Composition Traits Research Articles

Effects of Abiotic Factors on Plant Community Composition and Functional Traits in the Liaohe Estuary

The composition and functional traits of plant communities and their changes along an environmental gradient are important bases for maintaining the carbon sinks of estuarine wetlands. To clarify the succession pattern of plant community in an estuary along an environmental gradient, this study considered the Liaohe Estuary wetland as the research object and divided the dominant plant community into a Phragmites australis community and high-, medium-, and low-density Suaeda salsa communities. We employed redundancy analysis, variance decomposition, and multiple regression to examine the impact of an environmental gradient on the functional traits and spatial distributions of plant communities in the Liaohe Estuary wetland. The findings revealed that as the elevation decreased, the soil salinity increased and the water content decreased. The distribution of plant communities followed the order of P. australis, high-density S. salsa, medium-density S. salsa, low-density S. salsa, and bare flat areas. When the soil salinity exceeded 21 g/kg and the soil moisture content was below 17%, the conditions were no longer suitable for the growth of S. salsa or P. australis. Soil salinity, total nitrogen content, clay content, and elevation were the most critical environmental factors affecting the functional traits of the plant communities. Soil biochemical characteristics, soil texture, and the physical environment accounted for 28.9%, 23.12%, and 11.51%, respectively, of the variation in the spatial distribution of plant communities. The proportions of the suitable area for the high-, medium-, and low-density S. salsa were 13.1%, 53.78%, and 33.12%, respectively. The results provide a theoretical basis for further elucidating the degradation mechanisms of estuarine wetlands, developing an evaluation index system for estuarine wetland ecological restoration, and optimizing ecological protection and restoration strategies.

Intrinsically Disordered Compositional Bias in Proteins: Sequence Traits, Region Clustering, and Generation of Hypothetical Functional Associations.

Compositionally biased regions (CBRs), ie, tracts that are dominated by a subset of residue types, are common features of eukaryotic proteins. These are often found bounded within or almost coterminous with intrinsically disordered or 'natively unfolded' parts. Here, it is investigated how the function of such intrinsically disordered compositionally biased regions (ID-CBRs) is directly linked to their compositional traits, focusing on the well-characterized yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) proteome as a test case. The ID-CBRs that are clustered together using compositional distance are discovered to have clear functional linkages at various levels of diversity. The specific case of the Sup35p and Rnq1p proteins that underlie causally linked prion phenomena ([PSI+] and [RNQ+]) is highlighted. Their prion-forming ID-CBRs are typically clustered very close together indicating some compositional engendering for [RNQ+] seeding of [PSI+] prions. Delving further, ID-CBRs with distinct types of residue patterning such as 'blocking' or relative segregation of residues into homopeptides are found to have significant functional trends. Specific examples of such ID-CBR functional linkages that are discussed are: Q/N-rich ID-CBRs linked to transcriptional coactivation, S-rich to transcription-factor binding, R-rich to DNA-binding, S/E-rich to protein localization, and D-rich linked to chromatin remodelling. These data may be useful in informing experimental hypotheses for proteins containing such regions.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Test-Day Milk Yield, Proteins, and Composition Traits of Crossbred Dairy Cattle in Ethiopia.

Identifying genetic regions and candidate genes that influence milk production traits is critical for understanding genetic inheritance and improving both the quality and quantity of milk in dairy cattle. Crossbred dairy cattle significantly contribute to increasing milk production and ensuring food security in the middle- and high-altitude regions of Ethiopia. However, the genetic architecture underlying their milk yield and composition traits has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 308 crossbred dairy cows from central, northeastern, and southern Ethiopia to identify genetic markers associated with key milk production traits. Using high-density SNP chip data and the fixed and random model circulating probability unification (Farm CPU) method via the Memory-efficient, Visualization-enhanced, and Parallel-accelerated R package (rMVP) (Version 1.0.7.), we analyzed traits including test-day milk yield (TDMY), total protein (TP), casein (CN), whey (W), protein percentage (P), fat percentage (F), lactose percentage (L), total solids (TS), density (D), solids-not-fat (SNF), salt (S), and freezing point (FP). This study identified 16 significant SNPs associated with these traits, including rs41661899 on Chromosome 6, which was significantly associated with both TP and W, and rs42274954 on Chromosome 12, which was significantly associated with CN. Eight SNPs, such as rs43560693, rs109098713, rs111029661, rs134499665, rs133908307, rs133627532, rs42098411, and rs110066280, were found across multiple chromosomes (8, 10, 14, 15, 19, 21, 26, and 28, respectively) and were significantly associated with milk P. Additionally, SNPs rs110844447 and rs135995768 on Chromosomes 6 and 14 were significantly associated with D and FP, respectively. Three SNPs, including rs109564259, rs135552551, and rs41620904 on Chromosomes 6, 11, and 24, were significant associations with S. Candidate genes identified near and within these SNPs include TRAM1L1, DIAPH3, PEBP4, WDR89, BCAS3, RALGAPA1, HABP2, NRG3, HPSE, PCDH7, LINC02579, TRNAS-GGA, and OR5CN1P. These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic architecture of milk-related traits in Ethiopian dairy cattle and highlight the potential for marker-assisted selection to improve milk production and composition in breeding programs.

Lianas shift towards larger sizes and more acquisitive trait values in an Asian tropical rainforest

AbstractGlobal change is impacting forests worldwide, leading to shifts in forest dynamics and functional composition. We evaluated the changes in the liana community and trait composition over a five‐year period (2014–2019) in a Chinese tropical rainforest and assessed the underlying putative mechanisms. We monitored >20,000 lianas in a 20‐ha plot, and analyzed community changes for each of the 20 1‐ha plots. To identify the putative drivers underlying community change, we used community‐weighted mean (CWM) trait values of 18 functional traits that are important for liana performance. During the 5‐year period, liana density decreased by 12.6% because of the high mortality of small lianas, whereas liana basal area increased by 5.8% because of the high growth of large lianas. After 5 years, liana communities showed a shift in trait values indicating that they changed towards more large, acquisitive lianas with rapid water use. The temporal shift from slow to fast community trait spectra in carbon, nutrient, and water use was also supported by shifts in the individual CWM traits, from conservative tough leaves towards more acquisitive and water‐spending leaves with higher K concentration, leaf thickness, and vessel diameter. Overall, we found no support for a role of disturbances or drought as drivers of the observed changes in the studied liana community. Instead, our study implies that CO2 fertilization should be considered to better understand dynamics in liana communities in tropical forests.Abstract in Chinese is available with online material.

Detecting benefits of protection level on diversity facets in a sea of temporal scarcity

Abstract The establishment of protected areas to face global diversity declines has mainly prioritized taxonomic diversity, leaving aside phylogenetic and functional diversities, which determine ecosystem functioning and resilience. Furthermore, the assessment of protected areas' effectiveness is mainly done using short‐duration surveys (<2 h), which may undermine the detection of rare species. Through a long‐duration video approach, reef fish taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional facets of diversity were assessed for 3 days within a fully protected area and a nearby poorly protected area in Mayotte Island (Western Indian Ocean). We found that temporally rare species contributed to more than 60% of the taxonomic facet and 85% of the functional facet of biodiversity found on each site. Those rare species, which harbour the most distinct trait values, also make reef fish diversity particularly vulnerable to their loss. Taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional richness were similar between the fully protected area and the poorly protected area, while the species, lineage and trait compositions were markedly different. These results pinpoint the importance of considering taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities while assessing protected areas' effectiveness, instead of using only richness. In addition, benefits of the fully protected area were detected only using more than 15 h of video survey, which emphasizes the importance of long‐duration remote approaches to capture the within‐ and between‐day temporal variations.

SIM-OFE: Structure Information Mining and Object-Aware Feature Enhancement for Fine-Grained Visual Categorization.

Fine-grained visual categorization (FGVC) aims to distinguish visual objects from multiple subcategories of the coarse-grained category. Subtle inter-class differences among various subcategories make the FGVC task more challenging. Existing methods primarily focus on learning salient visual patterns while ignoring how to capture the object's internal structure, causing difficulty in obtaining complete discriminative regions within the object to limit FGVC performance. To address the above issue, we propose a Structure Information Mining and Object-aware Feature Enhancement (SIM-OFE) method for fine-grained visual categorization, which explores the visual object's internal structure composition and appearance traits. Concretely, we first propose a simple yet effective hybrid perception attention module for locating visual objects based on global-scope and local-scope significance analyses. Then, a structure information mining module is proposed to model the distribution and context relation of critical regions within the object, highlighting the whole object and discriminative regions for distinguishing subtle differences. Finally, an object-aware feature enhancement module is proposed to combine global-scope and local-scope discriminative features in an attentive coupling way for powerful visual representations in fine-grained recognition. Extensive experiments on three FGVC benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed SIM-OFE method can achieve state-of-the-art performance.

Unveiling the adaptation strategies of woody plants in remnant forest patches to spatiotemporal urban expansion through leaf trait networks

BackgroundWith the expansion of urban areas, the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments. This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion on the networks of leaf traits in woody plants within remnant forest patches, thereby enhancing our understanding of plant adaptive strategies and contributing to the conservation of urban biodiversity. MethodsOur study examined woody plants within 120 sample plots across 15 remnant forest patches in Guiyang, China. We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) based on 26 anatomical, structural, and compositional leaf traits and assessed the effects of the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion on these LTNs. Results and conclusionsOur results indicate that shrubs within these patches have greater average path lengths and diameters than trees. With increasing urban expansion intensity, we observed a rise in the edge density of the LTN-shrubs. Additionally, modularity within the networks of shrubs decreased as road density and urban expansion intensity increased, and increases in the average path length and average clustering coefficient for shrubs were observed with a rise in the composite terrain complexity index. Notably, patches subjected to ‘leapfrog’ expansion exhibited greater average patch length and diameter than those experiencing edge growth. Stomatal traits were found to have high degree centrality within these networks, signifying their substantial contribution to multiple functions. In urban remnant forests, shrubs bolster their resilience to variable environmental pressures by augmenting the complexity of their leaf trait networks.

Nutritional Potential of Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. Almonds as Compared to Some Oilseeds from Morocco: Evidence from Proximate Composition, Mineral Profiling, and Oil Physicochemical Traits

Nowadays, there is a great interest in the search for new sources of vegetable oils, natural bioactive compounds, and essential nutrients for human health. Oleaginous fruits and seeds are a good source of nutrients such as oil, carbohydrates, fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols, fibers, vitamins, minerals, and proteins for the human diet. The main objective of this study was to compare the nutritional composition of Ziziphus lotus almonds (ZLA) with some well‐known seeds (argan kernel, nigella seed, cactus seed, and sesame seed) and to classify them by the mean of principle component analysis (PCA). The samples’ proximate composition, mineral profiling, and some physicochemical parameters of extracted oil were evaluated. Our results revealed that ZLA composition was as follows: oil yield (26.99 ± 1.52 g/100 g), proteins (30.79 ± 0.07 g/100 g), ash (6.5 ± 0.06 g/100 g), and moisture (3.62 ± 0.10 g/100 g). The mineral profile of ZLA consists mainly of P, K, Mg, and Ca. The main fatty acids in ZLA oil were oleic acid (60.73 ± 0.10 g/100 g), linoleic acid (18.75 ± 0.10 g/100 g), and palmitic acid (9.86 ± 0.10 g/100 g). β‐Sitosterol (67.92 ± 0.46 g/100 g) was the major sterol in ZLA, followed by stigmasterol (15.34 ± 0.35%) and campesterol (8.75 ± 0.12%). Total tocopherols were present at 523 ± 9.23 mg/kg in the oil. PCA analysis demonstrated that the ZLA composition was found to be close to that of sesame seeds. In conclusion, ZLA could be considered an alternative source of vegetable oils and protein as well as other various applications.

Genetic parameters, genetic trends and selection response for gestation length and traits used as selection criteria in Angus breed in Brazil

Context The knowledge of the genetic variability of gestation length and its correlations with other traits is relevant for selection decisions in beef cattle. Aims Genetic parameters and trends were estimated for gestation length (first (GL1), repeated measures range of 1–6 (GL)) and traits currently used as selection criteria (birth weight (BW), weight gain from birth to weaning (BWG), weight gain from weaning to yearling (WYG), scrotal circumference (SC), score of conformation (YC), score of precocity (YP), and score of muscling (YM)) in Brazilian Angus cattle. In addition, direct and correlated selection responses were predicted. Methods A series of single- and two-trait Bayesian analyses were performed on beef cattle data from 14 farms across different regions of Brazil, by using linear and threshold animal models. Key results A moderate heritability was estimated for GL1 (0.356 ± 0.058); however, the estimate for GL was low (0.189 ± 0.028) as was that for repeatability (0.204 ± 0.027). Lower accuracies of breeding values were obtained for GL than for GL1, ranging from 0.490 ± 0.161 to 0.687 ± 0.037. Direct heritability estimates for growth and body composition traits were low, except for SC and BWG (0.301 ± 0.060 and 0.241 ± 0.019 respectively). Genetic correlations of 0.558 ± 0.121 and 0.739 ± 0.131 were estimated between GL1 and BW, and between GL and BW respectively. The other traits studied were estimated to have weak or near-zero genetic correlations with gestation length traits. Positive and moderate genetic associations were estimated between BW and BWG, SC, and visual scores (ranging from 0.338 ± 0.095 to 0.458 ± 0.092), but a near-zero estimate was obtained with WYG (0.127 ± 0.150). Weight gains were more highly genetically correlated with visual scores than between themselves (BWG and WYG) and with SC. The SC was highly genetically correlated with visual scores (0.684 ± 0.054 to 0.714 ± 0.050). Genetic trends showed that all traits studied have been changing in a positive direction, being unfavourable for BW and GL. Higher genetic gains were expected from using direct selection than from using indirect selection for GL1. Conclusions Rapid growth is genetically associated with superior conformation, precocity and musculature, as well as a large scrotal circumference in males. However, selection decisions that heavily focus on these traits are likely to lead to more calving difficulties in the longer term. Implications Selection indices should incorporate traits that measure calving difficulty directly if relevant records are available. Currently, considering its practical implications in primiparous anoestrus, the first-gestation length could serve as a viable alternative for inclusion in selection indices. Due to the low repeatability of the gestation length, decisions to cull on the basis of only one or two records of GL are highly inaccurate.

Identification of relevant anthropometric indicators in youth male soccer players

This study aimed to identify key body composition traits that differentiate young soccer players. Fifty-nine male athletes (age: 15.97 ± 0.49 years) from a soccer academy participated in this research. The selected participants underwent standardized physical and anthropometric assessments. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify the most essential physical variables relevant to the sport, with a recommended factor loading of > 0.7. To refine factor selection, a Parallel Analysis (PA) was conducted. The reliability of the extracted factors was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Following Varimax rotation, the PCA revealed three principal components (PCs) with eigenvalues greater than 1. However, the PA further reduced the number of extracted PCs to two. The retained components accounted for 71.23% of the total variance. Each of the two components contained variables selected based on their high factor loadings. The first PC demonstrated strong loadings from mid-thigh girth (0.867), body fat percentage (0.851), thigh girth (0.848), and calf girth (0.825). The second PC highlighted lower limb length (0.896), standing height (0.782), sitting height (0.773), and thigh length (0.736). The reliability of the extracted PCs was confirmed, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.866 and 0.789 for the first and second PCs, respectively.

Genetic parameters for visual scores, growth and carcass traits in Nellore Cattle.

Growth and carcass traits are essential selection criteria for beef cattle breeding programs. However, it is necessary to combine these measurements with body composition traits to meet the demand of the consumer market. This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters for visual scores, growth (pre and post-weaning weights), and carcass (rib eye area (REA), back and rump fat thickness) traits in Nellore cattle using Bayesian inference. Data from 12,060 animals belonging to the HoRa Hofig Ramos herd were used. Morphological traits were evaluated by the MERCOS methodology. The heritability estimates obtained ranged from low to high magnitude, from 0.15 to 0.28 for visual scores, 0.13 to 0.44 for growth, and from 0.42 to 0.46 for carcass traits. Genetic correlations between visual scores and growth traits were generally of moderate to high magnitudes, however, visual scores showed low correlations with carcass traits, except between sacral bone and structure and REA. Selection for visual score traits can lead to favorable responses in body weight and vice versa, but the same is not true for carcass traits. Morphological categorical traits can be used as complementary tools that add value to selection.

Northeast Atlantic elasmobranch community on the move: Functional reorganization in response to climate change.

While spatial distribution shifts have been documented in many marine fishes under global change, the responses of elasmobranchs have rarely been studied, which may have led to an underestimation of their potential additional threats. Given their irreplaceable role in ecosystems and their high extinction risk, we used a 24-year time series (1997-2020) of scientific bottom trawl surveys to examine the effects of climate change on the spatial distribution of nine elasmobranch species within Northeast Atlantic waters. Using a hierarchical modeling of species communities, belonging to the joint species distribution models, we found that suitable habitats for four species increased on average by a factor of 1.6 and, for six species, shifted north-eastwards and/or to deeper waters over the past two decades. By integrating species traits, we showed changes in habitat suitability led to changes in the elasmobranchs trait composition. Moreover, communities shifted to deeper waters and their mean trophic level decreased. We also note an increase in the mean community size at maturity concurrent with a decrease in fecundity. Because skates and sharks are functionally unique and dangerously vulnerable to both climate change and fishing, we advocate for urgent considerations of species traits in management measures. Their use would make it better to identify species whose loss could have irreversible impacts in face of the myriad of anthropogenic threats.

Spatio-seasonal variations in functional trait composition and diversity patterns of marine fish communities in coastal waters

Spatio-seasonal variations in functional trait composition and diversity patterns of marine fish communities in coastal waters

Similar functional composition of fish assemblages despite contrasting levels of habitat degradation on shallow Caribbean coral reefs.

Functional trait-based approaches provide an opportunity to assess how changes in habitat affect the structure of associated communities. Global analyses have found a similarity in the composition of reef fish functional traits despite differences in species richness, environmental regimes, and habitat components. These large-scale patterns raised the question of whether this same stability can be observed at smaller spatial scales. Here, we compared the fish trait composition and their functional diversity in two Caribbean shallow coral reefs with contrasting levels of habitat degradation: Limones (>30% cover), constituted mainly by colonies of Acropora palmata and Bonanza, a reef with extensive areas of dead Acropora structures, dominated by algae. To characterize the functional structure of fishes on each reef, we calculated the community-weighted mean trait values (CWM), functional richness, functional evenness, functional dispersion, and functional originality. Despite the differences in habitat quality, reefs exhibited a similar proportion and common structure on fish functional traits. Functional richness and functional evenness differed significantly, but functional dispersion and functional originality did not show differences between reefs. The greater niche complexity driven by the high availability of microhabitats provided by A. palmata may explain the higher functional richness in Limones, whereas the reef degradation in Bonanza may contribute to a higher functional evenness because of a similar distribution of abundance per fish trait combinations. Our results suggest that widespread degradation on Caribbean reefs has limited the type, variety, and range of traits, which could lead to a functional homogenization of fish communities even at local scales.

Global patterns and environmental drivers of forest functional composition

AbstractAimTo determine the relationships between the functional trait composition of forest communities and environmental gradients across scales and biomes and the role of species relative abundances in these relationships.LocationGlobal.Time periodRecent.Major taxa studiedTrees.MethodsWe integrated species abundance records from worldwide forest inventories and associated functional traits (wood density, specific leaf area and seed mass) to obtain a data set of 99,953 to 149,285 plots (depending on the trait) spanning all forested continents. We computed community‐weighted and unweighted means of trait values for each plot and related them to three broad environmental gradients and their interactions (energy availability, precipitation and soil properties) at two scales (global and biomes).ResultsOur models explained up to 60% of the variance in trait distribution. At global scale, the energy gradient had the strongest influence on traits. However, within‐biome models revealed different relationships among biomes. Notably, the functional composition of tropical forests was more influenced by precipitation and soil properties than energy availability, whereas temperate forests showed the opposite pattern. Depending on the trait studied, response to gradients was more variable and proportionally weaker in boreal forests. Community unweighted means were better predicted than weighted means for almost all models.Main conclusionsWorldwide, trees require a large amount of energy (following latitude) to produce dense wood and seeds, while leaves with large surface to weight ratios are concentrated in temperate forests. However, patterns of functional composition within‐biome differ from global patterns due to biome specificities such as the presence of conifers or unique combinations of climatic and soil properties. We recommend assessing the sensitivity of tree functional traits to environmental changes in their geographic context. Furthermore, at a given site, the distribution of tree functional traits appears to be driven more by species presence than species abundance.

Bycatch-threatened seabirds disproportionally contribute to community trait composition across the world

Human pressures in the ocean are restructuring biological communities, driving non-random extinctions, and disrupting marine ecosystem functioning. In particular, fisheries bycatch, the incidental mortality of non-target species, is a major threat to seabirds worldwide. Direct bycatch data are often scarce. Instead, leveraging trait-based analyses with fine-scale fisheries data could answer fundamental questions about spatial patterns of bycatch-threatened species and facilitate targeted conservation strategies. Here, we combine a dataset of species' traits and distribution ranges for 361 seabird and sea duck species with spatially resolved fishing effort data for gillnet, longline, trawl, and purse seine gears. First, we quantify geographic patterns of seabird community traits. Second, we describe how community traits could shift under local extinction scenarios in areas where bycatch-threatened seabirds spatially overlap with fishing activities. These objectives allow us to highlight the collective contribution of species currently threatened from bycatch to ecosystem functioning. We reveal distinct spatial variation in the community weighted mean of five seabird traits (body mass, generation length, clutch size, diet guild, and foraging guild) are evident. Moreover, our results show that fisheries bycatch is selectively removing a distinct suite of traits from the community within particular oceanic regions. Specifically, fisheries bycatch is threatening species with larger body masses, slower reproductive speeds (smaller clutch sizes and longer generation lengths), and specialised diet and foraging guilds. The spatial non-uniformity of the community trait shifts suggests that within specific marine regions, communities have limited redundancy and therefore may have less insurance to buffer against declines in ecosystem functioning. Our extinction scenario warns that seabirds currently threatened from fisheries bycatch substantially contribute to community functional composition. Management actions that incorporate species’ traits and fine-scale fisheries datasets as tools for marine spatial planning will add an important dimension when evaluating the success of conservation initiatives.

Cows’ and buffalo milk for cooked fresh cheese: preliminary comparison of the cheese-making efficiency and quality of griddled acid/heat-coagulated Paneer and rennet-coagulated Tosella/Schiz

Milk from cows and buffaloes represents the major source of dairy products worldwide. Cheese is consumed fresh, ripened, cooked, or as recipe ingredient in many different types. Using Paneer and Tosella/Schiz model cheeses as a case study of cooked cheeses, in this short communication we evaluated the cheese yield and quality of fresh cheese before and after cooking comparing the two major dairy species (cows and buffaloes). A total of 75 model cheeses (37 Paneer and 38 Tosella/Schiz) were made. Slices of all the cheeses were cooked on a griddle at 130 °C. Milk, whey, and cheese composition traits, cheese-making efficiency traits, and cooked cheese quality traits were evaluated using a mixed model that included the fixed effects of cheese type and animal species, and their interaction, and the random effects of session, animal within species, and the residual. Higher cheese yields are obtained from the buffalo milk not only because more concentrated in nutrients, but also for the greater recovery of nutrients in cheese. There was a greater recovery of protein with the acid/heat Paneer procedure than the rennet Tosella/Schiz procedure, but we found a species × cheese type interaction for fresh cheese yield. The interaction was related mainly to the higher water retained in the Tosella/Schiz curd rather than to total solids. This led also to greater cooking weight-loss compared with Paneer. The qualitative traits of cheese were highly affected by griddling. Future research on the sensorial perception of cooked cheeses from the two major dairy species is needed to predict consumer response.

Variations in Casein Genes Are Associated with Milk Protein and Fat Contents in Sarda Goats (Capra hircus), with an Important Role of CSN1S2 for Milk Yield.

This work aimed to assess the variability of casein genes in a population of 153 bucks and 825 lactating does of the Sarda breed, and to perform association analysis between polymorphic sites and milk yield and composition traits. To genotype the casein genes, we chose an SNP panel including 44 SNPs mapping to the four casein genes CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, and CSN3. Genotyping (made by KASP™ genotyping assay, based on competitive allele-specific PCR) revealed the high variability of the Sarda goat, and haplotype analysis revealed linkage disequilibrium (LD) between CSN1S1 and CSN2 genes, in addition to two LD blocks within the CSN1S2 and two LD blocks within the CSN3 gene, in bucks and does. Association analysis revealed that variability at all four casein genes was associated with milk protein content, total solids, and milk energy. The three Ca-sensitive casein genes were associated with lipid content, and CSN1S2 showed a unique pattern, with intron variants associated with milk yield, in addition to milk pH, NaCl, and SCS (Somatic Cell Score). This information might prove useful in selection schemes and in future investigations aiming to better understand the biology of lactation, and the direct link between genotype and phenotype.

Matrix type affects carabid beetle community and trait composition, and intraspecific variation in remnant forests

AbstractAimThe Anthropocene is characterised by urban and agricultural landscapes. Within these landscapes, natural to semi‐natural habitats are fragmented, isolated and disturbed to varying degrees. Species associated with these natural habitats have to content with the surrounding landscape, both in terms of level of isolation, and matrix type and quality. We investigated the community structure, trait distribution and individual traits of carabid beetles in boreal forest fragments within three matrices: urban, agricultural and freshwater lake.LocationCity of Lahti and its surroundings, southern Finland.TaxonColeoptera, Carabidae.MethodsUsing pitfall traps from June to October 2019, we collected carabid beetles from eight spruce‐dominated forest fragments in the urban matrix, 10 fragments in an agricultural matrix, seven fragments on lake islands and three large control forests at the outskirts of the city.ResultsCompared to natural forests, carabid beetles in forest fragments in these matrices showed distinct assemblages, and with beetle diversity the highest in fragments in the agricultural landscape. Fragments in the urban and lake island landscapes were characterised by small‐sized species, and those capable of flight. We also found strong intraspecific trait responses in terms of body size, with some generalist species being significantly smaller in urban, agricultural or lake island fragments compared to the controls.Main ConclusionsThe matrix has a clear effect on carabid beetle communities, both in terms of taxonomic and trait distribution, and filters for communities of smaller sized species and those capable of flight. Such overall community and intraspecific effects can have considerable effects on populations and community assemblages: As anthropogenic effects intensify in urban and agricultural landscapes, our findings may be the expression of further morphological and physiological responses, and eventually in the adaptation of those species that can cope with the Anthropocene.

Grazing-driven shifts in soil bacterial community structure and function in a typical steppe are mediated by additional N inputs

Herbivore grazing and nitrogen (N) fertilization affect soil microbial diversity and community composition both in direct and indirect pathways (e.g., via alterations in soil microenvironment and plant communities); however, their combination effects are still largely unexplored. We carried out a field study to investigate how soil abiotic properties, plant community composition and functional traits altered soil bacterial community structure and function in response to a long-term herbivore grazing (17-year sheep grazing with four stocking rates) and anthropogenic N inputs (6-year N addition with four levels) experiment. We show that a high stocking rate of 8.7 sheep ha−1 (SR8.7) decreased soil bacterial α- and β-diversity, while α- and β-diversity showed hump-shaped and saddle-shaped responses, respectively, with increasing N addition rate, reaching tipping points at the N application rate of 10 g N m−2 year−1 (N10). The synergistic effects of grazing and N addition induced the highest soil bacterial α-diversity at SR2.7 with N10. The contrasting effects of grazing and N addition induced higher soil bacterial β-diversity at SR8.7 with N20. Plant factors (e.g., aboveground biomass of Stipa bungeana and community-weighted mean carbon [CWM_C]), edaphic factors (e.g., soil moisture, pH, NO3−-N, and C:nutrients ratios) and their interactions were the most significant factors affecting the diversity and community composition of bacteria. Our structure equation model (SEM) shows that grazing-induced negative effects on soil pH and plant community composition indirectly increased the β-diversity of soil bacteria, while grazing-induced decreased CWM_C had positive effects on bacterial α-diversity and community structure. However, N addition indirectly increased β-diversity of soil bacteria via changes in soil NO3−-N and plant community composition, while N addition had negative impacts on bacterial α-diversity and community structure via variations in CWM_C. The interaction of grazing and N addition increased the complexity and stability of the bacterial network. Based on the KEGG database, grazing and N addition could accelerate the soil functional potential of C and N cycling. Our findings suggest that N application at a rate of <10 g N m−2 year−1 with a stocking rate of <5.3 sheep ha−1 could maintain the development of soil bacteria in supporting the most important ecosystem functions and services. Complex responses of soil microbes to grazing and N addition indicate the need for deeper investigations of the impacts of global change on microbial involvement in biogeochemical cycles.