Successional Patterns Research Articles

Ensuring product authenticity and traceability with blockchain in supply chains

This review paper explores the efficacy of blockchain technology in enhancing product authenticity and traceability within supply chains. With the complexity of global supply chains increasing, the risk of counterfeit products and inefficiencies in tracking origins is escalating. This paper synthesizes existing literature to outline the current landscape of blockchain applications in supply chains, focusing on the decentralized and immutable capabilities of the technology that promise to revolutionize traditional practices. The core of the review involves a comprehensive analysis of documented implementations of blockchain in various industries, assessing their impact on enhancing transparency, reducing fraud, and improving overall supply chain integrity. We critically examine case studies and existing research to identify patterns of success and common challenges faced by organizations adopting blockchain solutions. Findings highlight that blockchain technology not only supports better traceability and authentication processes but also fosters a more transparent environment for transactions, significantly deterring the proliferation of counterfeit goods. Additionally, the review points out the technological and organizational hurdles in adopting blockchain, such as the need for standardization and the resistance to change in legacy systems. The paper concludes that blockchain technology holds substantial promise for addressing critical issues in supply chain management. However, achieving its full potential requires overcoming significant adoption challenges and fostering collaborative efforts for standardization across industries. This review calls for ongoing research into scalable blockchain applications and strategic partnerships to drive the technology's integration into mainstream supply chain operations.

Temporal dynamics of the diazotrophic community during corpse decomposition

Corpse decomposition affects soil organisms through the formation of “cadaver decomposition islands.” Soil diazotrophic microbes possess essential ecological functions on nitrogen input and nutrient cycling in the terrestrial ecosystem. However, our knowledge about how soil diazotrophic communities respond to corpse decomposition is lacking. In this study, we focused on the succession patterns and biological interaction of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms during animal (Ochotona curzoniae) corpse decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems by targeting nifH gene with high-throughput sequencing. Our results revealed that corpse decomposition of pikas reduced the α diversity and significantly impacted the β diversity of diazotrophic community across different decomposition stages. The divergent succession of diazotrophic community occurred under corpse pressure. Furthermore, the relative importance of stochasticity to the community assembly was improved by corpse decomposition, while the importance decreased over decomposition time. Cadaver decay also simplified the diazotrophic networks and weakened the biological interactions among diazotrophic populations. Notably, NH4-N was the most important factor affecting diazotrophic community, followed by time and total carbon. This work emphasized that corpse decomposition perhaps influences the process of biological nitrogen fixation by altering soil diazotrophic communities, which is of great significance for understanding the terrestrial ecosystems’ nitrogen cycle functions.Key points• Corpse decomposition reduced the α diversity of diazotrophic community.• Corpse decomposition improved the stochasticity of diazotrophic community assembly.• Corpse decomposition weakened the interactions among diazotrophic populations.

Microbial community succession patterns and metabolite profiles in cigar tobacco during different mildew stages

Mildew in cigar tobacco leaves (CTLs) degrades both quality and market value. This research systematically examines dynamic changes in key metabolic compounds and microbial community succession throughout the mildew process, categorized into three stages: un-mildew (d0), early-mildew (d4 and d8), and late-mildew (d12 and d16). As mildew progresses, carbohydrates decrease, nitrogen metabolism is hindered, the carbon-nitrogen ratio (C/N) declines, and pH rises, making the tobacco weakly alkaline. The total amount of volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) increases, with the proportion of nitrogen-containing compounds such as nicotine rising, while neophytadiene, ketones, and alcohols decrease, leading to a disruption in the coordination of various aroma substances. Microbial diversity declines, with shifts in populations of Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Aspergillus, and Sampaiozyma. Six fungal and five bacterial genera are the characteristic dominate microorganisms at different stages. Co-occurrence network analysis shows that complexity decreases and stability declines, while microbial diversity peaks at the early-mold stage and is severely compromised at the late-mold stage in terms of stability and functional diversity. Two-way Orthogonal Partial Least Squares (O2PLS) identified 12 fungal and 3 bacterial genera as key drivers of metabolic changes. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) emphasized the role of fungi in CTL degradation and the impact of C/N ratio on fungal metabolism. This study, for the first time, elucidates the complex relationship between microbial succession and metabolite compounds during mildew process, providing a reference for dynamic monitoring of fermented tobacco quality.

Functional changes of protist communities in soil after glacier retreat

Soil hosts key components of terrestrial biodiversity providing essential services to the below- and above-ground ecosystems. The worldwide retreat of glaciers is exposing new deglaciated terrains, offering a unique opportunity to understand the development of soil ecosystems under a changing climate. Many studies have investigated how biotic communities change after deglaciation, but protists have often been overlooked despite their key role in multiple ecosystem functions. Here, we aim to understand how protist communities develop along glacier forelands, describing their successional trajectories. Protist communities were characterized in 1251 soil samples from 46 glacier forelands across four continents. We used environmental DNA metabarcoding to identify the Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) of protists based on a universal eukaryotic marker. The detected MOTUs were combined with information on multiple traits to assess how the functional diversity and composition of protist communities vary through time. Immediately after glacier retreat, protist communities are like those of polar and high-altitude habitats, with consumers being the dominant trophic group, followed by a relevant presence of phototrophs, while parasites were underrepresented. Over the succession, we detected an increase in taxonomic and functional diversity, but some highly specialized groups (e.g. phototrophic algae) declined. The use of a trait-based approach allowed us to identify distinct successional patterns depending on functional groups. Through the functional characterization of a crucial but understudied component of soil biotic communities, our study added one of the final pieces needed to predict how soil ecosystems will develop in the rapidly changing environment of glacier forelands.

Vineyard maturity increases arbuscular mycorrhizal and decreases plant pathogen fungal relative abundance in bulk soil across a 1,000 km Chilean gradient

Societal Impact StatementWine production has a significant impact on the global economy. Despite this, the microbial composition of the terroir has not been studied sufficiently, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Here, we investigated how bulk soil fungal communities are affected by several abiotic and biotic factors across 1,000 km of Chilean vineyards. We found that geographical distance was the main driver of vineyard soil fungal communities. Irrespective of variety, older vineyards host a higher relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and a lower relative abundance of plant pathogenic fungi. This result could lead to significant recommendations on when to apply AMF‐based inoculants.Summary The microbial dimension of the terroir has been increasingly recognized as an essential factor determining vineyard productivity and quality. Despite this, few studies have analyzed the factors affecting soil fungal communities of vineyards in the southern hemisphere. Across a 1,000 km gradient encompassing 34 Chilean vineyards, we investigated the effects of grapevine variety, geographical distance, maturity, and soil chemical properties on the diversity and composition of soil fungi. We implemented standard soil chemical analyses and ITS‐based DNA metabarcoding of bulk soil. We found that the total soil fungal composition was significantly affected by geographical distance but not by grapevine variety and maturity. Soil chemical dissimilarity also significantly affected soil fungal composition. When analyzing specific fungal guilds, we found a contrasting successional pattern: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal relative abundance was significantly higher at medium and old‐maturity vineyards compared with young vineyards, on which plant pathogenic fungi had a markedly lower abundance. Our results present several caveats: the molecular marker was not the most commonly used for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bulk soil was sampled (instead of roots), and all abundances were relative. Still, this study constitutes one of the most extensive studies on soil fungi – both for vineyards and Chile – and might have practical implications, as knowing the drivers of fungal and mycorrhizal biodiversity can inform agricultural management decisions.

Unveiling the Regulatory Interplay of Rumen Microbial and successional pattern from In Vivo to In Vitro

Unveiling the Regulatory Interplay of Rumen Microbial and successional pattern from In Vivo to In Vitro

United States-China differences in cognition and perception across 12 tasks: Replicability, robustness, and within-culture variation.

Cultural differences between the United States and China have been investigated using a broad array of psychological tasks measuring differences between cognition, language, perception, and reasoning. Using online convenience samples of adults, we conducted two large-scale replications of 12 tasks previously reported to show differences between Western and East Asian cultures. Our results showed a heterogeneous pattern of successes and failures: five tasks yielded robust cultural differences, while five showed no difference between cultures, and two showed a small difference in the opposite direction. We observed moderate reliability for all multitrial tasks, but there was little relation between task scores. As in prior work, cross-cultural differences in cognition (in those tasks showing differences) were not strongly related to explicit measures of cultural identity and behavior. All of our tasks, data, and analyses are openly available for reuse, providing a foundation for future studies that seek to establish a robust and replicable science of cross-cultural difference. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Formulas for Autocratic Stability: A Review Article

Abstract Drawing on the analytical framework of Johannes Gerschewski's The Two Logics of Autocratic Rule, we explore the complexities of autocratic stability by examining the mechanisms through which autocrats preserve their regimes. We review Gerschewski's data set and arguments and provide our assessment regarding the empirical validity of Gerschewski's theory and tests. While Gerschewski's two logics of autocratic rule offer insightful understandings, the role of situational dynamics, international intervention, and political succession in influencing autocratic stability are underrated or neglected. The survival of an autocratic regime is not solely based on the prevention and preemption of challenges from political opponents, but also depends on the performance of regular governance functions along with a monopoly of political power and the resolution of leadership issues. The path-dependent nature of autocratic stability requires analysis of autocratic regime subtypes to effectively contextualize and generalize the patterns of political succession under different logics of autocratic rule. Lacking a comprehensive characterization of autocratic subtypes, the main contribution of Gerschewski's book is more theoretical than empirical.

Community successional patterns and inter-kingdom interactions during granular biofilm development.

Aerobic granular sludge is a compact and efficient biofilm process used for wastewater treatment which has received much attention and is currently being implemented worldwide. The microbial associations and their ecological implications occurring during granule development, especially those involving inter-kingdom interactions, are poorly understood. In this work, we monitored the prokaryote and eukaryote community composition and structure during the granulation of activated sludge for 343 days in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and investigated the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the granule development. Sludge granulation was accomplished with low-wash-out dynamics at long settling times, allowing for the microbial communities to adapt to the SBR environmental conditions. The sludge granulation and associated changes in microbial community structure could be divided into three stages: floccular, intermediate, and granular. The eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities showed parallel successional dynamics, with three main sub-communities identified for each kingdom, dominating in each stage of sludge granulation. Although inter-kingdom interactions were shown to affect community succession during the whole experiment, during granule development random factors like the availability of settlement sites or drift acquired increasing importance. The prokaryotic community was more affected by deterministic factors, including reactor conditions, while the eukaryotic community was to a larger extent shaped by biotic interactions (including inter-kingdom interactions) and stochasticity.

Probing the role of BrCl in benzotriazole transformation during seawater chlorination

A common understanding attributes the formation of brominated disinfection by-products (Br-DBPs) in seawater chlorination to the conversion of hypochlorous acid to hypobromous acid (HOBr) by bromide. In this study, we reveal that bromine chloride (BrCl), mediated by both chloride and bromide in seawater, plays a dominant role in the transformation of 1H-benzotriazole (BTA) and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (MBTA) and in the formation of brominated DBPs. Using anisole as a reference compound, the second-order rate constant for the reaction of BrCl with BTA was determined to be (2.65 ± 0.13) × 105 L mol−1 s−1, which is over 30,000 times higher than that for the reaction between HOBr and BTA. Ten brominated products were identified and showed a successive bromination pattern. The bromination reaction mechanism was elucidated through theoretical calculations, and the pathways were proposed. The concentrations of brominated BTA and MBTA in seawater were 5.7 and 7.9 times higher than in bromide-only solutions, respectively. BrCl significantly promoted brominated product generation and increased the toxicity of blended DBPs. These results suggest that focusing solely on bromide's effect on brominated product generation may significantly underestimate the potential for DBP formation during seawater chlorination.

Early Specialization and Progress of Finalist Swimmers in World Championships and Olympic Games.

Background: The main objectives of this study were to analyze the effect of early specialization in swimming and to observe the general patterns of success of two different sport specialization models [Spanish (SPA) and United States of American (USA) swimmers] participating in World Championships (WCs) and Olympic Games (OGs) between the years 2006 and 2021 of all swimming strokes and distances. Methods: Descriptive analyses and contingency tables were examined for all the variables. Explanatory models of the z scores were estimated from age depending on the events' distances and strokes. Quadratic regression models were developed to capture the behavior of the variable time with parabolic functions, and the significance of the global model and the predictor variables (age) were also evaluated. In addition, the optimal age (peak performance) as well as the curvature of the model were analyzed. These models were compared between SPA and USA swimmers. Results: The results showed that the main differences in the patterns to success between SPA and USA were the earlier participation of USA swimmers in high-level competitions, as well as the greater number of participants for all the strokes, events, genders, and competitions. Age peak performance in short distances was lower for Spanish swimmers, obtaining the opposite situation for long distances. Conclusions: Being a finalist in junior WCs did not influence success in the finals of the senior WCs and OGs. Main differences in general patterns of success between SPA and USA showed younger swimmers participating in short-distance events, backstroke, and butterfly for USA swimmers and older swimmers taking part in butterfly and short-distance events for SPA.

A preliminary study on decomposition and seasonality of insect succession of decomposing rabbit carcasses at El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

BackgroundStudying insect succession on carcasses is important in estimating the postmortem interval. This study aims to identify the decomposition stages of decomposing rabbit carcasses and to find out the relationship between seasonal variations and abundance of insects colonizing rabbit carcasses at El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt.MethodsThree domestic rabbits (weighing 1300 g each) were killed by a sharp knife. The carcasses were exposed to the sun, left to decompose and inspected twice daily at 6-h intervals to collect insects. Maggots were collected and reared.ResultsThe rabbit carcasses underwent four decomposition stages: fresh, bloat, decay and dry stages. The identified families and their respective collected species included three dipteran families: Calliphoridae (Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya megacephala, and Chrysomya albiceps), Sarcophagidae (Sarcophaga argyrostoma) and Muscidae (Musca domestica and Synthesiomyia nudiseta), three coleopteran families. Histeridae (Saprinus semistriatus), Cleridae (Necrobia rufipes) and Dermestidae (Dermestes frischii and Attagenus gloriosus) and three hymenopteran families: Chalcididae (Brachymeria femorata), Vespidae (Vespa orientalis) and Formicidae (Monomorium sp.). Carrion fauna was dominated by dipteran and coleopteran species, with calliphorid and sarcophagid flies found to play a significant role in carrion consumption process.ConclusionThe succession pattern and decomposition rate were season dependent. The information collected may help establish the basic database for entomological forensic investigations in the future.Graphical abstract

Predator-specific mortality of sage-grouse nests based on predator DNA on eggshells.

Greater sage-grouse (hereafter sage-grouse; Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined across their range. Increased nest predation as a result of anthropogenic land use is one mechanism proposed to explain these declines. However, sage-grouse contend with a diverse suite of nest predators that vary in functional traits (e.g., search tactics or hunting mode) and abundance. Consequently, generalizing about factors influencing nest fate is challenging. Identifying the explicit predator species responsible for nest predation events is, therefore, critical to understanding causal mechanisms linking land use to patterns of sage-grouse nest success. Cattle grazing is often assumed to adversely affect sage-grouse recruitment by reducing grass height (and hence cover), thereby facilitating nest detection by predators. However, recent evidence found little support for the hypothesized effect of grazing on nest fate at the pasture scale. Rather, nest success appears to be similar on pastures grazed at varying intensities. One possible explanation for the lack of observed effect involves a localized response by one or more nest predators. The presence of cattle may cause a temporary reduction in predator density and/or use within a pasture (the cattle avoidance hypothesis). The cattle avoidance hypothesis predicts a decreased probability of at least one sage-grouse nest predator predating sage-grouse nests in pastures with livestock relative to pastures without livestock present during the nesting season. To test the cattle avoidance hypothesis, we collected predator DNA from eggshells from predated nests and used genetic methods to identify the sage-grouse nest predator(s) responsible for the predation event. We evaluated the influence of habitat and grazing on predator-specific nest predation. We evaluated the efficacy of our genetic method by deploying artificial nests with trail cameras and compared the results of our genetic method to the species captured via trail camera. Our molecular methods identified at least one nest predator captured predating artificial nests via trail camera for 33 of 35 (94%) artificial nests. We detected nest predators via our molecular analysis at 76 of 114 (67%) predated sage-grouse nests. The primary predators detected at sage-grouse nests were coyotes (Canis latrans) and corvids (Corvidea). Grazing did not influence the probability of nest predation by either coyotes or corvids. Sagebrush canopy cover was negatively associated with the probability a coyote predated a nest, distance to water was positively associated with the probability a corvid predated a nest, and average minimum temperature was negatively associated with the probability that either a coyote or a corvid predated a nest. Our study provides a framework for implementing an effective, non-invasive method for identifying sage-grouse nest predators that can be used to better understand how management actions at local and regional scales may impact an important component of sage-grouse recruitment.

Variation in Successional Dynamics Shape Biodiversity Patterns over a Tropical-Temperate Latitudinal Gradient.

AbstractSuccessional dynamics can vary because of a range of ecological and environmental factors, but our understanding of biogeographic variation in succession, and the processes contributing to community development across ecosystems, is limited. The pattern and rate of recruitment of dispersive propagules likely differs over large spatial scales and can be an important predictor of successional trajectory. Over a 20° tropical-temperate latitudinal gradient, we measured sessile invertebrates over 12 months of community development and successive 3-month recruitment windows to understand succession and how it is influenced by recruitment. Succession and recruitment patterns varied over latitude. In the tropics, fast temporal turnover, fluctuating abundances, and lack of successional progression suggest that the contribution of stochastic processes was high. As latitude increased, successional progression became more apparent, characterized by increasing species richness and community cover and a shift to more competitive taxa over time. At temperate locations, species identities were similar between older communities and recruiting assemblages; however, community composition became more variable across space over time. Such divergence suggests an important role of early colonizers and species interactions on community structure. These findings demonstrate differences in the processes contributing to community development and biodiversity patterns over latitude. Understanding such biogeographic variation in community dynamics and identifying the prevalence of different processes can provide insights into how communities assemble and persist in response to environmental variability.

The Agnikarma(~Cauterization) - A Mastery Procedure in Susruta Samhitha.

Ayurveda is the ancient science of human civilization. Sushruta Samhita is the most important literature in surgery. Maharshi Sushruta, known as the father of surgery has also explained the Para-surgical procedures in different diseases among them Agnikarma as the greatest/superior curative treatment to avoid recurrence. We can observe Susruta has explained in detail the importance of Agnikarma, varieties, and criteria of successful cauterization, specific sites, indications, patterns, and pre and post-cautery management. Agnikarma has its Ushna Guna and Sookshma Guna it pacifies the vata and Kapha and burns the unwanted tissue done by the different materials such as Shalaka (gold, silver, panchadhatu, etc), Ajashakrut, Godanta, Madhu, Guda, Sneha (oil, Ghrita). In the present study humble attempt was made for Ayurvedic surgical practice. This study concludes that Agnikarma(cauterization) is a very effective and simple, non-occurrence and minimal invasive procedure able to be conducted at the Out Patient Department(OPD) level.

Distinctive patterns of bacterial community succession in the riverine micro-plastisphere in view of biofilm development and ecological niches

Exploring plastic bacterial community succession is a crucial step in analyzing and predicting the ecological assembly processes of the plastisphere and its associated environmental impacts. However, microbial biofilm development and niche differentiation during plastic bacterial community succession have rarely scarcely considered. Here, we assessed the differences between three microplastics (MPs) and two natural polymers in terms of biofilm development and niche properties during bacterial community succession, and identified a genus of MPs-degrading bacteria with strong competitive potential in the plastisphere. MPs biofilm development exhibits secondary succession characteristics, whereas natural polymer biofilms persist during the primary succession stage. During succession in plastic bacterial communities, the relationship between nutrient resources and microbial competition was reflected in a positive correlation between species competition and niche breadth, which contradicted the common belief that increased nutrient availability leads to reduced competition. Furthermore, the co-occurrence network revealed that specialists were species with greater competitive potential within the plastisphere. Additionally, the MPs-degrading Exiguobacterium genus represented a key taxon in the plastisphere. Our study provides a reliable pathway for revealing the specificity of plastic bacterial community succession from multiple perspectives and enhances the understanding of ecological assembly processes in the plastisphere.

Impact of ante-mortem fluoxetine administration on estimation of post-mortem interval and insect activity in rabbit carcasses

BackgroundIncreasing the number of drug-related deaths has affected medico-legal death investigations. Drugs within a corpse have a great impact on the insects’ development rate which in turn will affect the rate of post-mortem decomposition and the estimation of the post-mortem interval. This explains the importance of the application of forensic entomotoxicology, which studies the impact of drugs and toxins on the development and succession patterns of insects. The current study aimed to determine the impact of fluoxetine, one of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), on post-mortem decomposition, insects’ attraction, and its pattern of succession on carcasses. Sixteen healthy male and female Oryctolagus cuniculus rabbits were chosen to be included in this study. They were divided into a treated group of eight rabbits received oral fluoxetine for 28 days and a control group of eight rabbits received oral distilled water for 28 days. After oral administration of 10 mg/kg/day of fluoxetine and distilled water for 28 days, rabbits were sacrificed, and carcasses were transmitted to the roof of Research and Training Centre on Vectors of Diseases at faculty of Sciences, Ain Shams University, for following up the post-mortem decomposition process and insect’s attraction to carcasses for 60 days. Carcasses were put in two outdoor sites that differ in temperature to assess the effect of temperature on decomposition process.ResultsFluoxetine administration has accelerated the rate of post-mortem decomposition in the treated carcasses by 3–9 days compared to the control ones and affected the numbers and species of attracted insects, while it had no effect on the insects’ succession patterns. Exposure of carcasses to direct sunlight has accelerated the rate of decomposition in comparison to that of carcasses put in shade in the overall period of decomposition by about 14 to 16 days.ConclusionsFluoxetine has an important and effective role in post-mortem decomposition and estimation of post-mortem interval (PMI) and has a great impact on attracted insects to the treated carcasses. Temperature has a great effect on the rate of decomposition of carcasses. Higher temperature accelerates the rate of post-mortem decomposition.

Biological Decline of Alfalfa Is Accompanied by Negative Succession of Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities.

The growth and biological decline of alfalfa may be linked to the rhizosphere microbiome. However, plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere of alfalfa and associated microbial community variations with stand age remain elusive. This study explored the successional pattern of rhizosphere microbial communities across different aged alfalfa stands and its relationship with alfalfa decline. Rhizosphere soils were collected from 2- and 6-year-old alfalfa stands. Control soils were collected from interspaces between alfalfa plants in the same stands. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were characterized by 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Specific microbial taxa colonized the rhizosphere soils, but not the control soils. The rhizosphere-specific taxa mainly included potentially beneficial genera (e.g., Dechloromonas, Verrucomicrobium) in the young stand and harmful genera (e.g., Peziza, Campylocarpon) in the old stand. Alfalfa roots regulated soil microbial communities by selective promotion or inhibition of distinct taxa. The majority of time-enriched taxa were reported as harmful fungi, whose relative abundances were negatively correlated with plant traits. Time-depleted taxa were mostly known as beneficial bacteria, which had relative abundances positively correlated with plant traits. The relative abundances of functional bacterial genes associated with vancomycin biosynthesis, zeatin biosynthesis, and amino acid metabolism trended lower in rhizosphere soils from the old stand. An upward trend was observed for fungal pathogens and wood saprotrophs with increasing stand age. The results suggest that root activity drives the negative succession of rhizosphere microbial communities during alfalfa decline in old stands.

Transient hypoxia drives soil microbial community dynamics and biogeochemistry during human decomposition.

Human decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems is a dynamic process creating localized hot spots of soil microbial activity. Longer-term (beyond a few months) impacts on decomposer microbial communities are poorly characterized and do not typically connect microbial communities to biogeochemistry, limiting our understanding of decomposer communities and their functions. We performed separate year-long human decomposition trials, one starting in spring, another in winter, integrating bacterial and fungal community structure and abundances with soil physicochemistry and biogeochemistry to identify key drivers of microbial community change. In both trials, soil acidification, elevated microbial respiration, and reduced soil oxygen concentrations occurred. Changes in soil oxygen concentrations were the primary driver of microbial succession and nitrogen transformation patterns, while fungal community diversity and abundance was related to soil pH. Relative abundance of facultative anaerobic taxa (Firmicutes and Saccharomycetes) increased during the period of reduced soil oxygen. The magnitude and timing of the decomposition responses were amplified during the spring trial relative to the winter, even when corrected for thermal inputs (accumulated degree days). Further, soil chemical parameters, microbial community structure, and fungal gene abundances remained altered at the end of 1 year, suggesting longer-term impacts on soil ecosystems beyond the initial pulse of decomposition products.

Within-population variation in preference functions reveals substantial among-female disagreement in mate assessment.

The mate choice behaviours of females can greatly affect patterns of reproductive success in males and influence the evolution of sexually selected male traits. Population-level estimates of display preferences may provide an accurate estimate of the strength and direction of selection by female choice if all females in the population show homogeneous preferences. However, population-level estimates may yield misleading estimates if there is within-population variation in mate preferences. While it is increasingly clear that the latter situation is common in nature, empirical data on the magnitude of variation in female preferences are required to improve our current understanding of its potential evolutionary consequences. We explored variations in female preference functions for 3 male call properties in a treefrog. We document substantial within-population variation not only in peak preferences but also in preference function shape (open, closed, flat), with at best 62% of females sharing a preference function shape with the respective population curve. Our findings suggest that population curves may accurately capture the direction of sexual selection, but depending on the properties of the constituting individual functions they may over- or underestimate the strength of selection. Particularly population estimates suggesting weak selection may in fact hide the presence of individual females with strong but opposing preferences. Moreover, due to the high within-population variation in both peak preferences and preference function shapes, the population functions drastically underestimate the predicted variation in male mating success in the population.