@article {pmid31796765,
year = {2019},
author = {Romanuk, TN and Binzer, A and Loeuille, N and Carscallen, WMA and Martinez, ND},
title = {Simulated evolution assembles more realistic food webs with more functionally similar species than invasion.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {18242},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-54443-0},
pmid = {31796765},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {While natural communities are assembled by both ecological and evolutionary processes, ecological assembly processes have been studied much more and are rarely compared with evolutionary assembly processes. We address these disparities here by comparing community food webs assembled by simulating introductions of species from regional pools of species and from speciation events. Compared to introductions of trophically dissimilar species assumed to be more typical of invasions, introducing species trophically similar to native species assumed to be more typical of sympatric or parapatric speciation events caused fewer extinctions and assembled more empirically realistic networks by introducing more persistent species with higher trophic generality, vulnerability, and enduring similarity to native species. Such events also increased niche overlap and the persistence of both native and introduced species. Contrary to much competition theory, these findings suggest that evolutionary and other processes that more tightly pack ecological niches contribute more to ecosystem structure and function than previously thought.},
}

@article {pmid31246974,
year = {2019},
author = {Michalska-Smith, MJ and Allesina, S},
title = {Telling ecological networks apart by their structure: A computational challenge.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {15},
number = {6},
pages = {e1007076},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007076},
pmid = {31246974},
issn = {1553-7358},
mesh = {Computational Biology/*methods ; Ecology/*methods ; *Ecosystem ; Machine Learning ; *Models, Biological ; *Symbiosis ; },
abstract = {Ecologists have been compiling ecological networks for over a century, detailing the interactions between species in a variety of ecosystems. To this end, they have built networks for mutualistic (e.g., pollination, seed dispersal) as well as antagonistic (e.g., herbivory, parasitism) interactions. The type of interaction being represented is believed to be reflected in the structure of the network, which would differ substantially between mutualistic and antagonistic networks. Here, we put this notion to the test by attempting to determine the type of interaction represented in a network based solely on its structure. We find that, although it is easy to separate different kinds of nonecological networks, ecological networks display much structural variation, making it difficult to distinguish between mutualistic and antagonistic interactions. We therefore frame the problem as a challenge for the community of scientists interested in computational biology and machine learning. We discuss the features a good solution to this problem should possess and the obstacles that need to be overcome to achieve this goal.},
}

Computational Biology/*methods
Ecology/*methods
*Ecosystem
Machine Learning
*Models, Biological
*Symbiosis

@article {pmid31112783,
year = {2019},
author = {Liu, YY and Jin, WT and Wei, XX and Wang, XQ},
title = {Cryptic speciation in the Chinese white pine (Pinus armandii): Implications for the high species diversity of conifers in the Hengduan Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot.},
journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution},
volume = {138},
number = {},
pages = {114-125},
doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2019.05.015},
pmid = {31112783},
issn = {1095-9513},
mesh = {Alleles ; Base Sequence ; *Biodiversity ; Cell Nucleus/genetics ; China ; Databases, Genetic ; Gene Dosage ; Genes, Plant ; *Genetic Speciation ; Genetics, Population ; Geography ; Phylogeny ; Pinus/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics ; Principal Component Analysis ; RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism ; Species Specificity ; Transcriptome/genetics ; },
abstract = {Conifers are the largest and ecologically and economically most important component group of the gymnosperms. Despite their slow rate of molecular evolution, rapid and recent diversification was unexpectedly prevalent in this ancient group in the Hengduan Mountains, a world's biodiversity hotspot and gymnosperm diversity center in Southwest China. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms and disentangled the interactions of geography and ecology in speciation and evolution in Pinus armandii, an important forest tree species endemic to China, by integrating analyses of population transcriptomics, population genetics and ecological niche modeling. Many lines of evidence suggest that cryptic speciation has occurred in P. armandii. During the process, geologically induced formation of Mount Gongga and other massive peaks might trigger the initial vicariance isolation of the northern and southern subdivisions, and ecologically based selection then reinforced their differentiation and local adaptation. Our ecological niche analysis and earlier reciprocal transplant experiments in P. armandii provided convincing evidences for the critical role of ecology in the process of speciation. These findings suggest that both geography and ecology contributed significantly to the abundance of very recent and rapid species divergences, which promoted the rising of the extremely high conifer diversity in the Hengduan Mountains.},
}

Alleles
Base Sequence
*Biodiversity
Cell Nucleus/genetics
China
Databases, Genetic
Gene Dosage
Genes, Plant
*Genetic Speciation
Genetics, Population
Geography
Phylogeny
Pinus/*genetics
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics
Principal Component Analysis
RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism
Species Specificity
Transcriptome/genetics

@article {pmid31736538,
year = {2019},
author = {Podar, D and Macalik, K and Réti, KO and Martonos, I and Török, E and Carpa, R and Weindorf, DC and Csiszár, J and Székely, G},
title = {Morphological, physiological and biochemical aspects of salt tolerance of halophyte Petrosimonia triandra grown in natural habitat.},
journal = {Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology},
volume = {25},
number = {6},
pages = {1335-1347},
doi = {10.1007/s12298-019-00697-x},
pmid = {31736538},
issn = {0971-5894},
abstract = {Salt tolerance mechanisms of halophyte Petrosimonia triandra, growing in its natural habitat in Cluj County, Romania, were investigated via biomass, growth parameters, water status, ion content, photosynthetic and antioxidative system efficiency, proline accumulation and lipid degradation. Two sampling sites with different soil electrical conductivities were selected: site 1: 3.14 dS m-1 and site 2: 4.45 dS m-1. Higher salinity proved to have a positive effect on growth. The relative water content did not decline severely, Na+ and K+ content of the roots, stem and leaves was more, and the functions of the photosynthetic apparatus and photosynthetic pigment contents were not altered. The efficiency of the antioxidative defence system was found to be assured by coordination of several reactive oxygen species scavengers. The presence of higher salinity led to accumulation of the osmolyte proline, while degradation of membrane lipids was reduced. As a whole, P. triandra evolved different adaptational strategies to counteract soil salinity, including morphological and physiological adaptations, preservation of photosynthetic activity, development of an efficient antioxidative system and accumulation of the osmotic compound, proline.},
}

@article {pmid31732338,
year = {2019},
author = {Wang, Y and Qiao, M and Baikeli, Y and Mamat, X and Li, L and Hu, X and Dong, Y and Chang, F and Zhang, H and Hu, G},
title = {Soft-templated mesoporous carbon-modified glassy carbon electrode for sensitive and selective detection of aristolochic acids.},
journal = {Journal of hazardous materials},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {121550},
doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121550},
pmid = {31732338},
issn = {1873-3336},
abstract = {In this study, ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) was synthesized by applying a soft template method, and its mesoporous structure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic analyses were conducted to demonstrate the high graphitization and topological defects at the sample surface. An electrochemical sensor based on an OMC-modified glassy carbon electrode (OMC/GCE) was constructed to detect aristolochic acids (AAs) using cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry. The dependence of the experimental parameters including solution pH, scan rate, and accumulation time were examined and optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the response of OMC/GCE was linear over wide concentration ranges of AAs (0.6-10 μM and 10-50 μM), with sensitivities of -1.77 and -0.31 μA/μM, respectively. The limit of detection was calculated to be 0.186 μM (at S/N = 3). Furthermore, the proposed OMC/GCE was applied to detect AAs in Asarum sieboldini and the content of AAs was calculated to be 8.9 μg/g with high accuracy and precision. In addition, the modified electrode also exhibited good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. Therefore, the OMC/GCE can be used as a platform for the determination of AAs.},
}

@article {pmid31720122,
year = {2019},
author = {Näpflin, K and O'Connor, EA and Becks, L and Bensch, S and Ellis, VA and Hafer-Hahmann, N and Harding, KC and Lindén, SK and Olsen, MT and Roved, J and Sackton, TB and Shultz, AJ and Venkatakrishnan, V and Videvall, E and Westerdahl, H and Winternitz, JC and Edwards, SV},
title = {Genomics of host-pathogen interactions: challenges and opportunities across ecological and spatiotemporal scales.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {7},
number = {},
pages = {e8013},
doi = {10.7717/peerj.8013},
pmid = {31720122},
issn = {2167-8359},
abstract = {Evolutionary genomics has recently entered a new era in the study of host-pathogen interactions. A variety of novel genomic techniques has transformed the identification, detection and classification of both hosts and pathogens, allowing a greater resolution that helps decipher their underlying dynamics and provides novel insights into their environmental context. Nevertheless, many challenges to a general understanding of host-pathogen interactions remain, in particular in the synthesis and integration of concepts and findings across a variety of systems and different spatiotemporal and ecological scales. In this perspective we aim to highlight some of the commonalities and complexities across diverse studies of host-pathogen interactions, with a focus on ecological, spatiotemporal variation, and the choice of genomic methods used. We performed a quantitative review of recent literature to investigate links, patterns and potential tradeoffs between the complexity of genomic, ecological and spatiotemporal scales undertaken in individual host-pathogen studies. We found that the majority of studies used whole genome resolution to address their research objectives across a broad range of ecological scales, especially when focusing on the pathogen side of the interaction. Nevertheless, genomic studies conducted in a complex spatiotemporal context are currently rare in the literature. Because processes of host-pathogen interactions can be understood at multiple scales, from molecular-, cellular-, and physiological-scales to the levels of populations and ecosystems, we conclude that a major obstacle for synthesis across diverse host-pathogen systems is that data are collected on widely diverging scales with different degrees of resolution. This disparity not only hampers effective infrastructural organization of the data but also data granularity and accessibility. Comprehensive metadata deposited in association with genomic data in easily accessible databases will allow greater inference across systems in the future, especially when combined with open data standards and practices. The standardization and comparability of such data will facilitate early detection of emerging infectious diseases as well as studies of the impact of anthropogenic stressors, such as climate change, on disease dynamics in humans and wildlife.},
}

@article {pmid31026273,
year = {2019},
author = {Park, DS and Akuffo, AA and Muench, DE and Grimes, HL and Epling-Burnette, PK and Maini, PK and Anderson, ARA and Bonsall, MB},
title = {Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential and its impact on patient trajectories after stem cell transplantation.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {15},
number = {4},
pages = {e1006913},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006913},
pmid = {31026273},
issn = {1553-7358},
support = {R01 HL122661/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States ; P30 CA076292/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; U01 CA232382/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; U54 CA193489/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Computational Biology ; Hematopoiesis/*physiology ; *Hematopoietic Stem Cells/cytology/physiology ; Humans ; Mice ; *Models, Biological ; Stem Cell Transplantation/*statistics & numerical data ; },
abstract = {Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is a recently identified process where older patients accumulate distinct subclones defined by recurring somatic mutations in hematopoietic stem cells. CHIP's implications for stem cell transplantation have been harder to identify due to the high degree of mutational heterogeneity that is present within the genetically distinct subclones. In order to gain a better understanding of CHIP and the impact of clonal dynamics on transplantation outcomes, we created a mathematical model of clonal competition dynamics. Our analyses highlight the importance of understanding competition intensity between healthy and mutant clones. Importantly, we highlight the risk that CHIP poses in leading to dominance of precancerous mutant clones and the risk of donor derived leukemia. Furthermore, we estimate the degree of competition intensity and bone marrow niche decline in mice during aging by using our modeling framework. Together, our work highlights the importance of better characterizing the ecological and clonal composition in hematopoietic donor populations at the time of stem cell transplantation.},
}

Animals
Computational Biology
Hematopoiesis/*physiology
*Hematopoietic Stem Cells/cytology/physiology
Humans
Mice
*Models, Biological
Stem Cell Transplantation/*statistics & numerical data

@article {pmid31494409,
year = {2019},
author = {Reaney, SM and Mackay, EB and Haygarth, PM and Fisher, M and Molineux, A and Potts, M and Benskin, CMH},
title = {Identifying critical source areas using multiple methods for effective diffuse pollution mitigation.},
journal = {Journal of environmental management},
volume = {250},
number = {},
pages = {109366},
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109366},
pmid = {31494409},
issn = {1095-8630},
mesh = {*Agriculture ; Environmental Monitoring ; Fresh Water ; Geographic Information Systems ; Water Pollution ; *Water Quality ; },
abstract = {Diffuse pollution from agriculture constitutes a key pressure on the water quality of freshwaters and is frequently the cause of ecological degradation. The problem of diffuse pollution can be conceptualised with a source-mobilisation-pathway (or delivery)-impact model, whereby the combination of high source risk and strong connected pathways leads to 'critical source areas' (CSAs). These areas are where most diffuse pollution will originate, and hence are the optimal places to implement mitigation measures. However, identifying the locations of these areas is a key problem across different spatial scales within catchments. A number of approaches are frequently used for this assessment, although comparisons of these assessments are rarely carried out. We evaluate the CSAs identified via traditional walkover surveys supported by three different approaches, highlighting their benefits and disadvantages. These include a custom designed smartphone app; a desktop geographic information system (GIS) and terrain analysis-based SCIMAP (Sensitive Catchment Integrated Modelling and Analysis Platform) approach; and the use of a high spatial resolution drone dataset as an improved input data for SCIMAP modelling. Each of these methods captures the locations of the CSAs, revealing similarities and differences in the prioritisation of CSA features. The differences are due to the temporal and spatial resolution of the three methods such as the use of static land cover information, the ability to capture small scale features, such as gateways and the incomplete catchment coverage of the walkover survey. The relative costs and output resolutions of the three methods indicate that they are suitable for application at different catchment scales in conjunction with other methods. Based on the results in this paper, it is recommended that a multi-evidence-based approach to diffuse pollution management is taken across catchment spatial scales, incorporating local knowledge from the walkover with the different data resolutions of the SCIMAP approach.},
}

*Agriculture
Environmental Monitoring
Fresh Water
Geographic Information Systems
Water Pollution
*Water Quality

@article {pmid31488068,
year = {2019},
author = {Pereira-Flores, E and Glöckner, FO and Fernandez-Guerra, A},
title = {Fast and accurate average genome size and 16S rRNA gene average copy number computation in metagenomic data.},
journal = {BMC bioinformatics},
volume = {20},
number = {1},
pages = {453},
doi = {10.1186/s12859-019-3031-y},
pmid = {31488068},
issn = {1471-2105},
support = {57129354//Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst/ ; POS_EXT_2012_1_10105//Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación/ ; 634486//Horizon 2020 Framework Programme/ ; },
mesh = {Benchmarking ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; Databases, Genetic ; *Gene Dosage ; *Genome Size ; Metagenome/*genetics ; Metagenomics/*methods ; Oceans and Seas ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*genetics ; Time Factors ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Metagenomics caused a quantum leap in microbial ecology. However, the inherent size and complexity of metagenomic data limit its interpretation. The quantification of metagenomic traits in metagenomic analysis workflows has the potential to improve the exploitation of metagenomic data. Metagenomic traits are organisms' characteristics linked to their performance. They are measured at the genomic level taking a random sample of individuals in a community. As such, these traits provide valuable information to uncover microorganisms' ecological patterns. The Average Genome Size (AGS) and the 16S rRNA gene Average Copy Number (ACN) are two highly informative metagenomic traits that reflect microorganisms' ecological strategies as well as the environmental conditions they inhabit.

RESULTS: Here, we present the ags.sh and acn.sh tools, which analytically derive the AGS and ACN metagenomic traits. These tools represent an advance on previous approaches to compute the AGS and ACN traits. Benchmarking shows that ags.sh is up to 11 times faster than state-of-the-art tools dedicated to the estimation AGS. Both ags.sh and acn.sh show comparable or higher accuracy than existing tools used to estimate these traits. To exemplify the applicability of both tools, we analyzed the 139 prokaryotic metagenomes of TARA Oceans and revealed the ecological strategies associated with different water layers.

CONCLUSION: We took advantage of recent advances in gene annotation to develop the ags.sh and acn.sh tools to combine easy tool usage with fast and accurate performance. Our tools compute the AGS and ACN metagenomic traits on unassembled metagenomes and allow researchers to improve their metagenomic data analysis to gain deeper insights into microorganisms' ecology. The ags.sh and acn.sh tools are publicly available using Docker container technology at https://github.com/pereiramemo/AGS-and-ACN-tools .},
}

Benchmarking
DNA Copy Number Variations
Databases, Genetic
*Gene Dosage
*Genome Size
Metagenome/*genetics
Metagenomics/*methods
Oceans and Seas
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/*genetics
Time Factors

@article {pmid31344542,
year = {2019},
author = {Saedpanah, S and Amanollahi, J},
title = {Environmental pollution and geo-ecological risk assessment of the Qhorveh mining area in western Iran.},
journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},
volume = {253},
number = {},
pages = {811-820},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2019.07.049},
pmid = {31344542},
issn = {1873-6424},
mesh = {Ecology ; Environment ; Environmental Monitoring/*methods ; Environmental Pollution/*statistics & numerical data ; Geographic Information Systems ; Iran ; *Mining ; Risk Assessment ; Soil ; Soil Pollutants/analysis ; },
abstract = {In order to evaluate the effect of mining activity on the environment of the Qhorveh mining area in the west of Iran, the geological, ecological and environmental data, related to social development and regional economic status, were used. The geological data included seven sub-indices, such as vegetation coverage, land utilization type, and fault activity; ecological data, with two sub-indices, such as degree of ecological environment recovery; and finally, environmental data, with three sub-indices, such as soil and dust pollutions. These were selected based on the literature and expert opinion which were utilized for environmental pollution and geo-ecological (EPGE) risk assessment of the study site. Remote sensing (RS) image, field sampling, digital elevation map, and data retrieved from different government agencies were used to generate layers for the sub-indices in the geographic information system (GIS) environment. In addition, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to determine the weight of sub-indices. Five levels consisting of best, good, middle, poor and worst were used to describe the EPGE risk assessment of the Qhorveh mining area. Results showed that worst and poor levels of EPGE risk are in the east and northeast of the study area where the gold and pumice mines are located while best and good levels of EPGE risk are in its center where the stone mines are located. According to the results of this research, the EPGE risk assessment of the Qhorveh mining area is affected by the environmental pollution index with its highest weight (0.3908). It can be concluded that the integration of the RS, GIS and AHP methods proposed in this study improved the evaluation quality of EPGE risk assessment.},
}

Ecology
Environment
Environmental Monitoring/*methods
Environmental Pollution/*statistics & numerical data
Geographic Information Systems
Iran
*Mining
Risk Assessment
Soil
Soil Pollutants/analysis

@article {pmid31150382,
year = {2019},
author = {Boza, G and Worsley, SF and Yu, DW and Scheuring, I},
title = {Efficient assembly and long-term stability of defensive microbiomes via private resources and community bistability.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {15},
number = {5},
pages = {e1007109},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007109},
pmid = {31150382},
issn = {1553-7358},
mesh = {Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/biosynthesis ; Computational Biology ; Ecosystem ; Host Microbial Interactions/*physiology ; Microbiota/*physiology ; Models, Biological ; Symbiosis/physiology ; },
abstract = {Understanding the mechanisms that promote the assembly and maintenance of host-beneficial microbiomes is an open problem. Empirical evidence supports the idea that animal and plant hosts can combine 'private resources' with the ecological phenomenon known as 'community bistability' to favour some microbial strains over others. We briefly review evidence showing that hosts can: (i) protect the growth of beneficial strains in an isolated habitat, (ii) use antibiotics to suppress non-beneficial, competitor strains, and (iii) provide resources that only beneficial strains are able to translate into an increased rate of growth, reproduction, or antibiotic production. We then demonstrate in a spatially explicit, individual-based model that these three mechanisms act similarly by selectively promoting the initial proliferation of preferred strains, that is, by acting as a private resource. The faster early growth of preferred strains, combined with the phenomenon of 'community bistability,' allows those strains to continue to dominate the microbiome even after the private resource is withdrawn or made public. This is because after a beneficial colony reaches a sufficiently large size, it can resist invasion by parasites without further private support from the host. We further explicitly model localized microbial interactions and diffusion dynamics, and we show that an intermediate level of antibiotic diffusion is the most efficient mechanism in promoting preferred strains and that there is a wide range of parameters under which hosts can promote the assembly of a self-sustaining defensive microbiome. This in turn supports the idea that hosts readily evolve to promote host-beneficial defensive microbiomes.},
}

Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents/biosynthesis
Computational Biology
Ecosystem
Host Microbial Interactions/*physiology
Microbiota/*physiology
Models, Biological
Symbiosis/physiology

@article {pmid31652294,
year = {2019},
author = {Tamburello, L and Papa, L and Guarnieri, G and Basconi, L and Zampardi, S and Scipione, MB and Terlizzi, A and Zupo, V and Fraschetti, S},
title = {Are we ready for scaling up restoration actions? An insight from Mediterranean macroalgal canopies.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {e0224477},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0224477},
pmid = {31652294},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {Extensive loss of macroalgal forests advocates for large-scale restoration interventions, to compensate habitat degradation and recover the associated ecological functions and services. Yet, restoration attempts have generally been limited to small spatial extensions, with the principal aim of developing efficient restoration techniques. Here, the success of outplanting Cystoseira amentacea v. stricta germlings cultured in aquaria was experimentally explored at a scale of tens of kms, by means of a multifactorial experimental design. In the intertidal rocky shores of SE Italy, locations with a continuous distribution for hundreds of meters or with few thalli forming patches of few centimeters of C. amentacea canopy were selected. In each location, the effects of adult conspecifics and the exclusion of macrograzers (salema fish and sea urchins) on the survival of germlings were tested. We evaluated the most critical determinants of mortality for germlings, including the overlooked pressure of mesograzers (e.g. amphipods, small mollusks, polychaetes). Despite the high mortality observed during outplanting and early settlement stages, survival of C. amentacea germlings was consistently favored by the exclusion of macrograzers, while the presence of adult conspecifics had no effects. In addition, the cost analysis of the interventions showed the feasibility of the ex-situ method, representing an essential tool for preserving Cystoseira forests. Large scale restoration is possible but requires baseline information with an in-depth knowledge of the species ecology and of the areas to be restored, together with the development of specific cultivation protocols to make consistently efficient restoration interventions.},
}

@article {pmid31636201,
year = {2019},
author = {Palomo, I and Dujardin, Y and Midler, E and Robin, M and Sanz, MJ and Pascual, U},
title = {Modeling trade-offs across carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and equity in the distribution of global REDD+ funds.},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1908683116},
pmid = {31636201},
issn = {1091-6490},
abstract = {The program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is one of the major attempts to tackle climate change mitigation in developing countries. REDD+ seeks to provide result-based incentives to promote emission reductions and increase carbon sinks in forest land while promoting other cobenefits, such as the conservation of biodiversity. We model different scenarios of international REDD+ funds distribution toward potential recipient countries using 2 carbon emission reduction targets (20% and 50% compared to the baseline scenario, i.e., deforestation and forest degradation without REDD+) by 2030. The model combines the prioritization of environmental outcomes in terms of carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation and social equity, accounting for the equitable distribution of international REDD+ funds. Results highlight the synergy between carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation under alternative fund allocation criteria, especially for scenarios of low carbon emission reduction. Trade-offs increase when distributional equity is considered as an additional criterion, especially under higher equity requirements. The analysis helps to better understand the inherent trade-offs between enhancing distributional equity and meeting environmental targets under alternative REDD+ fund allocation options.},
}

@article {pmid29332298,
year = {2018},
author = {Garay, J and Cressman, R and Móri, TF and Varga, T},
title = {The ESS and replicator equation in matrix games under time constraints.},
journal = {Journal of mathematical biology},
volume = {76},
number = {7},
pages = {1951-1973},
pmid = {29332298},
issn = {1432-1416},
support = {K 108615//Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office NKFIH/International ; GINOP 2.3.2-15-2016-00057//Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office NKFIH/International ; 690817//Horizon 2020: The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions/International ; 690817//Horizon 2020: The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions/International ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Biological Evolution ; Computational Biology ; Ecosystem ; *Game Theory ; Humans ; Mathematical Concepts ; *Models, Biological ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Population Dynamics ; Time Factors ; },
abstract = {Recently, we introduced the class of matrix games under time constraints and characterized the concept of (monomorphic) evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) in them. We are now interested in how the ESS is related to the existence and stability of equilibria for polymorphic populations. We point out that, although the ESS may no longer be a polymorphic equilibrium, there is a connection between them. Specifically, the polymorphic state at which the average strategy of the active individuals in the population is equal to the ESS is an equilibrium of the polymorphic model. Moreover, in the case when there are only two pure strategies, a polymorphic equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable under the replicator equation for the pure-strategy polymorphic model if and only if it corresponds to an ESS. Finally, we prove that a strict Nash equilibrium is a pure-strategy ESS that is a locally asymptotically stable equilibrium of the replicator equation in n-strategy time-constrained matrix games.},
}

Animals
*Biological Evolution
Computational Biology
Ecosystem
*Game Theory
Humans
Mathematical Concepts
*Models, Biological
Mutation
Phenotype
Population Dynamics
Time Factors

@article {pmid31397053,
year = {2019},
author = {Liu, Y and Schwalm, CR and Samuels-Crow, KE and Ogle, K},
title = {Ecological memory of daily carbon exchange across the globe and its importance in drylands.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {22},
number = {11},
pages = {1806-1816},
doi = {10.1111/ele.13363},
pmid = {31397053},
issn = {1461-0248},
support = {DBI#1458867//NSF/ ; DE-AC05-00OR22725//DOE/ ; },
mesh = {*Carbon ; Carbon Cycle ; Carbon Dioxide ; Ecology ; *Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {How do antecedent (past) conditions influence land-carbon dynamics after those conditions no longer persist? In particular, quantifying such memory effects associated with the influence of past environmental (exogenous) and biological (endogenous) conditions is crucial for understanding and predicting the carbon cycle. Here we show, using data from 42 eddy covariance sites across six major biomes, that ecological memory-decomposed into environmental and biological memory components-of daily net carbon exchange (NEE) is critical for understanding the land-carbon metabolism, especially in drylands for which memory explains ~ 32% of the variation in NEE. The strong environmental memory in drylands was primarily driven by short- and long-term moisture status. Moreover, the strength of environmental memory scales with increasing water stress. This universal scaling relationship, emerging within and among major biomes, suggests a potential adaptive response to water limitation. Our findings underscore the necessity of considering ecological memory in experiments, observations and modelling.},
}

*Carbon
Carbon Cycle
Carbon Dioxide
Ecology
*Ecosystem

@article {pmid30060110,
year = {2018},
author = {Doering, JA and Lee, S and Kristiansen, K and Evenseth, L and Barron, MG and Sylte, I and LaLone, CA},
title = {In Silico Site-Directed Mutagenesis Informs Species-Specific Predictions of Chemical Susceptibility Derived From the Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility (SeqAPASS) Tool.},
journal = {Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology},
volume = {166},
number = {1},
pages = {131-145},
doi = {10.1093/toxsci/kfy186},
pmid = {30060110},
issn = {1096-0929},
support = {EPA999999//Intramural EPA/United States ; },
mesh = {Acetylcholinesterase/*genetics ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Amino Acids/*genetics ; Animals ; Computational Biology/*methods ; Computer Simulation ; Hazardous Substances/toxicity ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; *Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Receptors, Steroid/*genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Species Specificity ; Toxicity Tests/*methods ; },
abstract = {Chemical hazard assessment requires extrapolation of information from model organisms to all species of concern. The Sequence Alignment to Predict Across Species Susceptibility (SeqAPASS) tool was developed as a rapid, cost-effective method to aid cross-species extrapolation of susceptibility to chemicals acting on specific protein targets through evaluation of protein structural similarities and differences. The greatest resolution for extrapolation of chemical susceptibility across species involves comparisons of individual amino acid residues at key positions involved in protein-chemical interactions. However, a lack of understanding of whether specific amino acid substitutions among species at key positions in proteins affect interaction with chemicals made manual interpretation of alignments time consuming and potentially inconsistent. Therefore, this study used in silico site-directed mutagenesis coupled with docking simulations of computational models for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and ecdysone receptor (EcR) to investigate how specific amino acid substitutions impact protein-chemical interaction. This study found that computationally derived substitutions in identities of key amino acids caused no change in protein-chemical interaction if residues share the same side chain functional properties and have comparable molecular dimensions, while differences in these characteristics can change protein-chemical interaction. These findings were considered in the development of capabilities for automatically generated species-specific predictions of chemical susceptibility in SeqAPASS. These predictions for AChE and EcR were shown to agree with SeqAPASS predictions comparing the primary sequence and functional domain sequence of proteins for more than 90% of the investigated species, but also identified dramatic species-specific differences in chemical susceptibility that align with results from standard toxicity tests. These results provide a compelling line of evidence for use of SeqAPASS in deriving screening level, species-specific, susceptibility predictions across broad taxonomic groups for application to human and ecological hazard assessment.},
}

Acetylcholinesterase/*genetics
Amino Acid Sequence
Amino Acids/*genetics
Animals
Computational Biology/*methods
Computer Simulation
Hazardous Substances/toxicity
Humans
Molecular Docking Simulation
*Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
Receptors, Steroid/*genetics
Sequence Alignment
Species Specificity
Toxicity Tests/*methods

@article {pmid30054531,
year = {2018},
author = {Simões, T and Novais, SC and Natal-da-Luz, T and Devreese, B and de Boer, T and Roelofs, D and Sousa, JP and van Straalen, NM and Lemos, MFL},
title = {An integrative omics approach to unravel toxicity mechanisms of environmental chemicals: effects of a formulated herbicide.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {11376},
pmid = {30054531},
issn = {2045-2322},
support = {SFRH/BPD/94500/2013//Ministry of Education and Science | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation)/International ; SFRH/BPD/110943/2015//Ministry of Education and Science | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation)/International ; PTDC/AGR-PRO/3496/2012//Ministry of Education and Science | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation)/International ; UID/MAR/04292/2013//Ministry of Education and Science | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation)/International ; 604305//EC | Seventh Framework Programme (European Union Seventh Framework Programme)/International ; },
mesh = {Animals ; Arthropods/drug effects/genetics ; Environmental Pollutants/*toxicity ; Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects ; Gene Ontology ; Gene Regulatory Networks/drug effects ; Genomics/*methods ; Herbicides/*toxicity ; RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism ; Reproduction/drug effects ; Survival Analysis ; *Toxicity Tests ; Transcriptome/genetics ; },
abstract = {The use of integrative molecular approaches can aid in a comprehensive understanding of the effects of toxicants at different levels of biological organization, also supporting risk assessment. The present study aims to unravel the toxicity mechanisms of a widely used herbicide to the arthropod Folsomia candida exposed in a natural soil, by linking effects on reproduction, proteomics and genome-wide gene expression. The EC50 effects on reproduction over 4 weeks was 4.63 mg glyphosate/kg of soil. The formulation included a polyethoxylated tallowamine as an adjuvant, which at 50% effect on reproduction had an estimated concentration of 0.87-1.49 mg/kg of soil. No effects were observed on survival and reproduction when using the isolated active substance, pointing the toxicity of the formulated product to the co-formulant instead of the active ingredient, glyphosate. RNA sequencing and shotgun proteomics were applied to assess differential transcript and protein expressions between exposed and control organisms in time, respectively. Specific functional categories at protein and transcriptome levels were concordant with each other, despite overall limited correlations between datasets. The exposure to this formulation affected normal cellular respiration and lipid metabolism, inducing oxidative stress and leading to impairment in biological life cycle mechanisms such as molting and reproduction.},
}

Animals
Arthropods/drug effects/genetics
Environmental Pollutants/*toxicity
Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects
Gene Ontology
Gene Regulatory Networks/drug effects
Genomics/*methods
Herbicides/*toxicity
RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism
Reproduction/drug effects
Survival Analysis
*Toxicity Tests
Transcriptome/genetics

@article {pmid30739152,
year = {2019},
author = {Robinson, KF and Fuller, AK and Stedman, RC and Siemer, WF and Decker, DJ},
title = {Integration of social and ecological sciences for natural resource decision making: challenges and opportunities.},
journal = {Environmental management},
volume = {63},
number = {5},
pages = {565-573},
doi = {10.1007/s00267-019-01141-2},
pmid = {30739152},
issn = {1432-1009},
support = {WE-173-G//New York Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant/International ; },
mesh = {*Conservation of Natural Resources ; Decision Making ; Decision Support Techniques ; *Ecology ; Humans ; Natural Resources ; },
abstract = {The last 25 years have witnessed growing recognition that natural resource management decisions depend as much on understanding humans and their social interactions as on understanding the interactions between non-human organisms and their environment. Decision science provides a framework for integrating ecological and social factors into a decision, but challenges to integration remain. The decision-analytic framework elicits values and preferences to help articulate objectives, and then evaluates the outcomes of alternative management actions to achieve these objectives. Integrating social science into these steps can be hindered by failing to include social scientists as more than stakeholder-process facilitators, assuming that specific decision-analytic skills are commonplace for social scientists, misperceptions of social data as inherently qualitative, timescale mismatches for iterating through decision analysis and collecting relevant social data, difficulties in predicting human behavior, and failures of institutions to recognize the importance of this integration. We engage these challenges, and suggest solutions to them, helping move forward the integration of social and biological/ecological knowledge and considerations in decision-making.},
}

*Conservation of Natural Resources
Decision Making
Decision Support Techniques
*Ecology
Humans
Natural Resources

@article {pmid29855518,
year = {2018},
author = {Grüss, A and Biggs, C and Heyman, WD and Erisman, B},
title = {Prioritizing monitoring and conservation efforts for fish spawning aggregations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {8473},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-26898-0},
pmid = {29855518},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Animals ; *Conservation of Water Resources ; Databases, Factual ; Ecosystem ; Fishes/*physiology ; Gulf of Mexico ; Linear Models ; United States ; },
abstract = {In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (U.S. GOM), the identification and characterization of transient fish spawning aggregation (FSA) sites is recognized as a regional priority for conservation, but progress is hindered by a lack of understanding of FSA distributions for most exploited species. We employed information compiled in regional databases on FSAs and monitoring for the U.S. GOM to fit species distribution models and produce maps showing the areas likely to host single- and multi-species transient FSA sites. Our results revealed two distinct regions of the U.S. GOM for prioritizing monitoring and conservation efforts for transient FSAs: the coastal waters surrounding major bay systems, particularly those of Texas and Louisiana, and portions of the continental shelf edge (the Flower Garden Banks area and the West Florida shelf edge). The next step would be to locate and characterize actual transient FSA sites in the U.S. GOM by surveying within the areas we identified.},
}

Animals
*Conservation of Water Resources
Databases, Factual
Ecosystem
Fishes/*physiology
Gulf of Mexico
Linear Models
United States

@article {pmid31240840,
year = {2019},
author = {Bastille-Rousseau, G and Wittemyer, G},
title = {Leveraging multidimensional heterogeneity in resource selection to define movement tactics of animals.},
journal = {Ecology letters},
volume = {22},
number = {9},
pages = {1417-1427},
doi = {10.1111/ele.13327},
pmid = {31240840},
issn = {1461-0248},
support = {//Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/ ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal ; *Ecosystem ; *Elephants ; Geographic Information Systems ; Kenya ; *Motor Activity ; },
abstract = {Increasing interest in the complexity, variation and drivers of movement-related behaviours promise new insight into fundamental components of ecology. Resolving the multidimensionality of spatially explicit behaviour remains a challenge for investigating tactics and their relation to niche construction, but high-resolution movement data are providing unprecedented understanding of the diversity of spatially explicit behaviours. We introduce a framework for investigating individual variation in movement-defined resource selection that integrates the behavioural and ecological niche concepts. We apply it to long-term tracking data of 115 African elephants (Loxodonta africana), illustrating how a behavioural hypervolume can be defined based on differences between individuals and their ecological settings, and applied to explore population heterogeneity. While normative movement behaviour is frequently used to characterise population behaviour, we demonstrate the value of leveraging heterogeneity in the behaviour to gain greater insight into population structure and the mechanisms driving space-use tactics.},
}

Animals
*Behavior, Animal
*Ecosystem
*Elephants
Geographic Information Systems
Kenya
*Motor Activity

@article {pmid29094363,
year = {2018},
author = {Glynou, K and Nam, B and Thines, M and Maciá-Vicente, JG},
title = {Facultative root-colonizing fungi dominate endophytic assemblages in roots of nonmycorrhizal Microthlaspi species.},
journal = {The New phytologist},
volume = {217},
number = {3},
pages = {1190-1202},
doi = {10.1111/nph.14873},
pmid = {29094363},
issn = {1469-8137},
mesh = {Ascomycota/*physiology ; Biodiversity ; Databases, Genetic ; Endophytes/*physiology ; Microbiota ; Molecular Sequence Annotation ; Mycorrhizae/*physiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; },
abstract = {There is increasing knowledge on the diversity of root-endophytic fungi, but limited information on their lifestyles and dependence on hosts hampers our understanding of their ecological functions. We compared diversity and biogeographical patterns of cultivable and noncultivable root endophytes to assess whether their occurrence is determined by distinct ecological factors. The endophytic diversity in roots of nonmycorrhizal Microthlaspi spp. growing across Europe was assessed using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and compared with a previous dataset based on cultivation of endophytes from the same root samples. HTS revealed a large fungal richness undetected by cultivation, but which largely comprised taxa with restricted distributions and/or low representation of sequence reads. Both datasets coincided in a consistent high representation of widespread endophytes within orders Pleosporales, Hypocreales and Helotiales, as well as similar associations of community structure with spatial and environmental conditions. Likewise, distributions of particular endophytes inferred by HTS agreed with cultivation data in suggesting individual ecological preferences. Our findings support that Microthlaspi spp. roots are colonized mostly by saprotrophic and likely facultative endophytes, and that differential niche preferences and distribution ranges among fungi importantly drive the assembly of root-endophytic communities.},
}

Ascomycota/*physiology
Biodiversity
Databases, Genetic
Endophytes/*physiology
Microbiota
Molecular Sequence Annotation
Mycorrhizae/*physiology
Sequence Analysis, DNA

@article {pmid29599464,
year = {2018},
author = {Muška, M and Tušer, M and Frouzová, J and Mrkvička, T and Ricard, D and Seďa, J and Morelli, F and Kubečka, J},
title = {Real-time distribution of pelagic fish: combining hydroacoustics, GIS and spatial modelling at a fine spatial scale.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {5381},
pmid = {29599464},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Acoustics ; Animals ; Ecosystem ; Environmental Monitoring ; Fishes/*physiology ; Geographic Information Systems ; Population Dynamics ; *Spatial Analysis ; },
abstract = {Understanding spatial distribution of organisms in heterogeneous environment remains one of the chief issues in ecology. Spatial organization of freshwater fish was investigated predominantly on large-scale, neglecting important local conditions and ecological processes. However, small-scale processes are of an essential importance for individual habitat preferences and hence structuring trophic cascades and species coexistence. In this work, we analysed the real-time spatial distribution of pelagic freshwater fish in the Římov Reservoir (Czechia) observed by hydroacoustics in relation to important environmental predictors during 48 hours at 3-h interval. Effect of diurnal cycle was revealed of highest significance in all spatial models with inverse trends between fish distribution and predictors in day and night in general. Our findings highlighted daytime pelagic fish distribution as highly aggregated, with general fish preferences for central, deep and highly illuminated areas, whereas nighttime distribution was more disperse and fish preferred nearshore steep sloped areas with higher depth. This turnover suggests prominent movements of significant part of fish assemblage between pelagic and nearshore areas on a diel basis. In conclusion, hydroacoustics, GIS and spatial modelling proved as valuable tool for predicting local fish distribution and elucidate its drivers, which has far reaching implications for understanding freshwater ecosystem functioning.},
}

Acoustics
Animals
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring
Fishes/*physiology
Geographic Information Systems
Population Dynamics
*Spatial Analysis

@article {pmid29426939,
year = {2018},
author = {Sablok, G and Hayward, RJ and Davey, PA and Santos, RP and Schliep, M and Larkum, A and Pernice, M and Dolferus, R and Ralph, PJ},
title = {SeagrassDB: An open-source transcriptomics landscape for phylogenetically profiled seagrasses and aquatic plants.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {2749},
pmid = {29426939},
issn = {2045-2322},
mesh = {Aquatic Organisms/*classification/*genetics ; *Databases, Genetic ; Marine Biology ; Phylogeny ; Plants/*classification/*genetics ; Transcriptome/genetics ; },
abstract = {Seagrasses and aquatic plants are important clades of higher plants, significant for carbon sequestration and marine ecological restoration. They are valuable in the sense that they allow us to understand how plants have developed traits to adapt to high salinity and photosynthetically challenged environments. Here, we present a large-scale phylogenetically profiled transcriptomics repository covering seagrasses and aquatic plants. SeagrassDB encompasses a total of 1,052,262 unigenes with a minimum and maximum contig length of 8,831 bp and 16,705 bp respectively. SeagrassDB provides access to 34,455 transcription factors, 470,568 PFAM domains, 382,528 prosite models and 482,121 InterPro domains across 9 species. SeagrassDB allows for the comparative gene mining using BLAST-based approaches and subsequent unigenes sequence retrieval with associated features such as expression (FPKM values), gene ontologies, functional assignments, family level classification, Interpro domains, KEGG orthology (KO), transcription factors and prosite information. SeagrassDB is available to the scientific community for exploring the functional genic landscape of seagrass and aquatic plants at: http://115.146.91.129/index.php .},
}

Aquatic Organisms/*classification/*genetics
*Databases, Genetic
Marine Biology
Phylogeny
Plants/*classification/*genetics
Transcriptome/genetics

@article {pmid30084019,
year = {2018},
author = {Potgieter, LJ and Gaertner, M and Irlich, UM and O'Farrell, PJ and Stafford, L and Vogt, H and Richardson, DM},
title = {Managing Urban Plant Invasions: a Multi-Criteria Prioritization Approach.},
journal = {Environmental management},
volume = {62},
number = {6},
pages = {1168-1185},
pmid = {30084019},
issn = {1432-1009},
support = {85417//National Research Foundation/International ; },
mesh = {Agriculture ; Biodiversity ; Cities ; *Decision Support Techniques ; Ecology ; *Ecosystem ; Geographic Information Systems ; Introduced Species/*statistics & numerical data ; *Plant Development ; South Africa ; },
abstract = {Alien plant invasions in urban areas can have considerable impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). Managing urban plant invasions is particularly challenging given the complex interactions between ecological, economic and social elements that exist in the urban milieu. Strategic landscape-scale insights are crucial for guiding management, as are tactical site-scale perspectives to plan and coordinate control efforts on the ground. Integrating these requirements to enhance management efficiency is a major challenge. Decision-support models have considerable potential for guiding and informing management strategies when problems are complex. This study uses multi-criteria decision tools to develop a prioritization framework for managing invasive alien plants (IAPs) in urban areas at landscape and local scales. We used the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP; a multi-criteria decision support model) to develop and rank criteria for prioritising IAP management in the City of Cape Town (CoCT), South Africa. Located within a global biodiversity hotspot, Cape Town has a long history of alien plant introductions and a complex socio-political make-up, creating a useful system to explore the challenges associated with managing urban plant invasions. To guide the prioritization of areas for IAP management across the CoCT, a stakeholder workshop was held to identify a goal and criteria for consideration, and to assess the relative importance given to each criterion in IAP management. Workshop attendees were drawn from multiple disciplines involved with different aspects of IAP research and management: government departments, scientists and researchers, and managers with a diverse set of skills and interests. We selected spatial datasets and applied our multi-criteria decision analysis in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to develop a landscape-scale prioritization map. To address issues relevant in an urban setting, we also modified an existing IAP management framework to develop a tactical (site-level) prioritization scheme for guiding on-the-ground control operations. High-priority sites for IAP management were identified at landscape- and local scales across the study area. Factors related to safety and security emerged as pivotal features for setting spatially-explicit priorities for management. The approach applied in this study can be useful for managers in all urban settings to guide the selection and prioritization of areas for IAP management.},
}

Agriculture
Biodiversity
Cities
*Decision Support Techniques
Ecology
*Ecosystem
Geographic Information Systems
Introduced Species/*statistics & numerical data
*Plant Development
South Africa

@article {pmid31495042,
year = {2019},
author = {Pranovi, F and Libralato, S and Zucchetta, M and Anelli Monti, M and Link, JS},
title = {Cumulative biomass curves describe past and present conditions of Large Marine Ecosystems.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.14827},
pmid = {31495042},
issn = {1365-2486},
abstract = {Implementing the Ecosystem Approach in marine ecosystems is moving from preliminary steps-- dedicated to defining the optimal features for indicators and developing efficient indicator frameworks-- towards an operational phase where multi-sector marine management decisions are executed using this information. Within this operational context, emergent ecosystem properties are becoming quite promising as they have been demonstrated to be globally widespread and repeatable, and to be quite effective in detecting significant state variations of complex systems. Biomass accumulation across TLs (CumB-TL) combines two important emergent properties of an ecosystem (energy flow, in terms of transfer efficiency, and storage, expressed as biomass), both amenable to detecting rapid ecosystem change. However, for further application, it is crucial to understand which types of drivers an indicator is sensitive to and how robust it is in relation to modifications of the external conditions and/or the system state. Here we address some outstanding questions of these CumB-TL curves related to their sensitivity to various drivers by carrying out a global scale assessment (using data from 62 LMEs) over six decades (1950-2010). We confirm the consistency of the S-pattern across all the LMEs, independent from latitude, ecosystem, environmental conditions, and stress level. The dynamics of the curve shape showed a tendency to stretch (i.e., decrease of steepness), in presence of external disturbance and conversely to increase in steepness and shift towards higher TL in the case of recovery from stressed conditions. Our results suggest the presence of three main types of ecosystem dynamics, those showing an almost continuous increase in ecological state over time, those showing a continuous decrease in ecological state over time, and finally those showing a mixed behavior flipping between recovering and degrading phases. These robust patterns suggest that the CumB-TL curve approach has some useful properties for use in further advancing the implementation of the Ecosystem Approach, allowing us to detect the state of a given marine ecosystem on the basis of the dynamic of its curve shape, by using readily available time series data. The value of being able to identify conditions that might require management actions is quite high and, in many respects, represents the main objective in the context of an Ecosystem Approach, with large applications for detecting and responding to global changes in marine ecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.},
}

@article {pmid29431888,
year = {2018},
author = {Hackett, SC and Bonsall, MB},
title = {Management of a stage-structured insect pest: an application of approximate optimization.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {28},
number = {4},
pages = {938-952},
doi = {10.1002/eap.1700},
pmid = {29431888},
issn = {1051-0761},
support = {BB/H01814X/1//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Ceratitis capitata ; *Decision Support Techniques ; Female ; Insecticides/*economics ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Pest Control, Biological/*economics ; },
abstract = {Ecological decision problems frequently require the optimization of a sequence of actions over time where actions may have both immediate and downstream effects. Dynamic programming can solve such problems only if the dimensionality is sufficiently low. Approximate dynamic programming (ADP) provides a suite of methods applicable to problems of arbitrary complexity at the expense of guaranteed optimality. The most easily generalized method is the look-ahead policy: a brute-force algorithm that identifies reasonable actions by constructing and solving a series of temporally truncated approximations of the full problem over a defined planning horizon. We develop and apply this approach to a pest management problem inspired by the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata. The model aims to minimize the cumulative costs of management actions and medfly-induced losses over a single 16-week season. The medfly population is stage-structured and grows continuously while management decisions are made at discrete, weekly intervals. For each week, the model chooses between inaction, insecticide application, or one of six sterile insect release ratios. Look-ahead policy performance is evaluated over a range of planning horizons, two levels of crop susceptibility to medfly and three levels of pesticide persistence. In all cases, the actions proposed by the look-ahead policy are contrasted to those of a myopic policy that minimizes costs over only the current week. We find that look-ahead policies always out-performed a myopic policy and decision quality is sensitive to the temporal distribution of costs relative to the planning horizon: it is beneficial to extend the planning horizon when it excludes pertinent costs. However, longer planning horizons may reduce decision quality when major costs are resolved imminently. ADP methods such as the look-ahead-policy-based approach developed here render questions intractable to dynamic programming amenable to inference but should be applied carefully as their flexibility comes at the expense of guaranteed optimality. However, given the complexity of many ecological management problems, the capacity to propose a strategy that is "good enough" using a more representative problem formulation may be preferable to an optimal strategy derived from a simplified model.},
}

Animals
*Ceratitis capitata
*Decision Support Techniques
Female
Insecticides/*economics
Male
Models, Biological
Pest Control, Biological/*economics

@article {pmid31465920,
year = {2019},
author = {Giri, S and Zhang, Z and Krasnuk, D and Lathrop, RG},
title = {Evaluating the impact of land uses on stream integrity using machine learning algorithms.},
journal = {The Science of the total environment},
volume = {696},
number = {},
pages = {133858},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133858},
pmid = {31465920},
issn = {1879-1026},
abstract = {A general pattern of declining aquatic ecological integrity with increasing urban land use has been well established for a number of watersheds worldwide. A more nuanced characterization of the influence of different urban land uses and the determination of cumulative thresholds will further inform watershed planning and management. To this end, we investigated the utility of two machine learning algorithms (Random Forests (RF) and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT)) to model stream impairment through multimetric macroinvertebrate index known as High Gradient Macroinvertebrate Index (HGMI) in an urbanizing watershed located in north-central New Jersey, United States. These machine learning algorithms were able to explain at least 50% of the variability of stream integrity based on watershed land use/land cover. While comparable in results, RF was found to be easier to train and was somewhat more robust to model overfitting compared to BRT. Our results document the influence of increasing high-medium density (> 30% Impervious Surface cover (ISC)), low density (15-30% ISC) urban and transitional/barren land had in negatively affecting stream biological integrity. The thresholds generated by partial plots suggest that the stream integrity decreased abruptly when the percentage of high-medium and low density urban, and transitional/barren land went above 10%, 8%, and 2% of the watershed, respectively. Additionally, when rural residential surpassed 30% threshold, it behaved similar to low density urban towards stream integrity. Identification of such cumulative thresholds can help watershed managers and policymakers to craft land use zoning regulations and design restoration programs that are grounded by objective scientific criteria.},
}

@article {pmid31446647,
year = {2019},
author = {Lemos, LN and Medeiros, JD and Dini-Andreote, F and Fernandes, GR and Varani, AM and Oliveira, G and Pylro, VS},
title = {Genomic signatures and co-occurrence patterns of the ultra-small Saccharimonadia (CPR/Patescibacteria phylum) suggest a symbiotic lifestyle.},
journal = {Molecular ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/mec.15208},
pmid = {31446647},
issn = {1365-294X},
abstract = {The size of bacterial genomes is often associated with organismal metabolic capabilities determining ecological breadth and lifestyle. The recently proposed Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR)/Patescibacteria encompasses mostly unculturable bacterial taxa with relatively small genome sizes with potential to co-metabolism interdependencies. Up to date, little is known about the ecology and evolution of CPR, particularly with respect to how they might interact with other taxa. Here, we reconstructed two novel genomes (namely, Candidatus Saccharibacter sossegus and Candidatus Chaer renensis) of taxa belonging to the class Saccharimonadia within the CPR/Patescibacteria using metagenomes obtained from Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). By testing the hypothesis of genome streamlining or symbiotic lifestyle, our results revealed clear signatures of gene losses in these genomes, such as those associated with de novo biosynthesis of essential amino acids, nucleotide, fatty acids, and cofactors. In addition, co-occurrence analysis provided evidence supporting potential symbioses of these organisms with Hydrotalea sp. in the AMD system. Taken together, our findings provide a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of CPR/Patescibacteria and highlight the importance of genome-reconstruction for studying metabolic interdependencies between unculturable Saccharimonadia representatives. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.},
}

@article {pmid31418215,
year = {2019},
author = {Wang, QL and Han, YJ and Zhang, LP and Feng, C and Wang, MT},
title = {[GIS-based ecological climate suitability regionalization for Cordyceps sinensis in Shiqu County, Sichuan Province, China.].},
journal = {Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology},
volume = {30},
number = {7},
pages = {2137-2144},
doi = {10.13287/j.1001-9332.201907.022},
pmid = {31418215},
issn = {1001-9332},
mesh = {China ; Climate ; *Cordyceps ; Ecology ; *Geographic Information Systems ; Soil ; },
abstract = {Based on the biological characteristics of Cordyceps sinensis, combined with the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of local agro-climatic resources and the investigation data of C. sinensis resources, we investigated the ecological climate suitability regionalization and the spatial distribution of C. sinensis in Shiqu County using mathematical statistics analysis, optimization method and GIS spatial analysis. We used altitude, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, vegetation, and soil as the leading indicators and topographic gradient as the auxiliary indicators, as the main basis for the suitability zoning of C. sinensis resources. The results showed that C. sinensis grew in most of the townships in Shiqu County, with their distribution areas being fragmented and scattered, showing sporadic patches and blocks. They were mainly distributed in east and west parts of the county and in the Zhaqu River basin in the central part. The suitable distribution area for C. sinensis in Shiqu was 4000-4700 m above sea level, with mean annual temperature of -2.5-3 ℃ and mean annual precipitation of 550-850 mm. The growth environment was generally alpine mea-dow and subalpine meadow with good hydrophobicity and slope of 15°-50°. The suitable growth environment and meteorological conditions were beneficial to the growth and development of feeding plants and bat moths. The unsuitable area was in the high mountain area above the river wide valley area, pastoral area, wetland, or snowline.},
}

China
Climate
*Cordyceps
Ecology
*Geographic Information Systems
Soil

@article {pmid31330063,
year = {2019},
author = {Fountain-Jones, NM and Machado, G and Carver, S and Packer, C and Recamonde-Mendoza, M and Craft, ME},
title = {How to make more from exposure data? An integrated machine learning pipeline to predict pathogen exposure.},
journal = {The Journal of animal ecology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/1365-2656.13076},
pmid = {31330063},
issn = {1365-2656},
support = {DEB-1413925//Division of Environmental Biology/ ; DEB-1654609//Division of Environmental Biology/ ; },
abstract = {Predicting infectious disease dynamics is a central challenge in disease ecology. Models that can assess which individuals are most at risk of being exposed to a pathogen not only provide valuable insights into disease transmission and dynamics but can also guide management interventions. Constructing such models for wild animal populations, however, is particularly challenging; often only serological data are available on a subset of individuals and nonlinear relationships between variables are common. Here we provide a guide to the latest advances in statistical machine learning to construct pathogen-risk models that automatically incorporate complex nonlinear relationships with minimal statistical assumptions from ecological data with missing data. Our approach compares multiple machine learning algorithms in a unified environment to find the model with the best predictive performance and uses game theory to better interpret results. We apply this framework on two major pathogens that infect African lions: canine distemper virus (CDV) and feline parvovirus. Our modelling approach provided enhanced predictive performance compared to more traditional approaches, as well as new insights into disease risks in a wild population. We were able to efficiently capture and visualize strong nonlinear patterns, as well as model complex interactions between variables in shaping exposure risk from CDV and feline parvovirus. For example, we found that lions were more likely to be exposed to CDV at a young age but only in low rainfall years. When combined with our data calibration approach, our framework helped us to answer questions about risk of pathogen exposure that are difficult to address with previous methods. Our framework not only has the potential to aid in predicting disease risk in animal populations, but also can be used to build robust predictive models suitable for other ecological applications such as modelling species distribution or diversity patterns.},
}

@article {pmid31318965,
year = {2019},
author = {Flórián, N and Ladányi, M and Ittzés, A and Kröel-Dulay, G and Ónodi, G and Mucsi, M and Szili-Kovács, T and Gergócs, V and Dányi, L and Dombos, M},
title = {Effects of single and repeated drought on soil microarthropods in a semi-arid ecosystem depend more on timing and duration than drought severity.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {14},
number = {7},
pages = {e0219975},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0219975},
pmid = {31318965},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {Soil moisture is one of the most important factors affecting soil biota. In arid and semi-arid ecosystems, soil mesofauna is adapted to temporary drought events, but, until now, we have had a limited understanding of the impacts of the different magnitudes and frequencies of drought predicted to occur according to future climate change scenarios. The present study focuses on how springtails and mites respond to simulated repeated drought events of different magnitudes in a field experiment in a Hungarian semi-arid sand steppe. Changes in soil arthropod activities were monitored with soil trapping over two years in a sandy soil. In the first year (2014), we applied an extreme drought pretreatment, and in the consecutive year, we applied less devastating treatments (severe drought, moderate drought, water addition) to these sites. In the first year, the extreme drought pretreatment tended to have a negative effect (either significantly or not significantly) on the capture of all Collembola groups, whereas all mite groups increased in activity density. However, in the consecutive year, between the extreme drought and control treatments, we only detected differences in soil microbial biomass. In the cases of severe drought, moderate drought and water addition, we did not find considerable changes across the microarthropods, except in the case of epedaphic Collembola. In the cases of the water addition and drought treatments, the duration and timing of the manipulation seemed to be more important for soil mesofauna than their severity (i.e., the level of soil moisture decrease). We suggest that in these extreme habitats, soil mesofauna are able to survive extreme conditions, and their populations recover rapidly, but they may not be able to cope with very long drought periods.},
}

@article {pmid31310429,
year = {2019},
author = {di Porcia E Brugnera, M and Meunier, F and Longo, M and Krishna Moorthy, SM and De Deurwaerder, H and Schnitzer, SA and Bonal, D and Faybishenko, B and Verbeeck, H},
title = {Modelling the impact of liana infestation on the demography and carbon cycle of tropical forests.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.14769},
pmid = {31310429},
issn = {1365-2486},
abstract = {There is mounting empirical evidence that lianas affect the carbon cycle of tropical forests. However, no single vegetation model takes into account this growth form, although such efforts could greatly improve the predictions of carbon dynamics in tropical forests. In this study, we incorporated a novel mechanistic representation of lianas in a dynamic global vegetation model (the Ecosystem Demography Model). We developed a liana-specific plant functional type and mechanisms representing liana-tree interactions (such as light competition, liana-specific allometries and attachment to host trees) and parameterized them according to a comprehensive literature meta-analysis. We tested the model for an old-growth forest (Paracou, French Guiana) and a secondary forest (Gigante Peninsula, Panama). The resulting model simulations captured many features of the two forests characterized by different levels of liana infestation as revealed by a systematic comparison of the model outputs with empirical data, including local census data from forest inventories, eddy flux tower data, and terrestrial laser scanner-derived forest vertical structure. The inclusion of lianas in the simulations reduced the secondary forest net productivity by up to 0.46 tC .ha-1 .y-1 , which corresponds to a limited relative reduction of 2.6% in comparison with a reference simulation without lianas. However, this resulted in significantly reduced accumulated above-ground biomass after 70 years of regrowth by up to 20 tC .ha-1 (19% of the reference simulation). Ultimately, the simulated negative impact of lianas on the total biomass was almost completely cancelled out when the forest reached an old-growth successional stage. Our findings suggest that lianas negatively influence the forest potential carbon sink strength, especially for young, disturbed, liana-rich sites. In light of the critical role that lianas play in the profound changes currently experienced by tropical forests, this new model provides a robust numerical tool to forecast the impact of lianas on tropical forest carbon sinks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.},
}

@article {pmid31285584,
year = {2019},
author = {Edwards, RA and Vega, AA and Norman, HM and Ohaeri, M and Levi, K and Dinsdale, EA and Cinek, O and Aziz, RK and McNair, K and Barr, JJ and Bibby, K and Brouns, SJJ and Cazares, A and de Jonge, PA and Desnues, C and Díaz Muñoz, SL and Fineran, PC and Kurilshikov, A and Lavigne, R and Mazankova, K and McCarthy, DT and Nobrega, FL and Reyes Muñoz, A and Tapia, G and Trefault, N and Tyakht, AV and Vinuesa, P and Wagemans, J and Zhernakova, A and Aarestrup, FM and Ahmadov, G and Alassaf, A and Anton, J and Asangba, A and Billings, EK and Cantu, VA and Carlton, JM and Cazares, D and Cho, GS and Condeff, T and Cortés, P and Cranfield, M and Cuevas, DA and De la Iglesia, R and Decewicz, P and Doane, MP and Dominy, NJ and Dziewit, L and Elwasila, BM and Eren, AM and Franz, C and Fu, J and Garcia-Aljaro, C and Ghedin, E and Gulino, KM and Haggerty, JM and Head, SR and Hendriksen, RS and Hill, C and Hyöty, H and Ilina, EN and Irwin, MT and Jeffries, TC and Jofre, J and Junge, RE and Kelley, ST and Khan Mirzaei, M and Kowalewski, M and Kumaresan, D and Leigh, SR and Lipson, D and Lisitsyna, ES and Llagostera, M and Maritz, JM and Marr, LC and McCann, A and Molshanski-Mor, S and Monteiro, S and Moreira-Grez, B and Morris, M and Mugisha, L and Muniesa, M and Neve, H and Nguyen, NP and Nigro, OD and Nilsson, AS and O'Connell, T and Odeh, R and Oliver, A and Piuri, M and Prussin Ii, AJ and Qimron, U and Quan, ZX and Rainetova, P and Ramírez-Rojas, A and Raya, R and Reasor, K and Rice, GAO and Rossi, A and Santos, R and Shimashita, J and Stachler, EN and Stene, LC and Strain, R and Stumpf, R and Torres, PJ and Twaddle, A and Ugochi Ibekwe, M and Villagra, N and Wandro, S and White, B and Whiteley, A and Whiteson, KL and Wijmenga, C and Zambrano, MM and Zschach, H and Dutilh, BE},
title = {Global phylogeography and ancient evolution of the widespread human gut virus crAssphage.},
journal = {Nature microbiology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1038/s41564-019-0494-6},
pmid = {31285584},
issn = {2058-5276},
abstract = {Microbiomes are vast communities of microorganisms and viruses that populate all natural ecosystems. Viruses have been considered to be the most variable component of microbiomes, as supported by virome surveys and examples of high genomic mosaicism. However, recent evidence suggests that the human gut virome is remarkably stable compared with that of other environments. Here, we investigate the origin, evolution and epidemiology of crAssphage, a widespread human gut virus. Through a global collaboration, we obtained DNA sequences of crAssphage from more than one-third of the world's countries and showed that the phylogeography of crAssphage is locally clustered within countries, cities and individuals. We also found fully colinear crAssphage-like genomes in both Old-World and New-World primates, suggesting that the association of crAssphage with primates may be millions of years old. Finally, by exploiting a large cohort of more than 1,000 individuals, we tested whether crAssphage is associated with bacterial taxonomic groups of the gut microbiome, diverse human health parameters and a wide range of dietary factors. We identified strong correlations with different clades of bacteria that are related to Bacteroidetes and weak associations with several diet categories, but no significant association with health or disease. We conclude that crAssphage is a benign cosmopolitan virus that may have coevolved with the human lineage and is an integral part of the normal human gut virome.},
}

@article {pmid31278639,
year = {2019},
author = {Ha, S and Yang, Z},
title = {Evaluation for landscape aesthetic value of the Natural World Heritage Site.},
journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment},
volume = {191},
number = {8},
pages = {483},
doi = {10.1007/s10661-019-7607-9},
pmid = {31278639},
issn = {1573-2959},
support = {2016YFC0503306//Department of Science and Technology for Social Development/ ; },
mesh = {China ; *Conservation of Natural Resources ; Decision Making ; Environmental Monitoring/*methods ; *Esthetics ; Geographic Information Systems ; Lakes ; Public Opinion ; Rivers ; Wetlands ; },
abstract = {The landscape aesthetic value (LAV) is one essential component of outstanding universal value (OUV) for a Natural World Heritage Site (NWHS). In the identification of LAV, there is the subjectivity of methodology suggested by IUCN in the operation manual, and the expert-led evaluation is insufficient for reflecting all observers' opinions. This study focuses on establishing a universal system combining the subjectivity and objectivity, the experts' and the public's opinions to evaluate the LAV of an NWHS. We used the NWHS criteria, the ecological environment, and the viewing experience as established indicators; nine metrics were applied as corresponding layers respectively to map and give a final spatial evaluation based on the ArcGIS overlay analysis with their comprehensive weights from 3 groups of decision makers. In order to verify the rationality of our model, the LAV of a case study in Bayanbulak of NWHS Xinjiang Tianshan has been evaluated. It is demonstrated that central region of Bayanbulak with unique landscape that taking rivers, lakes, and swamps as base interlacing with wetland meadows has particularly high LAV; it basically shows a concentric circle-like distribution feature that LAV decreases from inside to outside and is consistent with practical protection status. This study responds to the UNESCO's request to monitor and evaluate the OUV of the NWHS; we believe results can provide a useful reference for the planning and decision-making of relevant scenic spots.},
}

China
*Conservation of Natural Resources
Decision Making
Environmental Monitoring/*methods
*Esthetics
Geographic Information Systems
Lakes
Public Opinion
Rivers
Wetlands

@article {pmid31251341,
year = {2019},
author = {Pepin, KM and Pedersen, K and Wan, XF and Cunningham, FL and Webb, CT and Wilber, MQ},
title = {Individual-level antibody dynamics reveal potential drivers of influenza A seasonality in wild pig populations.},
journal = {Integrative and comparative biology},
volume = {},
number = {},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1093/icb/icz118},
pmid = {31251341},
issn = {1557-7023},
support = {R01 AI116744/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {Swine are important in the ecology of influenza A viruses (IAV) globally. Understanding the ecological role of wild pigs in IAV ecology has been limited because surveillance in wild pigs is often for antibodies (serosurveillance) rather than IAVs, as in humans and domestic swine. As IAV antibodies can persist long after an infection, serosurveillance data are not necessarily indicative of current infection risk. However, antibody responses to IAV infections cause a predictable antibody response, thus time of infection can be inferred from antibody levels in serological samples, enabling identification of risk factors of infection at estimated times of infection. Recent work demonstrates that these quantitative antibody methods (QAM) can accurately recover infection dates, even when individual-level variation in antibody curves is moderately high. Also, the methodology can be implemented in a survival analysis (SA) framework to reduce bias from opportunistic sampling. Here we integrated QAM and SA and applied this novel QAM-SA framework to understand the dynamics of IAV infection risk in wild pigs seasonally and spatially, and identify risk factors. We used national-scale IAV serosurveillance data from 15 U.S. states. We found that infection risk was highest Jan.-Mar. (54% of 61 estimated peaks), with 24% of estimated peaks occurring from May-Jul., and some low-level of infection risk occurring year-round. Time-varying IAV infection risk in wild pigs was positively correlated with humidity and IAV infection trends in domestic swine and humans, and did not show wave-like spatial spread of infection among states, nor more similar levels of infection risk among states with more similar meteorological conditions. Effects of host sex on IAV infection risk in wild pigs were generally not significant. Because most of the variation in infection risk was explained by state-level factors or infection risk at long-distances, our results suggested that predicting IAV infection risk in wild pigs is complicated by local ecological factors and potentially long-distance translocation of infection. In addition to revealing factors of IAV infection risk in wild pigs, our framework is broadly applicable for quantifying risk factors of disease transmission using opportunistic serosurveillance sampling, a common methodology in wildlife disease surveillance. Future research on the factors that determine individual-level antibody kinetics will facilitate the design of serosurveillance systems that can extract more accurate estimates of time-varying disease risk from quantitative antibody data.},
}

@article {pmid31173423,
year = {2019},
author = {Norton, BA and Bending, GD and Clark, R and Corstanje, R and Dunnett, N and Evans, KL and Grafius, DR and Gravestock, E and Grice, SM and Harris, JA and Hilton, S and Hoyle, H and Lim, E and Mercer, TG and Pawlett, M and Pescott, OL and Richards, JP and Southon, GE and Warren, PH},
title = {Urban meadows as an alternative to short mown grassland: effects of composition and height on biodiversity.},
journal = {Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
volume = {29},
number = {6},
pages = {e01946},
doi = {10.1002/eap.1946},
pmid = {31173423},
issn = {1051-0761},
abstract = {There are increasing calls to provide greenspace in urban areas, yet the ecological quality, as well as quantity, of greenspace is important. Short mown grassland designed for recreational use is the dominant form of urban greenspace in temperate regions but requires considerable maintenance and typically provides limited habitat value for most taxa. Alternatives are increasingly proposed, but the biodiversity potential of these is not well understood. In a replicated experiment across six public urban greenspaces, we used nine different perennial meadow plantings to quantify the relative roles of floristic diversity and height of sown meadows on the richness and composition of three taxonomic groups: plants, invertebrates, and soil microbes. We found that all meadow treatments were colonized by plant species not sown in the plots, suggesting that establishing sown meadows does not preclude further locally determined grassland development if management is appropriate. Colonizing species were rarer in taller and more diverse plots, indicating competition may limit invasion rates. Urban meadow treatments contained invertebrate and microbial communities that differed from mown grassland. Invertebrate taxa responded to changes in both height and richness of meadow vegetation, but most orders were more abundant where vegetation height was longer than mown grassland. Order richness also increased in longer vegetation and Coleoptera family richness increased with plant diversity in summer. Microbial community composition seems sensitive to plant species composition at the soil surface (0-10 cm), but in deeper soils (11-20 cm) community variation was most responsive to plant height, with bacteria and fungi responding differently. In addition to improving local residents' site satisfaction, native perennial meadow plantings can produce biologically diverse grasslands that support richer and more abundant invertebrate communities, and restructured plant, invertebrate, and soil microbial communities compared with short mown grassland. Our results suggest that diversification of urban greenspace by planting urban meadows in place of some mown amenity grassland is likely to generate substantial biodiversity benefits, with a mosaic of meadow types likely to maximize such benefits.},
}

@article {pmid31133727,
year = {2019},
author = {Piross, IS and Harnos, A and Rózsa, L},
title = {Rensch's rule in avian lice: contradictory allometric trends for sexual size dimorphism.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {7908},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-44370-5},
pmid = {31133727},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {Rensch's rule (RR) postulates that in comparisons across closely related species, male body size relative to female size increases with the average size of the species. This holds true in several vertebrate and also in certain free-living invertebrate taxa. Here, we document the validity of RR in avian lice using three families (Philopteridae, Menoponidae, and Ricinidae). Using published data on the body length of 989 louse species, subspecies, or distinct intraspecific lineages, we applied phylogenetic reduced major axis regression to analyse the body size of females vs. males while accounting for phylogenetic non-independence. Our results indicate that philopterid and menoponid lice follow RR, while ricinids exhibit the opposite pattern. In the case of philopterids and menoponids, we argue that larger-bodied bird species tend to host lice that are both larger in size and more abundant. Thus, sexual selection acting on males makes them relatively larger, and this is stronger than fecundity selection acting on females. Ricinids exhibit converse RR, likely because fecundity selection is stronger in their case.},
}

@article {pmid31128642,
year = {2019},
author = {Blažek, J and Zukal, J and Bandouchova, H and Berková, H and Kovacova, V and Martínková, N and Pikula, J and Řehák, Z and Škrabánek, P and Bartonička, T},
title = {Numerous cold arousals and rare arousal cascades as a hibernation strategy in European Myotis bats.},
journal = {Journal of thermal biology},
volume = {82},
number = {},
pages = {150-156},
doi = {10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.04.002},
pmid = {31128642},
issn = {0306-4565},
abstract = {Hibernating bats optimise the duration of torpor bouts and arousals in relation to hibernaculum microclimatic conditions and fat reserves. Clustering has significant physiological and ecological benefits, promoting successful hibernation of individuals. Such aggregations may help maintain optimal temperatures, allowing better energy utilisation than in solitarily bats. However, aroused bats in a cluster could conceivably disturb those still hibernating, starting an energy-demanding arousal process. Our study was conducted over two winters in two different hibernacula (cave and mine) in the Czech Republic, where Greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) have previously been diagnosed with white-nose syndrome. In 118 arousal episodes we recorded 193 individual arousals in which a warming phase was observed, 135 (69.9%) being cold arousals, where bats ceased increasing their body temperatures at ≤ 10 °C. The remaining arousals were standard normothermic arousals, where body (fur) surface temperatures reached > 20 °C. Cold arousals occurred during the mid- and late hibernation periods, suggesting they were a response to disturbance by a neighbour in the same cluster. Arousal cascades, where bats aroused in series, were rare (12.7%) and reached a maximum in mid-January. Our data suggest that Myotis bats prolong their torpor bouts using numerous cold arousals but few arousal cascades. Upon arrival of a bat, the clustered bats show tolerance to disturbing by conspecifics.},
}

@article {pmid31086738,
year = {2019},
author = {Warwick-Dugdale, J and Solonenko, N and Moore, K and Chittick, L and Gregory, AC and Allen, MJ and Sullivan, MB and Temperton, B},
title = {Long-read viral metagenomics captures abundant and microdiverse viral populations and their niche-defining genomic islands.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {7},
number = {},
pages = {e6800},
doi = {10.7717/peerj.6800},
pmid = {31086738},
issn = {2167-8359},
abstract = {Marine viruses impact global biogeochemical cycles via their influence on host community structure and function, yet our understanding of viral ecology is constrained by limitations in host culturing and a lack of reference genomes and 'universal' gene markers to facilitate community surveys. Short-read viral metagenomic studies have provided clues to viral function and first estimates of global viral gene abundance and distribution, but their assemblies are confounded by populations with high levels of strain evenness and nucleotide diversity (microdiversity), limiting assembly of some of the most abundant viruses on Earth. Such features also challenge assembly across genomic islands containing niche-defining genes that drive ecological speciation. These populations and features may be successfully captured by single-virus genomics and fosmid-based approaches, at least in abundant taxa, but at considerable cost and technical expertise. Here we established a low-cost, low-input, high throughput alternative sequencing and informatics workflow to improve viral metagenomic assemblies using short-read and long-read technology. The 'VirION' (Viral, long-read metagenomics via MinION sequencing) approach was first validated using mock communities where it was found to be as relatively quantitative as short-read methods and provided significant improvements in recovery of viral genomes. We then then applied VirION to the first metagenome from a natural viral community from the Western English Channel. In comparison to a short-read only approach, VirION: (i) increased number and completeness of assembled viral genomes; (ii) captured abundant, highly microdiverse virus populations, and (iii) captured more and longer genomic islands. Together, these findings suggest that VirION provides a high throughput and cost-effective alternative to fosmid and single-virus genomic approaches to more comprehensively explore viral communities in nature.},
}

@article {pmid31073136,
year = {2019},
author = {Bátori, Z and Vojtkó, A and Maák, IE and Lőrinczi, G and Farkas, T and Kántor, N and Tanács, E and Kiss, PJ and Juhász, O and Módra, G and Tölgyesi, C and Erdős, L and Aguilon, DJ and Keppel, G},
title = {Karst dolines provide diverse microhabitats for different functional groups in multiple phyla.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {7176},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-43603-x},
pmid = {31073136},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {Fine-scale topographic complexity creates important microclimates that can facilitate species to grow outside their main distributional range and increase biodiversity locally. Enclosed depressions in karst landscapes ('dolines') are topographically complex environments which produce microclimates that are drier and warmer (equator-facing slopes) and cooler and moister (pole-facing slopes and depression bottoms) than the surrounding climate. We show that the distribution patterns of functional groups for organisms in two different phyla, Arthropoda (ants) and Tracheophyta (vascular plants), mirror this variation of microclimate. We found that north-facing slopes and bottoms of solution dolines in northern Hungary provided key habitats for ant and plant species associated with cooler and/or moister conditions. Contrarily, south-facing slopes of dolines provided key habitats for species associated with warmer and/or drier conditions. Species occurring on the surrounding plateau were associated with intermediate conditions. We conclude that karst dolines provide a diversity of microclimatic habitats that may facilitate the persistence of taxa with diverse environmental preferences, indicating these dolines to be potential safe havens for multiple phyla under local and global climate oscillations.},
}

@article {pmid31056485,
year = {2019},
author = {Švec, P and Hönig, V and Zubriková, D and Wittmann, M and Pfister, K and Grubhoffer, L},
title = {The use of multi-criteria evaluation for the selection of study plots for monitoring of I. ricinus ticks - Example from Central Europe.},
journal = {Ticks and tick-borne diseases},
volume = {10},
number = {4},
pages = {905-910},
doi = {10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.014},
pmid = {31056485},
issn = {1877-9603},
mesh = {Altitude ; Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi/isolation & purification ; *Ecosystem ; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne/isolation & purification ; Female ; Geographic Information Systems ; Geography ; Ixodes/*physiology ; Male ; Sampling Studies ; Tick-Borne Diseases/*epidemiology ; },
abstract = {Research projects in the field of eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases often require extensive sampling of arthropod vectors in the field. The aim of our study was to use geographical information systems (GIS) to select appropriate sampling sites of Ixodes ricinus ticks in central European habitat for further ecological studies of vector-borne pathogens (tick-borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato). The model area was the Czech-German borderland (the region of South Bohemia and two regions in Germany: the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria) where numerous human tick-borne encephalitis cases are reported annually. We prepared the sampling site design as a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) task. In the GIS environment, we conducted MCE with a set of environmental, socio-economic and epidemiological data (altitude, vegetation cover, number of tick-borne encephalitis cases recorded in the past, tourist activity). The MCE classified the surveyed area into two classes: suitable for tick collection and unsuitable for tick collection. Subsequently, 50 tick sampling sites were randomly selected in the suitable area: 30 in South Bohemia (Czech Republic) and 20 in the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria regions (Bavaria, Germany). The sampling sites were identified and surveyed in the field. The presence of ticks was confirmed by flagging at each of the selected plots. The described MCE system represents a versatile tool for semi-randomized design of tick sampling sites for research projects in the field of tick-borne pathogen ecology as well as for tick-borne pathogen surveillance programs run by local health authorities.},
}

Altitude
Animals
Borrelia burgdorferi/isolation & purification
*Ecosystem
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne/isolation & purification
Female
Geographic Information Systems
Geography
Ixodes/*physiology
Male
Sampling Studies
Tick-Borne Diseases/*epidemiology

@article {pmid31031001,
year = {2019},
author = {Gregory, AC and Zayed, AA and Conceição-Neto, N and Temperton, B and Bolduc, B and Alberti, A and Ardyna, M and Arkhipova, K and Carmichael, M and Cruaud, C and Dimier, C and Domínguez-Huerta, G and Ferland, J and Kandels, S and Liu, Y and Marec, C and Pesant, S and Picheral, M and Pisarev, S and Poulain, J and Tremblay, JÉ and Vik, D and , and Babin, M and Bowler, C and Culley, AI and de Vargas, C and Dutilh, BE and Iudicone, D and Karp-Boss, L and Roux, S and Sunagawa, S and Wincker, P and Sullivan, MB},
title = {Marine DNA Viral Macro- and Microdiversity from Pole to Pole.},
journal = {Cell},
volume = {177},
number = {5},
pages = {1109-1123.e14},
doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.040},
pmid = {31031001},
issn = {1097-4172},
support = {T32 AI112542/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {Microbes drive most ecosystems and are modulated by viruses that impact their lifespan, gene flow, and metabolic outputs. However, ecosystem-level impacts of viral community diversity remain difficult to assess due to classification issues and few reference genomes. Here, we establish an ∼12-fold expanded global ocean DNA virome dataset of 195,728 viral populations, now including the Arctic Ocean, and validate that these populations form discrete genotypic clusters. Meta-community analyses revealed five ecological zones throughout the global ocean, including two distinct Arctic regions. Across the zones, local and global patterns and drivers in viral community diversity were established for both macrodiversity (inter-population diversity) and microdiversity (intra-population genetic variation). These patterns sometimes, but not always, paralleled those from macro-organisms and revealed temperate and tropical surface waters and the Arctic as biodiversity hotspots and mechanistic hypotheses to explain them. Such further understanding of ocean viruses is critical for broader inclusion in ecosystem models.},
}

@article {pmid31024009,
year = {2019},
author = {Rund, SSC and Braak, K and Cator, L and Copas, K and Emrich, SJ and Giraldo-Calderón, GI and Johansson, MA and Heydari, N and Hobern, D and Kelly, SA and Lawson, D and Lord, C and MacCallum, RM and Roche, DG and Ryan, SJ and Schigel, D and Vandegrift, K and Watts, M and Zaspel, JM and Pawar, S},
title = {MIReAD, a minimum information standard for reporting arthropod abundance data.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {40},
doi = {10.1038/s41597-019-0042-5},
pmid = {31024009},
issn = {2052-4463},
support = {BB/N013573/1//RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)/International ; HHSN272201400029C/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01 AI136035/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; U01 CK000510/CK/NCEZID CDC HHS/United States ; R01 AI122284/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Arthropods/physiology ; Biodiversity ; Ecosystem ; Information Dissemination ; Information Storage and Retrieval/*standards ; Population Dynamics ; },
abstract = {Arthropods play a dominant role in natural and human-modified terrestrial ecosystem dynamics. Spatially-explicit arthropod population time-series data are crucial for statistical or mathematical models of these dynamics and assessment of their veterinary, medical, agricultural, and ecological impacts. Such data have been collected world-wide for over a century, but remain scattered and largely inaccessible. In particular, with the ever-present and growing threat of arthropod pests and vectors of infectious diseases, there are numerous historical and ongoing surveillance efforts, but the data are not reported in consistent formats and typically lack sufficient metadata to make reuse and re-analysis possible. Here, we present the first-ever minimum information standard for arthropod abundance, Minimum Information for Reusable Arthropod Abundance Data (MIReAD). Developed with broad stakeholder collaboration, it balances sufficiency for reuse with the practicality of preparing the data for submission. It is designed to optimize data (re)usability from the "FAIR," (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles of public data archiving (PDA). This standard will facilitate data unification across research initiatives and communities dedicated to surveillance for detection and control of vector-borne diseases and pests.},
}

Animals
*Arthropods/physiology
Biodiversity
Ecosystem
Information Dissemination
Information Storage and Retrieval/*standards
Population Dynamics

@article {pmid31007605,
year = {2019},
author = {Thomas, HJD and Myers-Smith, IH and Bjorkman, AD and Elmendorf, SC and Blok, D and Cornelissen, JHC and Forbes, BC and Hollister, RD and Normand, S and Prevéy, JS and Rixen, C and Schaepman-Strub, G and Wilmking, M and Wipf, S and Cornwell, WK and Kattge, J and Goetz, SJ and Guay, KC and Alatalo, JM and Anadon-Rosell, A and Angers-Blondin, S and Berner, LT and Björk, RG and Buchwal, A and Buras, A and Carbognani, M and Christie, K and Siegwart Collier, L and Cooper, EJ and Eskelinen, A and Frei, ER and Grau, O and Grogan, P and Hallinger, M and Heijmans, MMPD and Hermanutz, L and Hudson, JMG and Hülber, K and Iturrate-Garcia, M and Iversen, CM and Jaroszynska, F and Johnstone, JF and Kaarlejärvi, E and Kulonen, A and Lamarque, LJ and Lévesque, E and Little, CJ and Michelsen, A and Milbau, A and Nabe-Nielsen, J and Nielsen, SS and Ninot, JM and Oberbauer, SF and Olofsson, J and Onipchenko, VG and Petraglia, A and Rumpf, SB and Semenchuk, PR and Soudzilovskaia, NA and Spasojevic, MJ and Speed, JDM and Tape, KD and Te Beest, M and Tomaselli, M and Trant, A and Treier, UA and Venn, S and Vowles, T and Weijers, S and Zamin, T and Atkin, OK and Bahn, M and Blonder, B and Campetella, G and Cerabolini, BEL and Chapin Iii, FS and Dainese, M and de Vries, FT and Díaz, S and Green, W and Jackson, RB and Manning, P and Niinemets, Ü and Ozinga, WA and Peñuelas, J and Reich, PB and Schamp, B and Sheremetev, S and van Bodegom, PM},
title = {Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome.},
journal = {Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology},
volume = {28},
number = {2},
pages = {78-95},
doi = {10.1111/geb.12783},
pmid = {31007605},
issn = {1466-822X},
abstract = {Aim: Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whether four commonly used plant functional groups represent variation in six ecologically important plant traits.

Location: Tundra biome.

Time period: Data collected between 1964 and 2016.

Major taxa studied: 295 tundra vascular plant species.

Methods: We compiled a database of six plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, seed mass) for tundra species. We examined the variation in species-level trait expression explained by four traditional functional groups (evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, graminoids, forbs), and whether variation explained was dependent upon the traits included in analysis. We further compared the explanatory power and species composition of functional groups to alternative classifications generated using post hoc clustering of species-level traits.

Results: Traditional functional groups explained significant differences in trait expression, particularly amongst traits associated with resource economics, which were consistent across sites and at the biome scale. However, functional groups explained 19% of overall trait variation and poorly represented differences in traits associated with plant size. Post hoc classification of species did not correspond well with traditional functional groups, and explained twice as much variation in species-level trait expression.

Main conclusions: Traditional functional groups only coarsely represent variation in well-measured traits within tundra plant communities, and better explain resource economic traits than size-related traits. We recommend caution when using functional group approaches to predict tundra vegetation change, or ecosystem functions relating to plant size, such as albedo or carbon storage. We argue that alternative classifications or direct use of specific plant traits could provide new insights for ecological prediction and modelling.},
}

@article {pmid30973867,
year = {2019},
author = {Stone, L and Simberloff, D and Artzy-Randrup, Y},
title = {Network motifs and their origins.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {15},
number = {4},
pages = {e1006749},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006749},
pmid = {30973867},
issn = {1553-7358},
mesh = {Computational Biology ; Ecosystem ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Social Networking ; *Systems Biology ; },
abstract = {Modern network science is a new and exciting research field that has transformed the study of complex systems over the last 2 decades. Of particular interest is the identification of small "network motifs" that might be embedded in a larger network and that indicate the presence of evolutionary design principles or have an overly influential role on system-wide dynamics. Motifs are patterns of interconnections, or subgraphs, that appear in an observed network significantly more often than in compatible randomized networks. The concept of network motifs was introduced into Systems Biology by Milo, Alon and colleagues in 2002, quickly revolutionized the field, and it has had a huge impact in wider scientific domains ever since. Here, we argue that the same concept and tools for the detection of motifs were well known in the ecological literature decades into the last century, a fact that is generally not recognized. We review the early history of network motifs, their evolution in the mathematics literature, and their recent rediscoveries.},
}

Computational Biology
Ecosystem
Gene Regulatory Networks
Humans
Models, Biological
Neural Networks (Computer)
Social Networking
*Systems Biology

@article {pmid30928035,
year = {2019},
author = {Louro, R and Santos-Silva, C and Nobre, T},
title = {What is in a name? Terfezia classification revisited.},
journal = {Fungal biology},
volume = {123},
number = {4},
pages = {267-273},
doi = {10.1016/j.funbio.2019.01.003},
pmid = {30928035},
issn = {1878-6146},
mesh = {Ascomycota/*classification/*genetics/growth & development ; Computational Biology ; DNA, Fungal/*genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/*genetics ; *Phylogeny ; *Terminology as Topic ; },
abstract = {Desert truffles (mycorrhizal hypogeous Ascomycota) are found in arid and semi-arid areas of the globe and have great ecological and economic importance. Terfezia is undoubtedly the most diversified of all desert truffle genera, but its taxonomy is far from resolved. Specifically, the large number of newly described species plus the high intraspecific morphological variability observed within some Terfezia lineages as rendered the use of molecular techniques mandatory for specimen's discrimination. But the subsequent increasing amount of sequence data produced also a huge number of undescribed taxa that required determination. We compiled and used the public available ITS data on Terfezia spp. on the custom-curated UNITE database to reconstruct the genus phylogeny. We found at least 17 distinct lineages within the genus and successfully resolved some of the more pressing taxonomic issues, namely the T. leptoderma/olbiensis complex and some misapplied synonymy. Based on this resolved phylogeny, and motivated by the recent new described species, we proposed an identification key to Terfezia genus highlighting the importance of morphological and ecological characterization.},
}

Ascomycota/*classification/*genetics/growth & development
Computational Biology
DNA, Fungal/*genetics
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/*genetics
*Phylogeny
*Terminology as Topic

@article {pmid30918448,
year = {2019},
author = {Stucky, BJ and Balhoff, JP and Barve, N and Barve, V and Brenskelle, L and Brush, MH and Dahlem, GA and Gilbert, JDJ and Kawahara, AY and Keller, O and Lucky, A and Mayhew, PJ and Plotkin, D and Seltmann, KC and Talamas, E and Vaidya, G and Walls, R and Yoder, M and Zhang, G and Guralnick, R},
title = {Developing a vocabulary and ontology for modeling insect natural history data: example data, use cases, and competency questions.},
journal = {Biodiversity data journal},
volume = {7},
number = {},
pages = {e33303},
doi = {10.3897/BDJ.7.e33303},
pmid = {30918448},
issn = {1314-2828},
abstract = {Insects are possibly the most taxonomically and ecologically diverse class of multicellular organisms on Earth. Consequently, they provide nearly unlimited opportunities to develop and test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses. Currently, however, large-scale studies of insect ecology, behavior, and trait evolution are impeded by the difficulty in obtaining and analyzing data derived from natural history observations of insects. These data are typically highly heterogeneous and widely scattered among many sources, which makes developing robust information systems to aggregate and disseminate them a significant challenge. As a step towards this goal, we report initial results of a new effort to develop a standardized vocabulary and ontology for insect natural history data. In particular, we describe a new database of representative insect natural history data derived from multiple sources (but focused on data from specimens in biological collections), an analysis of the abstract conceptual areas required for a comprehensive ontology of insect natural history data, and a database of use cases and competency questions to guide the development of data systems for insect natural history data. We also discuss data modeling and technology-related challenges that must be overcome to implement robust integration of insect natural history data.},
}

@article {pmid30918402,
year = {2019},
author = {Peters, MK and Hemp, A and Appelhans, T and Becker, JN and Behler, C and Classen, A and Detsch, F and Ensslin, A and Ferger, SW and Frederiksen, SB and Gebert, F and Gerschlauer, F and Gütlein, A and Helbig-Bonitz, M and Hemp, C and Kindeketa, WJ and Kühnel, A and Mayr, AV and Mwangomo, E and Ngereza, C and Njovu, HK and Otte, I and Pabst, H and Renner, M and Röder, J and Rutten, G and Schellenberger Costa, D and Sierra-Cornejo, N and Vollstädt, MGR and Dulle, HI and Eardley, CD and Howell, KM and Keller, A and Peters, RS and Ssymank, A and Kakengi, V and Zhang, J and Bogner, C and Böhning-Gaese, K and Brandl, R and Hertel, D and Huwe, B and Kiese, R and Kleyer, M and Kuzyakov, Y and Nauss, T and Schleuning, M and Tschapka, M and Fischer, M and Steffan-Dewenter, I},
title = {Climate-land-use interactions shape tropical mountain biodiversity and ecosystem functions.},
journal = {Nature},
volume = {568},
number = {7750},
pages = {88-92},
doi = {10.1038/s41586-019-1048-z},
pmid = {30918402},
issn = {1476-4687},
mesh = {Agriculture/*statistics & numerical data ; *Altitude ; Animals ; *Biodiversity ; *Ecosystem ; Humidity ; Microbiology ; Plants ; Rain ; Tanzania ; Temperature ; *Tropical Climate ; },
abstract = {Agriculture and the exploitation of natural resources have transformed tropical mountain ecosystems across the world, and the consequences of these transformations for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are largely unknown1-3. Conclusions that are derived from studies in non-mountainous areas are not suitable for predicting the effects of land-use changes on tropical mountains because the climatic environment rapidly changes with elevation, which may mitigate or amplify the effects of land use4,5. It is of key importance to understand how the interplay of climate and land use constrains biodiversity and ecosystem functions to determine the consequences of global change for mountain ecosystems. Here we show that the interacting effects of climate and land use reshape elevational trends in biodiversity and ecosystem functions on Africa's largest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro (Tanzania). We find that increasing land-use intensity causes larger losses of plant and animal species richness in the arid lowlands than in humid submontane and montane zones. Increases in land-use intensity are associated with significant changes in the composition of plant, animal and microorganism communities; stronger modifications of plant and animal communities occur in arid and humid ecosystems, respectively. Temperature, precipitation and land use jointly modulate soil properties, nutrient turnover, greenhouse gas emissions, plant biomass and productivity, as well as animal interactions. Our data suggest that the response of ecosystem functions to land-use intensity depends strongly on climate; more-severe changes in ecosystem functioning occur in the arid lowlands and the cold montane zone. Interactions between climate and land use explained-on average-54% of the variation in species richness, species composition and ecosystem functions, whereas only 30% of variation was related to single drivers. Our study reveals that climate can modulate the effects of land use on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and points to a lowered resistance of ecosystems in climatically challenging environments to ongoing land-use changes in tropical mountainous regions.},
}

Agriculture/*statistics & numerical data
*Altitude
Animals
*Biodiversity
*Ecosystem
Humidity
Microbiology
Plants
Rain
Tanzania
Temperature
*Tropical Climate

@article {pmid30897417,
year = {2019},
author = {Szabó, B and Lang, Z and Bakonyi, G and Mariën, J and Roelofs, D and van Gestel, CAM and Seres, A},
title = {Transgenerational and multigenerational stress gene responses to the insecticide etofenprox in Folsomia candida (Collembola).},
journal = {Ecotoxicology and environmental safety},
volume = {175},
number = {},
pages = {181-191},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.03.052},
pmid = {30897417},
issn = {1090-2414},
mesh = {Acclimatization ; Animals ; Arthropods/*drug effects/genetics/metabolism ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics/metabolism ; *Epigenesis, Genetic ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics/metabolism ; Insecticides/*adverse effects ; Pyrethrins/*adverse effects ; Reproduction/drug effects ; Soil ; },
abstract = {Insecticide exposure may cause both transgenerational and multigenerational effects on populations, but the molecular mechanisms of these changes remain largely unclear. Many studies have focused on either transgenerational or multigenerational mechanisms but did neglect the comparative aspects. This study assessed whether the pyrethroid insecticide etofenprox (formulation Trebon® 30 EC) shows transgenerational and/or multigenerational effects on the survival and reproduction of Folsomia candida (Collembola). The activation of stress-related genes was studied to detect whether etofenprox modifies the expression of reproduction-associated genes in trans- and multigenerational treatments. A laboratory study was carried out for three generations with five insecticide concentrations in LUFA 2.2 soil. In the transgenerational treatment, only the parent generation (P) was exposed, but the subsequent generations were not. In the multigenerational treatment, all three generations were exposed to the insecticide in the same manner. Multigenerational exposure resulted in reduced reproduction effects over generations, suggesting that F. candida is capable of acclimating to enhanced concentration levels of etofenprox during prolonged exposure over multiple generations. In the transgenerational treatment, the heat shock protein 70 was up-regulated and cytochrome oxidase 6N4v1 expression down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner in the F2 generation. This finding raises the possibility of the epigenetic inheritance of insecticide impacts on parents. Furthermore, CYP6N4v1 expression was oppositely regulated in the trans- and multigenerational treatments. Our results draw attention to the differences in molecular level responses of F. candida to trans- and multigenerational etofenprox exposure.},
}

Acclimatization
Animals
Arthropods/*drug effects/genetics/metabolism
Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics/metabolism
*Epigenesis, Genetic
*Gene Expression Regulation
HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics/metabolism
Insecticides/*adverse effects
Pyrethrins/*adverse effects
Reproduction/drug effects
Soil

@article {pmid30884039,
year = {2019},
author = {Piao, S and Liu, Q and Chen, A and Janssens, IA and Fu, Y and Dai, J and Liu, L and Lian, X and Shen, M and Zhu, X},
title = {Plant phenology and global climate change: Current progresses and challenges.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {25},
number = {6},
pages = {1922-1940},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.14619},
pmid = {30884039},
issn = {1365-2486},
mesh = {*Climate Change ; Ecosystem ; Plant Development ; Plant Leaves/physiology ; *Plant Physiological Phenomena ; Seasons ; Temperature ; },
abstract = {Plant phenology, the annually recurring sequence of plant developmental stages, is important for plant functioning and ecosystem services and their biophysical and biogeochemical feedbacks to the climate system. Plant phenology depends on temperature, and the current rapid climate change has revived interest in understanding and modeling the responses of plant phenology to the warming trend and the consequences thereof for ecosystems. Here, we review recent progresses in plant phenology and its interactions with climate change. Focusing on the start (leaf unfolding) and end (leaf coloring) of plant growing seasons, we show that the recent rapid expansion in ground- and remote sensing- based phenology data acquisition has been highly beneficial and has supported major advances in plant phenology research. Studies using multiple data sources and methods generally agree on the trends of advanced leaf unfolding and delayed leaf coloring due to climate change, yet these trends appear to have decelerated or even reversed in recent years. Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the plant phenology responses to climate warming is still limited. The interactions between multiple drivers complicate the modeling and prediction of plant phenology changes. Furthermore, changes in plant phenology have important implications for ecosystem carbon cycles and ecosystem feedbacks to climate, yet the quantification of such impacts remains challenging. We suggest that future studies should primarily focus on using new observation tools to improve the understanding of tropical plant phenology, on improving process-based phenology modeling, and on the scaling of phenology from species to landscape-level.},
}

*Climate Change
Ecosystem
Plant Development
Plant Leaves/physiology
*Plant Physiological Phenomena
Seasons
Temperature

@article {pmid30883574,
year = {2019},
author = {Giezendanner, J and Bertuzzo, E and Pasetto, D and Guisan, A and Rinaldo, A},
title = {A minimalist model of extinction and range dynamics of virtual mountain species driven by warming temperatures.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {14},
number = {3},
pages = {e0213775},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0213775},
pmid = {30883574},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {A longstanding question in ecology concerns the prediction of the fate of mountain species under climate change, where climatic and geomorphic factors but also endogenous species characteristics are jointly expected to control species distributions. A significant step forward would single out reliably landscape effects, given their constraining role and relative ease of theoretical manipulation. Here, we address population dynamics in ecosystems where the substrates for ecological interactions are mountain landscapes subject to climate warming. We use a minimalist model of metapopulation dynamics based on virtual species (i.e. a suitable assemblage of focus species) where dispersal processes interact with the spatial structure of the landscape. Climate warming is subsumed by an upward shift of species habitat altering the metapopulation capacity of the landscape and hence species viability. We find that the landscape structure is a powerful determinant of species survival, owing to the specific role of the predictably evolving connectivity of the various habitats. Range shifts and lags in tracking suitable habitat experienced by virtual species under warming conditions are singled out in different landscapes. The range of parameters is identified for which these virtual species (characterized by comparable viability thus restricting their possible fitnesses and niche widths) prove unable to cope with environmental change. The statistics of the proportion of species bound to survive is identified for each landscape, providing the temporal evolution of species range shifts and the related expected occupation patterns. A baseline dynamic model for predicting species fates in evolving habitats is thus provided.},
}

@article {pmid30846683,
year = {2019},
author = {George, PBL and Lallias, D and Creer, S and Seaton, FM and Kenny, JG and Eccles, RM and Griffiths, RI and Lebron, I and Emmett, BA and Robinson, DA and Jones, DL},
title = {Divergent national-scale trends of microbial and animal biodiversity revealed across diverse temperate soil ecosystems.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {1107},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-09031-1},
pmid = {30846683},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {Animals ; *Biodiversity ; Computational Biology ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; *Ecosystem ; Microbiota/genetics ; *Soil ; *Soil Microbiology ; Wales ; },
abstract = {Soil biota accounts for ~25% of global biodiversity and is vital to nutrient cycling and primary production. There is growing momentum to study total belowground biodiversity across large ecological scales to understand how habitat and soil properties shape belowground communities. Microbial and animal components of belowground communities follow divergent responses to soil properties and land use intensification; however, it is unclear whether this extends across heterogeneous ecosystems. Here, a national-scale metabarcoding analysis of 436 locations across 7 different temperate ecosystems shows that belowground animal and microbial (bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protists) richness follow divergent trends, whereas β-diversity does not. Animal richness is governed by intensive land use and unaffected by soil properties, while microbial richness was driven by environmental properties across land uses. Our findings demonstrate that established divergent patterns of belowground microbial and animal diversity are consistent across heterogeneous land uses and are detectable using a standardised metabarcoding approach.},
}

Animals
*Biodiversity
Computational Biology
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
*Ecosystem
Microbiota/genetics
*Soil
*Soil Microbiology
Wales

@article {pmid30842894,
year = {2019},
author = {Sumsion, GR and Bradshaw, MS and Hill, KT and Pinto, LDG and Piccolo, SR},
title = {Remote sensing tree classification with a multilayer perceptron.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {7},
number = {},
pages = {e6101},
doi = {10.7717/peerj.6101},
pmid = {30842894},
issn = {2167-8359},
abstract = {To accelerate scientific progress on remote tree classification-as well as biodiversity and ecology sampling-The National Institute of Science and Technology created a community-based competition where scientists were invited to contribute informatics methods for classifying tree species and genus using crown-level images of trees. We classified tree species and genus at the pixel level using hyperspectral and LiDAR observations. We compared three algorithms that have been implemented extensively across a broad range of research applications: support vector machines, random forests, and multilayer perceptron. At the pixel level, the multilayer perceptron algorithm classified species or genus with high accuracy (92.7% and 95.9%, respectively) on the training data and performed better than the other two algorithms (85.8-93.5%). This indicates promise for the use of the multilayer perceptron (MLP) algorithm for tree-species classification based on hyperspectral and LiDAR observations and coincides with a growing body of research in which neural network-based algorithms outperform other types of classification algorithm for machine vision. To aggregate patterns across the images, we used an ensemble approach that averages the pixel-level outputs of the MLP algorithm to classify species at the crown level. The average accuracy of these classifications on the test set was 68.8% for the nine species.},
}

@article {pmid30832740,
year = {2019},
author = {Song, W and Wemheuer, B and Zhang, S and Steensen, K and Thomas, T},
title = {MetaCHIP: community-level horizontal gene transfer identification through the combination of best-match and phylogenetic approaches.},
journal = {Microbiome},
volume = {7},
number = {1},
pages = {36},
doi = {10.1186/s40168-019-0649-y},
pmid = {30832740},
issn = {2049-2618},
mesh = {Bacteria/classification/*genetics ; Computational Biology/*methods ; Databases, Genetic ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Evolution, Molecular ; *Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; Humans ; Metagenomics ; Phylogeny ; Soil Microbiology ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: Metagenomic datasets provide an opportunity to study horizontal gene transfer (HGT) on the level of a microbial community. However, current HGT detection methods cannot be applied to community-level datasets or require reference genomes. Here, we present MetaCHIP, a pipeline for reference-independent HGT identification at the community level.

RESULTS: Assessment of MetaCHIP's performance on simulated datasets revealed that it can predict HGTs with various degrees of genetic divergence from metagenomic datasets. The results also indicated that the detection of very recent gene transfers (i.e. those with low levels of genetic divergence) from metagenomics datasets is largely affected by the read assembly step. Comparison of MetaCHIP with a previous analysis on soil bacteria showed a high level of consistency for the prediction of recent HGTs and revealed a large number of additional non-recent gene transfers, which can provide new biological and ecological insight. Assessment of MetaCHIP's performance on real metagenomic datasets confirmed the role of HGT in the spread of genes related to antibiotic resistance in the human gut microbiome. Further testing also showed that functions related to energy production and conversion as well as carbohydrate transport and metabolism are frequently transferred among free-living microorganisms.

CONCLUSION: MetaCHIP provides an opportunity to study HGTs among members of a microbial community and therefore has several applications in the field of microbial ecology and evolution. MetaCHIP is implemented in Python and freely available at https://github.com/songweizhi/MetaCHIP .},
}

Bacteria/classification/*genetics
Computational Biology/*methods
Databases, Genetic
Drug Resistance, Bacterial
Evolution, Molecular
*Gene Transfer, Horizontal
Humans
Metagenomics
Phylogeny
Soil Microbiology

@article {pmid30832282,
year = {2019},
author = {Wu, Z and Lei, S and He, BJ and Bian, Z and Wang, Y and Lu, Q and Peng, S and Duo, L},
title = {Assessment of Landscape Ecological Health: A CaseStudy of a Mining City in a Semi-Arid Steppe.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
volume = {16},
number = {5},
pages = {},
doi = {10.3390/ijerph16050752},
pmid = {30832282},
issn = {1660-4601},
mesh = {Biodiversity ; China ; Cities ; *City Planning ; *Conservation of Natural Resources ; *Ecosystem ; Humans ; *Mining ; },
abstract = {The ecological status of the semi-arid steppes in China is fragile. Under the long-term and high-intensity development of mining, the ecological integrity and biodiversity of steppe landscapes have been destroyed, causing soil pollution, grassland degradation, landscape function defect, and so on. Previous studies have mainly focused on ecosystem health assessment in mining areas. Landscape ecological health (LEH) pays more attention to the interactions between different ecosystems. Therefore, the ecological assessment of mining cities is more suitable on a landscape scale. Meanwhile, the existing LEH assessment index systems are not applicable in ecologically fragile areas with sparse population, underdeveloped economy, and in relatively small research areas. The purpose of this study was to construct a LEH assessment index system and evaluate the LEH of a mining city located in a semi-arid steppe. Xilinhot is a typical semi-arid steppe mining city in China. The contradictions between the human, land and ecological environment are serious. A new model Condition, Vigor, Organization, Resilience, and Ecosystem (CVORE) model was constructed that integrated five subsystems (services) from the perspectives of ecology, landscape ecology, mining science, and geography. This study used the CVORE model to systematically evaluate the LEH in Xilinhot city in terms of five LEH levels, including very healthy, healthy, sub-healthy, unhealthy and morbid landscape. Research results show that the areas of the very healthy, healthy, sub-healthy, unhealthy and morbid landscapes are 13.23, 736.35, 184.5, 66.76 and 20.63 km², respectively. The healthy landscapes area accounts for 72.08% and most grasslands are healthy. The sub-healthy landscapes are mainly located around areas with higher disturbances due to human activities. The morbid or unhealthy landscapes are concentrated in the mining areas. The proposed CVORE model can enrich the foundations for the quantitative assessment of Landscape Ecological Health of Mining Cities in Semi-arid Steppe (LEHMCSS). This study provided a new LEH assessment approach (CVORE model), which can support landscape ecological restoration, ecological environmental protection and urban planning of the semi-arid steppe mining cities.},
}

Biodiversity
China
Cities
*City Planning
*Conservation of Natural Resources
*Ecosystem
Humans
*Mining

@article {pmid30782660,
year = {2019},
author = {López-Pérez, M and Jayakumar, JM and Haro-Moreno, JM and Zaragoza-Solas, A and Reddi, G and Rodriguez-Valera, F and Shapiro, OH and Alam, M and Almagro-Moreno, S},
title = {Evolutionary Model of Cluster Divergence of the Emergent Marine Pathogen Vibrio vulnificus: From Genotype to Ecotype.},
journal = {mBio},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {},
doi = {10.1128/mBio.02852-18},
pmid = {30782660},
issn = {2150-7511},
mesh = {Aquaculture ; Aquatic Organisms/microbiology ; Cluster Analysis ; Computational Biology ; *Ecotype ; Evolution, Molecular ; Gene Flow ; Gene Transfer, Horizontal ; *Genetic Variation ; Genome, Bacterial ; *Genotype ; Phenotype ; Recombination, Genetic ; Vibrio vulnificus/*classification/*genetics/isolation & purification/physiology ; },
abstract = {Vibrio vulnificus, an opportunistic pathogen, is the causative agent of a life-threatening septicemia and a rising problem for aquaculture worldwide. The genetic factors that differentiate its clinical and environmental strains remain enigmatic. Furthermore, clinical strains have emerged from every clade of V. vulnificus In this work, we investigated the underlying genomic properties and population dynamics of the V. vulnificus species from an evolutionary and ecological point of view. Genome comparisons and bioinformatic analyses of 113 V. vulnificus isolates indicate that the population of V. vulnificus is made up of four different clusters. We found evidence that recombination and gene flow between the two largest clusters (cluster 1 [C1] and C2) have drastically decreased to the point where they are diverging independently. Pangenome and phenotypic analyses showed two markedly different lifestyles for these two clusters, indicating commensal (C2) and bloomer (C1) ecotypes, with differences in carbohydrate utilization, defense systems, and chemotaxis, among other characteristics. Nonetheless, we identified frequent intra- and interspecies exchange of mobile genetic elements (e.g., antibiotic resistance plasmids, novel "chromids," or two different and concurrent type VI secretion systems) that provide high levels of genetic diversity in the population. Surprisingly, we identified strains from both clusters in the mucosa of aquaculture species, indicating that manmade niches are bringing strains from the two clusters together. We propose an evolutionary model of V. vulnificus that could be broadly applicable to other pathogenic vibrios and facultative bacterial pathogens to pursue strategies to prevent their infections and emergence.IMPORTANCEVibrio vulnificus is an emergent marine pathogen and is the cause of a deadly septicemia. However, the genetic factors that differentiate its clinical and environmental strains and its several biotypes remain mostly enigmatic. In this work, we investigated the underlying genomic properties and population dynamics of the V. vulnificus species to elucidate the traits that make these strains emerge as a human pathogen. The acquisition of different ecological determinants could have allowed the development of highly divergent clusters with different lifestyles within the same environment. However, we identified strains from both clusters in the mucosa of aquaculture species, indicating that manmade niches are bringing strains from the two clusters together, posing a potential risk of recombination and of emergence of novel variants. We propose a new evolutionary model that provides a perspective that could be broadly applicable to other pathogenic vibrios and facultative bacterial pathogens to pursue strategies to prevent their infections.},
}

Aquaculture
Aquatic Organisms/microbiology
Cluster Analysis
Computational Biology
*Ecotype
Evolution, Molecular
Gene Flow
Gene Transfer, Horizontal
*Genetic Variation
Genome, Bacterial
*Genotype
Phenotype
Recombination, Genetic
Vibrio vulnificus/*classification/*genetics/isolation & purification/physiology

@article {pmid30721227,
year = {2019},
author = {Marsland, R and Cui, W and Goldford, J and Sanchez, A and Korolev, K and Mehta, P},
title = {Available energy fluxes drive a transition in the diversity, stability, and functional structure of microbial communities.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {15},
number = {2},
pages = {e1006793},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006793},
pmid = {30721227},
issn = {1553-7358},
support = {R35 GM119461/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Computational Biology ; Databases, Factual ; *Ecosystem ; Energy Metabolism/*physiology ; Microbial Consortia/*physiology ; Models, Biological ; Stochastic Processes ; Thermodynamics ; },
abstract = {A fundamental goal of microbial ecology is to understand what determines the diversity, stability, and structure of microbial ecosystems. The microbial context poses special conceptual challenges because of the strong mutual influences between the microbes and their chemical environment through the consumption and production of metabolites. By analyzing a generalized consumer resource model that explicitly includes cross-feeding, stochastic colonization, and thermodynamics, we show that complex microbial communities generically exhibit a transition as a function of available energy fluxes from a "resource-limited" regime where community structure and stability is shaped by energetic and metabolic considerations to a diverse regime where the dominant force shaping microbial communities is the overlap between species' consumption preferences. These two regimes have distinct species abundance patterns, different functional profiles, and respond differently to environmental perturbations. Our model reproduces large-scale ecological patterns observed across multiple experimental settings such as nestedness and differential beta diversity patterns along energy gradients. We discuss the experimental implications of our results and possible connections with disorder-induced phase transitions in statistical physics.},
}

Computational Biology
Databases, Factual
*Ecosystem
Energy Metabolism/*physiology
Microbial Consortia/*physiology
Models, Biological
Stochastic Processes
Thermodynamics

@article {pmid30713051,
year = {2019},
author = {Reiczigel, J and Marozzi, M and Fábián, I and Rózsa, L},
title = {Biostatistics for Parasitologists - A Primer to Quantitative Parasitology.},
journal = {Trends in parasitology},
volume = {35},
number = {4},
pages = {277-281},
doi = {10.1016/j.pt.2019.01.003},
pmid = {30713051},
issn = {1471-5007},
mesh = {*Biostatistics ; Parasitology/*methods ; *Software ; },
abstract = {The aggregated distributions of host-parasite systems require several different infection parameters to characterize them. We advise readers how to choose infection indices with clear and distinct biological interpretations, and recommend statistical tests to compare them across samples. A user-friendly and free software is available online to overcome technical difficulties.},
}

*Biostatistics
Parasitology/*methods
*Software

@article {pmid30703281,
year = {2019},
author = {Gill, BA and Musili, PM and Kurukura, S and Hassan, AA and Goheen, JR and Kress, WJ and Kuzmina, M and Pringle, RM and Kartzinel, TR},
title = {Plant DNA-barcode library and community phylogeny for a semi-arid East African savanna.},
journal = {Molecular ecology resources},
volume = {19},
number = {4},
pages = {838-846},
doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.13001},
pmid = {30703281},
issn = {1755-0998},
support = {//The Nature Conservancy/ ; DEB-1355122//National Science Foundation/ ; DEB-1457679//National Science Foundation/ ; DEB-1556728//National Science Foundation/ ; IOS-1656527//National Science Foundation/ ; Natural Sciences and Engineering Council Research Tools and Instruments Grant//National Science Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {*DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; DNA, Plant/chemistry/*genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; *Databases, Genetic ; Grassland ; Kenya ; *Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/genetics ; Plants/*classification/*genetics ; },
abstract = {Applications of DNA barcoding include identifying species, inferring ecological and evolutionary relationships between species, and DNA metabarcoding. These applications require reference libraries that are not yet available for many taxa and geographic regions. We collected, identified, and vouchered plant specimens from Mpala Research Center in Laikipia, Kenya, to develop an extensive DNA-barcode library for a savanna ecosystem in equatorial East Africa. We amassed up to five DNA barcode markers (rbcL, matK, trnL-F, trnH-psbA, and ITS) for 1,781 specimens representing up to 460 species (~92% of the known flora), increasing the number of plant DNA barcode records for Africa by ~9%. We evaluated the ability of these markers, singly and in combination, to delimit species by calculating intra- and interspecific genetic distances. We further estimated a plant community phylogeny and demonstrated its utility by testing if evolutionary relatedness could predict the tendency of members of the Mpala plant community to have or lack "barcode gaps", defined as disparities between the maximum intra- and minimum interspecific genetic distances. We found barcode gaps for 72%-89% of taxa depending on the marker or markers used. With the exception of the markers rbcL and ITS, we found that evolutionary relatedness was an important predictor of barcode-gap presence or absence for all of the markers in combination and for matK, trnL-F, and trnH-psbA individually. This plant DNA barcode library and community phylogeny will be a valuable resource for future investigations.},
}

*DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
DNA, Plant/chemistry/*genetics
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
*Databases, Genetic
Grassland
Kenya
*Phylogeny
Plant Proteins/genetics
Plants/*classification/*genetics

@article {pmid30695030,
year = {2019},
author = {Yenni, GM and Christensen, EM and Bledsoe, EK and Supp, SR and Diaz, RM and White, EP and Ernest, SKM},
title = {Developing a modern data workflow for regularly updated data.},
journal = {PLoS biology},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {e3000125},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.3000125},
pmid = {30695030},
issn = {1545-7885},
abstract = {Over the past decade, biology has undergone a data revolution in how researchers collect data and the amount of data being collected. An emerging challenge that has received limited attention in biology is managing, working with, and providing access to data under continual active collection. Regularly updated data present unique challenges in quality assurance and control, data publication, archiving, and reproducibility. We developed a workflow for a long-term ecological study that addresses many of the challenges associated with managing this type of data. We do this by leveraging existing tools to 1) perform quality assurance and control; 2) import, restructure, version, and archive data; 3) rapidly publish new data in ways that ensure appropriate credit to all contributors; and 4) automate most steps in the data pipeline to reduce the time and effort required by researchers. The workflow leverages tools from software development, including version control and continuous integration, to create a modern data management system that automates the pipeline.},
}

@article {pmid30658302,
year = {2019},
author = {Liu, Z and Tai, P and Li, X and Kong, L and Matthews, TG and Lester, RE and Mondon, JA},
title = {Deriving site-specific water quality criteria for ammonia from national versus international toxicity data.},
journal = {Ecotoxicology and environmental safety},
volume = {171},
number = {},
pages = {665-676},
doi = {10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.12.078},
pmid = {30658302},
issn = {1090-2414},
mesh = {Ammonia/*toxicity ; Animals ; China ; Chironomidae/drug effects ; Copepoda/drug effects ; Daphnia/drug effects ; Databases, Factual ; Endpoint Determination ; Fishes ; Fresh Water/chemistry ; Geologic Sediments/chemistry ; Models, Theoretical ; Palaemonidae/drug effects ; Rivers/chemistry ; Toxicity Tests ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/*toxicity ; Water Quality/*standards ; },
abstract = {A key question to be asked when developing regional water quality criteria with scarce toxicity data is whether such data need to be locally derived. To address this, ammonia toxicity data from local aquatic species in the Liao River were compared against data from species native and non-native to China, based on comparisons of the overall trends of species sensitivity distributions and derived water quality criteria. Liao River data were acquired by acute and chronic tests using five local freshwater invertebrate species, and then compiled alongside published data from Chinese national guidelines and international literature. Models of best fit using three species sensitivity distribution approaches (log-logistic, log-normal, and Burr III) did not vary markedly (r2 >0.9), and no specific model provided a best fit across all data sets. The comparisons of the overall trend of species sensitivity distribution curves showed no significant differences at either a national (Chinese native taxa tested in China versus non-native taxa) or regional level (Liao River taxa versus non-Liao River taxa). The comparisons also revealed that the inclusion or exclusions of different ecological groups had little influence on the overall trends of species sensitivity distributions. These findings suggested data on non-local and non-native species, and data from local species tested elsewhere, could be appropriate for guiding the derivation of ammonia water quality criteria for regions such as Liao River. However, caution is needed when using hazardous concentration 5% values in the development of site-specific water quality criteria for a river basin due to the considerable variation observed for ammonia (16.8-56.6 mg/L), although these differences were not statistically significant. Based on the toxicity test evaluation, a preliminary acute value of 10.0 mg/L and chronic value of 1.7 mg/L (at pH of 7.0 and 20 °C) are proposed as site-specific ammonia water quality criteria for the Liao River, China.},
}

Ammonia/*toxicity
Animals
China
Chironomidae/drug effects
Copepoda/drug effects
Daphnia/drug effects
Databases, Factual
Endpoint Determination
Fishes
Fresh Water/chemistry
Geologic Sediments/chemistry
Models, Theoretical
Palaemonidae/drug effects
Rivers/chemistry
Toxicity Tests
Water Pollutants, Chemical/*toxicity
Water Quality/*standards

@article {pmid30651533,
year = {2019},
author = {Perkins, DM and Perna, A and Adrian, R and Cermeño, P and Gaedke, U and Huete-Ortega, M and White, EP and Yvon-Durocher, G},
title = {Energetic equivalence underpins the size structure of tree and phytoplankton communities.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {255},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-08039-3},
pmid = {30651533},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {Autotrophic Processes ; Biomass ; Biota/*physiology ; Energy Metabolism/*physiology ; Forests ; *Models, Biological ; Phytoplankton/*physiology ; Trees/*physiology ; },
abstract = {The size structure of autotroph communities - the relative abundance of small vs. large individuals - shapes the functioning of ecosystems. Whether common mechanisms underpin the size structure of unicellular and multicellular autotrophs is, however, unknown. Using a global data compilation, we show that individual body masses in tree and phytoplankton communities follow power-law distributions and that the average exponents of these individual size distributions (ISD) differ. Phytoplankton communities are characterized by an average ISD exponent consistent with three-quarter-power scaling of metabolism with body mass and equivalence in energy use among mass classes. Tree communities deviate from this pattern in a manner consistent with equivalence in energy use among diameter size classes. Our findings suggest that whilst universal metabolic constraints ultimately underlie the emergent size structure of autotroph communities, divergent aspects of body size (volumetric vs. linear dimensions) shape the ecological outcome of metabolic scaling in forest vs. pelagic ecosystems.},
}

Autotrophic Processes
Biomass
Biota/*physiology
Energy Metabolism/*physiology
Forests
*Models, Biological
Phytoplankton/*physiology
Trees/*physiology

@article {pmid30625219,
year = {2019},
author = {Ožana, S and Burda, M and Hykel, M and Malina, M and Prášek, M and Bárta, D and Dolný, A},
title = {Dragonfly Hunter CZ: Mobile application for biological species recognition in citizen science.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {14},
number = {1},
pages = {e0210370},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0210370},
pmid = {30625219},
issn = {1932-6203},
abstract = {Citizen science and data collected from various volunteers have an interesting potential in aiding the understanding of many biological and ecological processes. We describe a mobile application that allows the public to map and report occurrences of the odonata species (dragonflies and damselflies) found in the Czech Republic. The application also helps in species classification based on observation details such as date, GPS coordinates, and the altitude, biotope, suborder, and colour. Dragonfly Hunter CZ is a free Android application built on the open-source framework NativeScript using the JavaScript programming language which is now fully available on Google Play. The server side is powered by Apache Server with PHP and MariaDB SQL database. A mobile application is a fast and accurate way to obtain data pertaining to the odonata species, which can be used after expert verification for ecological studies and conservation basis like Red Lists and policy instruments. We expect it to be effective in encouraging Citizen Science and in promoting the proactive reporting of odonates. It can also be extended to the reporting and monitoring of other plant and animal species.},
}

@article {pmid30589896,
year = {2018},
author = {Shimamoto, CY and Padial, AA and da Rosa, CM and Marques, MCM},
title = {Restoration of ecosystem services in tropical forests: A global meta-analysis.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {13},
number = {12},
pages = {e0208523},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0208523},
pmid = {30589896},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Carbon/chemistry ; Databases, Factual ; Ecology ; *Ecosystem ; *Environmental Restoration and Remediation ; *Forests ; Soil/chemistry ; Tropical Climate ; },
abstract = {To reverse the effects of deforestation, tropical areas have expanded restoration efforts in recent years. As ecological restoration positively affects the structure and function of degraded ecosystems, understanding to what extent restoration recovers ecosystem services (ES) is an important step in directing large-scale restoration actions. We evaluated the effect of restoration in increasing the provision of ES in tropical forests. We performed a global meta-analysis of ecological indicators of the ES provided in restored areas, degraded areas and reference ecosystems. We tested for the effects of different restoration strategies, different types of degradation and for the effects of restoration over time. Overall, restoration actions contributed to a significant increase in levels of ecological indicators of ES (carbon pool, soil attributes and biodiversity protection) compared to disturbed areas. Among the restoration strategies, the natural regeneration was the most effective. Biodiversity protection and carbon recovered better than soil attributes. All other restoration strategies recovered ES to a substantially lesser degree, and reforestation with exotics decreased the ES of areas degraded by agriculture. In areas degraded by pasture, restoration was more effective in recovering the biodiversity protection, whereas in areas degraded by agriculture, the restoration recovered mainly the carbon pool. Our results show that by choosing the correct strategy, restoration can recover much of the ES lost by the degradation of tropical forests. These results should be considered for large-scale conservation and management efforts for this biome.},
}

Carbon/chemistry
Databases, Factual
Ecology
*Ecosystem
*Environmental Restoration and Remediation
*Forests
Soil/chemistry
Tropical Climate

@article {pmid30587126,
year = {2018},
author = {Bochkareva, OO and Moroz, EV and Davydov, II and Gelfand, MS},
title = {Genome rearrangements and selection in multi-chromosome bacteria Burkholderia spp.},
journal = {BMC genomics},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {965},
doi = {10.1186/s12864-018-5245-1},
pmid = {30587126},
issn = {1471-2164},
support = {18-14-00358//Russian Science Foundation/ ; 16-54-21004//Russian Foundation of Basic Research/ ; IZLRZ3\163872//Swiss National Science Foundation/ ; },
mesh = {Burkholderia/classification/*genetics ; *Chromosomes, Bacterial ; Databases, Genetic ; Gene Rearrangement/*genetics ; Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND: The genus Burkholderia consists of species that occupy remarkably diverse ecological niches. Its best known members are important pathogens, B. mallei and B. pseudomallei, which cause glanders and melioidosis, respectively. Burkholderia genomes are unusual due to their multichromosomal organization, generally comprised of 2-3 chromosomes.

RESULTS: We performed integrated genomic analysis of 127 Burkholderia strains. The pan-genome is open with the saturation to be reached between 86,000 and 88,000 genes. The reconstructed rearrangements indicate a strong avoidance of intra-replichore inversions that is likely caused by selection against the transfer of large groups of genes between the leading and the lagging strands. Translocated genes also tend to retain their position in the leading or the lagging strand, and this selection is stronger for large syntenies. Integrated reconstruction of chromosome rearrangements in the context of strains phylogeny reveals parallel rearrangements that may indicate inversion-based phase variation and integration of new genomic islands. In particular, we detected parallel inversions in the second chromosomes of B. pseudomallei with breakpoints formed by genes encoding membrane components of multidrug resistance complex, that may be linked to a phase variation mechanism. Two genomic islands, spreading horizontally between chromosomes, were detected in the B. cepacia group.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the power of integrated analysis of pan-genomes, chromosome rearrangements, and selection regimes. Non-random inversion patterns indicate selective pressure, inversions are particularly frequent in a recent pathogen B. mallei, and, together with periods of positive selection at other branches, may indicate adaptation to new niches. One such adaptation could be a possible phase variation mechanism in B. pseudomallei.},
}

Burkholderia/classification/*genetics
*Chromosomes, Bacterial
Databases, Genetic
Gene Rearrangement/*genetics
Phylogeny

@article {pmid30571696,
year = {2018},
author = {Somveille, M and Firth, JA and Aplin, LM and Farine, DR and Sheldon, BC and Thompson, RN},
title = {Movement and conformity interact to establish local behavioural traditions in animal populations.},
journal = {PLoS computational biology},
volume = {14},
number = {12},
pages = {e1006647},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006647},
pmid = {30571696},
issn = {1553-7358},
support = {//Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom ; },
mesh = {Animals ; *Behavior, Animal ; Computational Biology ; Ecosystem ; England ; Learning ; *Models, Biological ; Models, Psychological ; Passeriformes/physiology ; Population Dynamics ; *Social Behavior ; },
abstract = {The social transmission of information is critical to the emergence of animal culture. Two processes are predicted to play key roles in how socially-transmitted information spreads in animal populations: the movement of individuals across the landscape and conformist social learning. We develop a model that, for the first time, explicitly integrates these processes to investigate their impacts on the spread of behavioural preferences. Our results reveal a strong interplay between movement and conformity in determining whether locally-variable traditions establish across a landscape or whether a single preference dominates the whole population. The model is able to replicate a real-world cultural diffusion experiment in great tits Parus major, but also allows for a range of predictions for the emergence of animal culture under various initial conditions, habitat structure and strength of conformist bias to be made. Integrating social behaviour with ecological variation will be important for understanding the stability and diversity of culture in animals.},
}

Animals
*Behavior, Animal
Computational Biology
Ecosystem
England
Learning
*Models, Biological
Models, Psychological
Passeriformes/physiology
Population Dynamics
*Social Behavior

@article {pmid30568285,
year = {2019},
author = {Strassburg, BBN and Beyer, HL and Crouzeilles, R and Iribarrem, A and Barros, F and de Siqueira, MF and Sánchez-Tapia, A and Balmford, A and Sansevero, JBB and Brancalion, PHS and Broadbent, EN and Chazdon, RL and Filho, AO and Gardner, TA and Gordon, A and Latawiec, A and Loyola, R and Metzger, JP and Mills, M and Possingham, HP and Rodrigues, RR and Scaramuzza, CAM and Scarano, FR and Tambosi, L and Uriarte, M},
title = {Strategic approaches to restoring ecosystems can triple conservation gains and halve costs.},
journal = {Nature ecology & evolution},
volume = {3},
number = {1},
pages = {62-70},
doi = {10.1038/s41559-018-0743-8},
pmid = {30568285},
issn = {2397-334X},
mesh = {Brazil ; Carbon Sequestration ; Conservation of Natural Resources/*economics ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; *Ecosystem ; },
abstract = {International commitments for ecosystem restoration add up to one-quarter of the world's arable land. Fulfilling them would ease global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity decline but could displace food production and impose financial costs on farmers. Here, we present a restoration prioritization approach capable of revealing these synergies and trade-offs, incorporating ecological and economic efficiencies of scale and modelling specific policy options. Using an actual large-scale restoration target of the Atlantic Forest hotspot, we show that our approach can deliver an eightfold increase in cost-effectiveness for biodiversity conservation compared with a baseline of non-systematic restoration. A compromise solution avoids 26% of the biome's current extinction debt of 2,864 plant and animal species (an increase of 257% compared with the baseline). Moreover, this solution sequesters 1 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent (a 105% increase) while reducing costs by US$28 billion (a 57% decrease). Seizing similar opportunities elsewhere would offer substantial contributions to some of the greatest challenges for humankind.},
}

Brazil
Carbon Sequestration
Conservation of Natural Resources/*economics
Cost-Benefit Analysis
*Ecosystem

@article {pmid30565882,
year = {2019},
author = {Haller, BC and Galloway, J and Kelleher, J and Messer, PW and Ralph, PL},
title = {Tree-sequence recording in SLiM opens new horizons for forward-time simulation of whole genomes.},
journal = {Molecular ecology resources},
volume = {19},
number = {2},
pages = {552-566},
doi = {10.1111/1755-0998.12968},
pmid = {30565882},
issn = {1755-0998},
support = {//Alfred P. Sloan Foundation/ ; 100956/Z/13/Z//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; DBI-1262645//National Science Foundation/ ; SS/05/01//Predator Free 2050/ ; R21AI130635//National Institutes of Health/ ; //College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University/ ; //Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; R01 GM127418/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States ; R21 AI130635/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States ; R01GM127418//National Institutes of Health/ ; },
mesh = {*Biological Evolution ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation ; Genetics, Population/*methods ; Software ; },
abstract = {There is an increasing demand for evolutionary models to incorporate relatively realistic dynamics, ranging from selection at many genomic sites to complex demography, population structure, and ecological interactions. Such models can generally be implemented as individual-based forward simulations, but the large computational overhead of these models often makes simulation of whole chromosome sequences in large populations infeasible. This situation presents an important obstacle to the field that requires conceptual advances to overcome. The recently developed tree-sequence recording method (Kelleher, Thornton, Ashander, & Ralph, 2018), which stores the genealogical history of all genomes in the simulated population, could provide such an advance. This method has several benefits: (1) it allows neutral mutations to be omitted entirely from forward-time simulations and added later, thereby dramatically improving computational efficiency; (2) it allows neutral burn-in to be constructed extremely efficiently after the fact, using "recapitation"; (3) it allows direct examination and analysis of the genealogical trees along the genome; and (4) it provides a compact representation of a population's genealogy that can be analysed in Python using the msprime package. We have implemented the tree-sequence recording method in SLiM 3 (a free, open-source evolutionary simulation software package) and extended it to allow the recording of non-neutral mutations, greatly broadening the utility of this method. To demonstrate the versatility and performance of this approach, we showcase several practical applications that would have been beyond the reach of previously existing methods, opening up new horizons for the modelling and exploration of evolutionary processes.},
}

*Biological Evolution
Computational Biology
Computer Simulation
Genetics, Population/*methods
Software

@article {pmid30540766,
year = {2018},
author = {Taff, CC and Freeman-Gallant, CR and Streby, HM and Kramer, GR},
title = {Geolocator deployment reduces return rate, alters selection, and impacts demography in a small songbird.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {13},
number = {12},
pages = {e0207783},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0207783},
pmid = {30540766},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animal Migration/physiology ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal/physiology ; Breeding ; Conservation of Natural Resources/methods ; Demography/*methods ; Ecology/instrumentation/methods ; Geographic Information Systems/*instrumentation/trends ; Reproduction ; Seasons ; Songbirds/physiology ; },
abstract = {In the past few years, miniature light-level geolocators have been developed for tracking wild bird species that were previously too small to track during their full annual cycle. Geolocators offer an exciting opportunity to study the full annual cycle for many species. However, the potential detrimental effects of carrying geolocators are still poorly understood, especially for small-bodied birds. Here, we deployed light-level geolocators on common yellowthroat warblers (Geothlypis trichas). Over two years, we monitored return rates and neighborhood demography for 40 warblers carrying a geolocator and 20 reference birds that did not carry a geolocator. We compared the two groups with long-term data from 108 unmanipulated birds breeding at the same location in previous and subsequent years. Overall, we found that individuals carrying a geolocator were less likely to return to the study site in the following year (21% to 33% returned, depending on inclusion criteria) than either contemporaneous controls (55%) or long-term controls (55%). Among birds marked with geolocators, we also detected viability selection for greater wing length, whereas this pattern was not present in control birds. Finally, in each year after geolocator deployment, inexperienced breeders colonized vacant territories and this demographic effect persisted for two years after deployment. Sexual selection and ornamentation are strongly age-dependent in this system, and behavioral data collected after geolocator deployment is likely to differ systematically from natural conditions. Clearly geolocators will continue to be useful tools, but we suggest that future studies should carefully consider the potential for biased returns and the ecological validity of behavioral data collected from geolocator marked populations.},
}

Animal Migration/physiology
Animals
Behavior, Animal/physiology
Breeding
Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
Demography/*methods
Ecology/instrumentation/methods
Geographic Information Systems/*instrumentation/trends
Reproduction
Seasons
Songbirds/physiology

@article {pmid30533308,
year = {2018},
author = {Jenkins, MF and White, EP and Hurlbert, AH},
title = {The proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity.},
journal = {PeerJ},
volume = {6},
number = {},
pages = {e6019},
pmid = {30533308},
issn = {2167-8359},
abstract = {Ecological communities are composed of a combination of core species that maintain local viable populations and transient species that occur infrequently due to dispersal from surrounding regions. Preliminary work indicates that while core and transient species are both commonly observed in community surveys of a wide range of taxonomic groups, their relative prevalence varies substantially from one community to another depending upon the spatial scale at which the community was characterized and its environmental context. We used a geographically extensive dataset of 968 bird community time series to quantitatively describe how the proportion of core species in a community varies with spatial scale and environmental heterogeneity. We found that the proportion of core species in an assemblage increased with spatial scale in a positive decelerating fashion with a concomitant decrease in the proportion of transient species. Variation in the shape of this scaling relationship between sites was related to regional environmental heterogeneity, with lower proportions of core species at a given scale associated with high environmental heterogeneity. Understanding this influence of scale and environmental heterogeneity on the proportion of core species may help resolve discrepancies between studies of biotic interactions, resource availability, and mass effects conducted at different scales, because the importance of these and other ecological processes are expected to differ substantially between core and transient species.},
}

@article {pmid30499218,
year = {2019},
author = {Taylor, SD and Meiners, JM and Riemer, K and Orr, MC and White, EP},
title = {Comparison of large-scale citizen science data and long-term study data for phenology modeling.},
journal = {Ecology},
volume = {100},
number = {2},
pages = {e02568},
doi = {10.1002/ecy.2568},
pmid = {30499218},
issn = {0012-9658},
support = {GBMF4563//Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation/International ; //University of Florida Biodiversity Institute Graduate Research Fellowship/International ; },
mesh = {*Climate Change ; Longitudinal Studies ; *Models, Theoretical ; Seasons ; },
abstract = {Large-scale observational data from citizen science efforts are becoming increasingly common in ecology, and researchers often choose between these and data from intensive local-scale studies for their analyses. This choice has potential trade-offs related to spatial scale, observer variance, and interannual variability. Here we explored this issue with phenology by comparing models built using data from the large-scale, citizen science USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) effort with models built using data from more intensive studies at Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites. We built statistical and process based phenology models for species common to each data set. From these models, we compared parameter estimates, estimates of phenological events, and out-of-sample errors between models derived from both USA-NPN and LTER data. We found that model parameter estimates for the same species were most similar between the two data sets when using simple models, but parameter estimates varied widely as model complexity increased. Despite this, estimates for the date of phenological events and out-of-sample errors were similar, regardless of the model chosen. Predictions for USA-NPN data had the lowest error when using models built from the USA-NPN data, while LTER predictions were best made using LTER-derived models, confirming that models perform best when applied at the same scale they were built. This difference in the cross-scale model comparison is likely due to variation in phenological requirements within species. Models using the USA-NPN data set can integrate parameters over a large spatial scale while those using an LTER data set can only estimate parameters for a single location. Accordingly, the choice of data set depends on the research question. Inferences about species-specific phenological requirements are best made with LTER data, and if USA-NPN or similar data are all that is available, then analyses should be limited to simple models. Large-scale predictive modeling is best done with the larger-scale USA-NPN data, which has high spatial representation and a large regional species pool. LTER data sets, on the other hand, have high site fidelity and thus characterize inter-annual variability extremely well. Future research aimed at forecasting phenology events for particular species over larger scales should develop models that integrate the strengths of both data sets.},
}

*Climate Change
Longitudinal Studies
*Models, Theoretical
Seasons

@article {pmid30446752,
year = {2018},
author = {Felipe-Lucia, MR and Soliveres, S and Penone, C and Manning, P and van der Plas, F and Boch, S and Prati, D and Ammer, C and Schall, P and Gossner, MM and Bauhus, J and Buscot, F and Blaser, S and Blüthgen, N and de Frutos, A and Ehbrecht, M and Frank, K and Goldmann, K and Hänsel, F and Jung, K and Kahl, T and Nauss, T and Oelmann, Y and Pena, R and Polle, A and Renner, S and Schloter, M and Schöning, I and Schrumpf, M and Schulze, ED and Solly, E and Sorkau, E and Stempfhuber, B and Tschapka, M and Weisser, WW and Wubet, T and Fischer, M and Allan, E},
title = {Multiple forest attributes underpin the supply of multiple ecosystem services.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {4839},
pmid = {30446752},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {Conservation of Natural Resources/*methods ; Ecosystem ; Europe ; Forestry/*methods/trends ; *Forests ; Humans ; Trees/*physiology ; },
abstract = {Trade-offs and synergies in the supply of forest ecosystem services are common but the drivers of these relationships are poorly understood. To guide management that seeks to promote multiple services, we investigated the relationships between 12 stand-level forest attributes, including structure, composition, heterogeneity and plant diversity, plus 4 environmental factors, and proxies for 14 ecosystem services in 150 temperate forest plots. Our results show that forest attributes are the best predictors of most ecosystem services and are also good predictors of several synergies and trade-offs between services. Environmental factors also play an important role, mostly in combination with forest attributes. Our study suggests that managing forests to increase structural heterogeneity, maintain large trees, and canopy gaps would promote the supply of multiple ecosystem services. These results highlight the potential for forest management to encourage multifunctional forests and suggest that a coordinated landscape-scale strategy could help to mitigate trade-offs in human-dominated landscapes.},
}

Conservation of Natural Resources/*methods
Ecosystem
Europe
Forestry/*methods/trends
*Forests
Humans
Trees/*physiology

@article {pmid30431668,
year = {2018},
author = {Portnoy, GA and Relyea, MR and Decker, S and Shamaskin-Garroway, A and Driscoll, M and Brandt, CA and Haskell, SG},
title = {Understanding Gender Differences in Resilience Among Veterans: Trauma History and Social Ecology.},
journal = {Journal of traumatic stress},
volume = {31},
number = {6},
pages = {845-855},
doi = {10.1002/jts.22341},
pmid = {30431668},
issn = {1573-6598},
support = {VA IIR 12-118//Health Services Research and Development/International ; },
abstract = {A social-ecological framework for resilience underscores the importance of conceptualizing individuals embedded within their context when evaluating a person's vulnerability and adaptation to stress. Despite a high level of trauma exposure, most veterans exhibit psychological resilience following a traumatic event. Interpersonal trauma is associated with poorer psychological outcomes than noninterpersonal trauma and is experienced more frequently across the lifespan by women as compared to men. In the present study, we examined gender differences in trauma exposure, resilience, and protective factors among veterans. Participants included 665 veterans who completed a baseline survey assessing traumatic events; 544 veterans (81.8%) completed a 1-year follow-up survey assessing resilience, combat exposure, deployment social support, deployment preparedness, and military sexual trauma (MST). Principal component analyses revealed the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire categorized into four meaningful components: sexual abuse, interpersonal violence, stranger violence, and accidents/unexpected trauma. Women reported greater exposure to sexual abuse, d = 0.76; interpersonal violence, d = 0.31; and MST, Cramer's V = 0.54; men reported greater exposure to stranger violence, accidents/unexpected trauma, and combat exposure, ds = 0.24-0.55. Compared to women, men also reported greater social support during deployment, d = 0.46. Hierarchical linear regression indicated that men's resilience scores were higher than women's, β = .10, p = .032, yet this association was no longer significant once we accounted for trauma type, β = .07, p = .197. Results indicate that trauma type is central to resilience and suggest one must consider the social-ecological context that can promote or inhibit resilient processes.},
}

@article {pmid30419993,
year = {2019},
author = {Lozano-Jaramillo, M and Bastiaansen, JWM and Dessie, T and Komen, H},
title = {Use of geographic information system tools to predict animal breed suitability for different agro-ecological zones.},
journal = {Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience},
volume = {13},
number = {7},
pages = {1536-1543},
doi = {10.1017/S1751731118003002},
pmid = {30419993},
issn = {1751-732X},
mesh = {Animal Husbandry/instrumentation/*methods ; Animals ; Breeding/methods ; *Chickens ; *Environment ; Ethiopia ; Geographic Information Systems/*statistics & numerical data ; },
abstract = {Predicting breed-specific environmental suitability has been problematic in livestock production. Native breeds have low productivity but are thought to be more robust to perform under local conditions than exotic breeds. Attempts to introduce genetically improved exotic breeds are generally unsuccessful, mainly due to the antagonistic environmental conditions. Knowledge of the environmental conditions that are shaping the breed would be needed to determine its suitability to different locations. Here, we present a methodology to predict the suitability of breeds for different agro-ecological zones using Geographic Information Systems tools and predictive habitat distribution models. This methodology was tested on the current distribution of two introduced chicken breeds in Ethiopia: the Koekoek, originally from South Africa, and the Fayoumi, originally from Egypt. Cross-validation results show this methodology to be effective in predicting breed suitability for specific environmental conditions. Furthermore, the model predicts suitable areas of the country where the breeds could be introduced. The specific climatic parameters that explained the potential distribution of each of the breeds were similar to the environment from which the breeds originated. This novel methodology finds application in livestock programs, allowing for a more informed decision when designing breeding programs and introduction programs, and increases our understanding of the role of the environment in livestock productivity.},
}

Animal Husbandry/instrumentation/*methods
Animals
Breeding/methods
*Chickens
*Environment
Ethiopia
Geographic Information Systems/*statistics & numerical data

@article {pmid30417109,
year = {2018},
author = {Mazel, F and Davis, KM and Loudon, A and Kwong, WK and Groussin, M and Parfrey, LW},
title = {Is Host Filtering the Main Driver of Phylosymbiosis across the Tree of Life?.},
journal = {mSystems},
volume = {3},
number = {5},
pages = {},
pmid = {30417109},
issn = {2379-5077},
abstract = {Host-associated microbiota composition can be conserved over evolutionary time scales. Indeed, closely related species often host similar microbiota; i.e., the composition of their microbiota harbors a phylogenetic signal, a pattern sometimes referred to as "phylosymbiosis." Elucidating the origins of this pattern is important to better understand microbiota ecology and evolution. However, this is hampered by our lack of theoretical expectations and a comprehensive overview of phylosymbiosis prevalence in nature. Here, we use simulations to provide a simple expectation for when we should expect this pattern to occur and then review the literature to document the prevalence and strength of phylosymbiosis across the host tree of life. We demonstrate that phylosymbiosis can readily emerge from a simple ecological filtering process, whereby a given host trait (e.g., gut pH) that varies with host phylogeny (i.e., harbors a phylogenetic signal) filters preadapted microbes. We found marked differences between methods used to detect phylosymbiosis, so we proposed a series of practical recommendations based on using multiple best-performing approaches. Importantly, we found that, while the prevalence of phylosymbiosis is mixed in nature, it appears to be stronger for microbiotas living in internal host compartments (e.g., the gut) than those living in external compartments (e.g., the rhizosphere). We show that phylosymbiosis can theoretically emerge without any intimate, long-term coevolutionary mechanisms and that most phylosymbiosis patterns observed in nature are compatible with a simple ecological process. Deviations from baseline ecological expectations might be used to further explore more complex hypotheses, such as codiversification. IMPORTANCE Phylosymbiosis is a pattern defined as the tendency of closely related species to host microbiota whose compositions resemble each other more than host species drawn at random from the same tree. Understanding the mechanisms behind phylosymbiosis is important because it can shed light on rules governing the assembly of host-associated microbiotas and, potentially, their coevolutionary dynamics with hosts. For example, is phylosymbiosis a result of coevolution, or can it be generated by simple ecological filtering processes? Beyond qualitative theoretical models, quantitative theoretical expectations can provide new insights. For example, deviations from a simple baseline of ecological filtering may be used to test more-complex hypotheses (e.g., coevolution). Here, we use simulations to provide evidence that simple host-related ecological filtering can readily generate phylosymbiosis, and we contrast these predictions with real-world data. We find that while phylosymbiosis is widespread in nature, phylosymbiosis patterns are compatible with a simple ecological model in the majority of taxa. Internal compartments of hosts, such as the animal gut, often display stronger phylosymbiosis than expected from a purely ecological filtering process, suggesting that other mechanisms are also involved.},
}

@article {pmid30413903,
year = {2019},
author = {Sánchez-Giraldo, C and Daza, JM},
title = {Getting better temporal and spatial ecology data for threatened species: using lightweight GPS devices for small primate monitoring in the northern Andes of Colombia.},
journal = {Primates; journal of primatology},
volume = {60},
number = {1},
pages = {93-102},
doi = {10.1007/s10329-018-0696-1},
pmid = {30413903},
issn = {1610-7365},
mesh = {Animals ; Colombia ; Ecology/*methods ; Endangered Species ; Female ; Geographic Information Systems/*instrumentation ; *Homing Behavior ; Male ; Saguinus/*physiology ; },
abstract = {The use of GPS telemetry has been a reliable research tool for the study of primate biology in recent years. Although in the past technological restrictions limited its use mainly to large primates, recent improvements in battery size make it possible to use this technology for small species. We used GPS devices for monitoring two adult white-footed tamarins (Saguinus leucopus) from a free-ranging group, and assessed its applicability for recording spatial and ecological data. GPS devices were operational for 66 and 85 days, recording 221 positions (36.6% acquisition rate; 73% of which were highly accurate) and 3195 activity values for both individuals. Depending on the estimation method, we calculated the home range size for the group to be 19.4 and 22.9 ha, which were within the range for the species in other localities. The animals were active each day for 11 h, with high activity during the early morning. The monkeys showed a constant and alternate use of four sleeping sites with a limited reuse of the same site on consecutive nights. These daily activity and sleeping site use patterns are similar to those reported for other Saguinus species. Based on the kind and quality of the data recorded, we consider GPS telemetry to be an efficient and advantageous method for tracking and obtaining ecological information from S. leucopus. In comparison to other data collection methods, GPS telemetry required fewer personnel and less time commitment to record data without compromising the accuracy of the spatial and activity information we obtained.},
}

Animals
Colombia
Ecology/*methods
Endangered Species
Female
Geographic Information Systems/*instrumentation
*Homing Behavior
Male
Saguinus/*physiology

@article {pmid30413098,
year = {2018},
author = {Trotter, RT and Lininger, MR and Camplain, R and Fofanov, VY and Camplain, C and Baldwin, JA},
title = {A Survey of Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, and Converging Morbidities in a County Jail: A Cultural-Ecological Assessment of Health Conditions in Jail Populations.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
volume = {15},
number = {11},
pages = {},
pmid = {30413098},
issn = {1660-4601},
support = {U54 MD012388/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; U54MD012388/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States ; },
mesh = {Adult ; Female ; *Health Status Disparities ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Morbidity ; *Prisoners ; Prisons ; *Social Determinants of Health ; United States ; },
abstract = {The environmental health status of jail populations in the United States constitutes a significant public health threat for prisoners and the general population. The ecology of jails creates a dynamic condition in relation to general population health due to the concentrated potential exposure to infectious diseases, difficult access to treatment for chronic health conditions, interruption in continuity of care for serious behavioral health conditions, as well as on-going issues for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse disorders. This paper reports on elements of a cross-sectional survey embedded in a parent project, "Health Disparities in Jail Populations." The overall project includes a comprehensive secondary data analysis of the health status of county jail populations, along with primary data collection that includes a cross-sectional health and health care services survey of incarcerated individuals, coupled with collection of biological samples to investigate infectious disease characteristics of a county jail population. This paper reports on the primary results of the survey data collection that indicate that this is a population with complex and interacting co-morbidities, as well as significant health disparities compared to the general population.},
}

Adult
Female
*Health Status Disparities
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Morbidity
*Prisoners
Prisons
*Social Determinants of Health
United States

@article {pmid30410743,
year = {2018},
author = {Munos, MK and Maiga, A and Do, M and Sika, GL and Carter, ED and Mosso, R and Dosso, A and Leyton, A and Khan, SM},
title = {Linking household survey and health facility data for effective coverage measures: a comparison of ecological and individual linking methods using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Côte d'Ivoire.},
journal = {Journal of global health},
volume = {8},
number = {2},
pages = {020803},
pmid = {30410743},
issn = {2047-2986},
mesh = {Adolescent ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Cote d'Ivoire ; Ecology ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; *Health Care Surveys ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Information Storage and Retrieval/*methods ; *Medical Record Linkage ; Middle Aged ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*statistics & numerical data ; Pregnancy ; Quality of Health Care ; Reproducibility of Results ; Young Adult ; },
abstract = {Background: Population-based measures of intervention coverage are used in low- and middle-income countries for program planning, prioritization, and evaluation. There is increased interest in effective coverage, which integrates information about service quality or health outcomes. Approaches proposed for quality-adjusted effective coverage include linking data on need and service contact from population-based surveys with data on service quality from health facility surveys. However, there is limited evidence about the validity of different linking methods for effective coverage estimation.

Methods: We collaborated with the 2016 Côte d'Ivoire Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) to link data from a health provider assessment to care-seeking data collected by the MICS in the Savanes region of Côte d'Ivoire. The provider assessment was conducted in a census of public and non-public health facilities and pharmacies in Savanes in May-June 2016. We also included community health workers managing sick children who served the clusters sampled for the MICS. The provider assessment collected information on structural and process quality for antenatal care, delivery and immediate newborn care, postnatal care, and sick child care. We linked the MICS and provider data using exact-match and ecological linking methods, including aggregate linking and geolinking methods. We compared the results obtained from exact-match and ecological methods.

Results: We linked 731 of 786 care-seeking episodes (93%) from the MICS to a structural quality score for the provider named by the respondent. Effective coverage estimates computed using exact-match methods were 13%-63% lower than the care-seeking estimates from the MICS. Absolute differences between exact match and ecological linking methods were ±7 percentage points for all ecological methods. Incorporating adjustments for provider category and weighting by service-specific utilization into the ecological methods generally resulted in better agreement between ecological and exact match estimates.

Conclusions: Ecological linking may be a feasible and valid approach for estimating quality-adjusted effective coverage when a census of providers is used. Adjusting for provider type and caseload may improve agreement with exact match results. There remain methodological questions to be addressed to develop guidance on using linking methods for estimating quality-adjusted effective coverage, including the effect of facility sampling and time displacement.},
}

Adolescent
Adult
Child, Preschool
Cote d'Ivoire
Ecology
Feasibility Studies
Female
*Health Care Surveys
Health Services Needs and Demand
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Information Storage and Retrieval/*methods
*Medical Record Linkage
Middle Aged
Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*statistics & numerical data
Pregnancy
Quality of Health Care
Reproducibility of Results
Young Adult

@article {pmid30409881,
year = {2018},
author = {Kubelka, V and Šálek, M and Tomkovich, P and Végvári, Z and Freckleton, RP and Székely, T},
title = {Global pattern of nest predation is disrupted by climate change in shorebirds.},
journal = {Science (New York, N.Y.)},
volume = {362},
number = {6415},
pages = {680-683},
doi = {10.1126/science.aat8695},
pmid = {30409881},
issn = {1095-9203},
mesh = {Animals ; Birds/*physiology ; *Climate Change ; Databases, Factual ; Nesting Behavior/*physiology ; Predatory Behavior/*physiology ; },
abstract = {Ongoing climate change is thought to disrupt trophic relationships, with consequences for complex interspecific interactions, yet the effects of climate change on species interactions are poorly understood, and such effects have not been documented at a global scale. Using a single database of 38,191 nests from 237 populations, we found that shorebirds have experienced a worldwide increase in nest predation over the past 70 years. Historically, there existed a latitudinal gradient in nest predation, with the highest rates in the tropics; however, this pattern has been recently reversed in the Northern Hemisphere, most notably in the Arctic. This increased nest predation is consistent with climate-induced shifts in predator-prey relationships.},
}

Animals
Birds/*physiology
*Climate Change
Databases, Factual
Nesting Behavior/*physiology
Predatory Behavior/*physiology

@article {pmid30384907,
year = {2018},
author = {Bamisile, BS and Dash, CK and Akutse, KS and Keppanan, R and Afolabi, OG and Hussain, M and Qasim, M and Wang, L},
title = {Prospects of endophytic fungal entomopathogens as biocontrol and plant growth promoting agents: An insight on how artificial inoculation methods affect endophytic colonization of host plants.},
journal = {Microbiological research},
volume = {217},
number = {},
pages = {34-50},
doi = {10.1016/j.micres.2018.08.016},
pmid = {30384907},
issn = {1618-0623},
mesh = {*Agricultural Inoculants ; Animals ; Beauveria/physiology ; Biological Control Agents/*pharmacology ; Databases, Factual ; Endophytes/growth & development/*physiology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions/physiology ; Insecta/drug effects ; Pest Control, Biological/*methods ; *Plant Development ; Plant Diseases/microbiology/*prevention & control ; Plant Roots/microbiology ; Plant Stems/microbiology ; Plants/*microbiology ; Seedlings/microbiology ; Soil ; Sorghum/microbiology ; },
abstract = {Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) can be established as endophytes in the host plants to offer a long-term preventive measure for pests and diseases. This practice serves as a better alternative to the common practice of periodic direct application of EPF on plants or the target pests as a short-term defense strategy against pests and diseases. These fungal endophytes, aside from their role in pests and diseases prevention, also act as plant growth promoters. Several fungal endophytes have been associated with improvement in plant height, dry and wet weight and other growth parameters. However, many limiting factors have been identified as mitigating the successful colonization of the host plants by EPF. The inoculation methods used have been identified as one, but sadly, this has received little or less attention. Some previous studies carried out comparison between various artificial inoculation methods; foliar application, seedling dipping, soil drenching, seed inoculation, direct injection and others. In separate studies, some authors had suggested different application methods that are best suitable for certain fungal entomopathogens. For instance, leaf inoculation with conidial suspensions was suggested to be the best inoculation method for Beauveria bassiana in sorghum, stem injection was suggested as the most suitable for coffee, while, root dipping method proved the most successful for B. bassiana colonization of tomato plants for the management of Helicoverpa armigera. Here, we discussed entomopathogenic fungal endophytes as bio-control agents, plant growth promoters and highlighted the effect of various artificial inoculation methods on their endophytic colonization of the host plants.},
}

*Agricultural Inoculants
Animals
Beauveria/physiology
Biological Control Agents/*pharmacology
Databases, Factual
Endophytes/growth & development/*physiology
Host-Pathogen Interactions/physiology
Insecta/drug effects
Pest Control, Biological/*methods
*Plant Development
Plant Diseases/microbiology/*prevention & control
Plant Roots/microbiology
Plant Stems/microbiology
Plants/*microbiology
Seedlings/microbiology
Soil
Sorghum/microbiology

@article {pmid30366399,
year = {2018},
author = {Meng, X and Wang, F and Xie, Y and Song, G and Ma, S and Hu, S and Bai, J and Yang, Y},
title = {An Ontology-Driven Approach for Integrating Intelligence to Manage Human and Ecological Health Risks in the Geospatial Sensor Web.},
journal = {Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)},
volume = {18},
number = {11},
pages = {},
pmid = {30366399},
issn = {1424-8220},
support = {41501441//National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; 2014HB04//Hubei Provincial Environment Protection Project/ ; GDGTKJ2017001//Guangdong Provincial Land Resource Research Project/ ; 2042017kf0212//Wuhan University Grant/ ; },
mesh = {Ecology ; Environmental Monitoring/*methods ; *Geographic Information Systems ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Software ; },
abstract = {Due to the rapid installation of a massive number of fixed and mobile sensors, monitoring machines are intentionally or unintentionally involved in the production of a large amount of geospatial data. Environmental sensors and related software applications are rapidly altering human lifestyles and even impacting ecological and human health. However, there are rarely specific geospatial sensor web (GSW) applications for certain ecological public health questions. In this paper, we propose an ontology-driven approach for integrating intelligence to manage human and ecological health risks in the GSW. We design a Human and Ecological health Risks Ontology (HERO) based on a semantic sensor network ontology template. We also illustrate a web-based prototype, the Human and Ecological Health Risk Management System (HaEHMS), which helps health experts and decision makers to estimate human and ecological health risks. We demonstrate this intelligent system through a case study of automatic prediction of air quality and related health risk.},
}

Ecology
Environmental Monitoring/*methods
*Geographic Information Systems
Humans
Intelligence
Software

@article {pmid30344120,
year = {2018},
author = {Gopalakrishnan, S and Sinding, MS and Ramos-Madrigal, J and Niemann, J and Samaniego Castruita, JA and Vieira, FG and Carøe, C and Montero, MM and Kuderna, L and Serres, A and González-Basallote, VM and Liu, YH and Wang, GD and Marques-Bonet, T and Mirarab, S and Fernandes, C and Gaubert, P and Koepfli, KP and Budd, J and Rueness, EK and Heide-Jørgensen, MP and Petersen, B and Sicheritz-Ponten, T and Bachmann, L and Wiig, Ø and Hansen, AJ and Gilbert, MTP},
title = {Interspecific Gene Flow Shaped the Evolution of the Genus Canis.},
journal = {Current biology : CB},
volume = {28},
number = {21},
pages = {3441-3449.e5},
pmid = {30344120},
issn = {1879-0445},
support = {U01 MH106874/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; },
abstract = {The evolutionary history of the wolf-like canids of the genus Canis has been heavily debated, especially regarding the number of distinct species and their relationships at the population and species level [1-6]. We assembled a dataset of 48 resequenced genomes spanning all members of the genus Canis except the black-backed and side-striped jackals, encompassing the global diversity of seven extant canid lineages. This includes eight new genomes, including the first resequenced Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), one dhole (Cuon alpinus), two East African hunting dogs (Lycaon pictus), two Eurasian golden jackals (Canis aureus), and two Middle Eastern gray wolves (Canis lupus). The relationships between the Ethiopian wolf, African golden wolf, and golden jackal were resolved. We highlight the role of interspecific hybridization in the evolution of this charismatic group. Specifically, we find gene flow between the ancestors of the dhole and African hunting dog and admixture between the gray wolf, coyote (Canis latrans), golden jackal, and African golden wolf. Additionally, we report gene flow from gray and Ethiopian wolves to the African golden wolf, suggesting that the African golden wolf originated through hybridization between these species. Finally, we hypothesize that coyotes and gray wolves carry genetic material derived from a "ghost" basal canid lineage.},
}

@article {pmid30325353,
year = {2018},
author = {Du, E},
title = {A database of annual atmospheric acid and nutrient deposition to China's forests.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {5},
number = {},
pages = {180223},
pmid = {30325353},
issn = {2052-4463},
mesh = {Acid Rain ; Air Pollutants/*analysis ; China ; *Databases, Factual ; *Environmental Monitoring ; *Forests ; },
abstract = {Anthropogenic emissions have substantially altered atmospheric acid and nutrient deposition in China. Understanding the status and characteristics of acid and nutrient deposition to China's forests is crucial to assess the consequent impacts, and to better guide forest management options. Based on a comprehensive literature review, here I present an updated database for annual acid and nutrient deposition during the period 1991-2015 in China's forests (CFAND 2.0). The database includes information from 56 forested sites on the water fluxes of bulk precipitation and throughfall, the concentrations of H+ (pH), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N) (NH4+ and NO3-), sulfur (S), dissolved phosphorus (P), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) in bulk precipitation and throughfall, and the fluxes of dissolved inorganic N, S, dissolved P, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ in bulk deposition and throughfall. This database will help to understand the spatial patterns of acid and nutrient deposition, validate modelling results of acid and nutrient deposition and assess the ecological effects of acid and nutrient deposition in China's forests.},
}

Acid Rain
Air Pollutants/*analysis
China
*Databases, Factual
*Environmental Monitoring
*Forests

@article {pmid30269263,
year = {2018},
author = {Li, W and Liu, S and Pei, Y and He, J and Wang, Q},
title = {Zoning for eco-geological environment before mining in Yushenfu mining area, northern Shaanxi, China.},
journal = {Environmental monitoring and assessment},
volume = {190},
number = {10},
pages = {619},
pmid = {30269263},
issn = {1573-2959},
support = {2015CB251601//the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program)/ ; 41430643//the State Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China/ ; },
mesh = {China ; Ecology/*methods ; Ecosystem ; Environment ; Environmental Monitoring/*methods ; Geographic Information Systems ; Geology ; Groundwater ; *Mining ; Remote Sensing Technology/methods ; },
abstract = {Zoning for the eco-geological environment (EGE) aims to protect and improve the regional ecological environment. It is the basis for evaluating the ecological characteristics of a mining area prior to mining activities and has the purpose of implementing water-preserved mining according to zoning type. In this study, four EGE types were proposed following field investigation in the Yushenfu mining area: oasis type with phreatic water and bottomland in desert (OTPWBD), oasis type with surface water and valley river (OTSWVR), loess gully type with surface runoff (LGTSR), and regional deep groundwater enrichment type (RDGET). Nine EGE evaluation indices were selected: rainfall, evaporation capacity, Luohe formation thickness, surface elevation, Sara Wusu aquifer water abundance, surface lithology, topography, slope, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Remote sensing technology and geographic information systems were first used to generate the evaluation index thematic maps. Then, the weight of each evaluation index was determined based on an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Third, the index weight was used to form an improved weighted fuzzy C s clustering algorithm, and EGE zones were assigned using the MATLAB computing platform. For comparison, the AHP was also adopted for EGE zoning and a map of zoning differences was obtained. Finally, EGE field surveys of typical mines were carried out, which verified that EGE zoning using fuzzy clustering was accurate and reasonable.},
}

China
Ecology/*methods
Ecosystem
Environment
Environmental Monitoring/*methods
Geographic Information Systems
Geology
Groundwater
*Mining
Remote Sensing Technology/methods

@article {pmid30262689,
year = {2018},
author = {Song, H and Zhang, YX and Yang, MJ and Sun, JC and Zhang, T and Wang, HY},
title = {Genome survey on invasive veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) and development of microsatellite loci on large scale.},
journal = {Journal of genetics},
volume = {97},
number = {4},
pages = {e79-e86},
pmid = {30262689},
issn = {0973-7731},
mesh = {Animals ; China ; Computational Biology ; Gastropoda/*genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Genome/*genetics ; *Genomics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Microsatellite Repeats/*genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; },
abstract = {The veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) is an economically important gastropod in China, but is considered as an invasive species globally. Only a few studies have examined the R. venosa genome, a genomewide survey is necessary for improving our understanding of the genome structure and size of this organism. Microsatellite markers are powerful tools for characterizing germplasms, genetic diversity and kinship among individuals. The resultant data are applicable to breeding efforts in commercial aquaculture or for understanding invasion mechanisms. Here, we investigated the genome structure of R. venosa on an Illumina Hi-seq platform with ∼92× sequencing depth. We performed a K-mer analysis to estimate genome size, repeat sequences and heterozygosity. Clean reads were de novo assembled for the identification of simple-sequence repeat (SSR) loci that are suitable as markers. The estimated genome size of R. venosa was 2200.07 Mb, with a 1.41% heterozygosity rate and 67.04% repeats. We detected 5,477,450 simple-sequence repeats (SSRs), with 3,400,602 loci present as pure tandem repeats and 2,076,848 as compound motifs. We further selected and characterized 28 polymorphic markers in 78 individuals from Dandong, Laizhou, Weihai and Zhoushan in China. The range of alleles was 2-28 and the observed heterozygosity was 0.2857-0.8676. The data obtained from our genomic survey will aid the design of R. venosa whole-genome sequencing projects and advance the identification of SSR markers. Both these developments are valuable for further studies on ecological, evolutionary and genetic breeding in R. venosa.},
}

Animals
China
Computational Biology
Gastropoda/*genetics
Genetic Variation
Genome/*genetics
*Genomics
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
Microsatellite Repeats/*genetics
Polymorphism, Genetic
Sequence Analysis, DNA

@article {pmid30258229,
year = {2018},
author = {Bjorkman, AD and Myers-Smith, IH and Elmendorf, SC and Normand, S and Rüger, N and Beck, PSA and Blach-Overgaard, A and Blok, D and Cornelissen, JHC and Forbes, BC and Georges, D and Goetz, SJ and Guay, KC and Henry, GHR and HilleRisLambers, J and Hollister, RD and Karger, DN and Kattge, J and Manning, P and Prevéy, JS and Rixen, C and Schaepman-Strub, G and Thomas, HJD and Vellend, M and Wilmking, M and Wipf, S and Carbognani, M and Hermanutz, L and Lévesque, E and Molau, U and Petraglia, A and Soudzilovskaia, NA and Spasojevic, MJ and Tomaselli, M and Vowles, T and Alatalo, JM and Alexander, HD and Anadon-Rosell, A and Angers-Blondin, S and Beest, MT and Berner, L and Björk, RG and Buchwal, A and Buras, A and Christie, K and Cooper, EJ and Dullinger, S and Elberling, B and Eskelinen, A and Frei, ER and Grau, O and Grogan, P and Hallinger, M and Harper, KA and Heijmans, MMPD and Hudson, J and Hülber, K and Iturrate-Garcia, M and Iversen, CM and Jaroszynska, F and Johnstone, JF and Jørgensen, RH and Kaarlejärvi, E and Klady, R and Kuleza, S and Kulonen, A and Lamarque, LJ and Lantz, T and Little, CJ and Speed, JDM and Michelsen, A and Milbau, A and Nabe-Nielsen, J and Nielsen, SS and Ninot, JM and Oberbauer, SF and Olofsson, J and Onipchenko, VG and Rumpf, SB and Semenchuk, P and Shetti, R and Collier, LS and Street, LE and Suding, KN and Tape, KD and Trant, A and Treier, UA and Tremblay, JP and Tremblay, M and Venn, S and Weijers, S and Zamin, T and Boulanger-Lapointe, N and Gould, WA and Hik, DS and Hofgaard, A and Jónsdóttir, IS and Jorgenson, J and Klein, J and Magnusson, B and Tweedie, C and Wookey, PA and Bahn, M and Blonder, B and van Bodegom, PM and Bond-Lamberty, B and Campetella, G and Cerabolini, BEL and Chapin, FS and Cornwell, WK and Craine, J and Dainese, M and de Vries, FT and Díaz, S and Enquist, BJ and Green, W and Milla, R and Niinemets, Ü and Onoda, Y and Ordoñez, JC and Ozinga, WA and Penuelas, J and Poorter, H and Poschlod, P and Reich, PB and Sandel, B and Schamp, B and Sheremetev, S and Weiher, E},
title = {Plant functional trait change across a warming tundra biome.},
journal = {Nature},
volume = {562},
number = {7725},
pages = {57-62},
doi = {10.1038/s41586-018-0563-7},
pmid = {30258229},
issn = {1476-4687},
mesh = {Biometry ; Geographic Mapping ; *Global Warming ; Humidity ; Phenotype ; *Plant Physiological Phenomena ; Plants/*anatomy & histology ; Soil/chemistry ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Temperature ; *Tundra ; Water/analysis ; },
abstract = {The tundra is warming more rapidly than any other biome on Earth, and the potential ramifications are far-reaching because of global feedback effects between vegetation and climate. A better understanding of how environmental factors shape plant structure and function is crucial for predicting the consequences of environmental change for ecosystem functioning. Here we explore the biome-wide relationships between temperature, moisture and seven key plant functional traits both across space and over three decades of warming at 117 tundra locations. Spatial temperature-trait relationships were generally strong but soil moisture had a marked influence on the strength and direction of these relationships, highlighting the potentially important influence of changes in water availability on future trait shifts in tundra plant communities. Community height increased with warming across all sites over the past three decades, but other traits lagged far behind predicted rates of change. Our findings highlight the challenge of using space-for-time substitution to predict the functional consequences of future warming and suggest that functions that are tied closely to plant height will experience the most rapid change. They also reveal the strength with which environmental factors shape biotic communities at the coldest extremes of the planet and will help to improve projections of functional changes in tundra ecosystems with climate warming.},
}

Biometry
Geographic Mapping
*Global Warming
Humidity
Phenotype
*Plant Physiological Phenomena
Plants/*anatomy & histology
Soil/chemistry
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
Temperature
*Tundra
Water/analysis

@article {pmid30216600,
year = {2018},
author = {Lennox, GD and Gardner, TA and Thomson, JR and Ferreira, J and Berenguer, E and Lees, AC and Mac Nally, R and Aragão, LEOC and Ferraz, SFB and Louzada, J and Moura, NG and Oliveira, VHF and Pardini, R and Solar, RRC and Vaz-de Mello, FZ and Vieira, ICG and Barlow, J},
title = {Second rate or a second chance? Assessing biomass and biodiversity recovery in regenerating Amazonian forests.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {24},
number = {12},
pages = {5680-5694},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.14443},
pmid = {30216600},
issn = {1365-2486},
mesh = {Animals ; *Biodiversity ; *Biomass ; Birds/physiology ; Carbon Cycle ; Coleoptera/physiology ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Datasets as Topic ; Ecosystem ; *Forests ; Trees ; Tropical Climate ; },
abstract = {Secondary forests (SFs) regenerating on previously deforested land account for large, expanding areas of tropical forest cover. Given that tropical forests rank among Earth's most important reservoirs of carbon and biodiversity, SFs play an increasingly pivotal role in the carbon cycle and as potential habitat for forest biota. Nevertheless, their capacity to regain the biotic attributes of undisturbed primary forests (UPFs) remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of SF recovery, using extensive tropical biodiversity, biomass, and environmental datasets. These data, collected in 59 naturally regenerating SFs and 30 co-located UPFs in the eastern Amazon, cover >1,600 large- and small-stemmed plant, bird, and dung beetles species and a suite of forest structure, landscape context, and topoedaphic predictors. After up to 40 years of regeneration, the SFs we surveyed showed a high degree of biodiversity resilience, recovering, on average among taxa, 88% and 85% mean UPF species richness and composition, respectively. Across the first 20 years of succession, the period for which we have accurate SF age data, biomass recovered at 1.2% per year, equivalent to a carbon uptake rate of 2.25 Mg/ha per year, while, on average, species richness and composition recovered at 2.6% and 2.3% per year, respectively. For all taxonomic groups, biomass was strongly associated with SF species distributions. However, other variables describing habitat complexity-canopy cover and understory stem density-were equally important occurrence predictors for most taxa. Species responses to biomass revealed a successional transition at approximately 75 Mg/ha, marking the influx of high-conservation-value forest species. Overall, our results show that naturally regenerating SFs can accumulate substantial amounts of carbon and support many forest species. However, given that the surveyed SFs failed to return to a typical UPF state, SFs are not substitutes for UPFs.},
}

Animals
*Biodiversity
*Biomass
Birds/physiology
Carbon Cycle
Coleoptera/physiology
Conservation of Natural Resources
Datasets as Topic
Ecosystem
*Forests
Trees
Tropical Climate

@article {pmid30208069,
year = {2018},
author = {Mariac, C and Vigouroux, Y and Duponchelle, F and García-Dávila, C and Nunez, J and Desmarais, E and Renno, JF},
title = {Metabarcoding by capture using a single COI probe (MCSP) to identify and quantify fish species in ichthyoplankton swarms.},
journal = {PloS one},
volume = {13},
number = {9},
pages = {e0202976},
pmid = {30208069},
issn = {1932-6203},
mesh = {Animals ; Biodiversity ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/*methods ; Databases, Genetic ; Fishes/*classification/genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Larva/*genetics ; },
abstract = {The ability to determine the composition and relative frequencies of fish species in large ichthyoplankton swarms could have extremely important ecological applications However, this task is currently hampered by methodological limitations. We proposed a new method for Amazonian species based on hybridization capture of the COI gene DNA from a distant species (Danio rerio), absent from our study area (the Amazon basin). The COI sequence of this species is approximately equidistant from all COI of Amazonian species available. By using this sequence as probe we successfully facilitated the simultaneous identification of fish larvae belonging to the order Siluriformes and to the Characiformes represented in our ichthyoplankton samples. Species relative frequencies, estimated by the number of reads, showed almost perfect correlations with true frequencies estimated by a Sanger approach, allowing the development of a quantitative approach. We also proposed a further improvement to a previous protocol, which enables lowering the sequencing effort by 40 times. This new Metabarcoding by Capture using a Single Probe (MCSP) methodology could have important implications for ecology, fisheries management and conservation in fish biodiversity hotspots worldwide. Our approach could easily be extended to other plant and animal taxa.},
}

Animals
Biodiversity
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic/*methods
Databases, Genetic
Fishes/*classification/genetics
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
Larva/*genetics

@article {pmid30194403,
year = {2018},
author = {Rokas, A and Wisecaver, JH and Lind, AL},
title = {The birth, evolution and death of metabolic gene clusters in fungi.},
journal = {Nature reviews. Microbiology},
volume = {16},
number = {12},
pages = {731-744},
doi = {10.1038/s41579-018-0075-3},
pmid = {30194403},
issn = {1740-1534},
mesh = {Evolution, Molecular ; Fungi/*genetics/*metabolism ; *Genome, Fungal ; Metabolic Networks and Pathways ; *Multigene Family ; *Phylogeny ; },
abstract = {Fungi contain a remarkable diversity of both primary and secondary metabolic pathways involved in ecologically specialized or accessory functions. Genes in these pathways are frequently physically linked on fungal chromosomes, forming metabolic gene clusters (MGCs). In this Review, we describe the diversity in the structure and content of fungal MGCs, their population-level and species-level variation, the evolutionary mechanisms that underlie their formation, maintenance and decay, and their ecological and evolutionary impact on fungal populations. We also discuss MGCs from other eukaryotes and the reasons for their preponderance in fungi. Improved knowledge of the evolutionary life cycle of MGCs will advance our understanding of the ecology of specialized metabolism and of the interplay between the lifestyle of an organism and genome architecture.},
}

Evolution, Molecular
Fungi/*genetics/*metabolism
*Genome, Fungal
Metabolic Networks and Pathways
*Multigene Family
*Phylogeny

@article {pmid30181062,
year = {2019},
author = {de Jonge, PA and Nobrega, FL and Brouns, SJJ and Dutilh, BE},
title = {Molecular and Evolutionary Determinants of Bacteriophage Host Range.},
journal = {Trends in microbiology},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {51-63},
doi = {10.1016/j.tim.2018.08.006},
pmid = {30181062},
issn = {1878-4380},
mesh = {Bacteria/genetics/*virology ; Bacteriophages/genetics/*growth & development ; *Host Specificity ; },
abstract = {The host range of a bacteriophage is the taxonomic diversity of hosts it can successfully infect. Host range, one of the central traits to understand in phages, is determined by a range of molecular interactions between phage and host throughout the infection cycle. While many well studied model phages seem to exhibit a narrow host range, recent ecological and metagenomics studies indicate that phages may have specificities that range from narrow to broad. There is a growing body of studies on the molecular mechanisms that enable phages to infect multiple hosts. These mechanisms, and their evolution, are of considerable importance to understanding phage ecology and the various clinical, industrial, and biotechnological applications of phage. Here we review knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that determine host range, provide a framework defining broad host range in an evolutionary context, and highlight areas for additional research.},
}

Bacteria/genetics/*virology
Bacteriophages/genetics/*growth & development
*Host Specificity

@article {pmid30157296,
year = {2018},
author = {Benedetti-Cecchi, L and Bulleri, F and Dal Bello, M and Maggi, E and Ravaglioli, C and Rindi, L},
title = {Hybrid datasets: integrating observations with experiments in the era of macroecology and big data.},
journal = {Ecology},
volume = {99},
number = {12},
pages = {2654-2666},
doi = {10.1002/ecy.2504},
pmid = {30157296},
issn = {0012-9658},
support = {PRA_2017_19//Università di Pisa/International ; RBFR12RXWL//Italian Ministry for Education, University and Research through project HI-BEF/International ; },
mesh = {*Big Data ; Ecology ; *Ecosystem ; Research ; },
abstract = {Understanding how increasing human domination of the biosphere affects life on earth is a critical research challenge. This task is facilitated by the increasing availability of open-source data repositories, which allow ecologists to address scientific questions at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. Large datasets are mostly observational, so they may have limited ability to uncover causal relations among variables. Experiments are better suited at attributing causation, but they are often limited in scope. We propose hybrid datasets, resulting from the integration of observational with experimental data, as an approach to leverage the scope and ability to attribute causality in ecological studies. We show how the analysis of hybrid datasets with emerging techniques in time series analysis (Convergent Cross-mapping) and macroecology (Joint Species Distribution Models) can generate novel insights into causal effects of abiotic and biotic processes that would be difficult to achieve otherwise. We illustrate these principles with two case studies in marine ecosystems and discuss the potential to generalize across environments, species and ecological processes. If used wisely, the analysis of hybrid datasets may become the standard approach for research goals that seek causal explanations for large-scale ecological phenomena.},
}

*Big Data
Ecology
*Ecosystem
Research

@article {pmid30156039,
year = {2018},
author = {An, S and Zhu, X and Shen, M and Wang, Y and Cao, R and Chen, X and Yang, W and Chen, J and Tang, Y},
title = {Mismatch in elevational shifts between satellite observed vegetation greenness and temperature isolines during 2000-2016 on the Tibetan Plateau.},
journal = {Global change biology},
volume = {24},
number = {11},
pages = {5411-5425},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.14432},
pmid = {30156039},
issn = {1365-2486},
mesh = {Acclimatization ; Carbon Sequestration ; *Climate Change ; *Ecosystem ; Environmental Monitoring/methods ; Seasons ; Spacecraft ; *Temperature ; Tibet ; Water ; },
abstract = {Climate warming on the Tibetan Plateau tends to induce an uphill shift of temperature isolines. Observations and process-based models have both shown that climate warming has resulted in an increase in vegetation greenness on the Tibetan Plateau in recent decades. However, it is unclear whether the uphill shift of temperature isolines has caused greenness isolines to shift upward and whether the two shifts match each other. Our analysis of satellite observed vegetation greenness during the growing season (May-Sep) and gridded climate data for 2000-2016 documented a substantial mismatch between the elevational shifts of greenness and temperature isolines. This mismatch is probably associated with a lagging response of greenness to temperature change and with the elevational gradient of greenness. The lagging response of greenness may be associated with water limitation, resources availability, and acclimation. This lag may weaken carbon sequestration by Tibetan ecosystems, given that greenness is closely related to primary carbon uptake and ecosystem respiration increases exponentially with temperature. We also found that differences in terrain slope angle accounted for large spatial variations in the elevational gradient of greenness and thus the velocity of elevational shifts of greenness isolines and the sensitivity of elevational shifts of greenness isolines to temperature, highlighting the role of terrain effects on the elevational shifts of greenness isolines. The mismatches and the terrain effect found in this study suggest that there is potentially large micro-topographical difference in response and acclimation/adaptation of greenness to temperature changes in plants. More widespread in situ measurements and fine-resolution remote sensing observations and fine-gridded climate data are required to attribute the mismatch to specific environmental drivers and ecological processes such as vertical changes in community structure, plant physiology, and distribution of species.},
}

Acclimatization
Carbon Sequestration
*Climate Change
*Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring/methods
Seasons
Spacecraft
*Temperature
Tibet
Water

@article {pmid30147447,
year = {2018},
author = {Dornelas, M and Antão, LH and Moyes, F and Bates, AE and Magurran, AE and Adam, D and Akhmetzhanova, AA and Appeltans, W and Arcos, JM and Arnold, H and Ayyappan, N and Badihi, G and Baird, AH and Barbosa, M and Barreto, TE and Bässler, C and Bellgrove, A and Belmaker, J and Benedetti-Cecchi, L and Bett, BJ and Bjorkman, AD and Błażewicz, M and Blowes, SA and Bloch, CP and Bonebrake, TC and Boyd, S and Bradford, M and Brooks, AJ and Brown, JH and Bruelheide, H and Budy, P and Carvalho, F and Castañeda-Moya, E and Chen, CA and Chamblee, JF and Chase, TJ and Siegwart Collier, L and Collinge, SK and Condit, R and Cooper, EJ and Cornelissen, JHC and Cotano, U and Kyle Crow, S and Damasceno, G and Davies, CH and Davis, RA and Day, FP and Degraer, S and Doherty, TS and Dunn, TE and Durigan, G and Duffy, JE and Edelist, D and Edgar, GJ and Elahi, R and Elmendorf, SC and Enemar, A and Ernest, SKM and Escribano, R and Estiarte, M and Evans, BS and Fan, TY and Turini Farah, F and Loureiro Fernandes, L and Farneda, FZ and Fidelis, A and Fitt, R and Fosaa, AM and Daher Correa Franco, GA and Frank, GE and Fraser, WR and García, H and Cazzolla Gatti, R and Givan, O and Gorgone-Barbosa, E and Gould, WA and Gries, C and Grossman, GD and Gutierréz, JR and Hale, S and Harmon, ME and Harte, J and Haskins, G and Henshaw, DL and Hermanutz, L and Hidalgo, P and Higuchi, P and Hoey, A and Van Hoey, G and Hofgaard, A and Holeck, K and Hollister, RD and Holmes, R and Hoogenboom, M and Hsieh, CH and Hubbell, SP and Huettmann, F and Huffard, CL and Hurlbert, AH and Macedo Ivanauskas, N and Janík, D and Jandt, U and Jażdżewska, A and Johannessen, T and Johnstone, J and Jones, J and Jones, FAM and Kang, J and Kartawijaya, T and Keeley, EC and Kelt, DA and Kinnear, R and Klanderud, K and Knutsen, H and Koenig, CC and Kortz, AR and Král, K and Kuhnz, LA and Kuo, CY and Kushner, DJ and Laguionie-Marchais, C and Lancaster, LT and Min Lee, C and Lefcheck, JS and Lévesque, E and Lightfoot, D and Lloret, F and Lloyd, JD and López-Baucells, A and Louzao, M and Madin, JS and Magnússon, B and Malamud, S and Matthews, I and McFarland, KP and McGill, B and McKnight, D and McLarney, WO and Meador, J and Meserve, PL and Metcalfe, DJ and Meyer, CFJ and Michelsen, A and Milchakova, N and Moens, T and Moland, E and Moore, J and Mathias Moreira, C and Müller, J and Murphy, G and Myers-Smith, IH and Myster, RW and Naumov, A and Neat, F and Nelson, JA and Paul Nelson, M and Newton, SF and Norden, N and Oliver, JC and Olsen, EM and Onipchenko, VG and Pabis, K and Pabst, RJ and Paquette, A and Pardede, S and Paterson, DM and Pélissier, R and Peñuelas, J and Pérez-Matus, A and Pizarro, O and Pomati, F and Post, E and Prins, HHT and Priscu, JC and Provoost, P and Prudic, KL and Pulliainen, E and Ramesh, BR and Mendivil Ramos, O and Rassweiler, A and Rebelo, JE and Reed, DC and Reich, PB and Remillard, SM and Richardson, AJ and Richardson, JP and van Rijn, I and Rocha, R and Rivera-Monroy, VH and Rixen, C and Robinson, KP and Ribeiro Rodrigues, R and de Cerqueira Rossa-Feres, D and Rudstam, L and Ruhl, H and Ruz, CS and Sampaio, EM and Rybicki, N and Rypel, A and Sal, S and Salgado, B and Santos, FAM and Savassi-Coutinho, AP and Scanga, S and Schmidt, J and Schooley, R and Setiawan, F and Shao, KT and Shaver, GR and Sherman, S and Sherry, TW and Siciński, J and Sievers, C and da Silva, AC and Rodrigues da Silva, F and Silveira, FL and Slingsby, J and Smart, T and Snell, SJ and Soudzilovskaia, NA and Souza, GBG and Maluf Souza, F and Castro Souza, V and Stallings, CD and Stanforth, R and Stanley, EH and Mauro Sterza, J and Stevens, M and Stuart-Smith, R and Rondon Suarez, Y and Supp, S and Yoshio Tamashiro, J and Tarigan, S and Thiede, GP and Thorn, S and Tolvanen, A and Teresa Zugliani Toniato, M and Totland, Ø and Twilley, RR and Vaitkus, G and Valdivia, N and Vallejo, MI and Valone, TJ and Van Colen, C and Vanaverbeke, J and Venturoli, F and Verheye, HM and Vianna, M and Vieira, RP and Vrška, T and Quang Vu, C and Van Vu, L and Waide, RB and Waldock, C and Watts, D and Webb, S and Wesołowski, T and White, EP and Widdicombe, CE and Wilgers, D and Williams, R and Williams, SB and Williamson, M and Willig, MR and Willis, TJ and Wipf, S and Woods, KD and Woehler, EJ and Zawada, K and Zettler, ML and Hickler, T},
title = {BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene.},
journal = {Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology},
volume = {27},
number = {7},
pages = {760-786},
pmid = {30147447},
issn = {1466-822X},
support = {//Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom ; 250189//European Research Council/International ; },
abstract = {Motivation: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record.

Spatial location and grain: BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km2 (158 cm2) to 100 km2 (1,000,000,000,000 cm2).

Time period and grain: BioTIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year.

BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates.

Software format: .csv and .SQL.},
}

@article {pmid30145518,
year = {2018},
author = {D'Alessandro, M and Esposito, V and Porporato, EMD and Berto, D and Renzi, M and Giacobbe, S and Scotti, G and Consoli, P and Valastro, G and Andaloro, F and Romeo, T},
title = {Relationships between plastic litter and chemical pollutants on benthic biodiversity.},
journal = {Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)},
volume = {242},
number = {Pt B},
pages = {1546-1556},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.002},
pmid = {30145518},
issn = {1873-6424},
mesh = {Animals ; *Biodiversity ; Ecology ; Environmental Monitoring ; Introduced Species ; Mediterranean Sea ; Mollusca/classification ; Plastics/*analysis ; Polychaeta/classification ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/*analysis ; },
abstract = {Five Descriptors (D) of Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD): marine litter (D10), non-indigenous species (D2) and organic and inorganic pollutants (D8), were estimated in a coastal area of GSA 16 (Augusta harbour, Central Mediterranean Sea) in order to study their effects on the biodiversity (D1) of the benthic community D6) and to improve data for the MSFD. Investigation of plastic debris had led to the identification of 38 fragments divided into four categories, among which microplastics resulted as the most abundant. Six non-indigenous species, belonging to Polychaeta (Kirkegaardia dorsobranchialis, Notomastus aberans, Pista unibranchia, Pseudonereis anomala, Branchiomma bairdi) and Mollusca (Brachidontes pharaonis) were found. Biodiversity and benthic indices suggested a generalised, slightly disturbed ecological status. Anthracene, Zinc and Chrome were the most abundant chemical compounds in analysed sediments. Significant correlations were found between the abundance of trace elements vs biotic indices and between plastic debris vs biodiversity and benthic indices. This study represents the first report about the abundance of plastic debris and its relationship to contaminants and infauna in Augusta harbour. Our results can provide useful information for national and international laws and directives.},
}

Animals
*Biodiversity
Ecology
Environmental Monitoring
Introduced Species
Mediterranean Sea
Mollusca/classification
Plastics/*analysis
Polychaeta/classification
Water Pollutants, Chemical/*analysis

@article {pmid30108295,
year = {2018},
author = {Liebhold, AM and Yamanaka, T and Roques, A and Augustin, S and Chown, SL and Brockerhoff, EG and Pyšek, P},
title = {Plant diversity drives global patterns of insect invasions.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {12095},
pmid = {30108295},
issn = {2045-2322},
abstract = {During the last two centuries, thousands of insect species have been transported (largely inadvertently) and established outside of their native ranges worldwide, some with catastrophic ecological and economic impacts. Global variation in numbers of invading species depends on geographic variation in propagule pressure and heterogeneity of environmental resistance to invasions. Elton's diversity-invasibility hypothesis, proposed over sixty years ago, has been widely explored for plants but little is known on how biodiversity affects insect invasions. Here we use species inventories from 44 land areas, ranging from small oceanic islands to entire continents in various world regions, to show that numbers of established insect species are primarily driven by diversity of plants, with both native and non-native plant species richness being the strongest predictor of insect invasions. We find that at large spatial scales, plant diversity directly explains variation in non-native insect species richness among world regions, while geographic factors such as land area, climate and insularity largely affect insect invasions indirectly via their effects on local plant richness.},
}

@article {pmid30107371,
year = {2018},
author = {Wang, Q and Xiong, X and Wang, X and Tu, Q and Li, J and Ding, X and Li, Y and Huang, P and He, S and Yin, Y and Yang, H},
title = {Suckling Piglet Intestinal Enterocyte Nutrient Metabolism Changes.},
journal = {Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology},
volume = {48},
number = {5},
pages = {2103-2113},
doi = {10.1159/000492552},
pmid = {30107371},
issn = {1421-9778},
mesh = {Amino Acids/analysis/metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Suckling ; Cells, Cultured ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Citric Acid Cycle/genetics ; Databases, Factual ; Enterocytes/cytology/*metabolism ; Fatty Acids/analysis/metabolism ; Glucose/analysis/metabolism ; Jejunum/cytology ; Peptides/analysis ; Swine ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; },
abstract = {BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intestinal morphology and the types of enterocytes are changed in piglets during the suckling period, but it is unclear whether these changes are associated with metabolic changes in epithelium. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that glucose, fatty acids, and amino acid metabolism in differentiated piglet enterocytes changed during suckling.

METHODS: Twenty-four piglets (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire]) from 8 litters (3 piglets/litter) were selected. A single piglet from each litter was randomly selected and euthanized at days 7, 14, and 21. Differentiated enterocytes (DE) were isolated from their mid-jejunum. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification and subsequent liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify and measure protein synthesis.

RESULTS: The results showed that various activities, including: cellular processes; metabolic processes; biological regulation; pigmentation; and, localization, in DEs changed during suckling. Metabolic process analyses revealed that protein expression related to glycolysis and citrate cycle was decreased from day 7 to day 14. The number of differentiated enterocytes of 21 d piglets increased compared to 7 d piglets. Most of the proteins involved in fatty acid and amino acids metabolism had decreased DE expression between day 7 and day 14. Some, but not all, detected proteins down-regulated in DEs of 21 day piglets compared to 7 day piglets.

CONCLUSION: These results indicate that glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids metabolism changed during suckling. This may provide useful information for designing feed formulas and regulating piglet intestinal growth and development.},
}

Amino Acids/analysis/metabolism
Animals
Animals, Suckling
Cells, Cultured
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Citric Acid Cycle/genetics
Databases, Factual
Enterocytes/cytology/*metabolism
Fatty Acids/analysis/metabolism
Glucose/analysis/metabolism
Jejunum/cytology
Peptides/analysis
Swine
Tandem Mass Spectrometry

@article {pmid30106390,
year = {2018},
author = {Duarte, G and Moreira, M and Branco, P and da Costa, L and Ferreira, MT and Segurado, P},
title = {One millennium of historical freshwater fish occurrence data for Portuguese rivers and streams.},
journal = {Scientific data},
volume = {5},
number = {},
pages = {180163},
pmid = {30106390},
issn = {2052-4463},
mesh = {Animals ; Databases, Factual ; Ecology/history ; Ecosystem ; *Fishes ; History, 15th Century ; History, 16th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, Medieval ; Portugal ; Rivers ; },
abstract = {The insights that historical evidence of human presence and man-made documents provide are unique. For example, using historical data may be critical to adequately understand the ecological requirements of species. However, historical information about freshwater species distribution remains largely a knowledge gap. In this Data Descriptor, we present the Portuguese Historical Fish Database (PHish-DB), a compilation of 2214 records (557 at the basin scale, 184 at the sub-basin scale and 1473 at the segment scale) resulting from a survey of 194 historical documents. The database was developed using a three-scale approach that maximises the inclusion of information by allowing different degrees of spatial acuity. PHish database contains records of 25 taxonomical groups and covers a time span of one millennium, from the 11th until the 20th century. This database has already proven useful for two scientific studies, and PHish further use will contribute to correctly assess the full range of conditions tolerated by species, by establishing adequate benchmark conditions, and/or to improve existing knowledge of the species distribution limits.},
}

Animals
Databases, Factual
Ecology/history
Ecosystem
*Fishes
History, 15th Century
History, 16th Century
History, 17th Century
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, Medieval
Portugal
Rivers

@article {pmid30096816,
year = {2018},
author = {Liu, Y and Liu, Y and Li, J and Lu, W and Wei, X and Sun, C},
title = {Evolution of Landscape Ecological Risk at the Optimal Scale: A Case Study of the Open Coastal Wetlands in Jiangsu, China.},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
volume = {15},
number = {8},
pages = {},
pmid = {30096816},
issn = {1660-4601},
mesh = {China ; Conservation of Natural Resources/*methods ; Ecology ; Environmental Monitoring/*methods ; Geographic Information Systems ; Geological Phenomena ; Human Activities ; Humans ; Remote Sensing Technology ; Risk ; *Wetlands ; },
abstract = {Detailed analysis of the evolution characteristics of landscape ecological risk is crucial for coastal sustainable management and for understanding the potential environmental impacts of a man-made landform landscapes (MMLL). As a typical open coastal wetland, large-scale human activities (e.g., tidal reclamation, fishery activities, wind farm construction, and port construction) have substantially affected the evolution of the coastal ecological environment. Previous landscape ecological risk assessment studies have documented the effectiveness of assessing the quality of ecological environment processes. However, these studies have either focused on the noncoastal zone, or they have not considered the evolution of the spatial characteristics and ecological risk evolution of the landscape at an optimal scale. Here, we present a landscape ecological risk pattern (LERP) evolution model, based on two successive steps: first, we constructed an optimal scale method with an appropriate extent and grain using multi⁻temporal Landsat TM/OLI images acquired in the years 2000, 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2017, and then we calculated landscape ecological risk indices. Based on this model, the entire process of the spatiotemporal evolution of ecological risk patterns of the open coastal wetlands in Jiangsu, China, was determined. The principal findings are as follows: (1) The main landscape types in the study area are tidal flats and farmland, and the main features of the landscape evolution are a significant increase in aquafarming and a substantial decrease in the tidal flat area, while the landscape heterogeneity increased; (2) In the past 20 years, the areas of low and relatively low ecological risk in the study region were greatly reduced, while the areas of medium, relatively high, and high ecological risk greatly increased; the areas of high-grade ecological risk areas are mainly around Dongtai and Dafeng; (3) The area of ecological risk from low-grade to high-grade occupied 71.75% of the study area during 2000⁻2017. During the previous periods (2000⁻2004 and 2004⁻2008), the areas of low-grade ecological risk were transformed to areas of middle-grade ecological risk area, while during the later periods (2008⁻2013 and 2013⁻2017) there was a substantial increase in the proportion of areas of high-grade ecological risk. Our results complement the official database of coastal landscape planning, and provide important information for assessing the potential effects of MMLL processes on coastal environments.},
}

China
Conservation of Natural Resources/*methods
Ecology
Environmental Monitoring/*methods
Geographic Information Systems
Geological Phenomena
Human Activities
Humans
Remote Sensing Technology
Risk
*Wetlands

@article {pmid30093613,
year = {2018},
author = {Albrecht, J and Classen, A and Vollstädt, MGR and Mayr, A and Mollel, NP and Schellenberger Costa, D and Dulle, HI and Fischer, M and Hemp, A and Howell, KM and Kleyer, M and Nauss, T and Peters, MK and Tschapka, M and Steffan-Dewenter, I and Böhning-Gaese, K and Schleuning, M},
title = {Plant and animal functional diversity drive mutualistic network assembly across an elevational gradient.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {3177},
pmid = {30093613},
issn = {2041-1723},
support = {For1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; FOR1246//Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)/International ; },
mesh = {Altitude ; Animals ; Bayes Theorem ; *Biodiversity ; Birds/*physiology ; Climate ; *Ecosystem ; Feeding Behavior ; Flowers/*physiology ; Fruit ; Insecta/*physiology ; Phylogeny ; Plants ; Research Design ; Species Specificity ; *Symbiosis ; Tanzania ; },
abstract = {Species' functional traits set the blueprint for pair-wise interactions in ecological networks. Yet, it is unknown to what extent the functional diversity of plant and animal communities controls network assembly along environmental gradients in real-world ecosystems. Here we address this question with a unique dataset of mutualistic bird-fruit, bird-flower and insect-flower interaction networks and associated functional traits of 200 plant and 282 animal species sampled along broad climate and land-use gradients on Mt. Kilimanjaro. We show that plant functional diversity is mainly limited by precipitation, while animal functional diversity is primarily limited by temperature. Furthermore, shifts in plant and animal functional diversity along the elevational gradient control the niche breadth and partitioning of the respective other trophic level. These findings reveal that climatic constraints on the functional diversity of either plants or animals determine the relative importance of bottom-up and top-down control in plant-animal interaction networks.},
}

Altitude
Animals
Bayes Theorem
*Biodiversity
Birds/*physiology
Climate
*Ecosystem
Feeding Behavior
Flowers/*physiology
Fruit
Insecta/*physiology
Phylogeny
Plants
Research Design
Species Specificity
*Symbiosis
Tanzania

@article {pmid30061690,
year = {2018},
author = {Horsthemke, B},
title = {A critical view on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans.},
journal = {Nature communications},
volume = {9},
number = {1},
pages = {2973},
pmid = {30061690},
issn = {2041-1723},
mesh = {Animals ; Biological Evolution ; Culture ; *DNA Methylation ; Databases, Genetic ; Drosophila ; Ecology ; *Epigenesis, Genetic ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; *Inheritance Patterns ; Models, Genetic ; Mutation ; Nematoda ; Phenotype ; Plants/genetics ; Proteome ; Proteomics ; },
abstract = {Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance refers to the transmission of epigenetic information through the germline. While it has been observed in plants, nematodes and fruit flies, its occurrence in mammals-and humans in particular-is the matter of controversial debate, mostly because the study of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is confounded by genetic, ecological and cultural inheritance. In this comment, I discuss the phenomenon of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and the difficulty of providing conclusive proof for it in experimental and observational studies.},
}

Animals
Biological Evolution
Culture
*DNA Methylation
Databases, Genetic
Drosophila
Ecology
*Epigenesis, Genetic
Gene-Environment Interaction
Germ Cells
Humans
*Inheritance Patterns
Models, Genetic
Mutation
Nematoda
Phenotype
Plants/genetics
Proteome
Proteomics