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Caicai Zhang: Growth-mortality trade-off in tropical tree seedlings is determined by stem elongation and soil fertility. – Functional Ecologists
In this new post Caicai Zhang, from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Eastern-Himalaya Biodiversity Research at Dali University, shares insights from her recently published paper, 'Functional traits and ecological niches as correlates of the interspecific growth–mortality trade-off among seedlings of 14 tropical tree species'. She emphasizes the importance…
BHM 2024: Dra. Daniela Boanares (Español) – Functional Ecologists
Ciencia, Resiliencia y Conservación: El Viaje de una Ecóloga Negra En trabajo de campo, recopilando datos para analizar las características funcionales de las especies vegetales del Campo Rupestre, con énfasis en sus adaptaciones fisiológicas y estrategias de supervivencia bajo estrés hídrico y suelos pobres en nutrients. How did you get into ecology? Soy una mujer…
Black History Month 2024: Dr Daniela Boanares – Functional Ecologists
Science, Resilience, and Conservation: The Journey of a Black Ecologist For Black History Month 2024, the British Ecological Society (BES) journals are celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world and sharing their stories. In this blog, Dr Daniela Boanares shares her experiences. You can find Portuguese and Spanish translations of this blog post…
BHM 2024: Dra. Daniela Boanares (Português) – Functional Ecologists
Ciência, Resiliência e Conservação: A Jornada de uma Ecóloga Negra Em trabalho de campo, coletando dados para analisar as características funcionais das espécies vegetais do Campo Rupestre, com foco em suas adaptações fisiológicas e estratégias de sobrevivência em condições de estresse hídrico e solos pobres em nutrientes. Sou uma mulher negra de pele clara, nascida…
Jennifer Michel: Rhizosphere priming effects in different tree line soils are influenced by vegetative stage and soil horizon. – Functional Ecologists
In our latest post Jennifer Michel, ecologist at University of Lieja, presents her work ‘Vegetative stage and soil horizon respectively determine direction and magnitude of rhizosphere priming effects in contrasting tree line soils’. She highlights the treeline changes due to climate change, discusses positive and negative priming effects, and shares how artistic drawings help her…
Seraina Cappelli: Is identity or diversity key to managing disease in crops? – Functional Ecologists
In this post, Seraina Cappelli – postdoctoral fellow at University of Minnesota – presents her work ‘The potential of undersown species identity vs. diversity to manage disease in crops’. She discusses the role of diversity in agriculture, the value of interdisciplinary research platforms and the importance of supportive colleagues for a successful career in science.…
Black History Month 2024: Dr Saheed Olaide Jimoh – Functional Ecologists
For Black History Month 2024, the British Ecological Society (BES) journals are celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world and sharing their stories. In this blog, Dr Saheed Olaide Jimoh shares his story. Biography Name: Saheed Olaide Jimoh Pronouns: He/Him Affiliation: Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Wyoming, USA Website/social media links:…
Tamara Burgos: Thinking about seed dispersal patterns of mammal carnivores – Functional Ecologists
In this blog post, Tamara Burgos, a postdoc at University of Cádiz, presents her paper “Apex predators can structure ecosystems through trophic cascades: Linking the frugivorous behaviour and seed dispersal patterns of mesocarnivores”. Tamara explains how rewilding apex predators can affect key ecosystem functions such as seed dispersal and asks: why are mammal carnivores the…
Gisele Biem: Amazonian tree species differently invest in stem and twig wood depending on their environment – Functional Ecologists
In this new post Gisele Biem, postdoc researcher at National Institute for Amazon Research and State University of Mato Grosso, presets her work ‘Ecosystem type affects how Amazonian tree species invest in stem and twig wood’. She talks about the importance of wood density for trees, discusses how traits can upscale to global C models,…
Meet the (Blog) Editor: Arianne-Elise Harris – Functional Ecologists
Hi there! My name is Arianne-Elise Harris and I’m an instructor in the Department of Biology at the University of Guyana. My interests lie in population ecology where I’ve spent the last four years studying birds and mammals in tropical rainforests. Our new blog editor, Arianne-Elise Harris (Credit: Arianne-Elise Harris) My interests in population ecology…
Black History Month 2024: Dr Bashir Bolaji Tiamiyu – Functional Ecologists
For Black History Month 2024, the British Ecological Society (BES) journals are celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world and sharing their stories. In this blog, Dr Bashir Bolaji Tiamiyu shares his story and journey in academia. The author, Dr Bashir Bolaji Tiamiyu, in front of his research poster (Credit: Bashir Bolaji Tiamiyu)…
Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan: From Ashes to Insights: Mycorrhizal Fungi Role in Post-Fire Landscapes – Functional Ecologists
It’s been just over a month since the 12th International Conference on Mycorrhiza. In these blog posts, we hear from some of the winners of Functional Ecology’s poster and talk prizes! Here, Solomon Maerowitz-McMahan – who won our first place prize for his talk "From ashes to insights: mycorrhizal fungi role in post-fire landscapes" – discusses navigating his…
Leonardo Castanedo on Thriving Together at ICOM12: Unraveling Nutrient Dynamics and Insights on Ericoid Mycorrhizal Symbiosis and lessons therein – Functional Ecologists
It's been just over a month since the 12th International Conference on Mycorrhiza. In these blog posts, we hear from some of the winners of Functional Ecology's poster and talk prizes! Here, Leonardo Castanedo - who won our second place prize for his talk 'Thriving together: unravelling nutrient dynamics regulating ericoid mycorrhizal symbiosis' - shares…
Emily Holden: Plants prefer similar neighbours: increasing competition with higher trait dissimilarity. – Functional Ecologists
In our new post Emily Holden, PhD candidate at University of Alberta (Canada), presents her work ‘Plant trait dissimilarity increases competitive interactions among co-occurring plants’. She talks about confronting contrasting hypotheses, shares how she overcame COVID-19 to do her experiment, and celebrates her grandmother's gardening skills. About the paper A foundational theory in ecology is…
Beatrice Bock: Becoming a scientist wasn’t a mistake, just a happy little accident – Functional Ecologists
It's been just over a month since the 12th International Conference on Mycorrhiza. In these blog posts, we hear from some of the winners of Functional Ecology's poster and talk prizes! Here, Beatrice Bock - who won our second place prize for her poster 'Common mycorrhizal networks: exploring the “dark web"' - discusses her journey…
Tom Martin and Penn Lloyd: What makes songbirds different in their breeding cycles? – Functional Ecologists
In our latest post, authors Tom Martin and Penn Lloyd explore what makes songbirds different in their breeding cycles. Tom, a retired scientist of the University of Montana, and Penn, an ecological consultant in Queensland Australia, share insight behind their paper: “Potential drivers of differences in breeding phenology as a component of life history strategies…
Tuğcan Alınç: Exploring multitrophic interactions: How beneficial soil microbes boost indirect plant defenses against herbivores – Functional Ecologists
In our new post, Tuğcan Alınç, postdoctoral research at University of Palermo, presents his work ‘Root inoculation with beneficial soil microbes enhances indirect plant defenses induced by insect feeding and egg deposition’. He unveils the wonderful complexity of biotic interactions, discusses the importance of indirect paths for sustainable agriculture, and shares his inspiring visits to…
Lu Wang: Divergent microbial phosphorous acquisition strategies between active layer and permafrost deposits on the Tibetan Plateau – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Lu Wang, a Ph.D. student from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, discusses her recently published paper, “Divergent microbial phosphorous acquisition strategies between active layer and permafrost deposits on the Tibetan Plateau”. She delves into the research gap regarding phosphorus cycle in permafrost soils, highlights the challenges associated…
Els van de Zande: In the laboratory, greenhouse and field; how insects skins belowground can enhance the attraction of natural enemies of aboveground pest insects – Functional Ecologists
Els van de Zande – a post-doc at Wageningen University, the Netherlands – presents her work ‘Enhanced parasitisation of caterpillars and aphids on field-grown Brassica oleracea plants upon soil amendment with insect exuviae’. She discusses how belowground changes can affect aboveground tri-trophic interactions, highlights a silver lining of the Covid-19 lockdowns and makes the case…
Kaz Uyehara on trade-offs during competition: Can plants have their cake and eat it too? – Functional Ecologists
In this new post Kaz Uyehara, postdoc researcher at UC Davies, presents his work ‘Neighbour-detection causes shifts in allocation across multiple organs to prepare plants for light competition’. He explains how plants need to take critical decisions, shares his expertise about setting experiments and shows how it is possible to combine multiple passions, and even…
Kerstin Pierick: Las estrategias aéreas y subterráneas de las especies arbóreas montanas tropicales están coordinadas e impulsadas por la disponibilidad de nitrógeno a pequeña escala – Functional Ecologists
En nuestro último post, la postdoc Kerstin Pierick de la Universidad de Göttingen presenta el último capítulo de su tesis doctoral ‘Las estrategias aéreas y subterráneas de las especies arbóreas montanas tropicales están coordinadas e impulsadas por la disponibilidad de nitrógeno a pequeña escala’. Kerstin presenta su impresionante sistema de estudio, discute la conexión entre…
Kerstin Pierick: Above- and belowground strategies of tropical montane tree species are coordinated and driven by small-scale nitrogen availability – Functional Ecologists
In our last post Kerstin Pierick, postdoc at the University of Göttingen, discusses her last PhD thesis chapter ‘Above- and belowground strategies of tropical montane tree species are coordinated and driven by small-scale nitrogen availability’. She presents her astonishing study system, discusses the connection between environment and traits and remembers the importance of changing the…
Graydon Gillies: Understanding how high temperatures influence resource acquisition and competitive ability – Functional Ecologists
In our latest post Graydon Gilles, MSc student at University of Queens, presents his work ‘Temperature-dependence and genetic variation in resource acquisition strategies in a model freshwater plant’. He explains the mechanisms behind competition, shows the challenges behind building a lab in your apartment and shares his passion for outdoor ecology. About the paper As…
冯晓娟：POM和MAOM间微生物CUE的差异并不一致 (Chinese Translation) – Functional Ecologists
在这篇博文中，来自中国科学院植物研究所的冯晓娟研究员介绍了她的研究团队最近发表的工作——“微生物碳利用效率在颗粒态有机质和矿物质结合态有机质之间是否存在差异？”在这项工作中，她们比较了颗粒态有机质（POM）和矿物质结合态有机质（MAOM）中的微生物碳利用效率（CUE）。通常，学术界认为POM和MAOM是具有不同的有机质组成和营养物可用性的两种土壤功能库。 关于这项研究 土壤异养微生物作为土壤有机碳（SOC）的分解者和贡献者，对SOC的转化和长期保存起着核心作用。微生物CUE是表征微生物有机碳转化效率的关键参数，在土壤碳模型中广泛应用于描述微生物转化过程。如上所述， 当前学术界普遍认为POM和MAOM是两种具有不同组成、形成途径和环境持久性的SOC功能库。一些新一代模型（如Millennial模型）假设POM和MAOM具有相同的微生物CUE值。然而，最近的一些研究推测认为，由于MAOM中更高的养分含量和较高的底物质量，即MAOM中碳氮比较低，MAOM中的微生物CUE可能高于POM。然而，目前尚缺乏对比POM与MAOM微生物CUE的实证研究，这限制了土壤和生态科学家从微生物生理学属性的视角理解不同土壤功能碳库形成过程和效率。 The corresponding author Xiaojuan Feng (left) and the first author Lixiao Ma (right) of the paper (Credit: Xiaojuan Feng) 关于这篇论文 本项研究的关键在于分离POM和MAOM。她们尝试了很多种方法，最终选择使用Milli-Q水而非化学分散剂或密度剂（如偏钨酸钠），以减少残留化学物质对土壤微生物可能造成的干扰。尽管这种方法可能无法完全分离POM和MAOM，但她们观察到有机物质组成、微生物群落组成和磷的可利用性在POM和MAOM之间存在显著差异，表明所采用的方法至少在一定程度上区分了POM和MAOM。研究者进一步选取了25个具有不同土壤属性的天然森林和草地，从中分离出POM和MAOM，并使用18O标记水进行培养实验，比较它们的微生物CUE。与预期相反，由于MAOM和POM间微生物氮的可利用性是相似的，微生物CUE在POM和MAOM之间并没有一致差异。然而，随着微生物磷限制在POM中相对增加，CUEPOM/CUEMAOM随之降低。这一结果预示着，在磷限制增强的情景下，不同土壤碳库的微生物CUE差异可能增强。由于两种土壤功能碳库之间微生物CUE的微小差异可能对土壤有机碳库的稳定性和转化带来深远影响，未来应对POM与MAOM中微生物CUE的潜在差异给予更多关注。 Sampling sites and process of the experiment (Credit: Xiaojuan Feng) Collection and pretreatment of soil samples (Credit: the authors) Quantifying microbial CUE using incubation experiments with 18O-labeled water (Credit: the…
Xiaojuan Feng: microbial Carbon use efficiency did not consistently differ between particulate and mineral-associated organic matter – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Professor Xiaojuan Feng from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences presents her work ‘Does microbial carbon use efficiency differ between particulate and mineral-associated organic matter?’ She compares the microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) in particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM), which represents different soil functional pools…
Valentin Graf: The importance of individual behavior for bird-mediated seed dispersal – Functional Ecologists
In our latest post Valentin Graf, PhD student at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt, presents his work ‘Individual behavior shapes patterns of bird-mediated seed dispersal’. He discusses the importance of moving from species to individual scale in ecology, shares how he overcame setbacks at the beginning of the research project, and…
Yongqiang Zhang: Functional diversity of neighbors mediates sap flow density and radial growth of focal trees, but in different ways between evergreen and deciduous broadleaved species – Functional Ecologists
In this post, Yongqiang Zhang—a PhD student at Peking University—shares his recently published paper: “Functional diversity of neighbors mediates sap flow density and radial growth of focal trees, but in different ways between evergreen and deciduous broadleaved species”. He underscores the importance of this research in advancing forest management practices by regulating species composition in…
Lucie Kuczynski: Understanding how biodiversity in ecosystems changes over time by considering the arrival and departure of species – Functional Ecologists
In this blog post, Lucie Kuczynski - a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oldenburg, Germany - presents her research "Functional diversity loss and taxonomic delays of European freshwater fish and North American breeding birds". She talks about identifying delays in changes of functional diversity, the usefulness of open data, and the importance of seeking…
Masayoshi Hiraiwa on diverse communities for diverse interactions: impact of long-tongued pollinator loss in pollination networks. – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Masayoshi Hiraiwa - postdoctoral researcher at Kindai University - presents his work ‘Loss of functional diversity rather than species diversity of pollinators decreases community‐wide trait matching and pollination function’. He discusses the importance of functional traits on biotic interactions, the challenge of finding proper study sites, and his interest in less…
Masayoshi Hiraiwa on diverse communities for diverse interactions: impact of long-tongued pollinator loss in pollination networks (Japanese Translation) – Functional Ecologists
平岩将良 論文について マルハナバチ類やチョウ類のような大型で長い口吻をもつ昆虫は、長い花筒や距をもつ多くの花にとって重要な送粉者です。彼らは複雑な構造をもつ花の進化にとっても重要な役割を果たしています。日本の海洋島である伊豆諸島は、マルハナバチ類やアゲハチョウ類が分布していないか少なく、植物の花の進化が起きていることが知られています。最も有名な例は、伊豆諸島におけるホタルブクロ属植物の花の小型化です。本州に分布するホタルブクロCampanula punctataは主にマルハナバチ類によって送粉されますが、伊豆諸島に分布する近縁のシマホタルブクロC. microdontaは花が小さく、小型のハナバチが訪花します。 伊豆諸島の島々(credit: Masayoshi K. Hiraiwa) このように個々の植物種の花の進化事例は比較的よく研究されていますが、マルハナバチ類の不在が植物―送粉者のネットワーク全体に与える影響や機能についてはよくわかっていません。そこで私たちは本州と伊豆諸島のネットワークを比較し、長口吻送粉者の喪失が送粉群集に与える影響について調べることにしました。 研究について これは島嶼生物学の文脈からみても興味深いトピックですが、人間活動等によるマルハナバチ類やチョウ類の世界的な減少が、植物―送粉者ネットワークや送粉サービスに与える影響についても深い洞察を与えてくれます。残された短い口吻をもつハナバチ類やハエ類は、マルハナバチ類がいない穴を埋めることができるのでしょうか？ これまで、送粉者の減少がもたらす影響は数種の植物と送粉者の種を用いた実験系によって検証され、多様な種が存在する自然系ではほとんど検証されてきませんでした。自然群集への影響を明確にするため、研究開始前に、植物組成が類似していて送粉者組成のみが異なる調査地を探しました。結果として、海浜植生を調査地として選びました。これは、海浜植生が広い範囲で共通して分布する海流散布植物を多く含み、植生が類似しやすい特徴をもつためです。また、伊豆諸島は本州に比較的近く、多くの送粉者種を共有しています。最も時間と労力を要したのは、マルハナバチや長い口吻をもつ他のハナバチ類がいる本州の調査地を見つけることでした。多くの海岸でこれらの種を観察することができませんでした。おそらく海岸開発や周辺の森林喪失など、さまざまな人為的影響によるものと考えられます。 海浜植物群集(credit: Masayoshi K. Hiraiwa) 調査の結果、マルハナバチが多く存在する本州のネットワークは長口吻送粉者と長花筒植物、短口吻送粉者と短花筒植物が相互作用していました。これは、一般的に観察される相互作用のパターンと同様であり、形態のマッチングが良い送粉者が訪花することで効率よく送粉が行われていました。一方で、マルハナバチ類のいない伊豆諸島では、異なる相互作用パターンが観察されました。長花筒植物に短口吻送粉者が訪花するなど、ネットワークレベルのミスマッチが生じ、植物群集全体の送粉効率が低下していたのです。 長花筒植物(ハマヒルガオCalystegia soldanella)を訪花するマルハナバチ（a, 本州）と小型ハナバチ（b, 海洋島） (credit: Masayoshi K. Hiraiwa) これらの結果から、多くの生態系において一般的に観察されるマッチングが良い種同士の相互作用パターンは、異なる長さの口吻をもつ送粉者間の競争の結果生じたと考えられます。つまり、マルハナバチ類のような長口吻送粉者の減少は、送粉者のニッチシフトを介して、長花筒植物だけでなく植物群集全体の送粉機能を低下させる可能性があるということです。現在進行する送粉者の減少に対処する際には、相互作用していた植物だけでなく、植物群集全体に影響が及びうることに留意することが重要です。 著者について 平岩将良(credit: Masayoshi K. Hiraiwa) 私は現在、博士研究員として近畿大学に所属しています。送粉生態学の研究を始めたきっかけは、ハナアブに興味をもったことでした。本研究は、神戸大学の送粉生態学者である丑丸敦史さんのもとで博士課程在籍中におこなった研究です。送粉生態学ではミツバチやマルハナバチに注目が集まりがちですが、私は小型のハナバチやハナアブなどの多様な送粉者が、植物―送粉者ネットワークの中でどのような機能的役割をもつのかに興味があります。近年、人間活動等により送粉者の多様性減少や外来種の移入などが報告されています。このような送粉者組成の変化が植物―送粉者ネットワークや群集の送粉機能に与える影響が私の博士課程からの主要な研究テーマです。現在では送粉生態系に関わらず、群集の多様性の変化が種間相互作用に与える影響について研究を行っています。 Like the blog post? Read the paper here
Thinles Chondol: Survival strategy in the hostile Himalayan Mountain: Marcescence – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Thinles Chondol - a PhD candidate at the University of South Bohemia - presents her work "Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource-limited environments?" She shows the importance of marcescence for plant persistence, discusses how looking at your study system can…
Šárka Angst on marcescence: how standing dead biomass affects litter decomposition of herbs – Functional Ecologists
In this Behind the Paper blog post, Šárka Angst - a research assistant at the Czech Academy of Sciences - discusses her paper "The effect of dead standing (marcescent) biomass on litter decomposition in herbaceous flora is governed by plant functional group". Šárka discusses the ecological relevance of marcescence, conducting fieldwork in the cold, and…
Pride Month 2024: Kelsey Byers – Functional Ecologists
Happy Pride Month! Join the British Ecological Society in this annual, global celebration as we share stories from STEM researchers who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. This post is by Kelsey Byers (any/all pronouns), an evolutionary chemical ecology researcher studying floral scent and pollination at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK. [author note: I…
Oriana Sánchez-Mahecha: What are the potential single and combined effects of heatwaves and extremes in water availability on microbe-plant interactions and the consequences that may leave on posterior plant-insect interactions? – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Oriana Sánchez-Mahecha - a PhD student from the Technical University of Munich, Germany - presents her work “Microbe-induced plant resistance against insect pests depends on timing of inoculation but is consistent across climatic conditions”. Here, she discusses the importance of including extreme abiotic factors associated to climate change scenarios when studying…
Simon Bahrndorff: Acclimation to moderate temperatures can have strong negative impacts on heat tolerance of arctic arthropods – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Simon Bahrndorff of Aalborg University in Denmark presents his work ‘Acclimation to moderate temperatures can have strong negative impacts on heat tolerance of arctic arthropods'. Simon discusses his research on the effects of prolonged exposure to moderate temperatures on terrestrial Arctic ectotherms and shares his thoughts on the importance of uncovering…
Noah Leith: Understanding how thermoregulation affects insect survival and reproduction in the face of climate change – Functional Ecologists
In this 'Behind the Paper' blog post, Noah Leith - a PhD candidate in the Fowler-Finn Lab at Saint Louis University - discusses his research article Thermoregulation enhances survival but not reproduction in a plant-feeding insect, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Noah discusses the impacts of thermoregulation on treehopper survival and reproduction, the…
Zhenlong Xing: Plants may exploit herbivore-induced flavonoids to regulate AM fungal symbiosis – Functional Ecologists
In our latest post, Zhenlong Xing—a researcher at Henan University, Kaifeng, China—presents his work ‘Foliar herbivory modifies arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization likely through altering root flavonoids’. He discusses the inspiration behind this paper and the path he took to become an ecologist. About the paper In June 2018, I obtained my PhD degree and I…
Wayne Dawson: Unearthing the ‘hidden half’ of plant trait variation in a globally widespread herb. – Functional Ecologists
In our new post, Professor Wayne Dawson from the University of Liverpool presents his work ‘Root traits vary as much as leaf traits and have consistent phenotypic plasticity among 14 populations of a globally widespread herb’. He highlights the importance of belowground traits, discusses the role of AMF on plants, and shares the relaxing power…
Fuqiang Song: The effects of long-term in situ N addition on the Korean pine plantation soil microbes and their regulation of soil priming effect – Functional Ecologists
In this new post, Professor Fuqiang Song of Heilongjiang University presents his work ‘Nitrogen addition suppresses soil positive priming effect in temperate plantations: evidence from an 8-year in situ field experiment’. He shows the effects of long-term in situ N addition on temperate plantation soil microbes and their regulation of soil priming effect. About the…
Associate Editor (Blog) – Functional Ecology – Functional Ecologists
Functional Ecology is seeking a new Editor to help run its highly successful blog site, Functional Ecologists We are currently looking for a new Blog Editor, with a broad interest in animal ecology, to continue delivering high-quality content on the blog. As well as highlighting journal content, the blog is a platform for discussing topics of…