TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schittko, Conrad
A1  - Onandia, Gabriela
A1  - Bernard-Verdier, Maud
A1  - Heger, Tina
A1  - Jeschke, Jonathan M.
A1  - Kowarik, Ingo
A1  - Maaß, Stefanie
A1  - Joshi, Jasmin
T1  - Biodiversity maintains soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon in novel urban ecosystems
JF  - Journal of ecology
N2  - Biodiversity in urban ecosystems has the potential to increase ecosystem functions and support a suite of services valued by society, including services provided by soils. Specifically, the sequestration of carbon in soils has often been advocated as a solution to mitigate the steady increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere as a key driver of climate change. However, urban ecosystems are also characterized by an often high level of ecological novelty due to profound human-mediated changes, such as the presence of high numbers of non-native species, impervious surfaces or other disturbances. Yet it is poorly understood whether and how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning and services of urban soils under these novel conditions. In this study, we assessed the influence of above- and below-ground diversity, as well as urbanization and plant invasions, on multifunctionality and organic carbon stocks of soils in non-manipulated grasslands along an urbanization gradient in Berlin, Germany. We focused on plant diversity (measured as species richness and functional trait diversity) and, in addition, on soil organism diversity as a potential mediator for the relationship of plant species diversity and ecosystem functioning. Our results showed positive effects of plant diversity on soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon stocks along the entire gradient. Structural equation models revealed that plant diversity enhanced soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon by increasing the diversity of below-ground organisms. These positive effects of plant diversity on soil multifunctionality and soil fauna were not restricted to native plant species only, but were also exerted by non-native species, although to a lesser degree. Synthesis. We conclude that enhancing diversity in plants and soil fauna of urban grasslands can increase the multifunctionality of urban soils and also add to their often underestimated but very valuable role in mitigating effects of climate change.
KW  - Anthropocene
KW  - biological invasions
KW  - ecosystem function and services;
KW  - functional diversity
KW  - global change
KW  - non-native species
KW  - novel
KW  - ecosystems
KW  - urbanization
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13852
SN  - 0022-0477
SN  - 1365-2745
VL  - 110
IS  - 4
SP  - 916
EP  - 934
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kürschner, Tobias
A1  - Scherer, Cédric
A1  - Radchuk, Viktoriia
A1  - Blaum, Niels
A1  - Kramer-Schadt, Stephanie
T1  - Movement can mediate temporal mismatches between resource availability and biological events in host-pathogen interactions
JF  - Ecology and evolution
N2  - Global change is shifting the timing of biological events, leading to temporal mismatches between biological events and resource availability. These temporal mismatches can threaten species' populations. Importantly, temporal mismatches not only exert strong pressures on the population dynamics of the focal species, but can also lead to substantial changes in pairwise species interactions such as host-pathogen systems. We adapted an established individual-based model of host-pathogen dynamics. The model describes a viral agent in a social host, while accounting for the host's explicit movement decisions. We aimed to investigate how temporal mismatches between seasonal resource availability and host life-history events affect host-pathogen coexistence, that is, disease persistence. Seasonal resource fluctuations only increased coexistence probability when in synchrony with the hosts' biological events. However, a temporal mismatch reduced host-pathogen coexistence, but only marginally. In tandem with an increasing temporal mismatch, our model showed a shift in the spatial distribution of infected hosts. It shifted from an even distribution under synchronous conditions toward the formation of disease hotspots, when host life history and resource availability mismatched completely. The spatial restriction of infected hosts to small hotspots in the landscape initially suggested a lower coexistence probability due to the critical loss of susceptible host individuals within those hotspots. However, the surrounding landscape facilitated demographic rescue through habitat-dependent movement. Our work demonstrates that the negative effects of temporal mismatches between host resource availability and host life history on host-pathogen coexistence can be reduced through the formation of temporary disease hotspots and host movement decisions, with implications for disease management under disturbances and global change.
KW  - classical swine fever
KW  - dynamic landscapes
KW  - global change
KW  - host– pathogen dynamics
KW  - individual‐ based model
KW  - movement ecology
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7478
SN  - 2045-7758
VL  - 11
IS  - 10
SP  - 5728
EP  - 5741
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mooij, Wolf M.
A1  - Trolle, Dennis
A1  - Jeppesen, Erik
A1  - Arhonditsis, George B.
A1  - Belolipetsky, Pavel V.
A1  - Chitamwebwa, Deonatus B. R.
A1  - Degermendzhy, Andrey G.
A1  - DeAngelis, Donald L.
A1  - Domis, Lisette Nicole de Senerpont
A1  - Downing, Andrea S.
A1  - Elliott, J. Alex
A1  - Fragoso Jr, Carlos Ruberto
A1  - Gaedke, Ursula
A1  - Genova, Svetlana N.
A1  - Gulati, Ramesh D.
A1  - Håkanson, Lars
A1  - Hamilton, David P.
A1  - Hipsey, Matthew R.
A1  - ‘t Hoen, Jochem
A1  - Hülsmann, Stephan
A1  - Los, F. Hans
A1  - Makler-Pick, Vardit
A1  - Petzoldt, Thomas
A1  - Prokopkin, Igor G.
A1  - Rinke, Karsten
A1  - Schep, Sebastiaan A.
A1  - Tominaga, Koji
A1  - Van Dam, Anne A.
A1  - Van Nes, Egbert H.
A1  - Wells, Scott A.
A1  - Janse, Jan H.
T1  - Challenges and opportunities for integrating lake ecosystem modelling approaches
JF  - Aquatic ecology
N2  - A large number and wide variety of lake ecosystem models have been developed and published during the past four decades. We identify two challenges for making further progress in this field. One such challenge is to avoid developing more models largely following the concept of others ('reinventing the wheel'). The other challenge is to avoid focusing on only one type of model, while ignoring new and diverse approaches that have become available ('having tunnel vision'). In this paper, we aim at improving the awareness of existing models and knowledge of concurrent approaches in lake ecosystem modelling, without covering all possible model tools and avenues. First, we present a broad variety of modelling approaches. To illustrate these approaches, we give brief descriptions of rather arbitrarily selected sets of specific models. We deal with static models (steady state and regression models), complex dynamic models (CAEDYM, CE-QUAL-W2, Delft 3D-ECO, LakeMab, LakeWeb, MyLake, PCLake, PROTECH, SALMO), structurally dynamic models and minimal dynamic models. We also discuss a group of approaches that could all be classified as individual based: super-individual models (Piscator, Charisma), physiologically structured models, stage-structured models and traitbased models. We briefly mention genetic algorithms, neural networks, Kalman filters and fuzzy logic. Thereafter, we zoom in, as an in-depth example, on the multi-decadal development and application of the lake ecosystem model PCLake and related models (PCLake Metamodel, Lake Shira Model, IPH-TRIM3D-PCLake). In the discussion, we argue that while the historical development of each approach and model is understandable given its 'leading principle', there are many opportunities for combining approaches. We take the point of view that a single 'right' approach does not exist and should not be strived for. Instead, multiple modelling approaches, applied concurrently to a given problem, can help develop an integrative view on the functioning of lake ecosystems. We end with a set of specific recommendations that may be of help in the further development of lake ecosystem models.
KW  - aquatic
KW  - food web dynamics
KW  - plankton
KW  - nutrients
KW  - spatial
KW  - lake
KW  - freshwater
KW  - marine
KW  - community
KW  - population
KW  - hydrology
KW  - eutrophication
KW  - global change
KW  - climate warming
KW  - fisheries
KW  - biodiversity
KW  - management
KW  - mitigation
KW  - adaptive processes
KW  - non-linear dynamics
KW  - analysis
KW  - bifurcation
KW  - understanding
KW  - prediction
KW  - model limitations
KW  - model integration
Y1  - 2010
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-010-9339-3
SN  - 1573-5125
SN  - 1386-2588
VL  - 44
SP  - 633
EP  - 667
PB  - Springer Science + Business Media B.V.
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Zurell, Damaris
A1  - König, Christian
A1  - Malchow, Anne-Kathleen
A1  - Kapitza, Simon
A1  - Bocedi, Greta
A1  - Travis, Justin M. J.
A1  - Fandos, Guillermo
T1  - Spatially explicit models for decision-making in animal conservation and restoration
JF  - Ecography : pattern and diversity in ecology / Nordic Ecologic Society Oikos
N2  - Models are useful tools for understanding and predicting ecological patterns and processes. Under ongoing climate and biodiversity change, they can greatly facilitate decision-making in conservation and restoration and help designing adequate management strategies for an uncertain future. Here, we review the use of spatially explicit models for decision support and to identify key gaps in current modelling in conservation and restoration. Of 650 reviewed publications, 217 publications had a clear management application and were included in our quantitative analyses. Overall, modelling studies were biased towards static models (79%), towards the species and population level (80%) and towards conservation (rather than restoration) applications (71%). Correlative niche models were the most widely used model type. Dynamic models as well as the gene-to-individual level and the community-to-ecosystem level were underrepresented, and explicit cost optimisation approaches were only used in 10% of the studies. We present a new model typology for selecting models for animal conservation and restoration, characterising model types according to organisational levels, biological processes of interest and desired management applications. This typology will help to more closely link models to management goals. Additionally, future efforts need to overcome important challenges related to data integration, model integration and decision-making. We conclude with five key recommendations, suggesting that wider usage of spatially explicit models for decision support can be achieved by 1) developing a toolbox with multiple, easier-to-use methods, 2) improving calibration and validation of dynamic modelling approaches and 3) developing best-practise guidelines for applying these models. Further, more robust decision-making can be achieved by 4) combining multiple modelling approaches to assess uncertainty, and 5) placing models at the core of adaptive management. These efforts must be accompanied by long-term funding for modelling and monitoring, and improved communication between research and practise to ensure optimal conservation and restoration outcomes.
KW  - adaptive management
KW  - biodiversity conservation
KW  - cost optimisation
KW  - ecosystem restoration
KW  - global change
KW  - predictive models
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05787
SN  - 1600-0587
IS  - 4
SP  - 1
EP  - 16
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Stanton, Richard A.
A1  - Boone, Wesley W.
A1  - Soto-Shoender, Jose
A1  - Fletcher, Robert J.
A1  - Blaum, Niels
A1  - McCleery, Robert A.
T1  - Shrub encroachment and vertebrate diversity
BT  - a global meta-analysis
JF  - Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology
N2  - Aim: Across the planet, grass-dominated biomes are experiencing shrub encroachment driven by atmospheric CO2 enrichment and land-use change. By altering resource structure and availability, shrub encroachment may have important impacts on vertebrate communities. We sought to determine the magnitude and variability of these effects across climatic gradients, continents, and taxa, and to learn whether shrub thinning restores the structure of vertebrate communities. Location: Worldwide. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial vertebrates. Methods: We estimated relationships between percentage shrub cover and the structure of terrestrial vertebrate communities (species richness, Shannon diversity and community abundance) in experimentally thinned and unmanipulated shrub-encroached grass-dominated biomes using systematic review and meta-analyses of 43 studies published from 1978 to 2016. We modelled the effects of continent, biome, mean annual precipitation, net primary productivity and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on the relationship between shrub cover and vertebrate community structure. Results: Species richness, Shannon diversity and total abundance had no consistent relationship with shrub encroachment and experimental thinning did not reverse encroachment effects on vertebrate communities. However, some effects of shrub encroachment on vertebrate communities differed with net primary productivity, amongst vertebrate groups, and across continents. Encroachment had negative effects on vertebrate diversity at low net primary productivity. Mammalian and herpetofaunal diversity decreased with shrub encroachment. Shrub encroachment also had negative effects on species richness and total abundance in Africa but positive effects in North America. Main conclusions: Biodiversity conservation and mitigation efforts responding to shrub encroachment should focus on low-productivity locations, on mammals and herpetofauna, and in Africa. However, targeted research in neglected regions such as central Asia and India will be needed to fill important gaps in our knowledge of shrub encroachment effects on vertebrates. Additionally, our findings provide an impetus for determining the mechanisms associated with changes in vertebrate diversity and abundance in shrub-encroached grass-dominated biomes.
KW  - biodiversity
KW  - global change
KW  - grasslands
KW  - grazing
KW  - pastoral abandonment
KW  - savannas
KW  - shrub encroachment
KW  - shrub thinning
KW  - species richness
KW  - woody encroachment
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12675
SN  - 1466-822X
SN  - 1466-8238
VL  - 27
IS  - 3
SP  - 368
EP  - 379
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Penone, Caterina
A1  - Allan, Eric
A1  - Soliveres, Santiago
A1  - Felipe-Lucia, Maria R.
A1  - Gossner, Martin M.
A1  - Seibold, Sebastian
A1  - Simons, Nadja K.
A1  - Schall, Peter
A1  - van der Plas, Fons
A1  - Manning, Peter
A1  - Manzanedo, Ruben D.
A1  - Boch, Steffen
A1  - Prati, Daniel
A1  - Ammer, Christian
A1  - Bauhus, Juergen
A1  - Buscot, Francois
A1  - Ehbrecht, Martin
A1  - Goldmann, Kezia
A1  - Jung, Kirsten
A1  - Mueller, Joerg
A1  - Mueller, Joerg C.
A1  - Pena, Rodica
A1  - Polle, Andrea
A1  - Renner, Swen C.
A1  - Ruess, Liliane
A1  - Schoenig, Ingo
A1  - Schrumpf, Marion
A1  - Solly, Emily F.
A1  - Tschapka, Marco
A1  - Weisser, Wolfgang W.
A1  - Wubet, Tesfaye
A1  - Fischer, Markus
T1  - Specialisation and diversity of multiple trophic groups are promoted by different forest features
JF  - Ecology letters
N2  - While forest management strongly influences biodiversity, it remains unclear how the structural and compositional changes caused by management affect different community dimensions (e.g. richness, specialisation, abundance or completeness) and how this differs between taxa. We assessed the effects of nine forest features (representing stand structure, heterogeneity and tree composition) on thirteen above- and belowground trophic groups of plants, animals, fungi and bacteria in 150 temperate forest plots differing in their management type. Canopy cover decreased light resources, which increased community specialisation but reduced overall diversity and abundance. Features increasing resource types and diversifying microhabitats (admixing of oaks and conifers) were important and mostly affected richness. Belowground groups responded differently to those aboveground and had weaker responses to most forest features. Our results show that we need to consider forest features rather than broad management types and highlight the importance of considering several groups and community dimensions to better inform conservation.
KW  - biodiversity exploratories
KW  - dark diversity
KW  - forest management
KW  - global change
KW  - land-use
KW  - multidiversity
KW  - specialisation
KW  - temperate forests
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13182
SN  - 1461-023X
SN  - 1461-0248
VL  - 22
IS  - 1
SP  - 170
EP  - 180
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Heger, Tina
A1  - Bernard-Verdier, Maud
A1  - Gessler, Arthur
A1  - Greenwood, Alex D.
A1  - Grossart, Hans-Peter
A1  - Hilker, Monika
A1  - Keinath, Silvia
A1  - Kowarik, Ingo
A1  - Küffer, Christoph
A1  - Marquard, Elisabeth
A1  - Mueller, Johannes
A1  - Niemeier, Stephanie
A1  - Onandia, Gabriela
A1  - Petermann, Jana S.
A1  - Rillig, Matthias C.
A1  - Rodel, Mark-Oliver
A1  - Saul, Wolf-Christian
A1  - Schittko, Conrad
A1  - Tockner, Klement
A1  - Joshi, Jasmin Radha
A1  - Jeschke, Jonathan M.
T1  - Towards an Integrative, Eco-Evolutionary Understanding of Ecological Novelty: Studying and Communicating Interlinked Effects of Global Change
JF  - Bioscience
N2  - Global change has complex eco-evolutionary consequences for organisms and ecosystems, but related concepts (e.g., novel ecosystems) do not cover their full range. Here we propose an umbrella concept of "ecological novelty" comprising (1) a site-specific and (2) an organism-centered, eco-evolutionary perspective. Under this umbrella, complementary options for studying and communicating effects of global change on organisms, ecosystems, and landscapes can be included in a toolbox. This allows researchers to address ecological novelty from different perspectives, e.g., by defining it based on (a) categorical or continuous measures, (b) reference conditions related to sites or organisms, and (c) types of human activities. We suggest striving for a descriptive, non-normative usage of the term "ecological novelty" in science. Normative evaluations and decisions about conservation policies or management are important, but require additional societal processes and engagement with multiple stakeholders.
KW  - Anthropocene
KW  - eco-evolutionary experience
KW  - global change
KW  - novel ecosystems
KW  - shifting baselines
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz095
SN  - 0006-3568
SN  - 1525-3244
VL  - 69
IS  - 11
SP  - 888
EP  - 899
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schwarzer, Christian
A1  - Joshi, Jasmin Radha
T1  - Ecotypic differentiation, hybridization and clonality facilitate the persistence of a cold-adapted sedge in European bogs
JF  - Biological journal of the Linnean Society : a journal of evolution
N2  - Recent research has shown that many cold-adapted species survived the last glacial maximum (LGM) in northern refugia. Whether this evolutionary history has had consequences for their genetic diversity and adaptive potential remains unknown. We sampled 14 populations of Carex limosa, a sedge specialized to bog ecosystems, along a latitudinal gradient from its Scandinavian core to the southern lowland range-margin in Germany. Using microsatellite and experimental common-garden data, we evaluated the impacts of global climate change along this gradient and assessed the conservation status of the southern marginal populations. Microsatellite data revealed two highly distinct genetic groups and hybrid individuals. In our common-garden experiment, the two groups showed divergent responses to increased nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) availability, suggesting ecotypic differentiation. Each group formed genetically uniform populations at both northern and southern sampling areas. Mixed populations occurred throughout our sampling area, an area that was entirely glaciated during the LGM. The fragmented distribution implies allopatric divergence at geographically separated refugia that putatively differed in N/P availability. Molecular data and an observed low hybrid fecundity indicate the importance of clonal reproduction for hybrid populations. At the southern range-margin, however, all populations showed effects of clonality, lowered fecundity and low competitiveness, suggesting abiotic and biotic constraints to population persistence.
KW  - biogeography
KW  - bog/mire plants
KW  - Carex limosa
KW  - climate change
KW  - glacial divergence
KW  - global change
KW  - leading/trailing edge
KW  - population differentiation
KW  - sexual/asexual reproduction
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz141
SN  - 0024-4066
SN  - 1095-8312
VL  - 128
IS  - 4
SP  - 909
EP  - 925
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Koussoroplis, Apostolos-Manuel
A1  - Pincebourde, Sylvain
A1  - Wacker, Alexander
T1  - Understanding and predicting physiological performance of organisms in fluctuating and multifactorial environments
JF  - Ecological monographs : a publication of the Ecological Society of America.
N2  - Understanding how variance in environmental factors affects physiological performance, population growth, and persistence is central in ecology. Despite recent interest in the effects of variance in single biological drivers, such as temperature, we have lacked a comprehensive framework for predicting how the variances and covariances between multiple environmental factors will affect physiological rates. Here, we integrate current theory on variance effects with co-limitation theory into a single unified conceptual framework that has general applicability. We show how the framework can be applied (1) to generate mathematically tractable predictions of the physiological effects of multiple fluctuating co-limiting factors, (2) to understand how each co-limiting factor contributes to these effects, and (3) to detect mechanisms such as acclimation or physiological stress when they are at play. We show that the statistical covariance of co-limiting factors, which has not been considered before, can be a strong driver of physiological performance in various ecological contexts. Our framework can provide powerful insights on how the global change-induced shifts in multiple environmental factors affect the physiological performance of organisms.
KW  - co-limitation
KW  - covariance
KW  - eco-physiology
KW  - feeding rate
KW  - global change
KW  - multiple stressors
KW  - nonlinear averaging
KW  - nutrients
KW  - scale transition
KW  - temperature
KW  - temporal ecology
KW  - variance
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1247
SN  - 0012-9615
SN  - 1557-7015
VL  - 87
SP  - 178
EP  - 197
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Binzer, Amrei
A1  - Guill, Christian
A1  - Rall, Björn C.
A1  - Brose, Ulrich
T1  - Interactive effects of warming, eutrophication and size structure: impacts on biodiversity and food-web structure
JF  - Global change biology
N2  - Warming and eutrophication are two of the most important global change stressors for natural ecosystems, but their interaction is poorly understood. We used a dynamic model of complex, size-structured food webs to assess interactive effects on diversity and network structure. We found antagonistic impacts: Warming increases diversity in eutrophic systems and decreases it in oligotrophic systems. These effects interact with the community size structure: Communities of similarly sized species such as parasitoid-host systems are stabilized by warming and destabilized by eutrophication, whereas the diversity of size-structured predator-prey networks decreases strongly with warming, but decreases only weakly with eutrophication. Nonrandom extinction risks for generalists and specialists lead to higher connectance in networks without size structure and lower connectance in size-structured communities. Overall, our results unravel interactive impacts of warming and eutrophication and suggest that size structure may serve as an important proxy for predicting the community sensitivity to these global change stressors.
KW  - complex food webs
KW  - extinctions
KW  - generalists
KW  - global change
KW  - size structure
KW  - specialists
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13086
SN  - 1354-1013
SN  - 1365-2486
VL  - 22
SP  - 220
EP  - 227
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -