Response Of Functional Diversity Research Articles

Forest management affects the functional traits of birds and mammals differently

AbstractForest management is an important component of global change as more than half of the world's forests are managed for human use. Although the effect of forest management on taxonomic diversity is well‐studied, we do not fully understand its impact on functional diversity. Understanding this is important to better predict how ecosystem processes will respond to global change scenarios and to implement efficient conservation actions. We conducted two large‐scale (~81 800 km2) research projects over 4 years in temperate forests of the northeastern USA to investigate how the functional structure of bird and mammal communities are affected by forest disturbance. We surveyed 85 bird species distributed in 115 sites using point counts, and 14 mammal species across 197 sites using camera traps. For each species, we selected functional traits that summarize key features of their biology, and for each site, we collected data on the level of forest disturbance based on forest loss events. We found that functional richness increased with forest disturbance for mammals but not for birds. Our results also showed that niche breadth (diet), morphological (body mass and wing length), and physiological (litter size) factors were the main determinants of the functional structure of both groups. These findings emphasize the complexity of making predictions about responses to forest management given the heavy dependence on the context and taxa studied. Overall we observed a limited response of functional diversity to forest management, which might indicate that the environmental changes generated by forest management in this region are less extreme than deforestation or conversion of natural forest to plantations of exotic species. Nonetheless, our results underscore the importance of investigating the effects of forestry on individual traits to develop strategies for managing for ecosystem functions.

Glacier extinction homogenizes functional diversity via ecological succession

AbstractQuestionsThe disappearance of glaciers threatens biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems. Yet, questions remain about the response of functional diversity to glacier retreat. How does glacier retreat influence functional diversity? How does glacier retreat influence the relationship between taxonomic diversity and functional diversity? How does glacier retreat impact community mean and intraspecific trait variability (ITV) of key functional traits?LocationFour retreating glacier ecosystems in the Italian Alps. Plant communities spanning 0 to ca 5000 years on average after glacier retreat, including a scenario of glacier extinction.MethodsWe quantified functional diversity analyzing twelve plant traits associated to carbon and nitrogen cycling, resource allocation, and reproduction of 117 plant species. We addressed how functional diversity changes with glacier retreat and taxonomic diversity (i.e., plant species richness).ResultsPlant functional diversity decreases with glacier extinction while increasing with species richness. The positive relationship between taxonomic and functional diversity becomes flatter, that is, less important, with glacier retreat. We document sharp changes in functional niche position and breadth with glacier retreat. Key functional traits associated with carbon cycling and resource allocation change substantially with ecological succession triggered by glacier retreat. Traits associated to nitrogen cycling show little change. We also found that flowering start shifted earlier in the season while flowering period increased with glacier retreat.ConclusionOur results demonstrate the pervasive impact of glacier extinction on the functioning of plant communities. Changes in functional mean and functional variation indicate shifts in niche position and niche breadth which could have implications for species adaptation to changing environments.

Benthic macroinvertebrates in rivers of agricultural lands in Argentina: the functional diversity response to environmental stress

Benthic macroinvertebrates in rivers of agricultural lands in Argentina: the functional diversity response to environmental stress

Response of functional diversity of fish communities to habitat alterations in small lowland rivers

AbstractFunctional diversity has proven to be more responsive than traditional taxonomic diversity to alterations for a wide set of communities, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Habitat alterations are among the most relevant causes of biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems, nevertheless their effect on functional diversity has been scarcely investigated so far. In this study, functional diversity of fish communities in the River Po basin, north Italy, were related to habitat quality at different spatial scales. Land use and riparian vegetation were identified as the most influent factors on freshwater fish functional diversity. On the other hand, habitat descriptors at smaller scale did not influence functional diversity of fish. The evidenced responses were driven by the contribution of exotic species, which maximized ecological niche occupancy, either by exploiting increased habitat heterogeneity or by interaction with native species. Moreover, traits filtering, disadvantaging large predators such as salmonids, was also observed in the studied communities, but likely this effect was related to other factors than habitat alterations. Overall, this study confirms that land use changes can be considered as valid proxies for anthropogenic alterations. Moreover, possible effects at ecosystem level, also related to the spread of exotic species, could be hypothesized, giving that traits mostly influencing the observed patterns of diversity in communities were related to trophic niche, a factor that has been associated with crucial processes like nutrient cycling or energy transfer.

Metagenomic analysis reveals gene taxonomic and functional diversity response to microplastics and cadmium in an agricultural soil

Both microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals are common soil pollutants and can interact to generate combined toxicity to soil ecosystems, but their impact on soil microbial communities (e.g., archaea and viruses) remains poorly studied. Here, metagenomic analysis was used to explore the response of soil microbiome in an agricultural soil exposed to MPs [i.e., polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polylactic acid (PLA)] and/or Cd. Results showed that MPs had more profound effects on microbial community composition, diversity, and gene abundances when compared to Cd or their combination. Metagenomic analysis indicated that the gene taxonomic diversity and functional diversity of microbial communities varied with MPs type and dose. MPs affected the relative abundance of major microbial phyla and genera, while their coexistence with Cd influenced dominant fungi and viruses. Nitrogen-transforming and pathogenic genera, which were more sensitive to MPs variations, could serve as the indicative taxa for MPs contamination. High-dose PLA treatments (10%, w/w) not only elevated nitrogen metabolism and pathogenic genes, but also enriched copiotrophic microbes from the Proteobacteria phylum. Overall, MPs and Cd showed minimal interactions on soil microbial communities. This study highlights the microbial shifts due to co-occurring MPs and Cd, providing evidence for understanding their environmental risks.

Diversity and distribution of Raunkiær's life forms in European vegetation

AbstractAimsThe Raunkiær's system classifies vascular plants into life forms based on the position of renewal buds during periods unfavourable for plant growth. Despite the importance of Raunkiær's system for ecological research, a study exploring the diversity and distribution of life forms on a continental scale is missing. We aim to (i) map the diversity and distribution of life forms in European vegetation and (ii) test for effects of bioclimatic variables while controlling for habitat‐specific responses.LocationEurope.MethodsWe used data on life forms of 8883 species recorded in 546,501 vegetation plots of different habitats (forest, grassland, scrub and wetland). For each plot, we calculated: (i) the proportion of species of each life form and (ii) the richness and evenness of life forms. We mapped these plot‐level metrics averaged across 50 km × 50 km grid cells and modelled their response to bioclimatic variables.ResultsHemicryptophytes were the most widespread life form, especially in the temperate zone of Central Europe. Conversely, therophyte and chamaephyte species were more common in the Mediterranean as well as in the dry temperate regions. Moreover, chamaephytes were also more common in the boreal and arctic zones. Higher proportions of phanerophytes were found in the Mediterranean. Overall, a higher richness of life forms was found at lower latitudes while evenness showed more spatially heterogeneous patterns. Habitat type was the main discriminator for most of the responses analysed, but several moisture‐related predictors still showed a marked effect on the diversity of therophytes and chamaephytes.ConclusionsOur maps can be used as a tool for future biogeographic and macro‐ecological research at a continental scale. Habitat type and bioclimatic conditions are key for regulating the diversity and distribution of plant life forms, with concomitant consequences for the response of functional diversity in European vegetation to global environmental changes.

Genome-wide analysis of respiratory burst oxidase homolog gene family in pea (Pisum sativum L.).

Plant respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs) are key enzymes regulating superoxide production, which is important for plant development and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This study aimed to characterize the RBOH gene family in pea (Pisum sativum L.). Seven PsRBOH genes were identified in the pea genome and were phylogenetically clustered into five groups. Collinearity analyses of the RBOHs identified four pairs of orthologs between pea and soybean. The gene structure analysis showed that the number of exons ranged from 6 to 16. Amino acid sequence alignment, conserved domain, and conserved motif analyses showed that all seven PsRBOHs had typical features of plant RBOHs. The expression patterns of PsRBOH genes in different tissues provided suggested their roles in plant growth and organ development. In addition, the expression levels of PsRBOH genes under different abiotic stresses were analyzed via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results demonstrated that PsRBOH genes exhibited unique stress-response characteristics, which allowed for functional diversity in response to different abiotic stresses. Furthermore, four PsRBOHs had a high probability of localization in the plasma membrane, and PsRBOH6 was localized to the plasma membrane and endoplasmic reticulum. The results of this study provide valuable information for further functional analysis of pea RBOH genes and their role in plant adaptation to climate-driven environmental constraints.

Agricultural intensification affects birds' trait diversity across Europe

Agricultural intensification reduces the taxonomic diversity of bird communities, but its influence on functional diversity has been less studied. Here, we analyze the response of functional diversity of different cereal farmland bird communities across Europe to a gradient of agricultural intensification. We collected bibliographical information on life history traits (i.e. body mass, brain size, age of sexual maturity, clutch size, number of clutches, lifespan) of 30 species of birds recorded during field surveys in eight European countries. The index "brood value" was calculated to know each species’ level of reproductive investment per clutch. Intensification gradients at two spatial scales were obtained from field data through PCA, related to management practices at the field scale and the variation in structure and composition of farmland at the landscape scale respectively. We calculated the functional diversity index (FD) and the community-weighted mean (CWM) for each trait and sampling area, and linear mixed models in relation to the two intensification gradients were performed. Results showed that stronger intensification at the field level favors the assembly of shorter-lived communities and bird species with smaller relative brain sizes, also decreasing overall trait diversity. It also restricts the range of strategies for parental investment, reducing the functional diversity of the brood value index. More intensive field management would favor bird communities dominated by generalist and even introduced and/or managed hunting species, while putting at risk those farmland- and grassland-adapted species, typically more associated with the provision of ecosystem services. This highlights the relevance of field management (agrochemicals use, ploughing frequency) for the functional composition of bird communities and the conservation of farmland biodiversity. These findings add to existing knowledge on how species’ pace of life and cognitive capacity interact with drivers of global change, such as agricultural intensification.

Functional diversity along disturbance and environmental gradients in Ethiopian moist Afromontane forest

Considering multiple measures to fully capture functional diversity is important. However, the effects of disturbance gradients on diversity have been controversial, as species diversity alone may not fully capture these effects. This study aimed to evaluate trait-based diversity across disturbance gradients in the moist Afromontane forest of Ethiopia, Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve (YCFBR). Vegetation data and relevant traits related to plant-life strategies, competition, and responses to disturbances were collected. A multiple regression model was used to test the response of functional diversity to disturbances and environmental gradients. The results revealed functional diversity in plant communities, including dendrogram-based functional diversity for plot-based (FDp), functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), functional divergence (FDiv), functional dispersions (FDis), and community-weighted mean of maximum tree height (CWM.Hmax), showed decreasing patterns with increasing disturbance intensity in the YCFBR. Additionally, the findings highlighted that FDis and Hmax are the most vulnerable functional traits to anthropogenic factors and are less tolerant in disturbed ecosystem environments. Therefore, reducing disturbances is crucial to maintaining higher levels of these functional diversities. For example, the results showed that the CWM.Hmax declined from 27.25 m to 15 m, indicating a shift towards shorter plant species. In contrast, the community-weighted mean of woody density (CWM.WD), the community-weighted mean of specific leaf area (CWM.SLA), and the community-weighted mean of seed mass (CWM.SM) increased significantly with an increase in disturbance intensity. For instance, CWM.SM and CWM.SLA changed from 5 to 14.25 (g) and 90 to 130 (cm2/g), respectively. These indices may serve as indicators of ecosystem resilience at disturbed forest ecosystem sites. Furthermore, the regression results indicated that FDp, FRic, FEve, FDiv, FDis, CWM.WD, and CWM.Hmax showed increasing patterns with increasing species richness, which suggests that protecting and promoting species diversity can contribute to maintaining high levels of functional diversity. The mixed effects model revealed that anthropogenic disturbance and elevational gradients had significant effects on functional diversity in the YCFBR. Therefore, when managing and conserving biodiversity in heterogeneous environments, both anthropogenic factors and environmental variables need to be considered. Species with low SLA and SM are recommended for the restoration of disturbed ecosystems. Overall, this study demonstrates that trait-based functional diversity is useful for predicting the adaptation potentials of species in heterogeneous environments and disturbance gradients.

Genome-wide identification, evolution and expression pattern analysis of the GATA gene family in Sorghum bicolor.

The GATA family of transcription factors is zinc finger DNA binding proteins involved in a variety of biological processes, including plant growth and development and response to biotic/abiotic stresses, and thus play an essential role in plant response to environmental changes. However, the GATA gene family of Sorghum (SbGATA) has not been systematically analyzed and reported yet. Herein, we used a variety of bioinformatics methods and quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) to explore the evolution and function of the 33 SbGATA genes identified. These SbGATA genes, distributed on 10 chromosomes, are classified into four subfamilies (I-IV) containing one pair of tandem duplications and nine pairs of segment duplications, which are more closely related to the monocot Brachypodium distachyon and Oryza sativa GATA genes. The physicochemical properties of the SbGATAs are significantly different among the subfamilies, while the protein structure and conserved protein motifs are highly conserved in the subfamilies. In addition, the transcription of SbGATAs is tissue-specific during Sorghum growth and development, which allows for functional diversity in response to stress and hormones. Collectively, our study lays a theoretical foundation for an in-depth analysis of the functions, mechanisms and evolutionary relationships of SbGATA during plant growth and development.

Water-limited environments affect the association between functional diversity and forest productivity.

The link between biodiversity and ecosystem function can depend on environmental conditions. This contingency can impede our ability to predict how biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) relationships will respond to future environmental change, causing a clear need to explore the processes underlying shifts in BEF relationships across large spatial scales and broad environmental gradients. We compiled a dataset on five functional traits (maximum height, wood density, specific leaf area [SLA], seed size, and xylem vulnerability to embolism [P50]), covering 78%-90% of the tree species in the National Forest Inventory from Italy, to test (i) how a water limitation gradient shapes the functional composition and diversity of forests, (ii) how functional composition and diversity of trees relate to forest annual increment via mass ratio and complementarity effects, and (iii) how the relationship between functional diversity and annual increment varies between Mediterranean and temperate climate regions. Functional composition varied with water limitation; tree communities tended to have more conservative traits in sites with higher levels of water limitation. The response of functional diversity differed among traits and climatic regions but among temperate forest plots, we found a consistent increase of functional diversity with water limitation. Tree diversity was positively associated with annual increment of Italian forests through a combination of mass ratio and niche complementarity effects, but the relative importance of these effects depended on the trait and range of climate considered. Specifically, niche complementarity effects were more strongly associated with annual increment in the Mediterranean compared to temperate forests. Synthesis: Overall, our results suggest that biodiversity mediates forest annual increment under water-limited conditions by promoting beneficial interactions between species and complementarity in resource use. Our work highlights the importance of conserving functional diversity for future forest management to maintain forest annual increment under the expected increase in intensity and frequency of drought.

The only lasting truth is change: multiple dimensions of biodiversity show historical legacy effects in community assembly processes of freshwater fish

How communities are structured is a fundamental ecological question. Community structure, while constrained by the regional species pool, may be altered by changes in climate and other environmental stressors. Changes in patterns of functional and phylogenetic dispersion over time can illuminate the temporal dynamics of the processes structuring communities. We quantified temporal changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream fish assemblages in the southern plains of the U.S. across four decades to assess how climatic change has influenced community patterns. We also explored how the use of three different functional trait categories (life history, environmental tolerance and trophic level) and all traits combined affected the response of functional diversity to environmental drivers. We found, for all diversity indices, that assemblages with low historical richness had high contemporary diversity, while assemblages with high historical richness had low contemporary diversity. Functional richness based on life history traits, trophic traits, and all traits combined decreased in diversity over time, while functional richness based on environmental tolerance traits showed the opposite pattern. Phylogenetic dispersion of both over‐ and under‐dispersed communities shifted toward randomness. Changes in fish diversity patterns were influenced by changes in temperature over time, though impacts were metric dependent. Overall, we found that while community structure has changed, specific changes were more strongly predicted by the historical richness of the community than by regional climate change.

Soil microbial and macroinvertebrate functional diversity in response to Zokor disturbance in Tibetan alpine meadow

Soils contain a remarkable diversity of organisms that are important regulators of ecosystem functions. However, the knowledge of how the environment shapes biodiversity patterns below ground remains limited in alpine areas of the Tibetan Plateau. Here, we conducted a microhabitat scale study (400 m2 plot) integrating data on soil and plant community characteristics to explore the driving forces of functional diversity of soil microbial and macroinvertebrate communities under disturbance by plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a subterranean rodent inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau. The results show that plateau zokor disturbance led to a decline in the belowground biomass of grasses, whereupon the total belowground plant biomass and soil organic carbon decreased significantly. The functional diversity of soil microbial and macroinvertebrate communities was significantly increased under plateau zokor disturbance. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil moisture, temperature and compaction, in combination with plant species richness and belowground biomass of forb were the most important factors in driving soil microbial and macroinvertebrate functional diversity. Piecewise structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that plateau zokor mound disturbance had positive effects on the functional diversity of soil microbial and macroinvertebrate communities by regulating soil physical properties (moisture, temperature, and compaction) and plant species richness within the habitat. Further, zokor disturbance affected the functional diversity of soil microbial and macroinvertebrate communities indirectly via regulating soil organic carbon. Our study provides evidence that the functional diversity of microbes is more driven by environmental changes than those of macroinvertebrates.

Species sensitivity and functional uniqueness determine the response of macroinvertebrate functional diversity to species loss in urban streams

Abstract Land‐use change, particularly urbanisation, has led to an unprecedented decline in species and functional diversity worldwide. However, the mechanism through which such species loss affects functional diversity remains unclear. Here, we aimed to elucidate this mechanism from the perspectives of the association between species sensitivity and functional uniqueness (i.e., their relative contribution to functional diversity) and their related functional traits. We collected stream macroinvertebrates and measured environmental and land‐use variables from 152 sites in the highly urbanised Qiantang River Basin in the Zhejiang Province of eastern China. Firstly, we evaluated the sensitivity to urbanisation and functional uniqueness of each macroinvertebrate taxon to identify their association patterns. Secondly, we examined the decline in functional diversity in response to taxon loss by comparing simulated ordered and random taxon loss scenarios. Finally, we identified sensitivity‐related traits (SRT) and functional uniqueness‐related traits (URT) using the Mann–Whitney U‐test to elucidate their role in shaping functional response patterns to taxon loss. Urbanisation showed a remarkable effect on the taxonomic and functional diversity of macroinvertebrates. Functional diversity declined nonlinearly with taxon loss, with the threshold response shifting to a rapid decline after 29.7%–60.0% taxa were lost. The sensitivities of ephemeropteran, plecopteran and trichopteran taxa (EPT) were negatively associated with their functional uniqueness, although this association was not detected when considering all macroinvertebrates. We identified 11 SRT and nine URT, but only one URT overlapped SRT. The association between species sensitivity and its functional uniqueness shapes functional decline patterns in response to taxon loss. Overlap patterns of SRT and URT offer novel insights into mechanisms underlying stress‐induced decline in functional diversity. The process of functional diversity decline in response to species loss caused by urbanisation also may be affected by species turnover or even compensated for by non‐native species in real world ecosystems. How functional diversity responds to species loss remains an open topic that needs to be cautiously addressed.

The importance of facilitation on community assembly disappears under severe drought stress

Abstract Despite the recognition of positive interactions as an important driver of species coexistence and community structure, the underlying mechanism of how facilitation affects assembly processes along stress gradients is poorly explored. Understanding the responses of functional diversity to benefactor species at the extreme end of the stress gradient could provide valuable insight about facilitation‐involved assembly mechanisms and contribute to the predictions of species coexistence under climate change. In the drought‐stressed community in the Badain‐Jaran Desert, the responses of the local community to the nurse shrub species Calligonum mongolicum Turcz. were evaluated using hierarchical Bayesian models. For the 3‐year experiment, summer rainfall in each year formed a natural gradient of drought stress. To evaluate the shrub's effects on the assembly process along that gradient, individual samples were collected in pairwise under‐shrub and open habitats, and four traits related to stress tolerance and resource acquisition were measured simultaneously. Under moderate drought stress, we observed shifting community‐weighted means, broadening ranges and reducing overlaps of functional traits under shrubs. These effects were partly driven by a distinct microenvironment created by shrub plants, in particular the improvement and heterogeneity of soil moisture conditions. However, this influence on trait distributions was strongly dependent on the environmental context, and generally disappeared as drought stress shifted towards its driest end, almost in line with the decreased positive interaction assessed by plant density and species diversity. This study focused on water‐limited community that lies at the driest end of drought gradient and confirmed that facilitation can drive the assembly process through both environmental filtering and niche differentiation. More importantly, these assembly mechanisms are proven to become less efficient under extreme drought stress, which may suggest the occasionally disappearing role of benefactor plants on community assembly and an increasing risk of biodiversity loss in the context of climate change. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Pto Interaction Proteins: Critical Regulators in Plant Development and Stress Response.

Pto interaction (Pti) proteins are a group of proteins that can be phosphorylated by serine/threonine protein kinase Pto, which have diverse functions in plant development and stress response. In this study, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationship, gene structure, and conserved motifs of Pti1s and predicted the potential cis-elements in the promoters of Pti1 genes using bioinformatics methods. Importantly, we systematically summarized the diverse functions of Pti1s in tomato, rice, Arabidopsis, potato, apple, and cucumber. The potential cis-elements in promoters of Pti1s decide their functional diversity in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The protein kinase Pti1 was phosphorylated by Pto and then modulated the downstream signaling pathways for PTI and ETI in the disease insistence process. In addition, some transcription factors have been defined as Ptis (e.g., Pti4, Pti5, and Pti6) originally, which actually were ethylene-response factors (ERFs). Pti4, Pti5, and Pti6 were modulated by salicylic acid (SA), jasmonate (JA), and ethylene signaling pathways and regulated diverse defense-related gene expression to cope with Pst infection and insect wounding.

Response of Functional Diversity of Soil Microbial Community to Forest Cutting and Regeneration Methodology in a Chinese Fir Plantation

With the expansion of pure forest planting area and the increase in the number of rotations used, soil activity and plant productivity have significantly reduced. The functional diversity of soil microorganisms plays a vital role in forest health and the long-term maintenance of productivity. Though the optimization of forest cutting and regeneration methodologies is necessary to improve the functional diversity of soil microorganisms, the effects of harvest residual treatment on the functional diversity of soil microorganisms remain unclear. During the period 2018–2020, we designed four harvest residual treatments—reference (RF), residual burning (RB), crushing and mulching (MT), and no residuals (NR)—to determine soil physical and chemical properties. We also used microbial biomass (MB) to evaluate the diversity in carbon source metabolism of soil microorganisms through Biolog microplate technology, and discussed the response mechanism of microbial functional diversity to the different forest cutting and regeneration methodologies used in Chinese fir plantations. The results indicated that RB significantly increased the carbon metabolic capacity of the microbial community, the community richness, and its dominance compared to RF, MT, and NR; however, they also showed that it decreased the uniformity of the soil microbial community. NR showed a poor carbon utilization capacity for microorganisms compared to RF and MT, while MT significantly increased the utilization capacity of carbohydrate and amino acid carbon compared with RF. Soil nutrients were the main driving factors of soil microbial carbon metabolic activity, and the different responses of microbial functional diversity to various forest cutting and regeneration methodologies were mainly due to the variation in the nutrient inputs of harvest residues. This study provides a practical basis for enhancing the functional diversity of soil microorganisms in plantations through the management of harvest residues.

Divergent responses of functional diversity to an elevational gradient for vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens

AbstractQuestionCold environments are stressful for vascular plants, and stress‐tolerant non‐vascular photoautotrophs, e.g. bryophytes and lichens, become relatively more important as competition from vascular plants decreases towards higher elevations. Under increasingly stressful climatic conditions, species assembly of vascular plants is commonly driven more by environmental filtering, and abiotic constraints may lead to increased similarity between species and thus low functional diversity. Because bryophytes and lichens are less constrained by harsh environments, environmental filtering may be less strong. Instead, reduced competition from vascular plants can potentially free up niche space for non‐vascular vegetation. Therefore, we hypothesized that functional diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens are likely to show contrasting responses to elevation.LocationFinse Alpine Research Centre, Southern Norway.MethodsWe utilized measurements of species abundance and functional traits of the three groups along a 500‐m elevational gradient in alpine southern Norway and calculated multi‐trait and single‐trait functional dispersion.ResultsFunctional diversity of vascular plants declined with elevation, indicating increased environmental filtering. By contrast, functional diversity of lichens and bryophytes increased along the same gradient, suggesting they are less exposed to environmental filtering, in line with our hypothesis. Instead, they likely benefit from the lower abundance of vascular plants at higher elevation.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that different photoautotroph groups vary in how they respond to the same environmental gradient, which may contribute to contrasting community assembly processes across groups. These divergent responses likely occur because non‐vascular vegetation differs from vascular plants in terms of nutrient acquisition and water economy strategies, meaning that they respond differently to the same factors. This highlights the need to explicitly consider bryophytes and lichens in community‐level studies whenever these groups are abundant.

Neuroimmune regulation of white adipose tissues.

The white adipose tissues (WAT) are located in distinct depots throughout the body. They serve as an energy reserve, providing fatty acids for other tissues via lipolysis when needed, and function as an endocrine organ to regulate systemic metabolism. Their activities are coordinated through intercellular communications among adipocytes and other cell types such as residential and infiltrating immune cells, which are collectively under neuronal control. The adipocytes and immune subtypes including macrophages/monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), T and B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells display cellular and functional diversity in response to the energy states and contribute to metabolic homeostasis and pathological conditions. Accumulating evidence reveals that neuronal innervations control lipid deposition and mobilization via regulating lipolysis, adipocyte size, and cellularity. Vice versa, the neuronal innervations and activity are influenced by cellular factors in the WAT. Though the literature describing adipose tissue cells is too extensive to cover in detail, we strive to highlight a selected list of neuronal and immune components in this review. The cell-to-cell communications and the perspective of neuroimmune regulation are emphasized to enlighten the potential therapeutic opportunities for treating metabolic disorders.

Longhorned Beetle Functional Diversity in Response to Biomass Harvesting.

Woody debris left after timber harvest may be used to produce bioenergy. This will help reduce reliance on nonrenewable fossil fuels. There are ecological impacts to the use of this woody material as many species use coarse woody debris for food and shelter. An understanding of how the removal of woody biomass after forest harvest changes the functional diversity of forest communities is needed to make sustainable management decisions. Many longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) provide ecosystem services by reducing woody debris in forests and pollinating flowering plants including trees. I used a taxonomically and functionally diverse community of longhorned beetles to examine changes to functional diversity following different levels of biomass removal in a secondary forest in south-central Indiana, USA. The functional diversity was measured prior to forest harvest and biomass removal and for 2 yr after treatment. I predicted that the abundance and functional group richness of the longhorned beetles would correlate positively with the volume of woody biomass left on the site, and that the community would show resilience by returning to the functional portfolio that was in place in the pre-harvest communities and occurred in the control. The abundance and functional group richness increased with more woody debris left on site. There was much variance in the trajectory of the community following harvest, with no clear trend toward pre-harvest functional portfolio that would indicate resilience. A 3-yr study is likely not long enough to capture this resilience, especially on sensitive sites.