularly for agriculture and urbanization, understanding how insects, crucial pollinators, respond to habitat edges is imperative. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of anthropogenic forest edges on insect pollination dynamics, synthesizing existing literature up to 2023. We expected to observe higher insect abundance, species richness, and visitation rates, but lower plant reproductive success, on flowers located at forest edges than in forest interior. We performed a comprehensive global literature review of the responses of insect pollinators to edges. Results revealed an increase in research interest over time, especially in temperate regions, possibly reflecting higher research activity in economically developed countries. Studies predominantly focused on the Hymenoptera order and seed production. There were no consistent effects on pollinator richness, abundance or visitation nor on flower production; the significant effects, when observed, were mostly due to single influential papers. Our findings underscore the growing attention to this topic but highlight significant research gaps, particularly in tropical regions and concerning non-Hymenoptera pollinators. Additionally, although there is no consistent evidence, it is possible that edges boost pollinator abundance and visitation while simultaneously reducing fruit and/or seed production. These insights emphasize the urgent need for further research to inform effective conservation strategies, especially in vulnerable tropical ecosystems, to mitigate the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation on pollination dynamics and overall biodiversity.
{"title":"Effects of anthropogenic edges on pollination by insects","authors":"David Cerqueira Souza , Isabelle Leite de Holanda Silva , Pavel Dodonov","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Edge effects resulting from habitat loss and fragmentation are significantly impact biodiversity, potentially disrupting vital ecological processes like pollination. With the ongoing global trend of habitat loss due to human activities, particularly for agriculture and urbanization, understanding how insects, crucial pollinators, respond to habitat edges is imperative. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of anthropogenic forest edges on insect pollination dynamics, synthesizing existing literature up to 2023. We expected to observe higher insect abundance, species richness, and visitation rates, but lower plant reproductive success, on flowers located at forest edges than in forest interior. We performed a comprehensive global literature review of the responses of insect pollinators to edges. Results revealed an increase in research interest over time, especially in temperate regions, possibly reflecting higher research activity in economically developed countries. Studies predominantly focused on the Hymenoptera order and seed production. There were no consistent effects on pollinator richness, abundance or visitation nor on flower production; the significant effects, when observed, were mostly due to single influential papers. Our findings underscore the growing attention to this topic but highlight significant research gaps, particularly in tropical regions and concerning non-Hymenoptera pollinators. Additionally, although there is no consistent evidence, it is possible that edges boost pollinator abundance and visitation while simultaneously reducing fruit and/or seed production. These insights emphasize the urgent need for further research to inform effective conservation strategies, especially in vulnerable tropical ecosystems, to mitigate the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation on pollination dynamics and overall biodiversity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104110"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144902317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-08-19DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104112
Achamyeleh G. Mengistu , Weldemichael A. Tesfuhuney , Stephan A. Steyn , Cinisani M. Tfwala
Invasive species are one of the major causes of biodiversity losses on a global scale. Particularly, invasive alien plant species (IAPS) are the major threat to biodiversity in South Africa, and assessing their impacts is critical for supporting invasion-related management and control measures. This review aims to assess the current status of IAPS, its impact on ecosystems and ecosystem services, and management efforts to maintain its distribution in South Africa. Various studies indicate that IAPS distribution is increasing at an alarming rate in South Africa. South Africa is home to many IAPS and the country is categorized as one of the most affected countries in the world. IAPS also have significant impacts on water resources of the country, rangelands quality (lowering the grazing potential), and soil health. IAPS generally create major impacts on the delivery of ecosystem services. Although considerable efforts have been made so far, IAPS continue to negatively impact the country's biodiversity and socioeconomics. Consequently, immediate action is needed to contain the spread of IAPS in the country.
{"title":"An overview of the distribution and impacts of invasive alien plant species (IAPS) in South Africa","authors":"Achamyeleh G. Mengistu , Weldemichael A. Tesfuhuney , Stephan A. Steyn , Cinisani M. Tfwala","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive species are one of the major causes of biodiversity losses on a global scale. Particularly, invasive alien plant species (IAPS) are the major threat to biodiversity in South Africa, and assessing their impacts is critical for supporting invasion-related management and control measures. This review aims to assess the current status of IAPS, its impact on ecosystems and ecosystem services, and management efforts to maintain its distribution in South Africa. Various studies indicate that IAPS distribution is increasing at an alarming rate in South Africa. South Africa is home to many IAPS and the country is categorized as one of the most affected countries in the world. IAPS also have significant impacts on water resources of the country, rangelands quality (lowering the grazing potential), and soil health. IAPS generally create major impacts on the delivery of ecosystem services. Although considerable efforts have been made so far, IAPS continue to negatively impact the country's biodiversity and socioeconomics. Consequently, immediate action is needed to contain the spread of IAPS in the country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104112"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Turnover in community composition is expected when species are restricted to parts of environmental or biotic gradients. In contrast, nestedness emerges when some parts of a gradient allow many species to co-occur, while other parts restrict presence to generalist species. This leads to communities in diversity-poor areas of the gradient to be subsets of those in the richer areas. Anurans that develop in ponds are strongly affected by water availability, with small and ephemeral habitats harbouring species with traits adapted to desiccation risk. We hypothesized that water availability, estimated by pond area and permanence, will generate a nested pattern in anuran trait diversity. We tested this hypothesis using data from two anuran metacommunities in tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil. The first metacommunity comprised 1514 adult anurans from 23 species distributed in 11 ponds, whereas the second one included 10,852 tadpoles from 21 species in 38 ponds. We estimated functional diversity using body variables, habitat use and reproductive modes and tested our hypothesis using a nestedness metric based on functional data (treeNODF). We found that small ponds and with low permanence included not only lower functional diversity, but diversities that were subsets of those present in larger, more permanent ponds. The results suggest that, even in tropical and subtropical regions and regardless of life stage, anuran traits are more diverse in large habitats with prolonged water permanence. Small and temporary ponds severely restrict species and their traits, thus favouring few species with specific sets of traits.
{"title":"Functional nestedness of anuran communities along gradients of pond area and permanence","authors":"Joaquim Flesch Salaberry , Mauricio Almeida-Gomes , Camila Chiamenti Both , Adriano Sanches Melo","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Turnover in community composition is expected when species are restricted to parts of environmental or biotic gradients. In contrast, nestedness emerges when some parts of a gradient allow many species to co-occur, while other parts restrict presence to generalist species. This leads to communities in diversity-poor areas of the gradient to be subsets of those in the richer areas. Anurans that develop in ponds are strongly affected by water availability, with small and ephemeral habitats harbouring species with traits adapted to desiccation risk. We hypothesized that water availability, estimated by pond area and permanence, will generate a nested pattern in anuran trait diversity. We tested this hypothesis using data from two anuran metacommunities in tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil. The first metacommunity comprised 1514 adult anurans from 23 species distributed in 11 ponds, whereas the second one included 10,852 tadpoles from 21 species in 38 ponds. We estimated functional diversity using body variables, habitat use and reproductive modes and tested our hypothesis using a nestedness metric based on functional data (treeNODF). We found that small ponds and with low permanence included not only lower functional diversity, but diversities that were subsets of those present in larger, more permanent ponds. The results suggest that, even in tropical and subtropical regions and regardless of life stage, anuran traits are more diverse in large habitats with prolonged water permanence. Small and temporary ponds severely restrict species and their traits, thus favouring few species with specific sets of traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104108"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-07-27DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104107
Nokubonga F. Thabethe , Stefan H. Foord , T. Caswell Munyai
Many ant species can coexist in a small space, which is surprising because ants are competitive. Trade-offs have been proposed as mechanisms that facilitate such coexistence. Therefore, the current study assessed the temperature-dominance trade-off and the bait discovery-dominance trade-off to determine if any of these facilitate coexistence in the burnt and unburnt grassland habitat in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. We used cat food as bait in two grassland plots replicated five times to observe ant activities every 15 min for 3 h, recorded ant interactions and foraging surface temperature. We observed a negative relationship between minimum temperature and dominance. This suggests that dominant ants may tolerate even lower temperatures, meaning they have a broader range of foraging temperatures. There was a significant relationship between the percentage number of baits discovered and dominance in the burnt plot. Dominant ants located most baits in both plots. Also, they could discover baits much faster in the unburnt plot. Both burnt and unburnt plots showed no significant relationship between time to discover baits and dominance. This study also revealed that burning influenced competitive interactions and not trade-offs. However, burning may not explain the increase/decrease of competitive interaction, as this can be explained by temperature, since the study showed that temperature varied considerably between the burnt and unburnt plots. There is a need to examine other possible mechanisms that may facilitate coexistence in this grassland system.
{"title":"Mechanisms facilitating ant species coexistence in the burnt and unburnt grassland","authors":"Nokubonga F. Thabethe , Stefan H. Foord , T. Caswell Munyai","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many ant species can coexist in a small space, which is surprising because ants are competitive. Trade-offs have been proposed as mechanisms that facilitate such coexistence. Therefore, the current study assessed the temperature-dominance trade-off and the bait discovery-dominance trade-off to determine if any of these facilitate coexistence in the burnt and unburnt grassland habitat in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. We used cat food as bait in two grassland plots replicated five times to observe ant activities every 15 min for 3 h, recorded ant interactions and foraging surface temperature. We observed a negative relationship between minimum temperature and dominance. This suggests that dominant ants may tolerate even lower temperatures, meaning they have a broader range of foraging temperatures. There was a significant relationship between the percentage number of baits discovered and dominance in the burnt plot. Dominant ants located most baits in both plots. Also, they could discover baits much faster in the unburnt plot. Both burnt and unburnt plots showed no significant relationship between time to discover baits and dominance. This study also revealed that burning influenced competitive interactions and not trade-offs. However, burning may not explain the increase/decrease of competitive interaction, as this can be explained by temperature, since the study showed that temperature varied considerably between the burnt and unburnt plots. There is a need to examine other possible mechanisms that may facilitate coexistence in this grassland system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104107"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144712965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-07-26DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104105
Augusto Pretto Chemin , Carla Roberta Orlandi , Amanda Janner Marques , Marcos Vinicius Vizioli Klaus , Mathias Hofstätter , Liana Johann , Mara Cíntia Winhelmann , Cleberton Diego Bianchini , Elisete Maria de Freitas
The study aimed to define techniques that favor the ecological restoration of a degraded area with abundance of invasive alien species (IAS) and sandy soil poor in organic matter, as well as to determine factors that can interfere with ecological restoration. The study area is located on the left bank of the Forqueta River in the municipality of Travesseiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The area exhibits low levels or organic matter and high levels of macro and micronutrients, and is mostly dominated by invasive alien grasses. Four ecological restoration techniques were applied, constituting five treatments: (1) Planting of seedlings in small clusters - Anderson groups (NA); (2) NA with soil transposition (NA + TS); (3) NA with artificial perches (NA + PA); (4) NA + TS + PA; and (5) natural succession (TC), each with three replications in a completely randomized experimental design. Mechanical mowing and herbicide application were conducted before the application of the techniques, followed by two mechanical mowings at five-month intervals. The evaluation of seedling survival and the monitoring of germination of seeds from transposed soil and around the perches, along with phytosociological sampling at three time (T1 = 3 months; T2 = 9 months; T3 = 13 months), revealed that neither treatment was really successful, and this had several causes, primarily alien species. IAS influenced the reduction of richness and percentage cover of native plant species, regardless of treatment. Soil conditions, low precipitation, and high temperatures also hindered the growth and establishment of native plants. The techniques used did not favor species diversification and the formation of vegetation cover of native plants, thus failing to contribute to local ecological restoration, even when two or three techniques were combined.
该研究旨在确定有利于在具有丰富的外来入侵物种（IAS）和有机质贫乏的沙质土壤的退化地区进行生态恢复的技术，以及确定可能干扰生态恢复的因素。研究区域位于巴西南大德州Travesseiro市Forqueta河的左岸。该地区有机质含量低，宏量和微量元素含量高，以外来入侵禾草为主。采用4种生态恢复技术，包括5种处理方法：(1)小丛-安德森群（NA）种植；(2) NA +土壤转位（NA + TS）；(3)人工栖木NA + PA；(4) na + ts + pa；(5)自然演替（TC），在完全随机的实验设计中，每个实验有三个重复。在应用该技术之前进行机械刈割和除草剂施用，然后每隔5个月进行两次机械刈割。在换位土壤和栖木周围进行幼苗成活率评价和种子萌发监测，并进行3次(T1 = 3个月；T2 = 9个月；T3 = 13个月)，结果显示两种治疗方法都没有真正成功，这有几个原因，主要是外来物种。无论采用何种处理方式，IAS都会导致本地植物物种丰富度和覆盖率的降低。土壤条件、低降水和高温也阻碍了本地植物的生长和建立。即使采用两种或三种技术相结合，也不利于物种多样化和原生植物植被覆盖的形成，因此对当地生态恢复也没有贡献。
{"title":"Combined restoration techniques underperform in alien grass-dominated sandy soils: Lessons from southern Brazil","authors":"Augusto Pretto Chemin , Carla Roberta Orlandi , Amanda Janner Marques , Marcos Vinicius Vizioli Klaus , Mathias Hofstätter , Liana Johann , Mara Cíntia Winhelmann , Cleberton Diego Bianchini , Elisete Maria de Freitas","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study aimed to define techniques that favor the ecological restoration of a degraded area with abundance of invasive alien species (IAS) and sandy soil poor in organic matter, as well as to determine factors that can interfere with ecological restoration. The study area is located on the left bank of the Forqueta River in the municipality of Travesseiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The area exhibits low levels or organic matter and high levels of macro and micronutrients, and is mostly dominated by invasive alien grasses. Four ecological restoration techniques were applied, constituting five treatments: (1) Planting of seedlings in small clusters - Anderson groups (NA); (2) NA with soil transposition (NA + TS); (3) NA with artificial perches (NA + PA); (4) NA + TS + PA; and (5) natural succession (TC), each with three replications in a completely randomized experimental design. Mechanical mowing and herbicide application were conducted before the application of the techniques, followed by two mechanical mowings at five-month intervals. The evaluation of seedling survival and the monitoring of germination of seeds from transposed soil and around the perches, along with phytosociological sampling at three time (T1 = 3 months; T2 = 9 months; T3 = 13 months), revealed that neither treatment was really successful, and this had several causes, primarily alien species. IAS influenced the reduction of richness and percentage cover of native plant species, regardless of treatment. Soil conditions, low precipitation, and high temperatures also hindered the growth and establishment of native plants. The techniques used did not favor species diversification and the formation of vegetation cover of native plants, thus failing to contribute to local ecological restoration, even when two or three techniques were combined.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104105"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144711013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Anthropogenic activity–induced enrichment of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) considerably alters the structures and functions of ecosystems. However, the interactive effects of N + P addition on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain unclear. Hence, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the individual and combined effects of N + P addition on the abundance of AMF. The results showed that N addition significantly increased the abundance of AMF by 7.54 %, whereas the P addition significantly resulted in a decrease of 29.22 %. The combined effects of N + P addition substantially decreased the abundance of AMF by 37.55 % and caused a substantial decrease in grasslands and greenhouses by 53.85 % and 48.48 %, respectively, but had no effect on forest ecosystems. More importantly, the interactive effects of N + P addition are more probable to be additive, rather than synergistic or antagonistic. These findings highlight the importance of the additive interactive effects of N + P addition on the abundance of AMF and should prove useful to better understand below-ground ecological processes caused by nutrient enrichment under global change conditions.
{"title":"Additive effects of the addition of nitrogen and phosphorus individually and in combination on arbuscular mycorrhizas: A meta-analysis","authors":"Lingjie Chen , Esvin Gonzalez , Yin Guo , Yue Shen , Xin Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthropogenic activity–induced enrichment of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) considerably alters the structures and functions of ecosystems. However, the interactive effects of N + P addition on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain unclear. Hence, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the individual and combined effects of N + P addition on the abundance of AMF. The results showed that N addition significantly increased the abundance of AMF by 7.54 %, whereas the P addition significantly resulted in a decrease of 29.22 %. The combined effects of N + P addition substantially decreased the abundance of AMF by 37.55 % and caused a substantial decrease in grasslands and greenhouses by 53.85 % and 48.48 %, respectively, but had no effect on forest ecosystems. More importantly, the interactive effects of N + P addition are more probable to be additive, rather than synergistic or antagonistic. These findings highlight the importance of the additive interactive effects of N + P addition on the abundance of AMF and should prove useful to better understand below-ground ecological processes caused by nutrient enrichment under global change conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104109"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104106
Yahya Kooch , Mehdi Heydari , Mohammad Kazem Parsapour , Orsolya Valkó
Soil science encompasses two fundamental concepts, soil quality and health, which are closely intertwined with soil functions and ecosystem services. Earthworms, recognized as keystone species and ecosystem engineers, constitute the largest portion of animal biomass in soils and serve as vital indicators within the soil quality-health-function nexus. This review article examines the pivotal role of earthworms in ecosystem services, including the development of soil structure, nutrient cycling, and regulation of water regimes, primary production, and pollution reduction. Globally, earthworms exert a significant influence on soil carbon dynamics, particularly in dryland ecosystems, and their impact is anticipated to increase in the future. However, it remains challenging to ascertain whether earthworms function predominantly as a net sink or source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) within soil systems. While these active soil organisms enhance soil carbon sequestration, they also contribute to the emission of GHG sources (CO2 and N2O). Consequently, earthworm community activity serves as a valuable indicator of soil quality and health, particularly in response to various management practices or ecosystem disturbances. A comprehensive understanding of the functional roles of earthworm communities is therefore essential. Developing multivariate soil health indices that incorporate both the ecosystem services and disservices mediated by earthworms will help bridge the gap between ecological theory and practical land management. This approach is crucial for addressing global challenges related to soil sustainability.
{"title":"Earthworm: a keystone species of soil quality, health and functions","authors":"Yahya Kooch , Mehdi Heydari , Mohammad Kazem Parsapour , Orsolya Valkó","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil science encompasses two fundamental concepts, soil quality and health, which are closely intertwined with soil functions and ecosystem services. Earthworms, recognized as keystone species and ecosystem engineers, constitute the largest portion of animal biomass in soils and serve as vital indicators within the soil quality-health-function nexus. This review article examines the pivotal role of earthworms in ecosystem services, including the development of soil structure, nutrient cycling, and regulation of water regimes, primary production, and pollution reduction. Globally, earthworms exert a significant influence on soil carbon dynamics, particularly in dryland ecosystems, and their impact is anticipated to increase in the future. However, it remains challenging to ascertain whether earthworms function predominantly as a net sink or source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) within soil systems. While these active soil organisms enhance soil carbon sequestration, they also contribute to the emission of GHG sources (CO<sub>2</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O). Consequently, earthworm community activity serves as a valuable indicator of soil quality and health, particularly in response to various management practices or ecosystem disturbances. A comprehensive understanding of the functional roles of earthworm communities is therefore essential. Developing multivariate soil health indices that incorporate both the ecosystem services and disservices mediated by earthworms will help bridge the gap between ecological theory and practical land management. This approach is crucial for addressing global challenges related to soil sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104106"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
Pub Date : 2025-07-05DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2025.104103
Jenna Knight , James A. Schaefer , Brent R. Patterson , Stephen Sucharzewski , Joseph M. Northrup
When organisms select habitat, they may lessen the environmental variance they experience relative to their surroundings. Such discrepancies in variance could reveal organisms’ habitat preferences and perceptual ranges, particularly when examined across spatial and temporal scales. To test whether habitat variance might provide such understanding, we applied geostatistics to the variance in availability and use of habitat by GPS-collared adult female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in central Ontario, Canada. First, to quantify use and availability, we measured vegetation at the locations used by deer during May–June 2022, as well as in the general environment, then applied principal components analysis (PCA) to capture the major gradients in vegetation conditions. Second, to identify habitat selection, we tested for differences between use and availability in both the means and variance of vegetation characteristics. Finally, to depict how variance changed across scales, we constructed spatial and temporal variograms. Based on the first two axes of the PCA, we found that deer selected greater abundance in forage and lower variation in canopy closure. Across space, the selection for reduced variance in canopy appeared largely independent of scale (50–1000 m), implying that the perception capacity of deer may exceed this range. Across time, deer exhibited rising variance in forage abundance at short lags (4–12 h), resembling the periods (6–10 h) when movements were more linear. Deer thus selected for lower variance of habitat without selecting for disproportionate levels of habitat. We propose that selection for diminished variance is a fundamental property of habitat selection, whose scale-dependence might be uncovered with geostatistics.
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There are a lot of investigations on soil nutrient dynamics across different vegetation ecosystems of Ethiopia as a baseline scientific investigation to alleviate deforestation, degradation of forest, and soil degradation, and climate change. However, the previous studies provided fragmented conclusions that made it difficult for policymakers to develop evidence-based management for sustainable forest ecosystems. There is limited comprehensive scientific evidence in this regard, requiring an analysis of existing studies on selected macronutrient dynamics across major vegetation types in Ethiopia, having the ecological implications of soil nutrient changes on forest health, plant diversity, and productivity. This review follows the PRISMA principles and includes 154 articles published in reputable journals. The result revealed that the highest nitrogen (0.6 %), SOC (7.75 %), OM (8.5 %), and SOC stocks (158.5 tons/ha) were recorded at Moist Evergreen Afromontane Forests (MAF), while the highest phosphorus (10.15 Mg/kg) was recorded at Dry evergreen Afromontane forest. The included studies also highlighted that MAF and afro-alpine forest ecosystems have a highly positive impact on the health, diversity, and productivity of the forests through soil macronutrients. The soil macronutrients significantly enhance ecosystem resilience and vary across vegetation types due to differences in climate, vegetation structure, and management. Understanding how vegetation structure shapes macronutrient dynamics provides essential insights for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia and other regions with similar land-use pressures. Therefore, this review contributes to evidence-based policy formulation and successful sustainable forest soil management with an ecosystem approach to achieve SDGs at a national, regional, and global level.
对埃塞俄比亚不同植被生态系统的土壤养分动态进行了大量调查，作为缓解森林砍伐、森林退化、土壤退化和气候变化的基线科学调查。然而，以前的研究提供了支离破碎的结论，这使得决策者很难制定基于证据的可持续森林生态系统管理。这方面的综合科学证据有限，需要对埃塞俄比亚主要植被类型中选定的常量养分动态的现有研究进行分析，这些研究具有土壤养分变化对森林健康、植物多样性和生产力的生态影响。本综述遵循PRISMA原则，包括154篇发表在知名期刊上的文章。结果表明，湿润常绿非洲山地林（MAF）的氮（0.6%）、有机碳（7.75%）、有机碳（8.5%）和有机碳储量（158.5 t /ha）最高，而干燥常绿非洲山地林（MAF）的磷（10.15 Mg/kg）最高。纳入的研究还强调，MAF和非洲高山森林生态系统通过土壤巨量养分对森林的健康、多样性和生产力产生了非常积极的影响。土壤宏量养分显著增强生态系统恢复力，且因气候、植被结构和管理的不同而存在差异。了解植被结构如何影响常量养分动态，为埃塞俄比亚和其他具有类似土地利用压力的地区的可持续森林管理和生物多样性保护提供了重要见解。因此，本综述有助于以证据为基础的政策制定和生态系统方法成功的可持续森林土壤管理，以实现国家、区域和全球层面的可持续发展目标。
{"title":"Soil macronutrient dynamics across diverse Ethiopian vegetation types: A synthesis for sustainable forest ecosystem management","authors":"Ambachew Getnet , Liangliang Duan , Worku Belayhun , Yushan Cai , Melkamu Kassaye","doi":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actao.2025.104104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There are a lot of investigations on soil nutrient dynamics across different vegetation ecosystems of Ethiopia as a baseline scientific investigation to alleviate deforestation, degradation of forest, and soil degradation, and climate change. However, the previous studies provided fragmented conclusions that made it difficult for policymakers to develop evidence-based management for sustainable forest ecosystems. There is limited comprehensive scientific evidence in this regard, requiring an analysis of existing studies on selected macronutrient dynamics across major vegetation types in Ethiopia, having the ecological implications of soil nutrient changes on forest health, plant diversity, and productivity. This review follows the PRISMA principles and includes 154 articles published in reputable journals. The result revealed that the highest nitrogen (0.6 %), SOC (7.75 %), OM (8.5 %), and SOC stocks (158.5 tons/ha) were recorded at Moist Evergreen Afromontane Forests (MAF), while the highest phosphorus (10.15 Mg/kg) was recorded at Dry evergreen Afromontane forest. The included studies also highlighted that MAF and afro-alpine forest ecosystems have a highly positive impact on the health, diversity, and productivity of the forests through soil macronutrients. The soil macronutrients significantly enhance ecosystem resilience and vary across vegetation types due to differences in climate, vegetation structure, and management. Understanding how vegetation structure shapes macronutrient dynamics provides essential insights for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia and other regions with similar land-use pressures<em>.</em> Therefore, this review contributes to evidence-based policy formulation and successful sustainable forest soil management with an ecosystem approach to achieve SDGs at a national, regional, and global level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55564,"journal":{"name":"Acta Oecologica-International Journal of Ecology","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 104104"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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}
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