When an area previously used for agricultural or sylvicultural purposes is abandoned, it may undergo natural regeneration. However, the outcome of such regeneration depends on a number of factors, including the presence of non-native invasive plants, and, when production forests such as eucalypt plantations are considered, remaining non-native trees may also affect the natural regeneration possibilities

Large forest complexes with few human inhabitants provide a valuable resource for understanding natural processes in an environment not directly impacted by humans. However, studies of such systems are difficult to conduct due to the frequent need for collected samples to be subjected to lengthy laboratory processing protocols that require them to be transported to often distant laboratories. The objective

The biodiversity data typically available for fitting distributional models in the tropics come from museum and scientific collections which are often incomplete and prone to sampling and environmental biases. Nevertheless, most studies undertaken in tropical regions assume that collection data offers a satisfactory environmental coverage without any quantitative assessment. In this study, we investigate

Rodent and shrew populations are key components of many animal communities around the world. However, their population dynamics and the factors influencing their abundance are still not well understood. We analyzed rodent and shrew community composition and abundance at a UNESCO world heritage site, the Neusiedler See in Eastern Austria, using barn owl pellets. We identified temperature (mean and minimal

Exotic organisms have traits that allow them to effectively disperse and propagate into novel environments. The ability to adapt to new environments has enabled the cane toad (Rhinella marina) to successfully invade novel ecosystems. Their leg length correlates with dispersal success and is selected for in invading populations. Given their successful invasion of multiple continents, R. marina represent

Various species of animals maximise energy gained through foraging by minimising excessive energy spent on nonessential activities. Avoiding predation is key for maximising an individual's lifespan, as well as that of its kin; however, anti-predation behaviours can be energetically costly. We investigated the relationship between the potential threat levels by predators, pseudo-predators, and non-predators

Phylogenetic data on species relatedness have increasingly involved in the analysis of community assembly mechanisms within the ecophylogenetic framework. Null-model analysis can detect patterns of phylogenetic clustering and overdispersion, corresponding to the leading roles of environmental filtering and biotic interactions in community assembly, respectively. Elevational gradients in montane communities

Prosopis flexuosa (Fabaceae), a key species in desert environments, provides ecosystem services whereby it mitigates desertification and supports biodiversity conservation. To understand the relative importance of drivers of species diversity and structure of P. flexuosa-dominated woodland at different scales, we propose (1) to assess whether species richness is affected by predictors such as productivity

Tenerife Island is well-known for its biodiversity. It boasts the highest elevation in the Atlantic Ocean and its northern and southern slopes have varying moisture and temperature gradients. Consequently, there are multiple spatially discrete vegetation zones, or biomes, recognized on the island that roughly follow elevation. We investigated the extent to which climatic variables as well as soil nitrogen

The effects of deforestation and land use/cover changes, i.e. Alnus subcordata and Cupressus sempervirens plantations, rice cultivation, and also deforested areas of Carpinus betulus-Parrotia persica on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fractions were evaluated in Hyrcanian region, northern Iran. Twelve samples per land use/cover were taken from the top 10 cm soil and characterized with respect to soil

Plant invasion has been a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. In the present study, we have estimated the effect of two invasive alien species, Lantana camara and Ageratina adenophora on the understory vegetation composition and species diversity of chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests in the central Himalaya. We have selected three sites in pine forests and each site was divided

The identification of the main abiotic variables influencing the seasonal development of plant phenology contributes to our knowledge of how arid and semi-arid ecosystems function. In this study, we addressed the following questions: 1. Is soil water content the most important variable determining plant phenophases? 2. Are phenophases across different life forms associated with the soil water content

Supraglacial zones worldwide serve as suitable habitats for psychrophiles, including metazoans. The present study investigates whether the occurrence and abundance of springtails in water films under stones on the Forni Glacier in the Alps is affected by: a) the stone's location (on bare ice, in supraglacial streams, in the glacier forefield, on the medial moraine), b) the stone's distance from the

Habitat fragmentation has a multitude of negative effects on biodiversity, including the facilitation of alien plant invasion. Of concern in South Africa is the spread of fleshy-fruited invasive plant species, which in many places are replacing indigenous vegetation in frequently disturbed and fragmented habitats. The availability of dispersers is among the most important factors for the successful

1 Since habitat characteristics can be essential for protection from predators and weather, the selection of the appropriate habitat can determine the success of colonization and therefore strongly influence the local ecosystem. Therefore, the habitat selection by termites can help to understand their role in forest ecosystems. 2 These characteristics can influence the habitat choice, since they may

Floods in June 2013 affected significant portions of the Czech Republic (total damages amounted ~600 millions of euro). This study examines the impact of catastrophic flood on the species composition and size of fish prey in the diet of the common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), a fish-eating bird, nesting and hunting on Botič stream (Prague, Czech Republic) in 2013. Hundred and forty years water (flow

Predator-prey interactions are affected by environmental conditions. We examined the effect of changes in water level on the predator-prey interactions in a food web comprising of a top predator (dragonfly naiad), one mesopredator (backswimmer), and prey tadpoles of species that differ in microhabitat occupancy (neustonic and benthic). The results revealed that under high water level conditions (HWL)

Seed dispersal is critical for maintaining ecosystem structure and over half of plant species worldwide rely on animals for dispersal. Animal-mediated seed dispersal requires tight links between animals and plants. The introduction of invasive species threatens this mutualism by potentially creating competition between native and invasive plants for dispersers and by altering the consumption of native

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been implemented as a spatial management tool throughout the world in order to meet targets for marine biodiversity conservation. The success of MPAs in achieving biodiversity conservation objectives is strongly dependent on effective management. However, evaluation frameworks for MPA management measures are often procedurally or governance focused with limited consideration

In natural protected areas, buildings such as small villages, farms, shepherd's huts, camps, small hotels or visitor centres are common, usually at very low densities. Although buildings could play a role in modifying the biodiversity of natural protected areas, there has hardly been any attempt to describe the composition and characteristics of the vegetation associated with these buildings. Here

Physical features and lithology variations contribute to promoting changes in faunal composition and richness between caves in Neotropics. Cave lithology effects on biodiversity were reported to iron ore caves in Brazil, however, it is less clear to granitoid and quartzite caves. Hence, based on these two kinds of rocks we correlate invertebrates species richness and composition with some cave features

This study examines the effect of the soil physicochemical properties and the vegetation diversity and composition on the soil microorganism community structure on the temperate forest stands along the altitudinal gradient. The studied stands were located at three altitudes (600, 900, and 1200 m a.s.l.) on five separate mountain slopes (treated as independent replicates) in the Western Carpathians

Invasive alien species are recognized as the second leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide, with zoochoric dispersion being a key factor for the success of invasive organisms as they can favor the germination of these species. We performed a study in the southern Brazil involving three generalist species with abundant and wide amount of distribution in Latin America, with

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in North America often achieve high densities in urban regions and compete with other cavity-nesting species for nest sites, including the rapidly declining red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). However, at a continental scale, European starling populations are unrelated to trends in red-headed woodpeckers. To assess whether urbanization influences

Elevational gradients can serve as natural experiments to study how species are restricted spatially according to environmental conditions. The variation in resources and conditions that habitats experience in relation to the seasons can be useful for understanding why the abundance and distribution of the species change temporarily. In this study, we evaluated the influence of an altitudinal gradient

Quantifying the unsureness and recognize the hazard of habitats loss from changing climate conditions is important for adaptation of biodiversity to climate warming. The unsureness and hazard of losing habitat ranges for 91 amphibian species in China in response to climate warming were examined by applying climate scenarios of representative concentration pathways and categorization methods of the

Height–diameter allometric (H-D) relationships play an important role in the light capture and stability of a tree, and it is poorly understood whether the relationships changes with growth stages or functional groups along a large scale environmental gradients. We present a comparative study of H-D relationships of 6810 seedlings and 19,707 trees from about 1000 species in 9 different sites across

In response to extensive deforestation in the Philippines in the last century, reforestation initiatives have been developed, setting area- or seedling count-based success criteria. However, to sufficiently assess reforestation as an approach to conserving biodiversity and protecting habitats, restoration of ecosystem integrity must be evaluated. Increased recognition of the role of fauna in ecological

The ant-plant mutualism mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) is based on the provision of extrafloral nectar (a sugar-rich liquid) in exchange for ant defense against herbivores. The extrafloral nectar production can vary depending on the intensity or types of leaf damage caused by different mouthparts of insect herbivores (i.e., sucking or chewing insects). However, it is poorly known how the

Wood-pastures are grazed systems resulting from a long-term use of natural woodlands by humans. These social-ecological systems, covering vast areas of Europe and other temperate regions, have both high biodiversity and economic values, so many are classified as High Nature Value Farmlands. However, in some regions a loss of spatial heterogeneity threatens this natural value. We investigated the potential

Maize and beans contribute significantly to food security in Kenya. Farming practices used in production of these crops may affect nematode community assemblages and influence agricultural productivity. Information on response of nematofauna, particularly free-living nematodes, under various agronomic practices in Kenyan maize-beans intercrop is scarce. This study reports on the effects of farming

Ecological communities result from the interaction of different sorts of biotic and abiotic processes. Here, we assess the effects of two target plants that show different interactions with their surrounding (neighborhood) vegetation, on species richness, abundance, and diversity of communities, to address the influence of different biological processes in the formation of a plant community. We compared

The soil seed bank (SSB) is an important source of resilience for plant communities subjected to disturbances. This study aimed to identify characteristics of the SSB, its relationship with aboveground vegetation (AGV), and its significance for restoration of vegetation in West African savanna-woodlands. Data were collected from two long-term factorial experiments established in 1992 in Burkina Faso

Coastal thicket vegetation in Brazil (restinga) is characterized by three distinct microhabitats - thicket center, thicket edge, and open area - and the spatial pattern of seed dispersal varies among them. The objectives of this study were to differentiate microhabitats, considering dispersal syndromes and growth forms, and to determine the existence of seasonality in the seed dispersal for this ecosystem

Soil water availability in the dry tropical forest varies depending on the rainfall heterogeneity, which may be altered by future climate changes. The predicted water restrictions may modify the strategies of the herbaceous component in the allocation of resources jeopardizing their survival. We aimed at knowing the vegetative, reproductive and phenological responses of Talinum paniculatum under simulated

The Sudanian woodlands (SW) and Zambezian woodlands (ZW) of Africa cover two extensive vegetation zones in Africa. The main question is how similar or different are their woodlands. This paper aims to synthesize available information on woodlands of the Sudanian (SR) and Zambezian (ZR) regions in terms of: i) their floristics and ecology, ii) main drivers of change, iii) their socio-economic relevance

Land use change is a global threat to biodiversity. Besides converting natural landscapes into monocultures, the use of genetically modified organisms is increasing, even though their effects on natural assemblages are still poorly known. The possible effects of transgenic crops on ecosystems can be studied using ecological indicators, such as dung beetles. We assessed the effect of creole, conventional

Intraspecific variation of floral signals, and particularly floral scent, is widespread in orchid species. Pollinator-mediated selection is often hypothesized to govern such polymorphism. For example, circadian rhythms of floral emissions have been associated to the daily activity patterns of pollinators in several plant species. However, most of the studies on floral scent variation usually consider

Facing the threat of global change, there is an urgent need to document our current knowledge about the interactions between plants and their pollinators, especially for species with specialized pollination strategies. We review orchid-pollinator networks in the Euro-Mediterranean region by providing an overview and a critical analysis of our current knowledge on pollination interaction. This review

Intraspecific competition can limit the growth of organisms in populations, so that maximum values of biomass per unit area are attained for a given density – the self-thinning (ST) relation. These relationships are more commonly found in sessile species, where space is the main limiting resource, although for animals food limitation can also occur. Here we studied ST relationships in two coexisting

In tropical regions, savanna and forest formations that occur adjacently in the landscape often differ in relation to the structure of assemblages of species they harbour. However, it has not yet been evaluated whether the structure of the interaction networks also differs between adjacent heterogeneous environments. Here, we describe and compare the structure of the frugivorous bird-plant interaction

It is recognized that disturbances by fossorial small mammals are important factors determining plant community diversity, especially in grasslands. However, although information about the effects of disturbances by fossorial small mammals on species richness are starting to accumulate, we know little about the impact of these disturbances on the functional and phylogenetic facets of plant community

We still have a limited understanding of why animals colonize extreme environments, but one hypothesis (the Pathogen Refuge Hypothesis, PRH) posits that they might represent a safe haven from parasites and other pathogens. We tested this idea by quantifying endoparasite infections in five populations of the neotropical freshwater fish Poecilia mexicana, three populations from toxic, H2S-rich habitats

Microbial organisms support the high species diversity associated with tropical forests, and likely drive functional processes, but microorganisms found in rainforest canopies are not well understood. We quantified the microbial diversity of suspended soils from two classical epiphytic model systems (bromeliads & bird's nest ferns) across two localities: the Nouragues Reserve in French Guiana and Danum

Numerous studies have evaluated the qualitative and quantitative effectiveness of several animal species in each phase of the endozoochory. For the “seed germination and growth” phase, the ideal method of evaluation is to track the germination and seedling growth of seeds where they were dispersed by animals, but few studies have done so. Furthermore, because these studies were limited to measurements

Frugivory and seed dispersal contribute to the maintenance and regeneration of plant communities through transportation of seeds and enhancing germination through seed processing mechanisms. The effects of mammalian frugivore seed processing mechanisms on seed germination are generally well studied and the potential benefits include disinhibition (pulp removal), scarification (gut passage) and fertilisation

Grasslands are essential for life processes. They have been researched by ecologists for decades, leading to numerous theories and debates underpinning the dynamics and sustainability of these natural resources. Due to the scarcity of data/information on specific indices that could elucidate their attributes, the contribution of the 341,800.82 km2 area of savannas in Nigeria to the global scientific

Rapid changes in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a key driver of global climate change, have been shown to affect ecologically important traits in plants. Characterizing the effects of novel genetic variation on quantitative variation, phenotypic integration (multivariate associations among traits), and plasticity to elevated carbon dioxide can shed light on short-term plant responses

Seasonally dry tropical forests are amongst the most threatened ecosystems in the world due to severe and long-lasting anthropic disturbances. In this study, the spatial variation in plant diversity for the seasonally dry tropical region in central Veracruz was assessed at three different scales: among forested vegetation types, within each vegetation type and within forested patches. This region is

Parasitoids contribute to controlling phytophagous insect populations. Their action on a host is often measured by numbers of emerging adult parasitoids. However, parasitoid oviposition attempts may lead to host mortality and sometimes both host and parasitoid die during larval development. Therefore, establishing the effect of parasitoids on host populations requires estimating total effect of parasitoids

Green roofs can support pollinator communities in cities. However, little is known about the influence of green roof characteristics such as substrate and vegetation type on the abundance and diversity of attracted pollinators. Here we aimed to assess how green roof design impacts their attractiveness to pollinators. Using mesocosms on a rooftop in Paris (France), we studied the impact of two substrate

With 2000 species currently recorded in Europe, bees are a highly diversified and efficient group of pollinating insects. Their decline could therefore lead to a risk for ecosystems functioning and crop yields. The drivers of this decline have been well documented in Europe and involve multiple factors such as pesticides, pathogens, poor nutrition, climate change, and their respective interactions

The species-area relationship (SAR) is one of the main topics debated in ecology. Amphibians are highly sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation, due to their traits and reproductive requirements. In the present study, we developed a meta-analysis to address a mean effect size to SAR regarding forest amphibians in man-made fragmented landscapes, and tested the influence of seven in-study and landscape

Bee hotels are increasingly set up by land managers in public parks to promote wild bee populations. However, we have very little evidence of the usefulness of bee hotels as tools to help the conservation of wild bees within cities. In this study, we installed 96 bee hotels in public parks of Marseille (France) for a year and followed their use as a nesting substrate by the local fauna. The most abundant