Community Patterns Research Articles

The Best Practices for Designing Built Environments to Promote Healthy Food Access and Dietary Behaviors in Low-Income and Underserved Communities

Background: The built environment can influence health outcomes, including access to good dietary options. Aims: The current study intends to thoroughly evaluate the literature on best practices for building environments that promote healthy food access and nutritional behaviors in low-income and underserved communities in Indonesia. Method: To discover relevant studies on this topic, a thorough literature review was done using databases from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus extracting. Result: The final analysis included 32 studies after removing duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Extracting and assessing data from the chosen research and thematic synthesis was applied. The data was extracted and processed into a detailed narrative that provided an overview of the best practices. Conclusion: According to the findings of the literature study, built environment design can have a considerable impact on healthy food availability and eating patterns in Indonesian communities. It might be possible to develop effective interventions that enhance health outcomes for all Indonesians by addressing these gaps in the evidence.

Soil Characteristics and Response Mechanism of the Microbial Community in a Coal–Grain Compound Area with High Groundwater Levels

Coal mining has led to escalating ecological and environmental issues in significant coal and grain production areas, posing a severe danger to food security. This study examines the disturbance patterns of soil factors and microbial communities in coal and grain production areas, and attempts to understand the impact of subsidence and water accumulation stress on soil characteristics and microbial communities in coal mining subsidence areas with high subsidence levels. Five specific regions of Zhao Gu Yi Mine, situated in Henan Province and under the ownership of Jiaozuo Coal Group, were chosen. Aside from the control group (CK), the study blocks situated in the coal mining subsidence zones consisted of perennial subsidence ponding (PSP), seasonal subsidence ponding (SSP), the neutral zone (NZ), and the horizontal deformation zone (HDZ). The soil nutrient indices and the stoichiometric properties of soil C, N, and P were assessed on the surface of each block. The organization of the soil microbial community was identified using high-throughput sequencing. The findings indicate that: 1. Substantial disparities exist in soil properties and microbial community structure between the subsidence and non-subsidence zones. The levels of soil organic mater (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), and available phosphorus (AP) all decrease to different extents in the subsidence area. Additionally, the coal mining subsidence waterlogged area exhibits higher levels compared to the coal mining subsidence non-waterlogged area. Conversely, the soil water content (SWC), C/N ratio, C/P ratio, and N/P ratio all increase to varying degrees. 2. Regarding the composition of the community, the presence of Proteobacteria is considerably greater in the non-water-logged area of coal mining subsidence (NZ, HDZ) compared to the water-logged area and control group (p < 0.05). The prevalence of Firmicutes in the subsidence water area was substantially greater compared to both the subsidence non-waterlogged area and the control group (p < 0.05). The prevalence of Gemmatimonadota is markedly greater in the waterlogged area of mining subsidence compared to the non-waterlogged area and CK (p < 0.05). The Ascomycota population reached its highest value in the neutral zone (NZ), which was significantly greater than the values observed in the seasonal subsidence ponding (SSP) and perennial subsidence ponding (PSP) regions (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the Rozellomycota population had its highest value in the SSP region, which was significantly greater than the values observed in the other regions (p < 0.05). 3. The abundance and variety of soil bacteria and fungi, as well as their important populations, are associated with different levels of soil characteristics. The primary elements that influence the alteration of microbial communities are soil nutrients and soil water content. The presence of coal mine subsidence and water accumulation has a notable impact on the properties of the soil in the surrounding area. This study offers a scientific foundation for reclaiming land affected by subsidence caused by coal mining in regions where coal and grain production are the dominant industries.

Environmental DNA metabarcoding reveals the influence of environmental heterogeneity on microeukaryotic plankton in the offshore waters of East China Sea

Microeukaryotic plankton are essential to marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles, with coastal seas playing a critical role in aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the diversity of microeukaryotic plankton, deciphering their community structure and succession patterns, and identifying the key factors influencing these dynamics remain central challenges in coastal ecology. In this study, we examine patterns of biodiversity, community structure, and co-occurrence using environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods. Our results show a linear correlation between α-diversity and distance from the shore, with nutrient-related factors, especially inorganic nitrogen, being the primary determinants of the spatial distribution of plankton communities. Alternation of coastal habitat have shifted the succession patterns of coastal eukaryotic plankton communities from stochastic to deterministic processes. Additionally, our observations indicate that the topology and structure of eukaryotic plankton symbiotic patterns and networks are significantly influenced by environmental heterogeneity such as nutrients, which increase the vulnerability and decrease the stability of offshore ecological networks. Overall, our study demonstrates that the distribution of microeukaryotic plankton communities is influenced by factors related to environmental heterogeneity.

A SeNA-based study of in-service teachers’ interaction patterns in an online learning community

In-service teachers, constrained by work commitments, adopt online learning methods for their graduate studies, emphasizing the significance of exploring the construction of online learning communities. Analyzing collaborative conversation texts within the online learning process of the “Learning Science” course at a university in Beijing, this study employed social epistemic network analysis (SeNA) to investigate interaction patterns of in-service teachers and propose optimization strategies. The findings of this study show that in asynchronous discussions without intervention, the overall situation of collaborative conversations among in-service teachers tends to be low-level. The social interaction network shows polycentricity, categorizing members into core and peripheral interactors based on distinct social interaction characteristics, highlighting substantial disparities in epistemic networks. Core interactors prioritize engaging with others, yet their contributions primarily echo interactions, reflecting superficial knowledge dimensions. Conversely, specific peripheral interactors prioritize independent reflection, sharing content largely derived from personal experiences or knowledge, signifying a commitment to independent and in-depth thinking within deeper knowledge dimensions. Moreover, learners’ online interactions are influenced by individual characteristics, instructional evaluation and the learning community atmosphere.

Foreign Migrants in the Moscow Agglomeration: Spatio-Temporal Analysis Based on Mobile Network Operator Data

Using mobile network operator data, the study analyzes the modern ethnic landscape of the Moscow agglomeration formed by foreign migrants. Their total number and monthly dynamics from October 2021 to October 2022 were analyzed. Foreigners’ main areas of residence were identified, the ethnic diversity of municipalities was assessed, and the main types of settlement pattern of national-ethnic communities were identified. The study showed that the total number of foreign migrants in the agglomeration reaches 1.8 mln people, or 9% of the total population, remaining almost unchanged against the backdrop of the events of 2022, including the special military operation. The share of foreigners is minimal in closed administrative-territorial units (below 3%), and it is also small in the remote parts of Moscow Region, as well as in expensive areas of the capital. At the same time, eight municipalities in the agglomeration have crossed the 17% mark, the so-called tipping point, reflecting a sharp increase in the risks of interethnic conflicts and ghettoization of the urban space. The two most noticeable areas of increased concentration of foreign migrants have been identified in the southeast at the junction of Moscow and Moscow oblast (Lublino–Kotelniki) and in New Moscow (Mosrentgen–Sosenskoe). Calculation of the Ekkel’ ethnic mosaic index has confirmed the presence of pronounced interethnic contact zones here. Elevated index values were also noted in most areas of the center and southwest of the capital, which, with a lower share of foreign residents, is associated with a high density of office buildings, diplomatic institutions, and universities. Analysis of the settlement patterns of national-ethnic groups of migrants revealed three types determined in accordance with the adaptive capabilities of ethnic communities. A diffuse, relatively uniform settlement pattern is characteristic of both the largest ethnic groups (citizens of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan) and those most culturally close to the local population (immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus). A concentric settlement pattern (in residential areas of Moscow and satellite cities) is typical of relatively large ethnic groups from post-Soviet countries (citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia). The local type is characteristic of small ethnic communities that gravitate towards certain areas of the capital.

Patterns and drivers in the functional diversity decomposition of invaded stream fish communities

AbstractAimThe assembly of real‐world ecological communities in human‐modified landscapes is influenced by a complex interplay of spatial, temporal, environmental and invasion gradients. However, understanding the relative importance of these drivers and their interactions in shaping functional assembly remains elusive. Our study aimed to investigate the relative influence of these drivers on the functional assembly of a stream fish metacommunity.LocationStreams of the Lake Balaton catchment, Hungary.MethodsWe analysed a long‐term (18‐year) dataset of the stream fish metacommunity, focusing on changes in functional diversity (Q), redundancy (R) and species dominance (D). Ternary diagrams were utilized to decompose functional diversity into Q, R and D components and to visualize diversity patterns. Linear mixed‐effect regression and separate structural equation models were employed to identify significant drivers of Q, R and D.ResultsNative fish communities exhibited low functional diversity (Q) but high redundancy (R) and dominance (D), indicating functional convergence and dominance. Stream habitat size, network position and associated spatial, physical and chemical gradients emerged as consistently significant drivers of D and R. Changes in Q were additionally linked to non‐native community properties and subtle shifts in land use and within‐stream habitat characteristics.Main ConclusionsOur findings suggest that both environmental filtering and interspecies interactions, particularly trait similarity between invaders and natives shape functional assembly of stream fish metacommunities. Despite minimal temporal directional changes, environmental drivers predominantly influence long‐term diversity patterns of native fish communities, overshadowing invasion effects. Our findings underscore the importance of considering both environmental filtering mechanisms and interspecies interactions in understanding functional assembly. Additionally, the joint application of diversity decomposition frameworks with predictive modelling provides comprehensive insight into patterns of functional diversity and assembly across ecological communities.

From source to lake: Multi‒taxon alpha and beta diversity patterns along a river above 4500 ​m AMSL on the Qinghai‒Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the distribution of species is highly important for optimizing future conservation priorities and strategies at the regional scale. Relatively little attention has been given to multi-taxon aquatic biota in extreme alpine environments. We examined the spatial and temporal patterns of alpha and beta diversity, site-specific contributions to beta diversity and assembly mechanisms of four taxonomic groups (fishes, macroinvertebrates, zooplankton and phytoplankton) from the source to the estuary of the Za'gya Zangbo River above 4500 ​m AMSL (above mean sea level) on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan (Q–T) Plateau. A total of 4 fish species, 45 macroinvertebrate taxa, 17 zooplankton taxa and 56 phytoplankton taxa were found in the study area. No consistent patterns in taxonomic richness were observed across taxa from upstream to estuary. The fish communities had the lowest dissimilarity between communities, the phytoplankton community had the highest dissimilarity in the dry season, and the macroinvertebrate community had the highest dissimilarity in the wet season. The relative importance of the turnover and nestedness components varied considerably across taxa and along spatial gradients. The diversity patterns of macroinvertebrate, zooplankton and phytoplankton communities were significantly correlated with several environmental factors, whereas only the beta diversity of fish was correlated with altitude. Stochastic processes dominated in shaping the macroinvertebrate communities whereas deterministic processes dominated the assembly of the phytoplankton communities. Weak congruence of diversity patterns across taxonomic groups suggested that biological groups cannot serve as reliable surrogates for one another and that multiple biological groups should be included in the biomonitoring of high-altitude rivers on the Q‒T Plateau. The relatively unique species in the upstream area and estuary of the Za'gya Zangbo River harbor should receive more attention in future conservation and management schemes.

Beta diversity subcomponents of plant species turnover and nestedness reveal drivers of community assembly in a regenerating subtropical forest.

Secondary forests represent a significant proportion of global forest cover, with over 70% of forests in East Asia classified as regenerating. While succession has been studied extensively in temperate systems, trajectories of subtropical succession remain poorly characterized in highly disturbed, urban-adjacent forests. Investigating the additive beta diversity components of turnover and nestedness may reveal community assembly mechanisms driving secondary succession. The present study investigates plant community assembly along a successional gradient from 7 to 70 years following the onset of succession in secondary subtropical forests in Hong Kong, China. Plant survey data for 28 plots were analysed, generating additive Simpsons turnover and nestedness beta diversity metrics. Dissimilarity matrices were generated and modelled as a function of environmental matrices including forest plant community age (years following onset of secondary succession), inter-community distance (metres), and soil moisture saturation (%) across three elevational bands using generalized dissimilarity models. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling of plant communities was conducted with Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices. Inter-community distance and successional age differentially influenced plant species turnover between lowland and Montane forest types. Models of nestedness found that plot age and soil moisture saturation were significant drivers of nestedness patterns in plant communities across elevational classes. Turnover represented a higher proportion of Sorensen beta diversity than nestedness, while ANOSIM found significant differentiation between plant communities at different successional stages. Turnover patterns suggest a deterministic model of community assembly, with strong patterns of species replacement between communities at fine spatial scales and successional stages, as well as clear compositional shifts between lowland and montane forest types. NMDS analysis and functional compositional assessments suggested a transition from early successional communities with a high proportion of shrub species, to later successional communities with a higher proportion of tree species, with an increase in species turnover with greater age dissimilarity.

Bringing population ecology back to wild bees

AbstractIn recent years, motivated by widespread declines in wild bees, ecologists have prioritized learning about patterns of wild bee communities across the landscape at the expense of learning about the population‐level mechanisms driving those patterns. In this essay, we seek to revitalize the tradition of studying wild bee populations in a way that both contributes key knowledge for bee conservation and builds a strong conceptual understanding of the processes underpinning bee populations. We address two widespread concerns about investing in population‐level research. First, that population‐level studies are too conceptually narrow to provide broad inference. If population‐level studies are couched in general ecological theory, then findings from a single species can be generalized to many. We highlight how wild bees would make excellent candidates for exploring five areas of general ideas in population ecology, including nutritional ecology, drivers of vital rates, phenology and voltinism, habitat selection, and movement. Second, we address the concern that methods for studying bees at the population level are too difficult to implement. Methods for conducting population‐level studies of bees—specifically, identifying living bees in the field and studying individuals throughout their life cycles—are feasible to implement at the scales appropriate for answering population‐level questions, for example, a few species at a few sites. To facilitate adoption of these ideas, we developed an online field guide (www.watchingbees.com) and a detailed methods manual. More generally, we emphasize the value of linking data‐rich pattern‐oriented approaches in ecology with an understanding of the basic biology and mechanisms that generate those patterns.

Hydro-morphology and water quality jointly shape the structure and network stability of the plankton community in multi-tributary river basins

Revealing the spatial variation in phytoplankton and zooplankton communities, along with their responses to water flow, climate, and water quality from headwaters to downstream, is crucial for grasping their evolutionary dynamics and crafting ecological preservation strategies. Here, the spatial distribution, assembly processes, and stability changes of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the tributaries from headwaters to downstream reaches of the Danjiang River and the upper Hanjiang River (China) were analyzed using environmental DNA (eDNA) technology. Geographic factors accounted for over 60% of the variation in the distribution of phytoplankton and zooplankton, although environmental factors also played a significant role. From upstream to downstream, the proportion of phytoplankton Bacillariophyta decreased from 37.12% to 33.07% in March and from 27.68% to 25.36% in August. Euglenophyta decreased from 1.04% to 0.53% in March and 10.48% to 2.16% in August. The proportion of zooplankton Ciliophora increased from 67.17% to 85.04%, while Amoebozoa decreased by approximately 9.83% in August. Phytoplankton and zooplankton richness initially increased, then declined from upstream to downstream. The assembly of zooplankton and phytoplankton communities was mainly driven by deterministic processes, with values ranging from 0.2 to 0.5. Furthermore, the upstream community showed a stronger dominance of deterministic processes, while the mainstream community exhibited weaker determinism than the tributaries. In both March and August, zooplankton were more influenced by deterministic processes than phytoplankton. From upstream to downstream, the stability and complexity of phytoplankton and zooplankton networks decreased, significantly influenced by river width, flow velocity, agricultural land proportion, and nutrient concentration. Maintaining diverse phytoplankton was crucial for sustaining zooplankton diversity and ensuring network stability. Furthermore, the growth duration of phytoplankton and zooplankton was influenced by the spatial distribution of sampling points in the river, contributing to complex interactions with environmental factors. The complexity of these interactions necessitates careful consideration in future studies on spatial patterns in riverine plankton communities.

Diversity patterns of herbaceous community in environmental gradients of dehesa ecosystems

Dehesa is a unique ecosystem associated with high biodiversity, that integrates trees, livestock, and pasture, making agro-pastoral production compatible with sustainability. However, in the last few decades, a manifold of factors have caused a decline in tree vitality, density, and coverage, leading to long-term changes in species composition and ecosystem structure. This study aims to determine changes in the diversity of the herbaceous plant community in relation to environmental characteristics, the phytosanitary state of the holm oak (Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp.), and possible interactions with biotic agents, including Phytophthora cinnamomi. For this purpose, the floristic composition and alpha diversity of the understory were assessed in two dehesa stands in Southern Spain. Additionally, the spatial heterogeneity (beta diversity) patterns of herbaceous plants were evaluated in relation to a climatic gradient and subplot orientation at the regional, plot, tree, and subplot scales. Our findings show that microsite features and climate substantially impact the herbaceous plant community in dehesa stands. Annual precipitation is a crucial factor affecting the diversity and biomass of herbaceous plants on a broader, regional scale, consistent with its role as a limiting factor in the Mediterranean climate. However, site-level differences, such as soil clay content and plot slope angle, positively correlate with plant biodiversity, growth, and richness, varying with the Biodiversity Index considered. Moreover, microsites resulting from the combined effects of plot and tree are the main drivers of dissimilarities between samples, as expressed by beta diversity. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, our results reveal no significant association between tree health and herbaceous biodiversity decline.

Planktonic ciliate communities along an environmental gradient in the Nile Delta (Damietta region, Egypt)

The spatial patterns of planktonic ciliate communities were studied from May to June 2019 in the Nile Delta’s Damietta region, southeastern Mediterranean. The ciliate communities were sampled from twenty-five sites of five stressed domains with spatial gradients of environmental status. A total of 32 ciliate taxa with six dominant species were identified, comprising 21 tintinnids and 11 aloricate ciliates. The abundance and richness of each ciliate group varied geographically and were most strongly influenced by salinity variations; tintinnid ciliates attained high abundance and richness at high salinity sites in the harbour and coastal region and decreased within the estuary upstream. Aloricate ciliates were poorly represented at most sites but were a substantial proportion of upstream estuarine sites. Multivariate/univariate analyses demonstrated that spatial patterns of the ciliate communities were significantly correlated with environmental variables, especially salinity, chlorophyll-a, and nutrients, either alone or in combination with one another. These results indicate that the ciliates can be useful bioindicators in stressed environments while also allowing the detection of impacts on short time scales by rapidly responding to environmental variations.

Species pool and local assembly processes drive β diversity of ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying microbial communities in rivers along a latitudinal gradient.

Both regional species pool and local community assembly mechanism drive the microbial diversity patterns across geographical gradients. However, little has been done to separate their effects on the β diversity patterns of microbial communities involved in nitrogen (N) cycling in river ecosystems. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing of the archaeal amoA, bacterial amoA, nirK, and nirS genes, null model, and neutral community model to distinguish the relative importance of species pool and local assembly processes for ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying communities in river wetlands along a latitudinal gradient in eastern China. Results indicated that the β diversity of the nirS-type denitrifying community co-varied with γ diversity and environmental heterogeneity, implying that regional species pool and heterogeneous selection explained variation in β diversity. However, the β diversity of ammonia-oxidizing and nirK-type denitrifying communities did not correlate with γ diversity and environmental heterogeneity. The continuous hump distribution of β deviation along the latitudinal gradient and the lower species dispersal rate indicated that the dispersal limitation shaped the variation in β diversity of ammonia-oxidizing and nirK-type denitrifying communities. Additionally, biotic interactions drove ammonia-oxidizing and nirS-type denitrifying communities by influencing species co-occurrence patterns. Our study highlights the importance of regional species pool and local community assembly processes in shaping geographical patterns of N-cycling microorganisms and extends knowledge of their adaptability to a continuously changing environment on a large scale.

Flood Exposure, Vulnerability, and Risk Distribution in Urban Areas: Application of Geospatial Data Analytics and Index Development

Over the past few decades, cities have experienced increased floods affecting property and threatening human life as a result of a warming planet. There is still an incomplete understanding of the flood risk patterns in urban communities with different socioeconomic characteristics. In this study, we produced separate flood exposure and vulnerability indices based on relevant factors, then combined them as a risk index for Houston, Texas and Charleston, West Virginia. We applied statistical methods to extract the most significant social vulnerability factors in each study area. Finally, we mapped significant hot spots or clusters of high flood risk and compared results to socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Based on the results, high-risk or 1%-annual-chance floodplains cover 23% of the Houston and 7% of Charleston study areas. Within these floodplains, 13% of the total developed land in Houston and 9% in Charleston are situated. In the event of a 1%-annual-chance flood, an estimated 5% of the total population in Houston and 6% in Charleston may require evacuation. Statistically significant flood risk clusters could only be identified in Houston. The implications from this work help to provide an analysis framework for larger urban areas while offering suggestions for its improvement in smaller populated areas.

Microbiome signature of different stages of hypoxia event in Wonmun Bay

We investigated how microbial communities associated with different hypoxic stages respond to environmental changes across three water depths in Wonmun Bay, South Korea. Analysis of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and nutrient concentrations revealed prominent seasonal shifts and strong stratification during summer hypoxia. Metabarcoding of prokaryotic 16 S rRNA genes and phototrophic eukaryotic chloroplasts along with quantitative PCR (qPCR) revealed variations in the abundance and composition of these communities. Chloroplast 16 S sequences in May were dominated by land plants (93% of Embryophyta), contrasting with the diverse phytoplankton taxa detected in other months. The water communities in May also had higher total microbial abundance than other months but significantly lower alpha diversity. These results suggest a major influence of freshwater discharge on water communities, pre-conditioning for hypoxia events by promoting organic matter decomposition coupled with DO consumption in bottom water. Subsequently, distinct microbial communities were observed across depths during hypoxia in June and July, while less variability was detected among different depths in September and later months when hypoxia events disappeared. Principal Coordinate analysis (PCoA) demonstrated the distinct patterns of microbial communities in May, June, and July from other months. Both sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were prevalent in June while the increase of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was observed in mid and bottom water in July. This data suggests the intricate interaction between sulfur and nitrogen-cycling microbes during the hypoxia events in Wonmun Bay. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the microbial community responses to the varying environmental conditions at different stages of hypoxia events in eutrophic coastal ecosystems.

Vitality behind desolation: Characteristics and succession process of plant communities in the Chongqing special steel plant brownfield

Phytoremediation is a sustainable way to clean contaminated urban soil, but selecting the right plants and designing communities is crucial. This study focuses on the vegetation in a disused steel plant in Chongqing, China, abandoned for nearly two decades. The goal is to reveal the plant community and succession patterns to inform the restoration of brownfield sites. This study combined the sample line and plot to investigate the vegetation and its growth environment in the Steel Plant. Information was recorded, including plant species, quantity, distribution, soil nutrients, humidity, and light. Cluster analysis categorized plant community types, and redundancy analysis examined the link between environmental conditions and plant types. The study found that: 1) There are 65 plant species (including 13 native trees) in the steel plant’s brownfield area, with Broussonetia papyrifera, Pteris vittata, and Debregeasia orientalis being the most abundant. The plants inside the plant were divided into seven groups based on species composition. 2) Soil moisture showed a significant positive correlation (Pearson index of 0.628) with plant survival, followed by a notable correlation with light intensity. 3) Environmental conditions partly influenced plant species composition and abundance variations. 4) 11 hyper-accumulating plant species were identified, focusing on three: the As hyper-accumulator Pteris vittata and the Cd hyper-accumulators Solanum nigrum and Debregeasia orientalis. The findings of this research will offer valuable insights for applying phytoremediation techniques in addressing contamination issues in brownfields within steel plants.

“Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given”: Lukan Table Practices in the Faith Formation of Christian Communities

Luke’s Eucharistic pattern not only serves as a Christological marker, but formative pattern for Christian faith communities. In this article, I appeal to Luke’s Eucharistic pattern to advance the claim that hospitable Eucharistic table practices are not only consistent with Luke’s Christology but also form faith that is capable of confronting and dismantling psychological disgust responses to outsiders. This motif is expanded in Luke–Acts, where acts of table fellowship become the places where socio-moral barriers are transgressed, signaling the good news of the gospel, especially for Gentiles. Drawing from biblical scholarship as well as recent work in psychology, I will advance the claim that hospitable Eucharistic practices not only expose disgust psychology in the faith formation of persons but also act as a potential balm, forming persons according to the good news proclaimed in Luke–Acts.

Cross-taxon analysis in the highly threatened Mediterranean dunes reveals consistent diversity patterns in butterfly and plant communities

AbstractButterflies and plant species are widely used as model systems in biodiversity and conservation research. However, little is known about spatial patterns of butterfly diversity linked to plant communities across coastal dune ecotones. We explored the relation between butterfly and vegetation diversity in a Mediterranean protected dune system in Central Italy. We sampled butterfly and plant communities on shifting and fixed dunes and investigated their distribution patterns by diversity indexes and Species Abundance Diversity models (SADs). We also computed species beta-diversity and analyzed the relation between butterfly communities and vegetation by correlation analyses. Cross-taxon congruence in species richness, composition and abundance was assessed using Mantel correlation tests. Both butterfly and plant diversity were higher on the fixed dunes than on the shifting dunes. In both communities, SADs were adequately described by the geometric series model, which is typical of harsh environments with simple communities dominated by few species. Among both butterflies and plants, we identified species found only on either the shifting or the fixed dunes. Correlation between plant and butterfly diversity was higher for entomophilous plant species than for the more abundant anemophilous ones. Our results indicate that both plant and butterfly communities respond to the sea-inland environmental gradient, forming distinct communities with specialized taxa. Our findings also provide evidence of the importance of butterfly-plant relations for preserving biological diversity and ecosystem functioning in Mediterranean coastal areas.

Spatial patterning and species coexistence: A case study using concentric circular vegetation patches in saline land

Spatial patterns in plant community structures within stressed ecosystems have drawn much attention in the field of ecology. However, the mechanisms underlying spatial formation and its impact on species coexistence and diversity remain controversial. In this study, we investigated concentric circular vegetation patches in coastal saline land, and analysed the spatial patterning of plant communities and associated soil physicochemical properties. Thereafter, we tested how the soil conditioned by plant communities from different locations within the vegetation patches influence the species growth and inter-specific competition. Our results show soil salinity enlarges in a centrifugal manner in horizontal direction in all patches. Soil salinity decreased and species diversity increased along with the increase of patch size. In addition, we found significant shifts in both the composition of plant communities and in soil physicochemical properties from outer to center. The results indicate that the pioneer species Suaeda salsa facilitated the subsequent species. However Suaeda salsa was inhibited and became inferior competitor in the soil conditioned by the subsequent species. We infer that the less-visible spatial patterns of soil physicochemical properties at small scales create ecological niches for specialized species, allowing them to coexist but not mix. We suggest that a trade-off between tolerance to salt stress and competitive ability under ameliorated conditions may underlie mechanisms of pattern formation in small scale. Our findings lend support to the idea that soil stress constraints community assembly and triggers spatial patterns, which, in turn, buffer the stress on plant communities and enhance species diversity.

Spatiotemporal and Environmental Completeness of eBird Data in Taiwan

Recent developments in citizen science have significantly enhanced the public availability of biodiversity data (Chandler et al. 2017, Kelling et al. 2019). Associated open data platforms, such as eBird, have become the major data source supporting scientific research and biodiversity conservation (Tsai et al. 2021, Meehan et al. 2022, Walker and Taylor 2017). However, the increasing availabililty of data does not resolve, but rather exacerbates, data bias issues (Escribano et al. 2019, La Sorte and Somveille 2020, Troia and McManamay 2016). While over 11.2 million bird observation records from Taiwan, including historical data spanning 40 years, are currently available on the eBird platform, their usefulness for characterizing the spatiotemporal patterns of bird communities remains unclear. To address this gap, we evaluated the data’s completeness in representing species richness across spatial and temporal scales and examined the representativeness of the data along several environmental gradients. Using the iNEXT package in R, we found an increase in data completeness with increasing spatial scales Fig. 1, with the mean proportion of bird species represented being increased from 14.0% at the 1 km scale to 68.0 and 82.9% at the 5 and 10 km scales, respectively, across Taiwan. We also found an exponential improvement of data completeness over time. At the 5 km scale, the represented species proportion increased from 6.78 and 32.14% in the 1980s and 1990s to 36.86 and 63.56% in the 2000s and 2010s Fig. 2, with the data in the last decade alone achieving similar completeness to the entire four-decade data. We also found that the areas with good data completeness (i.e., over 80%) adequately represented the full gradient of annual precipitation across Taiwan, but showed a bias toward areas at lower elevations and with lower forest coverage. These results indicate overall good data completeness of the eBird dataset for representing bird species richness in Taiwan. However, this study also highlights some data gaps, especially at finer scales, which need attention when using the dataset. This information is crucial for shaping future research designs and survey plans, aiming to enhance the applications of biodiversity data.