Characterizing biogeochemical fluctuations in a world of extremes: A synthesis for temperate intertidal habitats in the face of global change

AbstractUnderstanding and predicting possible responses of grassland species to global change is of important meaning for adapting grassland management to a changed and changing environment. A laboratory clipping experiment was conducted to examine the interspecific responses in an ecological context of competition and environmental changes. Festuca rubra and Trifolium pratense, either in monoculture or two- and three-species mixtures, were grown in three environmental combinations (ambient and increased temperature, repetitive N supply, and simulated acid rain), respectively. After a growth time of three months, plants were clipped at the height of 1.0 cm above soil surface. Plant height and aboveground biomass prior clipping, and survival rate and regrowth (height and biomass) after clipping were analyzed. F. rubra and T. pratense responded differently in compensatory growth and competition intensity to environmental change and co-existing species. The differences in their physiological and ecological traits may account for species-dependent responses. The present study emphasizes that predicting the plant assemblage response in the face of global change requires in understanding the integrating effects of abiotic and biotic factors.

Download Full-text

Ecophysiology of avian migration in the face of current global hazards

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2012.0008 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 367 (1596) ◽

pp. 1719-1732 ◽

Cited By ~ 68

Author(s):

Marcel Klaassen ◽

Bethany J. Hoye ◽

Bart A. Nolet ◽

William A. Buttemer

Keyword(s):

Global Change ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

High Energy ◽

Change Processes ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Long Distance ◽

Physiological Limits ◽

The Face ◽

Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽

The Impact

Long-distance migratory birds are often considered extreme athletes, possessing a range of traits that approach the physiological limits of vertebrate design. In addition, their movements must be carefully timed to ensure that they obtain resources of sufficient quantity and quality to satisfy their high-energy needs. Migratory birds may therefore be particularly vulnerable to global change processes that are projected to alter the quality and quantity of resource availability. Because long-distance flight requires high and sustained aerobic capacity, even minor decreases in vitality can have large negative consequences for migrants. In the light of this, we assess how current global change processes may affect the ability of birds to meet the physiological demands of migration, and suggest areas where avian physiologists may help to identify potential hazards. Predicting the consequences of global change scenarios on migrant species requires (i) reconciliation of empirical and theoretical studies of avian flight physiology; (ii) an understanding of the effects of food quality, toxicants and disease on migrant performance; and (iii) mechanistic models that integrate abiotic and biotic factors to predict migratory behaviour. Critically, a multi-dimensional concept of vitality would greatly facilitate evaluation of the impact of various global change processes on the population dynamics of migratory birds.

Download Full-text

Indigenous knowledge networks in the face of global change

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1821843116 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 116 (20) ◽

pp. 9913-9918 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rodrigo Cámara-Leret ◽

Miguel A. Fortuna ◽

Jordi Bascompte

Keyword(s):

Global Change ◽

Cultural Heritage ◽

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Indigenous People ◽

Plant Species ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Knowledge Networks ◽

The Road ◽

Cultural Diffusion ◽

The Face

Indigenous communities rely extensively on plants for food, shelter, and medicine. It is still unknown, however, to what degree their survival is jeopardized by the loss of either plant species or knowledge about their services. To fill this gap, here we introduce indigenous knowledge networks describing the wisdom of indigenous people on plant species and the services they provide. Our results across 57 Neotropical communities show that cultural heritage is as important as plants for preserving indigenous knowledge both locally and regionally. Indeed, knowledge networks collapse as fast when plant species are driven extinct as when cultural diffusion, either within or among communities, is lost. But it is the joint loss of plant species and knowledge that erodes these networks at a much higher rate. Our findings pave the road toward integrative policies that recognize more explicitly the inseparable links between cultural and biological heritage.

Download Full-text