Can polyploids compete? Learning from coexistence theory in a duckweed experiment
Frederik Mortier, Ghent Universit, discusses his article: Polyploid—diploid coexistence in the greater duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza Polyploid establishment is not as easy as it looks Polyploidy, when organisms have extra sets of chromosomes due to whole-genome duplication, is surprisingly common, especially in plants. Polyploidy can be a dramatic mutation with a huge effect on plant traits,…...
[read more]Thu, 31 Jul 2025 01:28:16 +0000
Are non-native plant species similar to natives in harsh environments? Evidence from the central Chilean Andes.
Vinka Anic and Lohengrin Cavieres, University of Concepción in Chile, discuss their article: Functional and phylogenetic similarity between native and non-native plant species along an elevational gradient in the central Chilean Andes: No evidence for the preadaptation hypothesis The establishment of non-native species is expected to be constrained in regions affected by harsh environmental conditions…...
[read more]Tue, 29 Jul 2025 02:46:56 +0000
Revealing reasons for rarity of a woodland plant
Emma R. Neigel, University of Lethbridge, discusses her article, Dispersal limitation and seed predation drives rarity of a plant species at its range edge Ecological theory proposes that three ‘filters’ determine which species are present in a community: (1) the suitability of abiotic conditions (e.g., soil moisture and temperature), (2) dispersal limitation – the ability…...
[read more]Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:26:40 +0000
Extrafloral nectary tree-driven soil carbon sequestration
Yumei Pan, Xiaojuan Liu, Michael Staab, and Naili Zhang, Beijing Forestry University in China, discuss their article: Soil carbon sequestration: Facilitated effect of extrafloral nectary trees in a diverse subtropical forest Carbon: Crucial role in climate change mitigation Soil organic matter dynamics and carbon sequestration are critical for mitigating climate change. Forest soils, which account…...
[read more]Tue, 22 Jul 2025 03:43:42 +0000
How Does Drought Reshape Nitrogen Cycling in Subtropical Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forests? Insights from Zhejiang Tiantong Station
Songbo Tang, Jianyang Xia, and Liming Yan, East China Normal University, discusses their article: Long-term drought triggers contrasting responses of foliar stable nitrogen isotopes and soil available nitrogen in a subtropical forest Introduction: The Hidden Link Between Drought and Nitrogen Dynamics As climate change intensifies, drought events increasingly threaten the functionality of global forest ecosystems.…...
[read more]Tue, 15 Jul 2025 04:09:17 +0000
High-altitude allies: Alpine plants and their fungal partners
Skylar Burg, University of Jyväskylä in Finland, discusses her article: Abiotic conditions along altitude shape plant-fungal associations by influencing both fungal availability and association strength Setting out in the mountains High in the mountainous tundra of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, the perennial herb Bistorta vivipara, known as alpine bistort, thrives in conditions that challenge most…...
[read more]Tue, 08 Jul 2025 03:38:52 +0000
Longer growing seasons don’t mean more growth: How seasonal climates shape tree wood growth in the southern Altai Mountains
Wenjin Wang, Zhejiang University in China, discusses their article: Seasonal climate variations drive decoupling between the duration and amount of xylem growth along a hydrothermal gradient in the southern Altai Mountains Climate change is transforming forests across the world. A key question many ecologists and forest managers are asking is: will warmer temperatures lead to…...
[read more]Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:46:21 +0000
Making robust projections of species distributions at fine resolution: Go spatially-nested
Antoine Guisan, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, discusses his article: Spatially-nested species distribution models (N-SDM): An effective tool to overcome niche truncation for better inference and projections Setting the scene Species distribution models (SDMs) relate species observations to mapped environmental conditions to estimate the ecological niche (i.e., the ensemble of suitable conditions) and predict the spatial distribution…...
[read more]Tue, 24 Jun 2025 03:57:05 +0000
Predicting the unpredictable: Modelling the distribution of plant-associated microbes with species distribution models
Sarah Ishak, Université du Québec à Montréal, discusses their article: Modelling the distribution of plant-associated microbes with species distribution models The array of bacteria, fungi, protists, viruses, and archaea that live inside or outside of plant tissue, AKA plant-associated microbes, perform functions that vary from beneficial to parasitic to simply neutrally existing with the plant.…...
[read more]Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:29:59 +0000
Decoding the diversity of root exudate chemistry in plant belowground strategies
Huajun Yin, Peipei Zhang, and Han Yang, Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discuss their article: Shifts in root exudate composition coordinate with root resource conservation along an elevation gradient Root exudates: Small molecules, big influence Plant ecologists have long been fascinated by the diverse strategies plants use to acquire nutrients…...
[read more]Tue, 17 Jun 2025 05:15:35 +0000
