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508 results for “Ecosystem functions”
Data from: Dispersal syndromes can impact ecosystem functioning in spatially structured freshwater populations
Dispersal can strongly influence ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Besides the direct contribution of dispersal to population dynamics, dispersers often differ in their phenotypic attributes from non-dispersers, which leads to dispersal syndromes. The consequences of such dispersal syndromes have been widely explored at the population and community level, however, to date, ecosystem-level effects remain unclear. Here, we examine whether dispersing and resident individuals of two different aquatic keystone invertebrate species have different contributions to detrital processing, a key function in freshwater ecosystems. Using experimental two-patch systems, we found no difference in leaf consumption rates with dispersal status of the common native species Gammarus fossarum. In Dikerogammarus villosus, however, a Ponto-Caspian species now expanding throughout Europe, dispersers consumed leaf litter at roughly three times the rate of non-dispersers. Furthermore, this put the contribution of dispersing D. villosus to leaf litter processing on par with native G. fossarum, after adjusting for differences in organismal size. Given that leaf litter decomposition is a key function in aquatic ecosystems, and the rapid species turnover in freshwater habitats with range expansions of non-native species, this finding suggests that dispersal syndromes may have important consequences for ecosystem functioning.
Data from: Cascading effects of induced terrestrial plant defenses on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem function
Herbivores induce plants to undergo diverse processes that minimize costs to the plant, such as producing defences to deter herbivory or reallocating limited resources to inaccessible portions of the plant. Yet most plant tissue is consumed by decomposers, not herbivores, and these defensive processes aimed to deter herbivores may alter plant tissue even after detachment from the plant. All consumers value nutrients, but plants also require these nutrients for primary functions and defensive processes. We experimentally simulated herbivory with and without nutrient additions on red alder (Alnus rubra), which supplies the majority of leaf litter for many rivers in western North America. Simulated herbivory induced a defence response with cascading effects: terrestrial herbivores and aquatic decomposers fed less on leaves from stressed trees. This effect was context dependent: leaves from fertilized-only trees decomposed most rapidly while leaves from fertilized trees receiving the herbivory treatment decomposed least, suggesting plants funnelled a nutritionally valuable resource into enhanced defence. One component of the defence response was a decrease in leaf nitrogen leading to elevated carbon : nitrogen. Aquatic decomposers prefer leaves naturally low in C : N and this altered nutrient profile largely explains the lower rate of aquatic decomposition. Furthermore, terrestrial soil decomposers were unaffected by either treatment but did show a preference for local and nitrogen-rich leaves. Our study illustrates the ecological implications of terrestrial herbivory and these findings demonstrate that the effects of selection caused by terrestrial herbivory in one ecosystem can indirectly shape the structure of other ecosystems through ecological fluxes across boundaries.
Data from: Patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning: species-level responses and the critical role of species traits
Overgrazing has resulted in widespread decline in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in grasslands worldwide in recent decades. However, few studies have examined the patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning along a grazing gradient and based on species-level responses and plant functional traits. To identify the thresholds of grazing intensity at both species and community levels, we conducted a grazing manipulation experiment with seven levels of grazing intensity (0–9 sheep ha-1) and two topographies (flat versus slope) in a typical steppe. Four plant functional traits were measured, including specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and stem: leaf ratio (SLR). The threshold of grazing intensity that significantly altered community composition was at 3.75 sheep ha-1 for the flat system and 3.0 sheep ha-1 for the slope system. For both flat and slope systems, the threshold grazing intensity for changes in primary productivity was at 3.0 sheep ha-1, beyond which the productivity decreased substantially. At species level, the abundances of common species, most of which are perennial grasses, declined at moderate grazing intensities (3.0–4.5 sheep ha-1). The abundances of most rare species, which are perennial forbs, declined at low grazing intensities (1.5–3.0 sheep ha-1). Specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen content are good predictors of species-level responses to grazing. Low SLA and high LNC species are negatively affected by high grazing intensity, while high SLA and low LNC species are little affected by grazing. The negative effect of grazing intensity on species abundance was greater in the slope system than in the flat system. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that the structural and functioning thresholds of grazing intensity depend on plant traits and species composition, which is mediated by topographic location. These findings, integrating plant functional traits and threshold approaches, have important implications for determining sustainable grazing intensity in grassland management and biodiversity conservation in semi-arid regions.
Density-dependent effects of parasitism on the activity of a benthic engineer species: potential impact on ecosystem functioning
<p>While parasitism is a common lifestyle on Earth, its importance for the functioning of marine ecosystems has been overlooked for a long time. In particular, parasites have significant potential to influence central ecological processes through their impacts on hosts that serve as ecosystem engineers. Using an ex-situ experimental approach, we explored the effects of trematode parasites on the engineering bioturbation activity of a common and abundant bivalve along European Atlantic soft-bottom coastlines, the peppery furrow shell <em>Scrobicularia</em> <em>plana</em>, as well as knock-on effects for nutrient exchanges at the sediment-water interface. Trematodes negatively impacted the host's ability to transport sediment particles and solutes in a density-dependent way with parasite burden explaining 22–31% of the inter-individual variability. This could be explained by parasitism impairing the bivalve physiological state and ability to burrow as we observed a decrease in the condition index and the burrowing depth of the bivalves with an increase in the number of parasites they host. In contrast, the influence of <em>S. plana</em> on benthic biogeochemical fluxes did not vary significantly according to parasitic burden over a short time scale. Here, we focused on the effects of trematode parasites on the sole behaviour of <em>S. plana</em> and thus excluded other macrofaunal organisms. We should next test whether trematodes modulate the structure and functioning of benthic communities dominated by <em>S. plana</em> to better understand and quantify the engineering role of parasites in soft-bottom coastal environments.</p>
Data for "Replacing native grazers with livestock influences arthropods to have implications for ecosystem functions and disease"
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Influence of biomimicry structures on ecosystem function in a Rocky Mountain incised stream
<p>Rising levels of stream degradation have motivated a boom in restoration projects across the globe. However, post-restoration monitoring is still frequently lacking and does not always incorporate biotic responses to changes in the physical template. Beaver mimicry structures (BMS) are becoming a popular tool to restore degraded streams throughout the American West, but relatively little is known about how these installations influence both biotic and abiotic factors, with consequences for ecosystem functioning. We monitored basal resources, organic and inorganic material standing stocks, and macroinvertebrate density, biomass, and production to quantify functional responses to BMS installation. We compared conditions at BMS sites to naturally occurring beaver dam and reference riffle sites in a low-gradient stream in southwest Montana, USA. Thermal ranges were contracted, and daily maximum temperatures were higher, in the BMS treatment compared to the reference riffle treatment. Fine sediment standing stock and basal resources were similar in beaver and BMS treatments, and both treatments were higher than reference riffles. All treatments differed in macroinvertebrate density, which was highest in the Beaver treatment, followed by Mimic and then Reference treatment. Biomass and secondary production were higher in Beaver and BMS treatments compared to the Reference treatment, but only Beaver and Reference treatments differed significantly, likely due to differences in physical habitat and basal resource availability. Consequently, production of collector-gatherers in the BMS treatment and shredders in the beaver treatment was higher than in reference riffles. Changes to local hydrology and sediment dynamics resulting from BMS influence biotic functional responses like organic material standing stock and secondary production, creating habitat and ecosystem function distinct from riffles and similar to target conditions of natural beaver dams. To continue to improve BMS as a standard restoration practice, future research could consider the extent of degradation, increasing temporal scale of monitoring. alterations to aquatic-terrestrial subsidies and impacts to fishes.</p>
Dataset for: Relative contribution of high and low elevation soil microbes and nematodes to ecosystem functioning
<ol> <li><span>Ecosystem productivity is largely dependent on soil nutrient cycling which, in turn, is driven by decomposition rates governed by locally-adapted belowground microbial and invertebrate communities. How climate change will impact soil biota and the correlated ecosystem functioning, however, remains largely an open question.</span></li> <li><span>To address this challenge, we first characterized the functional identity of soil microbial and nematode communities originated from the foothills or in the sub-alpine soils of the Alps, and then, using a full-factorial reciprocal transplant common garden experiment at two elevations, we asked whether soil biota from low elevation were more prone in generating nutrient cycling than high elevation soil biota. Specifically, we separately transplanted soil microbial and nematode to community from low and high elevation in their home or opposite elevation in pots added with a common plant community. </span></li> <li><span>We found evidence for ecotypic and functional differentiation of the microbial and nematode communities growing in. We also observed a decrease in microbial diversity and activity at high elevation, and additionally, through nematodes' functional characterization, we found increased fungal-dominated energy channels at high elevation. </span></li> <li><span>Moreover, while we found little effect of soil biodiversity change based on elevation of origin on plant productivity, soils inoculated with microbes originating from low elevation respired more than those originating at high elevation. This observation correlates well with the observed faster carbon degradation rates by the low-elevation microbial communities. </span></li> <li><span>Climate change can reshuffle soil invertebrate communities depending on organism-specific variation in range expansion, ultimately affecting soil fertility and vegetation productivity.</span></li> </ol>
Data from: Intraspecific trait changes have large impacts on community functional composition but do not affect ecosystem function
<p>1. Plant functional traits can provide a mechanistic understanding of community responses to global change and of community effects on ecosystem functions. Nitrogen enrichment typically shifts trait composition by promoting the dominance of acquisitive plants (high specific leaf area [SLA] and low leaf dry matter content [LDMC]), translating into high biomass production. Changes in mean trait values can be due to shifts in species identity, relative abundances and/or intraspecific trait values. However, we do not know the relative importance of these shifts in determining trait responses to environmental changes, or trait effects on ecosystem functioning, such as biomass production. </p> <p><br> 2. We quantified the relative importance of species composition, abundance and intraspecific shifts in driving variation in SLA and LDMC, and how these shifts affected above- and belowground biomass. We measured traits in a grassland experiment manipulating nitrogen fertilisation, plant species richness, foliar fungal pathogen removal and sown functional composition (slow vs. fast species). We fitted structural equation models to test the importance of abundance and intraspecific shifts in determining 1) responses of functional composition to treatments and 2) effects on above and belowground biomass.</p> <p> <br> 3. We found that species intraspecific shifts were as important as abundance shifts in determining change in functional composition (community weighted mean trait values), and even had large effects compared to substantial initial variation in sown trait composition. Intraspecific trait shifts resulted in convergence towards intermediate SLA in diverse communities; although convergence was reduced by nitrogen addition and enhanced by pathogen removal. In contrast, large intraspecific shifts in LDMC were not influenced by the treatments. However, despite large responses, intraspecific trait shifts had no effect on above or belowground biomass. Only interspecific trait variation affected functioning: belowground biomass was reduced by SLA and increased by LDMC, while aboveground biomass was increased by SLA. </p> <p><br> 4. Our results add to a growing body of literature showing large species intraspecific trait variation and emphasise the importance of using field sampled data to determine community functional composition. However, they also show that intraspecific variation does not necessarily affect ecosystem functioning and therefore response-effect trait relationships may differ between vs. within species.</p>
Regime shifts in a shallow lake: Consequences for taxonomic and functional diversity, and ecosystem multifunctionality
<ol> <li>Under increasing nutrient loading, shallow lakes may shift from a state of clear water dominated by submerged macrophytes to a turbid state dominated by phytoplankton or a shaded state dominated by floating macrophytes. How such regime shifts mediate the relationship between taxonomic and functional diversity and lake multifunctionality is poorly understood.</li> <li>We employed a detailed database describing a shallow lake over a 12-year period during which the lake has displayed all the three states (clear, turbid, and shaded) to investigate how species richness, functional diversity of fish and zooplankton, ecosystem multifunctionality, and five individual ecosystem functions (nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, standing fish biomass, algae production, and light availability) differ among states. We also evaluated how the relationship between biodiversity (species richness and functional diversity) and multifunctionality is affected by regime shifts.</li> <li>We showed that species richness and the functional diversity of fish and zooplankton were highest during the clear state. The clear state also maintained the highest values of multifunctionality as well as standing fish biomass production, algae production, and light availability, whereas the turbid and shaded states had higher nutrient concentrations. Functional diversity was the best predictor of multifunctionality. The relationship between functional diversity and multifunctionality was strongly positive during the clear state, but such relationship became flatter after the shift to the turbid or shaded state.</li> <li>Our findings illustrate that focusing on functional traits may provide a more mechanistic understanding of how regime shifts affect biodiversity and the consequences for ecosystem functioning. Regime shifts towards a turbid or shaded state negatively affect the taxonomic and functional diversity of fish and zooplankton, which in turn impairs the multifunctionality of shallow lakes.</li> </ol>
Data from: Partitioning the effects of plant diversity on ecosystem functions at different trophic levels
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning can be partitioned into complementarity effects, driven by many species, and selection effects, driven by few. Selection effects occur through interspecific abundance shifts (dominance) and intraspecific shifts in functioning. Complementarity and selection effects are often calculated for biomass, but very rarely for secondary productivity, i.e. energy transfer to higher trophic levels. We calculated diversity effects for three functions: aboveground biomass, insect herbivory and pathogen infection, the latter two as proxies for energy transfer to higher trophic levels, in a grassland experiment (PaNDiv) manipulating species richness, functional composition, nitrogen enrichment and fungicide treatment. Complementarity effects were on average positive and selection effects negative for biomass production and pathogen infection and multiple species contributed to diversity effects in mixtures. Diversity effects were on average less pronounced for herbivory. Diversity effects for the three functions were not correlated, because different species drove the different diversity effects. Benefits (and costs) from growing in diverse communities, be it reduced herbivore or pathogen damage or increased productivity either due to abundance increases or increased productivity per area were distributed across different plant species, leading to highly variable contributions of single species to diversity effects on different functions. These results show that different underlying ecological mechanisms can result in similar overall diversity effects across functions.</span></p>
Even short-term revegetation complicates soil food webs and strengths their links with ecosystem functions
<p>Degradation of dryland ecosystems is a worldwide problem caused by climate change and human activities. To restore these degraded ecosystems, governments have implemented projects that often include revegetation, but we still lack an understanding of how soil food webs and ecosystem functions are affected by revegetation. By conducting a large-scale revegetation experiment under two degradation intensities (low and high) on the Inner Mongolian degraded grassland, we tested the effects of revegetation on primary producers (plants), key components of soil food webs (bacteria, fungi, and nematodes), and ecosystem functions (soil C and N mineralization). After 4 years, revegetation greatly increased the biomass of plants and soil bacteria and fungi but had less effects on soil nematode functional groups. Revegetation increased vegetation and bacterial diversities and soil C and N mineralization rates, altered the structures of vegetation and soil microbial communities, but did not affect fungal or nematode diversity. The stronger effects of revegetation on plants, soil bacteria, soil fungi, and soil nematodes in plots with low degradation intensity than in plots with high degradation intensity indicated that future revegetation efforts should consider the degree of degradation. Revegetation also increased the interactions among plants, soil food webs, and ecosystem functions, indicating that the revegetation-induced changes in soil food webs could facilitate the recovery of soil nutrients and vegetation productivity in degraded grasslands. Synthesis and applications. Overall, the effects of revegetation were stronger on plants (primary producers) and soil microorganisms (intermediate trophic levels) than on soil nematodes (higher trophic levels), and even short-term revegetation increased the complexity of soil food webs and strengthened their relationships with soil functions in degraded grasslands. These results highlight the effects of restoration on multiple trophic levels in degraded drylands, and suggest that some aspects of plant-soil interactions in global drylands could be rapidly improved by appropriate restoration.</p>
Belowground ecosystem engineers enhance biodiversity and function in a polluted ecosystem
<p>Many important ecosystem functions are underpinned by belowground biodiversity and processes. Marine sediments, one of the most abundant habitats on earth, are essential to the mineralisation of organic matter. However, they are increasingly polluted by urban activities leading to the loss of biodiversity and the functions they provide. While traditional sediment remediation strategies are focussed on microbial and engineering solutions, we propose that the reintroduction of belowground ecosystem engineers (bioturbators) is important to rehabilitate polluted sediments and drive recovery of their functions in urban coastal ecosystems. We tested this notion by introducing bioturbators to nutrient polluted sediments to assess their survival, as well as their capacity to drive biodiversity and oxygenation and their potential to remediate nutrient pollution. Polychaete worms Diopatra aciculata and clams Katelysia sp. were added to mesocosms (ex-situ), and the worms also added to experimental plots in-situ. Potential for remediation was assessed with measures of nutrient content. All animals survived when introduced to polluted sediments and showed no evidence of sub-lethal effects. Worms oxygenated sediments and reduced organic matter content by up to 50% in-situ. The worms also drove shifts in the receiving communities at all locations and increased the number of taxa at one location. On the other hand, the effects of clams were variable, showing opposite effects in organic matter content at different sites and levels of pollution. Synthesis and applications. Global seafloor habitats are becoming increasingly degraded and novel strategies that combine biodiversity restoration with remediation are urgently needed to return function. Tube-building bioturbators can stimulate nutrient processing in sediments proving multiple functional outcomes, but these effects are dependent on the receiving environment. In areas with medium levels of pollution, they can kick-start recovery in a feedback loop whereby bioturbation increases oxygenation and nutrient remediation, shifting sediment biodiversity and contributing to further recovery. This can drive long-term changes in sediment communities, particularly in urban areas where unvegetated sediments are conspicuous.</p>
Model outputs and observation data for "Implementation and evaluation of the unified stomatal optimization approach in the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES)"
<p>Model outputs and observation data for paper "Implementation and evaluation of the unified stomatal optimization approach in the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES)".</p>
Biodiversity and ecosystem functions in the Tibetan grasslands
<p>Data from the Tibetan grasslands</p>
Data: Trait-based food web model reveals the underlying mechanisms of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships
<p>Data and code related to 'Trait-based food web model reveals the underlying mechanisms of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships' to reproduce figures and analyses.</p>
Data from: Nutrient pollution disrupts key ecosystem functions on coral reefs
There is a long history of examining the impacts of nutrient pollution and pH on coral reefs. However, little is known about how these two stressors interact and influence coral reef ecosystem functioning. Using a six-week nutrient addition experiment, we measured the impact of elevated nitrate (NO3) and phosphate (PO43) on net community calcification (NCC) and net community production (NCP) rates of individual taxa and combined reef communities. Our study had four major outcomes: 1) NCC rates declined in response to nutrient addition in all substrate types; 2) the mixed community switched from net calcification to net dissolution under medium and high nutrient conditions; 3) nutrients augmented pH variability through modified photosynthesis and respiration rates; and 4) nutrients disrupted the relationship between NCC and aragonite saturation state documented in ambient conditions. These results indicate that the negative effect of NO3 and PO43 addition on reef calcification is likely both a direct physiological response to nutrients and also an indirect response to a shifting pH environment from altered NCP rates. Here, we show that nutrient pollution could make reefs more vulnerable to global changes associated with ocean acidification and accelerate the predicted shift from net accretion to net erosion.
Data from: Plant functional traits and environmental conditions shape community assembly and ecosystem functioning during restoration
Recovering biological diversity and ecosystem functioning are primary objectives of ecological restoration, yet these outcomes are often unpredictable. Assessments based on functional traits may help with interpreting variability in both community composition and ecosystem functioning because of their mechanistic and generalizable nature. This promise remains poorly realized, however, because tests linking environmental conditions, functional traits, and ecosystem functioning in restoration are rare. Here, we provide such a test through what is to our knowledge the first empirical application of the 'response–effect trait framework' to restoration. This framework provides a trait-based bridge between community assembly and ecosystem functioning by describing how species respond to environmental conditions based on traits and how the traits of species affect ecosystem functioning. Our study took place across 29 prairies restored from former agricultural fields in southwestern Michigan. We considered how environmental conditions affect ecosystem functioning through and independently of measured functional traits. To do so, we paired field-collected trait data with data on plant community composition and measures of ecosystem functioning and used structural equation modelling to determine relationships between environmental conditions, community-weighted means of functional traits and ecosystem functioning. Environmental conditions were predictive of trait composition. Sites restored directly from tillage (as opposed to those allowed to fallow) supported taller species with larger seeds and higher specific leaf area (SLA). Site age and fire frequency were both negatively related to SLA. We also found a positive relationship between soil moisture and SLA. Both trait composition and environmental conditions predicted ecosystem functioning, but these relationships varied among the measured functions. Pollination mode (animal pollination) increased and fire frequency decreased floral resource availability, seed mass had a negative effect on below-ground biomass production, and vegetative height increased decomposition rate. Soil moisture and fire frequency both increased while site age decreased above-ground biomass production, and site age and soil moisture both increased decomposition rate. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that both trait composition and environmental conditions play a role in shaping ecosystem function during restoration, and the importance of each is dependent on the function of interest. Because of this, environmental heterogeneity will be necessary to promote multiple ecosystem functions across restored landscapes. A trait-based approach to restoration can aid interpretation of variable outcomes through insights into community assembly and ecosystem functioning.
Spatio-temporal dynamics of abiotic and biotic properties explain biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships
<p>There is increasing evidence that spatial and temporal dynamics of biodiversity and ecosystem functions play an essential role in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships. Despite the known importance of soil processes for forest ecosystems, belowground functions in response to tree diversity and spatio-temporal dynamics of ecological processes and conditions remain poorly described. We propose a novel conceptual framework integrating spatio-temporal dynamics in BEF relationships and hypothesized a positive tree species richness effect on soil ecosystem functions through the spatial and temporal stability of biotic and abiotic soil properties based on species complementarity and asynchrony. We tested this framework within a long-term tree diversity experiment in Central Germany by assessing soil ecosystem functions (soil microbial properties and litter decomposition) and abiotic variables (soil moisture and surface temperature) for two consecutive years in high spatial and temporal resolution. Tree species richness and identity had significant effects on soil properties (e.g., soil microbial biomass). Structural equation modeling revealed that overall soil microbial biomass was partly explained by (a) enhanced temporal stability of soil surface temperature and (b) decreased spatial stability of soil microbial biomass. Overall, spatial stability of soil microbial properties was positively correlated with their temporal stability. These results suggest that spatio-temporal dynamics are indeed crucial determinants in BEF relationships and highlight the importance of vegetation-induced microclimatic conditions for stable provisioning of soil ecosystem functions and services.</p>
Data from: Functional and phylogenetic diversity promotes litter decomposition across terrestrial ecosystems
Aim: Litter decomposition is a vital process of carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Despite rapid declines in plant diversity worldwide, the plant diversity effects on litter decomposition, along with the factors driving their directions and magnitudes, remain uncertain. Location: Globe. Time period: 1985-2018. Major taxa studied: Plants. Methods: By synthesizing 492 paired observations of leaf litter mixtures and monocultures from 110 studies, we conducted a global meta-analysis of the effects of litter mixtures on litter decomposition rates, which were calculated as <i>k</i> coefficients from <i>m</i><sub><i>t</i></sub>/<i>m</i><sub>0</sub> =<i>e</i><sup>-<i>kt</i></sup>, where <i>m</i><sub><i>t</i></sub>/<i>m</i><sub>0</sub> was litter mass remaining proportion corresponding to time <i>t</i>. Results: Litter mixtures on average increased litter decomposition rates by 5.6% (95% confident intervals, 3.0%-8.1%), and the effects of litter mixtures increased with litter species richness, the functional diversity of chemical traits (leaf C, N, P contents and C:N ratio) and phylogenetic diversity consistently across terrestrial ecosystems. The decomposer abundance and function, including soil fauna abundance, microbial biomass, and extracellular enzyme activities were positively associated with litter mixture effects on decomposition rates. The structural equation models accounted for 48.6% of the global variation in litter decomposition rates and revealed that the positive effects of litter functional diversity on decomposer abundance and function led to increased litter decomposition rates, while litter phylogenetic diversity had a direct effect on litter decomposition rates. Main conclusions: The functional diversity of the chemical traits and phylogenetic diversity, both as indicators for complementarity effects, are important drivers for increasing litter mixture effects on decomposition. The positive litter diversity effects on decomposition rates are mechanistically linked with soil fauna abundance, microbial biomass, and extracellular enzyme activities. Our results suggest that plant diversity, especially functional and phylogenetic diversity, increases decomposer abundance and function, and thus plays a key role in the carbon and nutrient cycling across terrestrial ecosystems.
Data from: Species loss drives ecosystem function in experiments, but in nature the importance of species loss depends on dominance
<p>Aim: Decades of experimental research have conclusively shown a positive relationship between species richness and ecosystem function. However, authoritative reviews find no consensus on how species loss affects function in natural communities. We analyse experimental and observational data in an identical way and test whether they produce similar results.</p> <p>Location: North America and Europe (experimental communities); global (natural communities).</p> <p>Time period: Experimental communities: 1998–2013; natural communities: 1982–2018.</p> <p>Major taxa studied: </p> <p>Experimental communities: temperate grassland plants; natural communities: temperate grassland plants, tropical forest trees, kelp forest producers<br> and native bees.</p> <p>Methods: We used an approach inspired by the Price equation to analyse 129 datasets from experimental and natural communities worldwide. We tested how the<br> effects of species loss on ecosystem function varied with dominance and the nonrandomness<br> of species loss and, in turn, how these two factors differed between<br> experiments and observations.</p> <p>Results: Studies carried out in experimental and natural communities reached different conclusions regarding the effects of species loss. First, species loss had greater effects on ecosystem function in experiments than in nature. Second, the importance of species loss was negatively correlated with dominance in nature because as dominance increased, lost species were increasingly those contributing little to ecosystem function. Although experimental and natural communities exhibited similar levels of dominance, an analogous relationship was not possible in experiments because the order of species loss was randomized by design. Main conclusions: Species loss was sometimes, but not always, the major driver of loss of function in nature. Variation in the importance of species loss was not messy and context dependent; instead, it was predicted by functional dominance. Although results from experimental and natural communities were similar in several key ways, they differed in that species loss was a consistent predictor of ecosystem function in experiments and not in nature.</p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.