Ecosystem Types Research Articles

Changes in soil microbial activity and their linkages with soil carbon under global warming

Soil microorganisms play an important role in the carbon (C) cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. However, changes in soil microbial activity and their linkages with soil C under global warming remain unclear. Here, a global meta-analysis of 1272 pairwise observations was conducted to explore the effects of warming on soil microbial activity and their linkages with soil C under different warming duration (0–5, 5–10, and > 10 yr), warming magnitudes (<2 and ≥ 2 °C), ecosystem types (cropland, grassland, shrub, and forest), mean annual precipitation (MAP: 0–400, 400–800, and > 800 mm), and mean annual temperature (MAT: 0–5, 5–10, 10–20, and > 20 °C). Warming overall positively affected soil microbial C, bacteria diversity, fungi richness, and soil C content. Moreover, the positive effects of warming on microbial and soil C gradually weakened and even inhibited with increasing warming duration and magnitudes. Additionally, the soil microbial biomass and microbial diversity shifted from positive to negative relationships with increasing MAP and MAT. Warming mainly affected soil microbial biomass and bacteria diversity in grasslands. Finally, warming induced significant linear relationships of microbial variables with soil C. In conclusion, our results indicated that warming had significant influences on soil microbial activity and soil C cycling, depending on warming duration, magnitudes, ecosystem types, MAP, and MAT. Such findings underscore the important effects of warming on soil C cycling in global ecosystems, which may improve our ability to predict soil biogeochemical cycles in this biome.

First estimates of fine root production in tropical peat swamp and terra firme forests of the central Congo Basin

Tropical peatlands are carbon-dense ecosystems because they accumulate partially-decomposed plant material. A substantial fraction of this organic matter may derive from fine root production (FRP). However, few FRP estimates exist for tropical peatlands, with none from the world’s largest peatland complex in the central Congo Basin. Here we report on FRP using repeat photographs of roots from in situ transparent tubes (minirhizotrons), measured to 1 m depth over three one-month periods (spanning dry to wet seasons), in a palm-dominated peat swamp forest, a hardwood-dominated peat swamp forest, and a terra firme forest. We find FRP of 2.6 ± 0.3 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, 1.9 ± 0.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, and 1.7 ± 0.1 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the three ecosystem types respectively (mean ± standard error; no significant ecosystem type differences). These estimates fall within the published FRP range worldwide. Furthermore, our hardwood peat swamp estimate is similar to the only other FRP study in tropical peatlands, also hardwood-dominated, from Micronesia. We also found that FRP decreased with depth and was the highest during the dry season. Overall, we show that minirhizotrons can be used as a low-disturbance method to estimate FRP in tropical forests and peatlands.

Abundance of microbial community genes encoding terminal proteins of the aerobic and denitrification respiratory chains as indicators of ecohydrologic gradients in a coastal temperate rainforest

The persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC) is closely linked to the capacity of the soil microbial community to catalyze oxidative degradation of organic matter. This study uses a landscape-scale metagenomics approach to examine the relative abundances of genes encoding different terminal electron acceptors used for aerobic respiration and denitrification between soil microbial communities across an ecohydrologic gradient. The perhumid zone of the North Pacific coastal temperate rainforest serves as a template to test the associations between these differing respiratory pathways, soil conditions, and tree species biomass. We used the occurrence of reads in soil metagenomes as a proxy for the relative abundance of genes across the ecohydrologic gradient and identified distinct microbial fingerprints differentiating the driest (upland forest) and wettest (palustrine scrub-shrub and palustrine emergent wetland) ecosystem types. There was little gene-based differentiation between the ecosystem types at the wettest end of the ecohydrologic gradient - scrub-shrub wetland and emergent wetlands – while forested wetlands, which occur as gradient sites between upland forests and emergent wetlands on the landscape, were characterized by substantial metagenomic variability and, consequently, overlapped in their soil metagenome with the other ecosystem classes. Hydrology, as measured by groundwater depth was a predictor of O2 and N-oxide reductase abundances. High affinity O2 reductase genes were associated with wetter topographic positions, which has not been shown at the ecosystem scale, or in soils in-situ previously. N-oxide reductase genes were more associated with plant communities found at wetland sites but were not related to soil inorganic nitrogen, suggesting that nitrate supply may be limiting to denitrifiers ubiquitously across this gradient. Two plant species, Tsuga heterophylla (TSHE) and Pinus contorta spp. contorta (PICO), were more strongly correlated with O2-reductase and N-oxide reductase genes than site hydrology, respectively. This research represents a step toward fingerprinting the ecosystem microbiome using genes coding for specific terminal electron acceptors that control the fate of SOC and their ecohydrologic controls.

FUN Azores: a FUNctional trait database for the meio-, macro-, and megafauna from the Azores Marine Park (Mid-Atlantic Ridge)

Trait-based approaches that complement taxonomy-based studies have increased in popularity among the scientific community over the last decades. The collection of biological and ecological characteristics of species (i.e., traits) provides insight into species and ecosystem vulnerability to environmental and anthropogenic changes, as well as ecosystem functioning. Here, we present the FUN Azores trait database, describe our approach, evaluate its scope, compare it to other marine trait databases, and explore the spatial distribution of its traits with “functional maps.” While most of the available trait databases to date contain essential information to understand the functional diversity of a taxonomic or functional group, our ecosystem-based approach provides a comprehensive assessment of diverse fauna (i.e., meio-, macro-, and megafauna) from benthic and pelagic environments in the Azores Marine Park; including ridges, seamounts, hydrothermal vents, and the overlying water column. We used a collaborative approach involving 30 researchers with different expertise to develop the FUN Azores database, which contains compiled data on 14 traits representing morphological, behavioral, and life history characteristics for 1,210 species across 10 phyla. The “functional maps” show a distinct distribution of the two most common size classes, suggesting different communities with different functionalities. The following traits had the best scoring coverage (i.e., &amp;gt;95% of the species scored): maximum body size, body form, skeleton material, feeding structure, motility, environmental position, substratum affinity, distribution, and depth range; while traits related to species behavior (e.g., sociability or aggregation tendencies) and life history (e.g., developmental mechanism) had lower scoring coverage, highlighting the need for further research to fill these knowledge gaps. We found a larger number of species in the benthic compared to the pelagic environment and differing species composition between areas within the Azores Marine Park resulting from varying biodiversity, ecosystem types, sampling effort, and methodologies used. The FUN Azores database will foster and facilitate trait-based approaches in the area, develop a framework for expansion of cross-ecosystem and cross-taxa trait databases elsewhere, and improve our ecological understanding of the Azores Marine Park and its conservation requirements.

Climate Change Adaptation Zones for Terrestrial Ecosystems—A Demonstration with Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands in the USA

Decision support tools are needed to ensure that appropriately timed and place-based adaptation is deployed in natural resource policy, planning, and management. Driven by accelerating climate change, analytical frameworks for adaptation are emerging to assist with these decisions. There is a natural relationship between climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation responses, where low to high relative climate change vulnerability suggests “resistance” to “transformation” strategies for adaptation. The NatureServe Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Index (HCCVI) embodies a process for ecosystem assessment that integrates both climate and non-climate data and knowledge to document the relative vulnerability of a given habitat or ecosystem type. The framework addresses climate exposure and ecosystem resilience. Since most measures of exposure and resilience are mapped, they can be utilized to create map zones that suggest climate-smart adaptation. We applied the HCCVI to a cross-section of 10 pinyon pine and juniper woodland ecosystem types in western North America. We then demonstrate the application of these outputs to adaptation zonation. Climate exposure defines relative adaptation strategies, while measures of resilience suggest specific priorities for habitat restoration and maintenance. By the mid-21st century, 3% and 23% of the combined area of these types in the United States was categorized as Directed Transformation or Autonomous Transformation, respectively. In just 10% of the combined areas for these types, Passive Resistance strategies are suggested.

Figuring it out: configurations of high-performing entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe

ABSTRACT Is there only one type of successful entrepreneurial ecosystem? This paper applies qualitative comparative analysis to identify and analyse configurations of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe. We test two rivalling causal logics: a completeness logic stating that all entrepreneurial ecosystem elements need to be present and the weakest link is the most important constraint, and a substitutability logic arguing that elements are substitutable. High entrepreneurship outputs can be realised with different entrepreneurial ecosystem configurations. However, focusing on regions with the highest entrepreneurship outputs, our results point at the importance of a complete entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Factors Affecting Long-Term Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Greek Forests

The recent Glasgow Climate Pact has recognized the contribution of ecosystems as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases and their importance to achieve the objective of a maximum temperature increase of 1.5 °C. Thus, the knowledge of the long-term storage capacity of the soil organic carbon (C) in forest soils, and the driving factors, are considered of great importance for the mitigation of global climate changes. A database of published data in a ‘grey’ Greek bibliography, concerning the long-term storage of soil organic C in soil profiles for Greek forests, was compiled, including 307 full soil profiles, distributed between 21 types of forest ecosystem throughout the country (Greece). The data collected concerned the amount of long-term stored carbon in the full soil profile, per soil horizon, up to the uncracked bedrock. These also contained information on the sampling location, the type of forest ecosystem, the soil depth, the type of land management, the forest origin, the floristic zone, the altitude, and the climate type. According to the results analysis, the average soil organic C stored was 108.19 Mg ha−1, and ranged greatly between 11.49 and 409.26 Mg ha−1. The type of forest ecosystem, soil depth, land management practices, forest origin, floristic zone, and climate type played an important role in the carbon sequestration process, greatly influencing the long-term amount of stored carbon. Under the demands for mitigating climate change and reducing the rates of global warming, data evaluation indicates the directions to be followed for increasing the long-term storage of carbon, named systematic forest management, and the exclusion of the drivers responsible for the low carbon storage of soil, such as human pressure and overgrazing. Restoration actions such as reforestation and rehabilitation of the degraded forest ecosystems, which were found to store low carbon amounts, can be also considered as effective tools for increasing the long-term carbon storage in forest ecosystems.

The Drape: a new way to characterize ecosystem states, dynamics, and tipping points from process-based models

There are many ways to study ecosystem dynamics, all having several issues. Main limitations of differential equation systems are the necessarily small number of interactions between few variables used, and parameter values to be set before the system dynamics can be studied. Main drawbacks of large-scale snapshot observation datasets to build a stability landscape are assuming that the most represented conditions are the most stable states, and using the computed landscape to directly study the system’s dynamics. To remedy these aforementioned shortcomings and study complex systems based on the processes that characterize them without having to limit the number of variables, neither set parameter values, nor to use observations serving both model buildup and system’s dynamics analysis, we propose a geometric model as an additional and novel aid to study ecosystem dynamics. The Drape is a generic multi-dimensional analysis, derived from process-based model datasets that include disturbances. We illustrate the methodology to apply our concept on a continental-scale system and by using a mechanistic vegetation model to obtain values of state variables. The model integrates long-term dynamics in ecosystem components beyond the theoretical stability and potential landscape representations currently published. Our approach also differs from others that use resolution of differential equation systems. We used Africa as example, representing it as a grid of 9395 pixels. We simulated each pixel to build the ecosystem domain and then to transform it into the Drape – the mean response surface. Then, we applied a textural analysis to this surface to discriminate stable states (flat regions) from unstable states (gradient or crest regions), which likely represent tipping points. Projecting observed data onto the Drape surface allows testing ecological hypotheses, such as illustrated here with the savanna-forest alternative stable states, that are still today debated topics, mainly due to methods and data used. The Drape provides new insights on all ecosystem types and states, identifying likely tipping points (represented as narrow ridges versus stable states across flat regions), and allowing projection and analysis of multiple ecosystem types whose state variables are based on the same three variables.

INNOVATIVE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ECOSYSTEMS RESILIENCE, CONNECTIVITY AND CONSERVATION, IRAN

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as an integrated approach comprehensively provide basis of action to sustainably conserve and manage landscapes and create multi-benefits to society and living organisms, such as; biodiversity and biocultural benefits. NbS to societal challenges are adaptively planned via institutions to deliver benefits to communities. It is taking the capacity of different sectors and actors including local and indigenous people for decision-making into consideration. The result indicates practically all types of ecosystems receive benefits from NbS activities to enhance ecosystem goods and services to society and reduce societal challenges to climate change and biodiversity decline. Well-defined NbS may contribute to ecosystems resilience, connectivity and conservation, and support sustainable development goals programs. Thus, the resilient NbS that consider immediate challenges of ecosystem disconnectivity, biodiversity loss, climate impact and unsustainable development, would sustain ecosystem well-being and human health together for now and future.

The Diversity of Fish Larvae in the Bons Sinais Estuary (Mozambique) and Its Role as a Nursery to Marine Fish Resources

The study of assemblages of fish in their early phases in estuaries is an essential approach to understanding the functioning of these types of ecosystems and their role as nursery grounds for some marine fish species. The main aim of this study was to analyze the ichthyoplankton assemblage in the Bons Sinais Estuary, specifically to clarify the use of this area by species of socio-economic interest. This study identified 22 fish larval taxa among families, genera, and species. Gobiidae (54%), a group of resident species, dominated the community. The larval taxa of socio-economic importance (Thryssa sp., Clupeidae, Sillago sihama, Johnius dussumieri, Pellona ditchela, Pomadasys kaakan, Cichlidae, and Mugilidae) accounted for 23% of the total abundance. Larval density (N°/100 m3) varied spatially and temporally, with higher density and diversity values both in the middle zone and in the wet season. Multivariate analyses revealed that salinity, temperature, and water transparency had a strong influence on larval abundance and density. While most fish larvae were in the post-flexion stage, there was a predominance of pre-flexion larvae in the lower estuary and in the post-flexion stage in the middle and upper zones, especially for marine fish resources, showing the role of this estuarine habitat as a nursery area.

High resilience of soil bacterial communities to large wildfires with an important stochastic component

Wildfires alter the structure and functioning of ecosystems through changes in their biotic and abiotic components. A deeper understanding recovery process concerning diverse communities and properties within these components can provide valuable insights into the ecological effects of wildfires. Therefore, it is appropriate to enhance our understanding of the resilience of bacterial communities after wildfires within Mediterranean ecosystems. In this research, soil bacterial community resilience was evaluated in three types of ecosystems for two fire severities, two years after a large wildfire in Mediterranean ecosystems. The resilience of the soil bacterial community refers to its ability to return to original state after disturbance. This capacity can be estimated by the study of its recovery over time. In this study we evaluated the resilience using the variables: alpha diversity, beta diversity and the changes in abundance of both OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) and principal bacterial taxa (phyla, classes or orders). Our results showed that resilience depends on fire severity and type of ecosystem. We studied three ecosystems with different stage in the secondary succession: low maturity shrublands and heathlands, and high maturity oak forests. In general, high resilience in the soil bacterial community was observed in heathlands under low and high fire severity conditions. The other two ecosystems were resilient only under low fire severity. Stochastic replacement of the abundance of the OTUs was observed in all three ecosystems, with a notable impact on oak forests, under during high-severity conditions.

“Balanced” or “polarized” entrepreneurial ecosystem types? Evidence from Italy

Entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) are particular systems of interdependent actors and relations that directly or indirectly support the creation and growth of new ventures. EE can vary a lot, based on a unique and dynamic combination of several elements whose relevance can differ across regions. Most studies acknowledged, or ex-ante assumed, that EE elements are all relevant to the same extent, yet others suggest that some EE elements are more important in creating the environmental conditions necessary to foster entrepreneurship in a specific territory. In this paper, we contend that research should provide evidence on this territory-specific matter. Specifically, more evidence is needed on the relevance of each EE element at regional level—as we lack empirical analysis that discriminates between EE types according to elements’ importance. To fill this gap, we assess and characterize the existence of EE types at the regional level in Italy. Our findings suggest that four EE types exist, and they are characterized by a balanced combination of EE elements. On the basis of our results, we generate propositions providing insights that may be useful for future research and policymaking.

Existing evidence on the impact of changes in marine ecosystem structure and functioning on ecosystem service delivery: a systematic map

BackgroundThe current biodiversity crisis underscores the urgent need for sustainable management of the human uses of nature. In the context of sustainability management, adopting the ecosystem service (ES) concept, i.e., the benefits humans obtain from nature, can support decisions aimed at benefiting both nature and people. However, marine ecosystems in particular endure numerous direct drivers of change (i.e., habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, pollution, climate change, and introduction of non-indigenous species) all of which threaten ecosystem structure, functioning, and the provision of ES. Marine ecosystems have received less attention than terrestrial ecosystems in ES literature, and knowledge on marine ES is hindered by the highly heterogeneous scientific literature with regard to the different types of marine ecosystem, ES, and their correlates. Here, we constructed a systematic map of the existing literature to highlight knowledge clusters and knowledge gaps on how changes in marine ecosystems influence the provision of marine ES.MethodWe searched for all evidence documenting how changes in structure and functioning of marine ecosystems affect the delivery of ES in academic and grey literature sources. In addition to Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, we searched 6 online databases from intergovernmental agencies, supranational or national organizations, and NGOs. We screened English-language documents using predefined inclusion criteria on titles, abstracts, and then full texts, without any geographic or temporal limitations. All qualifying literature was coded and metadata were extracted. No formal validity appraisal was undertaken. We identified knowledge clusters and gaps in terms of which ecosystem types, biodiversity components, or ES types have been studied and how these categories are linked.Review findingsOur searches identified 41 884 articles published since 1968 of which 12 140 were duplicates; 25 747 articles were excluded at the title-screening stage, then 2774 at the abstract stage. After full-text screening, a total of 653 articles—having met the eligibility criteria—were included in the final database, spanning from 1977 to July 2021. The number of studies was unevenly distributed across geographic boundaries, ecosystem types, ES, and types of pressure.The most studied ecosystems were pelagic ecosystems on continental shelves and intertidal ecosystems, and deep-sea habitats and ice-associated ecosystems were the least studied. Food provision was the major focus of ES articles across all types of marine ecosystem (67%), followed by climate regulation (28%), and recreation (14%). Biophysical values were assessed in 91% of the analysed articles, 30% assessed economic values, but only 3% assessed socio-cultural values. Regarding the type of impact on ecosystems, management effects were the most studied, followed by overexploitation and climate change (with increase in seawater temperature being the most commonly assessed climate change pressure). Lastly, the introduction of non-indigenous species and deoxygenation were the least studied.ConclusionsThis systematic map provides, in addition to a database, knowledge gaps and clusters on how marine ecosystem changes impact ES provision. The current lack of knowledge is a threat to the sustainability of human actions and knowledge-based nature conservation. The knowledge gaps and clusters highlighted here could guide future research and impact the beneficial development of policy and management practices.

Citizen scientists can help advance the science and management of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams

AbstractIntermittent rivers and ephemeral streams are the world's dominant type of river ecosystem and are becoming more common because of global change. However, the inclusion of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams in water policies and management plans remains largely limited because monitoring schemes and tools are designed for perennial rivers. In the present article, we discuss how smartphone applications used by citizen scientists can quantify the extent and occurrence of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams. We also introduce a new app, DRYRivERS, specifically designed to monitor intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams. After a year of use, we counted more than 3600 observations from more than 1900 river reaches across 19 countries and four continents. Through three case studies, we then show that citizen science can improve our knowledge of the prevalence of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams in the landscape, enhance hydrological modeling and calibration, and guide managers in setting water abstraction restrictions. Together, our approach demonstrates how citizen science can be incorporated into environmental monitoring to better inform river management and policy.

Population Dynamics of Dragonflies at The Paddy Field Ecosystem, Sidorejo, Central Bengkulu

The rice fields of Sidorejo Village have the potential for dragonfly diversity. This study aims to analyze fluctuations in the diversity and abundance of dragonflies in three ecosystem conditions of rice fields in Sidorejo Village, Bengkulu Tengah. Sampling using purposive sampling with the cruising method. Data analysis was carried out descriptively through the identification of characteristics to obtain the name of the species. After the species name was obtained, the relative abundance, Shannon Wienner diversity index, and species evenness index were calculated. The results of the study found that the harvest ecosystem had the highest diversity and abundance of dragonflies (13 species and 45 individuals). The species that were consistently found in three types of ecosystems were Orthetrum sabina, O. testaceum, and Pantala flavescens. The species with the highest relative abundance was O. sabina with 32%. The diversity index ranged from 1.32 (post-harvest) to 2.25 (harvest). The highest evenness index was in the post-harvest ecosystem at 0.95, and the lowest was in the harvest ecosystem at 0.87. The results of this study are expected to show that the diversity and abundance of dragonflies fluctuate depending on seasonal ecosystem conditions in the rice fields.

Atmospheric wet organic nitrogen deposition in China: Insights from the national observation network

Organic nitrogen (N) is an important component of atmospheric reactive N deposition, and its bioavailability is almost as important as that of inorganic N. Currently, there are limited reports of national observations of organic N deposition; most stations are concentrated in rural and urban areas, with even fewer long-term observations of natural ecosystems in remote areas. Based on the China Wet Deposition Observation Network, this study regularly collected monthly wet deposition samples from 43 typical ecosystems from 2013 to 2021 and measured related N concentrations. The aim was to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the multi-component characteristics of atmospheric wet N deposition and reveal the influencing factors and potential sources of wet dissolved organic N (DON) deposition. The results showed that atmospheric wet deposition fluxes of NO3−, NH4+, DON and dissolved total N (DTN) were 4.68, 5.25, 4.32, and 13.05 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and that DON accounted for 30 % of DTN deposition (potentially up to 50 % in remote areas). Wet DON deposition was related to anthropogenic emissions (agriculture, biomass burning, and traffic), natural emissions (volatile organic compound emissions from vegetation), and precipitation processes. The wet DON deposition flux was higher in South, Central, and Southwest China, with more precipitation and intensive agricultural activities or more vegetation cover, and lower in Northwest China and Inner Mongolia, with less precipitation and human activities or vegetation cover. DON was the main contributor to DTN deposition in remote areas and was possibly related to natural emissions. In rural and urban areas, DON may have been more influenced by agricultural activities and anthropogenic emissions. This study quantified the long-term spatiotemporal patterns of wet N deposition and provides a reference for future N addition experiments and N cycle studies. Further consideration of DON deposition is required, especially in the context of anthropogenic control of NO2 and NH3.

Diversity-stability relationships across organism groups and ecosystem types become decoupled across spatial scales.

The relationship between biodiversity and stability, or its inverse, temporal variability, is multidimensional and complex. Temporal variability in aggregate properties, like total biomass or abundance, is typically lower in communities with higher species diversity (i.e., the diversity-stability relationship [DSR]). At broader spatial extents, regional-scale aggregate variability is also lower with higher regional diversity (in plant systems) and with lower spatial synchrony. However, focusing exclusively on aggregate properties of communities may overlook potentially destabilizing compositional shifts. It is not yet clear how diversity is related to different components of variability across spatial scales, nor whether regional DSRs emerge across a broad range of organisms and ecosystem types. To test these questions, we compiled a large collection of long-term metacommunity data spanning a wide range of taxonomic groups (e.g., birds, fish, plants, invertebrates) and ecosystem types (e.g., deserts, forests, oceans). We applied a newly developed quantitative framework for jointly analyzing aggregate and compositional variability across scales. We quantified DSRs for composition and aggregate variability in local communities and metacommunities. At the local scale, more diverse communities were less variable, but this effect was stronger for aggregate than compositional properties. We found no stabilizing effect of γ-diversity on metacommunity variability, but β-diversity played a strong role in reducing compositional spatial synchrony, which reduced regional variability. Spatial synchrony differed among taxa, suggesting differences in stabilization by spatial processes. However, metacommunity variability was more strongly driven by local variability than by spatial synchrony. Across a broader range of taxa, our results suggest that high γ-diversity does not consistently stabilize aggregate properties at regional scales without sufficient spatial β-diversity to reduce spatial synchrony.

Ecosystem type drives soil eukaryotic diversity and composition in Europe.

Soil eukaryotes play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem functions and services, yet the factors driving their diversity and distribution remain poorly understood. While many studies focus on some eukaryotic groups (mostly fungi), they are limited in their spatial scale. Here, we analyzed an unprecedented amount of observational data of soil eukaryomes at continental scale (787 sites across Europe) to gain further insights into the impact of a wide range of environmental conditions (climatic and edaphic) on their community composition and structure. We found that the diversity of fungi, protists, rotifers, tardigrades, nematodes, arthropods, and annelids was predominantly shaped by ecosystem type (annual and permanent croplands, managed and unmanaged grasslands, coniferous and broadleaved woodlands), and higher diversity of fungi, protists, nematodes, arthropods, and annelids was observed in croplands than in less intensively managed systems, such as coniferous and broadleaved woodlands. Also in croplands, we found more specialized eukaryotes, while the composition between croplands was more homogeneous compared to the composition of other ecosystems. The observed high proportion of overlapping taxa between ecosystems also indicates that DNA has accumulated from previous land uses, hence mimicking the land transformations occurring in Europe in the last decades. This strong ecosystem-type influence was linked to soil properties, and particularly, soil pH was driving the richness of fungi, rotifers, and annelids, while plant-available phosphorus drove the richness of protists, tardigrades, and nematodes. Furthermore, the soil organic carbon to total nitrogen ratio crucially explained the richness of fungi, protists, nematodes, and arthropods, possibly linked to decades of agricultural inputs. Our results highlighted the importance of long-term environmental variables rather than variables measured at the time of the sampling in shaping soil eukaryotic communities, which reinforces the need to include those variables in addition to ecosystem type in future monitoring programs and conservation efforts.

Centers of Endemism and The Potential of Zoos and Botanical Gardens in Conservation of Endemics

Knowledge about ecological conditions and processes in centers of endemism (CoEs) is still limited with respect to various systematic groups of organisms, ecosystem types, ecological conditions, and ecosystem services. We review the characterization, identification, and meaning of CoEs. Endemics play an increasing and prominent role in nature conservation monitoring and management and in the organization of zoos, aquaria, and botanical gardens. We examine the importance of different groups of organisms and indicators for the characterization of endemic-rich regions, e.g., with regard to the richness of endemics per region and degree of endemism, the importance of heterogeneity in space, continuity in time, isolation, and ex situ management for the survival of endemic species. Currently, conversion of land cover and land use change are the most important causes of biodiversity decline and extinction risk of endemic and endangered species. These are followed by climate change, including severe weather, and then natural processes such as volcanism, landslides, or tsunamis. For conservation purposes, the management of regional land use, zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, and social aspects of the diversity of endemics and CoEs have to be taken into account as well. We find that the ex situ representation of endemics in general is limited, and conservation networks in this regard can be improved. We need better answers to questions about the relationship between ecoregions, CoEs and regional awareness of endemism, which is linked with human culture including aesthetics, well-being, health, and trade.

Shaping Circular Service Ecosystems

The circular economy (CE) presents an alternative perspective to the linear take-make-use-dispose model prevalent in industrial value chains. CE envisions economies operating like natural ecosystems—restorative and waste-free, underpinned by principles such as reuse, repair, share, and pay-for-use. Surprisingly, although these principles align with the fundamentals of service management, there is limited scholarly exploration of CE within service research. Leveraging service-dominant logic, this study introduces the concept of circular service ecosystems as ideal types of service ecosystems, regenerative, and embedded within nature, where (material, intellectual, digital and financial) resources flow seamlessly within and between nested systems without creating any waste or leakage. By analyzing 3,178 blogs penned by CE experts over 7 years and conducting in-depth interviews with industry specialists, this study offers two significant contributions. Firstly, it presents a process framework elucidating the transition towards circular service ecosystems. This framework explains the emergence of novel circular solutions and service ecosystem properties through processes of de- and re-institutionalization. Secondly, the study identifies six shaping strategies that actors can apply to drive circular service ecosystem transitions. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of circular service ecosystems and CE as promising areas for future service research, providing a comprehensive research agenda to explore these areas in depth.