Home-field Advantage Research Articles

No home-field advantage in upper Andean tropical forests despite strong differences in site environmental characteristics

No home-field advantage in upper Andean tropical forests despite strong differences in site environmental characteristics

Deciphering agricultural and forest litter decomposition: Stage dependence of home-field advantage as affected by plant residue chemistry and bacterial community

Deciphering agricultural and forest litter decomposition: Stage dependence of home-field advantage as affected by plant residue chemistry and bacterial community

The Addition of an Invasive Plant Alters the Home-Field Advantage of Native Leaf Litter Decomposition

The Addition of an Invasive Plant Alters the Home-Field Advantage of Native Leaf Litter Decomposition

An Improved Point System for Cricket’s World Test Championship

With the advent of formats of limited overs in cricket like the One Day and Twenty-20 Internationals, test cricket, the longest-running version of the game, has witnessed a significant decline in popularity. The World Test Championship (WTC) was launched in 2019 by the International Cricket Council to reignite interest in test cricket. However, the initial point distribution system devised for the inaugural WTC had several shortcomings, which include allocating points based on the outcome of the entire series rather than the number of test matches played, the absence of rewards for teams winning matches away from home, failing to take into consideration the margin of victory (MOV) and not accounting for the relative strength of competing teams. Considering these shortcomings, this article proposes a new point system, thus providing an alternative to the existing one. The point system uses the Elo rating system, including factors such as home-field advantage, impact of the toss and MOV. Statistical analyses were conducted to validate the home-field advantage and toss impact. Subsequently, the proposed model developed was named the points won per match system. The team rankings in the WTC are established based on this proposed model and compared with the actual one.

Motivation to Run in One-Day Cricket

This paper presents a novel approach to identify an optimal coefficient for evaluating a player’s batting average, strike rate, and bowling average, aimed at achieving an optimal team score through dynamic modeling using a path integral method. Additionally, it introduces a new model for run dynamics, represented as a stochastic differential equation, which factors in the average weather conditions at the cricket ground, the specific weather conditions on the match day (including abrupt changes that may halt the game), total attendance, and home field advantage. An analysis of real data is been performed to validate the theoretical results.

Microbial controls on seed germination

Germination onset is the first stage in the phenological plant cycle, influenced by abiotic and biotic factors. Both soil and seed microbiota are key drivers of germination, influencing seed storage, dormancy release, and germination rates. Interactions between plants and soil microbes contribute to plant adaptation to their environment. Therefore, plants could benefit more from interacting with soil microbes from the local (‘home’) environment than with those from other origins. As crucial germination drivers, plants may select for specific microbial taxa that provide them with a home-field advantage, regardless of microbial richness and diversity in their surroundings. Here, we looked at the role of seed-associated microorganisms on holm oak (Quercus ilex) germination, whether seed or soil microbes have a greater impact on this process, and how the interaction between seed and soil microbiotas influence holm oak germination. We found that microbes on Q. ilex seeds have a significant effect on germination, with non-sterilised seeds having higher germinated acorns than sterilised ones. Moreover, when co-occurring, soil microorganisms enhance the effect of seed-associated microbes on holm oak germination. Overall, our results evidence a home-field advantage where local soil communities, along with seed-associated microorganisms, enhance Q. ilex germination over that of different soil or plant species, evidencing the importance of local adaptation for plant fitness.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Penalty Kicks in the UEFA Champions League: Optimal Techniques and Directions for Scoring Success

This study examined the strategic execution of penalty kicks in professional soccer, focusing on the high-stakes environment of the UEFA Champions League. Utilizing a dataset of 243 penalty kicks from five seasons (2018/2019–2022/2023), sourced from YouTube and cross-referenced with Transfermarkt, we employed a detailed nine-zone goal classification system to analyze shot distribution and success rates. We investigated various factors influencing penalty outcomes, including match stage, home-field advantage, minute of the match, current score, player status, previous score, footedness, and rebound goals. Findings indicated that shots aimed at the center and upper areas of the goal have the highest success rates. It was also found that home advantage considerably enhances scoring chances in both group and knockout stages. This research fills a gap in the literature by providing insights into penalty kick strategies in the UEFA Champions League, offering valuable implications for coaching practices, player training, and analytical frameworks in high-pressure scenarios.

Variability in the home-field advantage of litter decomposition mediates alterations in soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes: A transplantation experiment study

The decomposition of litter is susceptible to the influence of climate change and soil conditions, which can subsequently impact the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from forest soils and the absorption of methane (CH4). Ecological theory proposes the existence of a home-field advantage (HFA) in litter decomposition, suggesting that the decomposition rate of litter (such as fallen leaves, twigs, and roots) may be faster in their native habitat than in foreign environments. Therefore, we selected litter from Pinus tabuliformis (PT) and Quercus acutissima Carruth (QC) in the field and conducted a 439-day litter transplant experiment to test the magnitude and direction of the HFA of these two litter types in three forest stands. During this experiment, we monitored the changes in soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes associated with the decomposition of PT and QC leaf litter in their native and foreign sites. Furthermore, we measured various soil physical, chemical, and biological indicators. The results indicated that the decomposition rate of QC leaf litter was faster in its native habitat, demonstrating a clear HFA effect. Conversely, the decomposition of PT leaf litter was observed to be more rapid in away soil, suggesting a pronounced home-field disadvantage (HFD). The study found that PT leaf litter exhibited greater CO2 release when decomposing in away soil, demonstrating 43 % and 32 % increases compared to bare soil, respectively. Conversely, QC leaf litter was observed to release more CO2 in its home soil. Additionally, the bare soils of the PT and QC home sites were found to absorb more CH4 compared to leaf litter coverage, with increases of 37.8 % and 31.2 %, respectively. The partial least squares model indicated that the litter attributes had a significant direct effect on soil temperature and enzyme activity. Soil temperature and enzyme activity further directly influenced the soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes. The results of our study indicate that the HFA of litter is dependent on litter type, and that litter transplantation can impact soil greenhouse gas exchange. This research provides a theoretical foundation for forest management and conservation strategies, as well as valuable data for global carbon neutrality efforts.

Video assistant referee and home field advantage: Implications for referee bias

AbstractPrevious research has highlighted referee bias as a potential contributor to home field advantage in soccer. In order to shed light on the importance of referee bias, we exploit the staggered implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) using data from the top domestic league in 16 countries between 2009 and 2019 to estimate the effect of objective review systems on home field advantage in soccer. Surprisingly, the implementation of VAR had negligible effects on home field advantage and various crucial match statistics despite decreased total offsides and yellow cards. These results provide suggestive evidence regarding the mechanisms through which referee bias might contribute to home field advantage and highlight how scope may limit the effectiveness of review processes in general.

The impact of home advantage on performance in UEFA Champions League matches

Home field advantage is a common sports phenomenon, and more scholars focus their research on the home field advantage in football. This article takes 160 sets of technical and tactical data from 80 games in the three seasons of the UEFA Champions League from 2021 to 2024 as the research object and uses data statistical methods to conduct a comparative analysis of 18 technical and tactical indicators of the home and away teams in the event and discusses the impact of home advantage on performance in UEFA Champions League matches. The results show: (1) The winning probability of the home team in the UEFA Champions League in the 2021-2024 season is 61% and more than 50%, indicating home field advantage; (2) The performance of the home team in goal-related variables, offensive organization-related variables and defense-related variables is generally better than that of the away team; (3) Four indicators including two goal-related variables, goals and shot on target percentage, and two offensive organization-related variables, possession percentage and crosses, are significant variables that distinguish the performance of the home and away teams.

Using Orthodromic Distance to Determine Homefield Advantage in Professional Bass Fishing Tournaments

The home team is widely viewed as having an advantage in most team sports. Individual sports are less inclined to have homefield advantage, since they are contested on neutral sites with contestants from a wide variety of locales. Bass fishing differs from most individual sports as the venue fished is governed by local biological and climatological variation. Thus, there may be a homefield advantage that accrues to anglers living close to the venue where the tournament is held. In this paper we examine angler performance in the two premier bass fishing tournaments in the U.S.: the Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour. We find that angler performance in both tournaments is related to characteristics that measure experience, aptitude, and past success. In addition, we find evidence that angler performance suffers as distance to the lake increases, and this result holds after controlling for other angler characteristics.

What makes decomposition faster under conspecific trees? The factors controlling the magnitude of home‐field advantage

The ‘home‐field advantage (HFA)' for decomposition means that leaf litter decomposes faster on soils under the conspecific species (i.e. the home field) than on soils under different species (i.e. ‘away'). Many previous studies have demonstrated the HFA, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We conducted a reciprocal litter‐decomposition experiment using two species with different leaf traits: Abies mariesii, an evergreen conifer, and Fagus crenata, a deciduous broad‐leaved tree. Dominance of these species shifts along an elevation gradient with a transition zone where both species coexist. In mixed forests of the transition zone along the elevation gradient, we explored how the magnitude of HFA between these two species was influenced by temperature, soil properties, or leaf litter traits which could directly affect the decomposition rate. The magnitude of HFA observed between the two species varied widely from −3.89 to 28.3%. Our modeling showed that the magnitude of HFA increased with decreasing soil pH and leaf litter N, i.e. in more acidic soil and for less decomposable litter. Soil pH affected leaf litter decomposition in the home plots of each species, whereas leaf litter N did not. The magnitude of the HFA increased as the difference in soil pH between the F. crenata and A. mariesii plots at the same elevation became greater, but decreased as the difference in soil C became greater. Thus, the response of leaf litter decomposition to environmental changes might vary not only through direct effects of vegetation traits but also through indirect effects of the HFA. This highlights the importance of considering HFA for accurately predicting the response of local carbon and nutrient cycles to climate change, particularly in communities where a replacement of dominant species by others is expected due to climate change.

Litter decomposition in pure and mixed plantations on the Loess Plateau, China: Lack of home-field advantage

Litter decomposition plays a critical role in the nutrient cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. According to the home-field advantage (HFA) hypothesis, litter decomposes more rapidly in its home habitat (where it originates) compared to other habitats (referred to as away). Although this hypothesis has been widely tested in natural forests, it remains controversial and lacks support for plantations, especially in dry ecosystems where microbial activities are limited. To clarify it, the present study investigated litter mass loss, nutrient dynamics, and decomposer communities in a 549-day reciprocal transplant experiment of litter decomposition in Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) and Hippophae rhamnoides (HR) pure plantations and their mixed plantations (5:5 and 8:2 ratios) on the Loess Plateau, China. The rate of mass, carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss in litter differed depending on litter type of species component and plantation type they were placed in. HR litter lost mass and released C, N, and P fastest, irrespective of plantation type. The overall mass loss of the four litter types were the fastest under 5:5 mixed plantations. However, litter did not decompose more rapidly in its home soil compared to the away soil. The structural equation modeling revealed that initial litter quality played a significant role in regulating the loss of C and N across decomposition stages, while the climate variations and microbial chemistry also contributed to the process. The similarity in soil microbial communities across plantation types, along with the limited interaction between litter and microbes in arid environments, could help elucidate the lack of HFA, with other factors such as the litter type exerting a minor influence. In summary, this study does not substantiate the hypothesis of home-field advantage but supports its context-dependency. Thus, regional heterogeneity should be taken into account when predicting the carbon cycle of forest ecosystems in future studies.

Soil microbial identity explains home-field advantage for litter decomposition.

Unraveling the mechanisms of home-field advantage (HFA) is essential to gain a complete understanding of litter decomposition processes. However, knowledge of the relationships between HFA effects and microbial communities is lacking. To examine HFA effects on litter decomposition, we identified the microbial communities and conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment, including all possible combinations of soil and litter, between sites at two elevations in cool-temperate forests. Soil origin, rather than HFA, was an important factor in controlling litter decomposition processes. Microbiome-wide association analyses identified litter fungi and bacteria specific to the source soil, which completely differed at a low taxonomic level between litter types. The relative abundance of these microbes specific to source soil was positively correlated with litter mass loss. The results indicated that the unique relationships between plant litter and soil microbes through plant-soil linkages drive litter decomposition processes. In the short term, soil disturbances resulting from land-use changes have the potential to disrupt the effect of soil origin and hinder the advancement of litter decomposition. These findings contribute to an understanding of HFA mechanisms and the impacts of land-use change on decomposition processes in forest ecosystems.

Litter Decomposition of a Deciduous Tectona philippinensis and an Evergreen Parashorea malaanonan Across Contrasting Sites

Litter traits and site conditions alter nutrient inputs from deciduous and evergreen forests by influencing litter decomposition processes. Here, we investigated the leaf and stem mass loss rate (MLR) of a deciduous (Tectona philippinensis) and an evergreen (Parashorea malaanonan) tree species and the factors influencing it through an intersite experiment and litterbag method in secondary forests in Lobo, Batangas and Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR). Variations in initial litter quality (leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf thickness, vein density), and site factors (light intensity and temperature) were assessed. P. malaanonan has a lower SLA and vein density than T. philippinensis. The leaf and stem MLR were significantly higher in the mixed litter (44.09–57.83%) than that of a single-species litter of either T. philippinensis (28.16–41.83%) or P. malaanonan (33.60–47.66%). The leaf MLR of T. philippinensis was greater when placed in Lobo (where the litter originated) than at a different site (i.e., MMFR). Moreover, leaf litter decomposition was faster in T. philippinensis than in P. malaanonan, particularly during the rainy season. Overall, the study showed that litter decomposition in deciduous and evergreen differed across sites due to variations in litter quality and environmental variables. Keywords: decomposability traits, home-field advantage (HFA), intersite experiment, litter quality, mass loss rate

The Effects of Spectators on National Basketball Association Free Throw Performance

Free throw shooting percentage has averaged around 75% for nearly five decades. However, free throw percentages significantly increased to 79% during the 2020 spectator-less National Basketball Association season. The current study investigated if the elevated free throw shooting percentage observed during the spectator-less season has returned to the 50-year average now that spectators have returned to National Basketball Association arenas. Moreover, home and away free throw percentages were examined to determine if a potential home-field advantage contributed to this phenomenon. Analyses revealed that the free throw shooting percentage from the spectator-less season was significantly higher than the two spectator-filled seasons preceding and following the spectator-less season. Furthermore, the analyses found no differences in free throw percentages between home and away games. While the free throw shooting percentage increased to 79% during the spectator-less season, the free throw shooting percentage returned to the 50-year average (i.e., ∼75%), following the spectator-less season. Additionally, it does not appear that a perceived home-field advantage influenced the increased free throw performance observed in the spectator-less season. Multiple factors likely contributed to this free throw phenomenon, including the environmental characteristics shaped by the lack of spectators.

"Home Field Advantage": The Presence of a "Home" Neurosurgical Residency Training Program is Associated With Improved Match Outcomes.

Competition for neurosurgical residency training positions remains fierce. The support provided by applicants' home neurosurgery residency training programs (NRTP) is suspected to play a key role in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) process. We sought to evaluate the impact of the presence of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited NRTP at medical students' home institutions has on NRMP match outcomes. Our cross-sectional observational study examined all US allopathic senior student Electronic Residency Application Service applications to a single NRTP from 2016 to 2022. We analyzed a total of 1650 Electronic Residency Application Service applications to a single NRTP, of which 1432 (86.8%) were from schools with an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited NRTP (NRTP+) and 218 (13.2%) were from schools without a residency (NRTP-). NRTP+ applicants matched a higher rate on both pooled analysis (80.8% vs 71.6%, P = .002) and paired analysis ( P = .02) over the seven-cycle study period. This difference was present before (82.4% vs 73.9%, P = .01) and after (77.2% vs 65.6%, P = .046) the COVID-19 pandemic. Cohorts were overall similar; however, NRTP+ applicants had more publication experiences (19.6 ± 19.0 vs 13.1 ± 10.2, P < .001) and were more likely to complete a research gap year (RGY) (25.8% vs 17.0%, P = .004). Completing a RGY was associated with an increased likelihood of matching for NRTP+ applicants but not for NRTP- applicants: NRTP+: 84.9% vs 78.1% ( P = .0056); NRTP-: 70.3% vs 70.9% ( P = .94). The presence of a NRTP at a medical student's home institution is associated with improved NRMP match outcomes. This held true both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants from schools with a NRTP had more publication experiences and were more likely to complete a RGY. Completion of a RGY is associated with an increased likelihood of matching only for students with an affiliated NRTP.

Manipulating the physical distance between cells during soil colonization reveals the importance of biotic interactions in microbial community assembly

BackgroundMicrobial communities are of tremendous importance for ecosystem functioning and yet we know little about the ecological processes driving the assembly of these communities in the environment. Here, we used an unprecedented experimental approach based on the manipulation of physical distance between neighboring cells during soil colonization to determine the role of bacterial interactions in soil community assembly. We hypothesized that experimentally manipulating the physical distance between bacterial cells will modify the interaction strengths leading to differences in microbial community composition, with increasing distance between neighbors favoring poor competitors.ResultsWe found significant differences in both bacterial community diversity, composition and co-occurrence networks after soil colonization that were related to physical distancing. We show that reducing distances between cells resulted in a loss of bacterial diversity, with at least 41% of the dominant OTUs being significantly affected by physical distancing. Our results suggest that physical distancing may differentially modulate competitiveness between neighboring species depending on the taxa present in the community. The mixing of communities that assembled at high and low cell densities did not reveal any “home field advantage” during coalescence. This confirms that the observed differences in competitiveness were due to biotic rather than abiotic filtering.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that the competitiveness of bacteria strongly depends on cell density and community membership, therefore highlighting the fundamental role of microbial interactions in the assembly of soil communities.

How does position affect the decomposition of fine woody debris in subtropical forest?

Fine woody debris (FWD: 1 cm ≤ diameter ≤ 10 cm) may be intercepted by understory vegetation (including the branches of canopy trees). However, the decay dynamics of aerial FWD are often overlooked. In this study, we collected wood from four different tree species (Platycarya strobilacea, Lithocarpus glaber, Pinus massoniana, and Cryptomeria japonica) from four forests in subtropical China, and the mesh bag method was used to measure the remaining mass and microbial respiration by reciprocally transplanting mesh bags filled with different species among the four forests. The main objectives of this study were to reveal the influence of position (the ground and the air) on the decay rates of FWD and the home-field advantage (HFA) effect during a two-year experimental period. Irrespective of the experimental periods and decay fields, the mass loss of FWD was significantly higher on the ground (58.05%) than in the air (45.74%), and the microbial respiration of wood was significantly higher on the ground (18.87 μg CO2 h−1 g−1) than in the air (7.79 μg CO2 h−1 g−1). Microbial respiration was negatively correlated with wood remaining mass on the ground during the entire decay period and in the air only during the late decay period. The HFA effect was observed only on the ground (5.03–23.86%). Our study highlights that soil contact predominantly regulated the decomposition patterns and the HFA effect of fine woody debris and suggests that we should not neglect the decay of fine woody debris in the air due to the interception of understory vegetation in subtropical Chinese forests.

Enhanced home-field advantage in deep soil organic carbon decomposition: Insights from soil transplantation in subtropical forests

Climate change affects microbial community physiological strategies and thus regulates global soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition. However, SOC decomposition by microorganisms, depending on home-field advantage (HFA, indicating a faster decomposition rate in ‘Home’ than ‘Away’ conditions) or environmental advantage (EA, indicating a faster decomposition rate in warmer-wetter environments than in colder-drier environments) remains unknown. Here, a soil transplantation experiment was conducted between warmer-wetter and colder-drier evergreen broadleaved forests in subtropical China. Specifically, soil samples were collected along a 60 cm soil profile, including 0–15, 15–30, 30–45, and 45–60 cm layers after one year of transplantation. SOC fractions, soil chemical properties, and microbial communities were evaluated to assess where there was an HFA of EA in SOC decomposition, along with an exploration of internal linkages. Significant HFAs were observed, particularly in the deep soils (30–60 cm) (P < 0.05), despite the lack of a significant EA along a soil profile, which was attributed to environmental changes affecting soil fungal communities and constraining SOC decomposition in ‘Away’ conditions. The soils transplanted from warmer-wetter to colder-drier environments changed the proportions of Mortiereltomycota or Basidiomycota fungal taxa in deep soils. Furthermore, the shift from colder-drier to warmer-wetter environments decreased fungal α-diversity and the proportion of fungal necromass carbon, ultimately inhibiting SOC decomposition in ‘Away’ conditions. However, neither HFAs nor EAs were significantly present in the topsoil (0–30 cm), possibly due to the broader adaptability of bacterial communities in these layers. These results suggest that the HFA of SOC decomposition in deep soils may mostly depend on the plasticity of fungal communities. Moreover, these results highlight the key roles of microbial communities in the SOC decomposition of subtropical forests, especially in deep soils that are easily ignored.