Variation In Species Composition Research Articles

A snapshot in time: composition of native primary fauna of gall wasps in Spanish contact zones with chestnut trees infested by Dryocosmus kuriphilus.

One of the most prominent problems related to biological invasions is the variation of local species composition, which often leads to ex novo interspecific interactions. Here, we explored and analysed the native species composition of gall inducers and their associated parasitoids and inquilines in Spanish areas invaded by Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu 1951 (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), an invasive pest of chestnut trees. After a quantitative description of these species' assemblages, we analysed through bipartite networks the level of the trophic specialisation of parasitoids and inquilines when considering either the host taxonomic identity, the host plant species or the host gall morphological type. We sampled galls of D. kuriphilus and native species of Cynipidae in different Spanish areas, including those where the exotic parasitoid Torymus sinensis Kamijo 1982 (Hymenoptera: Torymidae) had been released for D. kuriphilus biological control. The results indicate that the native parasitoids recruited by D. kuriphilus come almost exclusively from native communities on Quercus galls, except for one species from Rosa. Galls of D. kuriphilus had the second most diverse species composition; despite this species assemblage arose ex novo in less than a decade. The bipartite networks resulted more specialised when considering host plant taxa than when gall types and the host taxa were accounted. In such trophic webs, there were few parasitoid/inquiline specialist and many generalist species, which agrees with the rapid recruitment by D. kuriphilus. Higher parasitoid species richness in D. kuriphilus galls is likely due to their being a largely unexploited available resource for the native natural enemies of cynipid wasps.

Seasonal metabolic variation in the essential oil composition of various Tabebuia species and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in silico.

The seasonal variation in essential oil from four Tabebuia species, T. impetiginosa, T. rosea, T. argentea, and T. guayacan, was explored using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. A total of 90 components were tentatively identified. Among the four Tabebuia species, the most predominant components in spring were phytol (67.5%), limonene (50.1%), (Z,Z,Z)-7,10,13-hexadecatrienal (67.5%), and 1-octen-3-ol (80.4%), respectively. Chemometric discrimination of the four Tabebuia species was performed employing principal component analysis, which classified the samples into three main clusters while the rest of the samples were scattered in the whole plot. The season of collection impact on essential oils composition and yield was illustrated. 5-Lipooxygenase inhibitory effect of spring season essential oils was assessed, showing that all essential oils exhibited certain inhibition, where T. rosea showed the most potent effect, exhibiting an IC50 value of 1.8 μg/mL, compared to the standard zileuton (0.68 μg/mL). Moreover, an in silico molecular docking study was performed for the predominant metabolites against the 5-LOX active pocket. Among all the docked compounds, eicosane showed the best fitting score, then norphytane, with ∆G of -38.39 and -29.77 kcal/mol, respectively. Thus, Tabebuia species could offer a natural and relatively safe anti-inflammatory candidate that requires further clinical trials to be supported.

Rhizochemistry and soil bacterial community are tailored to natural stress gradients

Plants modulate their rhizochemistry, which affects soil bacterial communities and, ultimately, plant performance. Although our understanding of rhizochemistry is growing, knowledge of its responses to abiotic constraints is limited, especially in realistic ecological contexts. Here, we combined predictive metabolomics with soil metagenomics to investigate how rhizochemistry responded to environmental constraints and how it in turn shaped soil bacterial communities across stress gradients in the Atacama Desert. We found that rhizochemical adjustments predicted the environment (i.e. elevation, R2 between 96% and 74%) of two plant species, identifying rhizochemical markers for plant resilience to harsh edaphic conditions. These metabolites (e.g. glutamic and succinic acid, catechins) were consistent across years and could predict the elevation of two independent plant species, suggesting biochemical convergence. Next, convergent patterns in the dynamics of bacterial communities were also observed across the elevation gradient. Finally, rhizosphere predictors were associated with variation in composition and abundance of bacterial species. Biochemical markers and convergences as well as potential roles of associated predictive bacterial families reflected the requirements for plant life under extreme conditions. This included biological processes such as nitrogen and water starvation (e.g. glutamic and organic acids, Bradyrhizobiaceae), metal pollution (e.g. Caulobacteraceae) and plant development and defence (e.g. flavonoids, lipids, Chitinophagaceae). Overall, findings highlighted convergent patterns belowground, which represent exciting insights in the context of evolutionary biology, and may indicate unique metabolic sets also relevant for crop engineering and soil quality diagnostics. Besides, the results emphasise the need to integrate ecology with omics approaches to explore plant-soil interactions and better predict their responses to climate change.

Seasonal Dynamics of Non-Biting Midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) and Relevant Environmental Factors

The family Chironomidae is speciose and is present in almost all freshwater habitats. Adult non-biting midges emerge from waterbodies and swarm in high numbers, occasionally disrupting people’s outdoor activities. In order to understand the seasonal dynamics of species composition, a continuous observation of non-biting midge diversity was performed. Adult non-biting midges were collected using light traps from the autumn of 2022 to the summer of 2023 in an urban wetland park. Species were identified based on morphological characteristics and DNA barcodes. Alpha diversity was evaluated using Margalef, Pielou, and Shannon–Wiener indexes. Beta diversity was evaluated using unconstrained NMDS analysis and constrained CCA. The impacts of environmental factors, including barometric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, on the variation in species composition were estimated in the constrained analyses. A total of 42 species were identified, with 29 species belonging to Chironominae, 9 species belonging to Orthocladiinae, and 4 species belonging to Tanypodinae. The species composition varied across different seasons. Summer sites and autumn sites shared the highest similarity in diversity, and spring sites presented the lowest diversity. The variation was significantly correlated with environmental conditions. The results showed that seasonality is a factor influencing the diversity of adult non-biting midges.

Hydrogeomorphic conditions drive aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity between depression and slope wetlands in a mountainous region

Aquatic macroinvertebrates inhabiting freshwater wetlands make important contributions to biodiversity. However, environmental characteristics of wetlands is often varied in a specific region, especially in mountainous areas. We investigated 24 depression wetlands and 20 slope wetlands in the Great Xing'an Mountains in Northeast China and aimed to reveal the hydrogeomorphic settings in driving the wetland aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and offer insights to environmental management. We found that depression wetlands supported higher taxonomic richness and more habitat specialists. Fifteen orders or infraclasses responded positively to depression wetlands, whereas eight orders responded positively to slope wetlands. The composition of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages differed significantly between the depression and slope wetlands. Additionally, the variation in species composition in the depression and slope wetlands are largely explained by habitat variables. For community assembly of aquatic macroinvertebrates, both wetland types were largely driven by stochastic processes, with a higher proportion observed in the slope wetlands. Whereas a significant distance-decay relationship and stronger dispersal limitation were detected in the depression wetlands. These findings enhance our understanding of diversity patterns and mechanisms driving aquatic macroinvertebrate community assembly in mountain wetlands. Our research also highlighted the critical need to attach importance to hydrogeomorphic settings and habitat variables in driving aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity for more effective wetland management and conservation.

Lambs Grazing With Adult Ewes Prefer Forbs With High-Nutrient Content in Native Grasslands Dominated by Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis.

Grazing livestock in grasslands face the challenge of obtaining sufficient nutrition due to uneven distribution of plant species and fluctuating vegetation productivity and nutrient levels. In northern China, Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis are the dominant perennial species in native grasslands, but they provide limited nutrition compared to forbs with higher crude protein (CP) content. While dietary ingredients can affect the nutritional intake of grazing livestock, the influence of different grazing strategies on dietary selection remains unclear. In this study, three sheep grazing strategies (lambs alone, mixed lambs and ewes, and ewes alone) were used to explore dietary selection. We investigated the influence of vegetation characteristic (above-ground biomass production, height, and species diversity) and foraging behavior (feed intake, organic matter digestibility, and daily grazing time) on the mechanisms of dietary selection (taxonomic family richness and composition). Forage consumption across the grazing strategies revealed that species from Poaceae, Rosaceae, and Cyperaceae families were frequently consumed. Both ewes and lambs in the mixed-grazing strategy preferentially consumed forbs with diverse species composition (Jacob's D > 0), which contained higher CP than those available in the overall vegetation (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary richness was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by vegetation species diversity except for animals in the lambs alone strategy. Compared to lambs in mixed-grazing, lambs alone had both greater daily grazing time and consumption of grass with lower digestibility (p < 0.05). Our study is the first to demonstrate that lambs can develop a similar dietary selection and behavioral pattern when grazing with adult ewes in temperate grasslands. Our study indicates that the conservation of species diversity in native grasslands is critically beneficial to livestock nutrition.

Small Streams Support Beta Diversity in Neotropical Fish Assemblages in the Upper Paraná River Basin

ABSTRACTVariation in species composition along an environmental gradient (β‐diversity) can inform our understanding of biodiversity patterns and species composition. Beta diversity can be partitioned into species contributions to beta diversity (SCBD) and local contributions to beta diversity (LCBD). While SCBD describes the variations in species composition among samples, LCBD measures the uniqueness of a biological community within a larger ecosystem. Recently developed metrics enabled the estimation of species contribution to total beta diversity (SCBD) and the contribution of individual sites to total beta diversity (LCBD). Utilising these metrics, a one‐time survey of 275 sampling points within four sub‐basins of the Upper Paraná River Hydrographic Basin (low‐flow streams, &lt; 5 m3/s) was conducted to assess fish community composition. Our results show that limnological influences at different scales contribute to higher LCBD. However, land use and species richness were not directly linked to this outcome, suggesting that sites with fewer fish species along sub‐basins contributed to higher beta diversity. It was concluded that beta diversity is more influenced by limnological characteristics and the position of sampling sites along the longitudinal gradient than that based on variations in species composition (SCBD). Moreover, high LCBD values were even found in portions of the gradient with lower species richness. This means that small streams in the sub‐basins of the upper Paraná River are unique and are comprised of varied habitats that contribute to increasing diversity. As such, they should be seen as a target in the development of environmental policies designed to conserve their pristine condition.

Metagenomic profiling of cecal microbiota and antibiotic resistome in rodents

The rodent gut microbiota is a known reservoir of antimicrobial resistance, yet the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within rodent cecal microbial communities and the specific bacterial species harboring these ARGs remain largely underexplored. This study employed high-throughput sequencing of 122 samples from five distinct rodent species to comprehensively profile the diversity and distribution of ARGs and to identify the bacterial hosts of these genes. A gene catalog of the rodent cecal microbiome was constructed, comprising 22,757,369 non-redundant genes. Analysis of the microbial composition and diversity revealed that Bacillota and Bacteroidota were the dominant bacterial phyla across different rodent species, with significant variations in species composition among the rodents. In total, 3703 putative antimicrobial resistance protein-coding genes were identified, corresponding to 392 unique ARG types classified into 32 resistance classes. The most enriched ARGs in the rodent cecal microbiome were associated with multidrug resistance, followed by glycopeptide and elfamycin antibiotics. Procrustes analysis demonstrated a correlation between the structure of the microbial community and the resistome. Metagenomic assembly-based host tracking indicated that most ARG-carrying contigs originated from the bacterial family Oscillospiraceae. Additionally, 130 ARGs showed significant correlations with mobile genetic elements. These findings provide new insights into the cecal microbiota and the prevalence of ARGs across five rodent species. Future research on a wider range of wild rodent species carrying ARGs will further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the transmission of antimicrobial resistance.

Prey diversity in the deep ocean: metabarcoding feeding ecology of the commercially important queen snapper in the US Caribbean

The queen snapper, Etelis oculatus, is experiencing a growing fishery presence across the wider Caribbean, yet our understanding of its distribution, biology, and ecology remains limited. To address this gap, we investigated the feeding ecology of this demersal deep-water snapper using two molecular approaches: single-species barcoding and multispecies metabarcoding. Between November 2019 and July 2020, we collected 157 queen snapper from seven locations along the west coast of Puerto Rico. Our analysis identified a diverse array of prey items in the stomachs, comprising 61 species from 31 families, 18 orders, and 38 genera. Our findings suggest that E. oculatus is a large carnivore, primarily preying on squids, shrimps, and deep-water fishes. Notably, common fish prey included Diaphus brachycephalus, D. dumerilii, Dasyscopelus selenops, Coccorella atlantica, Sigmops elongatus, and Zaphotias pedaliotus. In contrast, prevalent invertebrate prey consisted of Abralia veranyi, Doryteuthis pealeii, Abralia redfieldi, Oplophorus gracilirostris, and Systellaspis debilis. Although our data suggest potential variation in diet composition across locations, definitive conclusions remain elusive. However, we observed heightened prey richness at seamount Pichincho, possibly attributable to the high structural complexity of the karst terrain on the seafloor. Additionally, we noted variation in prey species composition across size classes, with certain species more prevalent in larger or smaller queen snapper. Given the challenge of examining the prey of deep-water fish species, our study showcases the utility of both single-species barcoding and multispecies metabarcoding methodologies in characterizing the dietary range of queen snapper and similar demersal deep-water carnivorous fishes. The multispecies metabarcoding approach, in particular, offers a rapid, comprehensive, and effective means of identifying prey species. As the commercial value of the queen snapper continues to rise, our investigation into its feeding behavior provides critical baseline information for future species management efforts. By enhancing our understanding of its ecological dynamics, we aim to contribute to informed conservation and sustainable fisheries practices in the region.

Распределение очагов инвазии литоральных моллюсков партенитами и личинками трематод в губах и заливах Мурманского побережья в мае–июне 2021 года

Species composition and geographical variation in the distribution of digenean parthenite and larvae in intertidal snails in the littoral zones along the Murmansk coast were examined. Four species of littoral gastropods (Littorina saxatilis, L. obtusata, L. littorea and Nucella lapillus) were investigated. We found 10 species of digeneans, of which 9 have marine birds as a final host. The exception was Podocotyle atomon which uses fish as a definitive host. Larvae of trematode Microphallus pygmaeus, M. piriformes and Podocotyle atomon are found everywhere on the Murmansk coast. The richest helminth fauna were recorded in the Kola Bay and in Ivanovskaya Bay, the poorest helminth fauna were recorded in Dvorovaya Bay. No pronounced trends in distribution of infection foci were noted. Trematode prevalence appears to be predominantly determined by local site condition favoring or hindering final host (birds and fishes) abundance.

The biogeography of the Amazonian tree flora

We describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions. A broader-scale view of species turnover was obtained by interpolating the relative tree species abundances over Amazonia into 47,441 0.1-degree grid cells. Two main dimensions of spatial change in tree species composition were identified. The first was a gradient between western Amazonia at the Andean forelands (with young geology and relatively nutrient-rich soils) and central–eastern Amazonia associated with the Guiana and Brazilian Shields (with more ancient geology and poor soils). The second gradient was between the wet forests of the northwest and the drier forests in southern Amazonia. Isolines linking cells of similar composition crossed major Amazonian rivers, suggesting that tree species distributions are not limited by rivers. Even though some areas of relatively sharp species turnover were identified, mostly the tree species composition changed gradually over large extents, which does not support delimiting clear discrete biogeographic regions within Amazonia.

Characteristics of forest understory herbaceous vegetation and its influencing factors in biodiversity hotspots in China

Forest ecosystems, especially within biodiversity hotspots, heavily rely on the often-overlooked understory herbaceous communities (USHC) for their structural integrity and ecological functions. Because of their modest stature, these communities have garnered insufficient attention from researchers. Therefore, in this study attention is focused on USHC, which attempts to fill this research gap. To achieve this, we established 105 sample plots in 2022 within forest ecosystems situated in the biodiversity hotspot of southwest China. Our investigation unveiled a rich biodiversity tapestry, identifying 424 plant species from 108 families and 284 genera. Notable were the 217 herbaceous species identified in the understory layer, representing 67 families and 163 genera. These understory herbaceous species accounted for 51.2 % of the overall species count. Through a detailed analysis, the sample plots were categorized into eight distinct communities using a two-way indicator species analysis. These communities exhibited diverse variations in species composition, diversity, biomass, and nutrient characteristics. Notably, community I (Eucalyptus robusta Smith + Rubus corchorifolius L. f. + Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.), V (Camptotheca acuminata Decne + Rubus parkeri Hance + Iris tectorum Maxim), VIII (Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco + Viburnum dilatatum Thunb. + Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H. Ito) stood out for their exceptional species diversity and productivity. Moreover, correlation analyses highlighted the substantial impact of topographic and soil factors on USHC. Altitude, soil water content, and total carbon content emerged as the primary determinants of species diversity. Biomass demonstrated close associations with total soil carbon and nitrogen. Furthermore, the nutrient characteristics displayed significant correlations with soil nutrient contents. These findings underscore the critical importance of prioritizing USHC attention in forest conservation and management strategies within biodiversity hotspots. The implications strongly advocate for the inclusion of these communities in planning and decision-making processes, emphasizing their pivotal role in maintaining structural and functional diversity in ecosystems.

Root puppet masters: Infauna shift trait-productivity relationships in submerged aquatic vegetation communities.

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) growth can be limited by light and nutrient availability. Infauna are common inhabitants of SAV meadows. Their activity increases nutrient mobility, and they can positively affect plant growth, but we do not know their role in plant trait-biomass production relationships. We approached this problem using a 15-week insitu transplant experiment in the Baltic Sea with experimental additions of Macoma balthica, a sedentary bivalve, to experimental SAV communities. Experimental plant communities were tricultures with varying species composition, compiled from a pool of six different species, to create an experimental gradient of trait community weighted means that allowed us to detect changes more clearly in plant trait-biomass production relationships in response to the M. balthica treatment. We evaluated the relationships between plant height, leaf area, maximum root length (MMRL), specific root length (SRL), and SAV biomass production, then compared M. balthica condition index (soft tissue biomass [WW, mg]/valve length [mm]) to plant community leaf tissue nutrient concentrations (N (%DW), δ15N). Community biomass production was significantly related to plant height in the control treatment, but this relationship was decoupled in the M. balthica treatment, where community biomass production was instead significantly related to MMRL and SRL. This suggested a shift in the predominant SAV growth strategy, from height-related to root-related community biomass production. Leaf tissue δ15N was significantly related to M. balthica condition index. The growth of one species, Potamogeton perfoliatus, was significantly inhibited by the M. balthica treatment. Our results show that infauna have an important role in the plant traits related to community biomass production, and they have the potential to shape plant community structure via selective influences on different plant species.

Bryophytes in managed lowland forests of Slovakia (Central Europe): looking into species diversity across different forest types

The majority of the woodland area in Central Europe is composed of managed forests. Although the species diversity and composition, particularly in older forests, may be similar to those of natural or close-to-nature forests, intensive forestry and other human activities have adverse impacts on biodiversity. The present study focused on bryophyte diversity in managed lowland forests, as these have received less attention compared to other types of forests. Our research targeted the area located within the Borská nížina Lowland in south-western Slovakia. In total, 37 forest sampling plots (SPs) were selected, representing five different forest types, namely Quercus, Fraxinus, Robinia, Pinus, and mixed forests. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted across these forest types to demonstrate variations in bryophyte species richness, composition, and functional traits. Overall, 60 species of bryophytes were identified, of which five were liverworts and 55 were mosses. Epiphytes were the most abundant substrate group in deciduous and mixed stands, while epigeic species prevailed in Pinus forests. Considering environmental factors, the bryophyte diversity was influenced mostly by the forest type and area size of SPs. Clear differences in species composition were observed when comparing coniferous and deciduous stands, as well as non-native Robinia forests and native tree stands. Overall, intensive forest management results in a high concentration of hemerophilous and nitrophilous species, along with the absence of rare and threatened mosses and liverworts. Nevertheless, by adhering to proper management methods, even managed forests can provide suitable habitats for various bryophytes.

Taxonomic Composition of Forest Areas in Gabala District

The forest cover of the Gabala District, which is part of the forests of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, attracts attention with its richness and diversity of species composition. The diversity of soil types in the Gabala District, as well as the relief and climatic conditions, determine the richness of vegetation. In the south, from the mountain range bordering the Shirvan plain to the watershed peaks of the Greater Caucasus, there is a remarkable alternation of regions and zones distinguished by their diversity. The article presents the results of the study of forests in the Gabala district. As a result of taxonomic analysis, the distribution of 105 species belonging to 27 families and 69 genera in the study area was established. Among these species, 17 Caucasian and one Azerbaijani endemic species, as well as 12 species classified as rare and “vulnerable to extinction” are divided into groups. According to life forms, 46 of these species are herbaceous, 31 are woody, and 11 are semi-woody. Of the total number of species growing in the forests of the Gabala region (105), 31 species are medicinal plants, 19 are food plants, 32 are ornamental, 10 are dyeing plants, and 13 are industrial plants.

Colonization of mudflat substrate by microarthropods: the role of distance, inundation frequency and body size

Salt marshes represent a unique ecosystem at the marine-terrestrial boundary of shallow protected coastlines. Microarthropods form an essential component of soil food webs, but how they colonize new intertidal habitats is little understood. By establishing two experimental systems without animals, we investigated microarthropod colonization (1) at the seashore from the pioneer zone to the lower and upper salt marsh and (2) at the same tidal height on artificial islands 500 m from the seashore. Potential source populations of microarthropods in the respective zones were also investigated. Colonization of microarthropods after 5 years was consistently faster on the seashore than on the artificial islands. Collembola and Mesostigmata colonized all the zones both on the seashore and on the artificial islands, with colonization being faster in the upper salt marsh and in the pioneer zone than in the lower salt marsh. Oribatida colonized the new habitats on the seashore, but only little on the artificial islands. Variations in species composition were more pronounced between salt marsh zones than between experimental systems, indicating that local environmental conditions (i.e., inundation frequency) are more important for the assembly of microarthropod communities than the distance from source populations (i.e., dispersal processes). Variations in community body size of Oribatida and Mesostigmata indicated environmental filtering of traits, with smaller species suffering from frequent inundations. Notably, Mesostigmata most successfully colonized the new habitats across salt marsh zones on both systems. Overall, the results document major mechanisms of colonization of intertidal habitats by microarthropods with different life histories and feeding strategies.

Decadal variation and temporal stability of the macrobenthic community in the Bohai Sea, China

Biodiversity in the Bohai Sea is threatened by climate change and human activities. An analysis based on decadal macrobenthic community data was conducted to assess the ecological health. These findings revealed the temporal and spatial variations in species composition and biodiversity, which were primarily influenced by depth, temperature and dissolved oxygen content. The community structure in 2014 exhibited a 70 % dissimilarity compared to other years, and biodiversity was lower in 2014. The dominant species showed a trend towards miniaturization. Abundance-biomass comparison curves indicated that community disturbance improved by implementing various policies. Overall, communities in the Bohai Sea remained stable, except in the Bohai Strait (BH), where synchronous fluctuations with an increasing trend were observed. Enhancing biodiversity and addressing the risks associated with losing single species are essential for maintaining community stability. The community also displayed synchronous tendencies in Laizhou Bay, emphasizing the need for continued long-term monitoring.

Methodological Insights into Implementing cellular automata models for simulating seagrass dynamics: Responses to global change effects

This study introduces an innovative methodology employing Cellular Automata (CA) models to simulate seagrass dynamics in response to global environmental changes. The primary objective is to outline a procedural framework for constructing and deploying CA models applied to seagrass ecosystems, and potentially to other marine or terrestrial environments. The methodology encompasses various components, including conceptualization, workflow delineation, model parameterization, and execution steps. By utilizing Mediterranean and Zanzibari (East Africa) seagrass ecosystems as case studies, we demonstrate the versatility and applicability of the proposed approach across diverse geographical regions, species composition and model components. Through these case studies, we demonstrated how CA models can effectively capture the dynamics of seagrass communities subjected to climate change, invasive species, and nutrient regimes. Despite its strengths, the proposed CA model has limitations, including parameterization complexity and uncertainties related to species-specific environmental thresholds, growth rates and species interactions, alongside the difficulty of validating our models with real-world scenarios. Addressing these limitations in future studies will enhance the model's accuracy and applicability. This study serves as a foundation for future research in other regions and ecosystems, facilitating a better understanding of the complex interactions driving ecosystem dynamics.•This study introduces a methodology using Cellular Automata (CA) models to simulate seagrass dynamics detailing conceptualization, workflow, parameterization, and execution.•Case studies in Mediterranean and East Africa ecosystems demonstrate the versatility of CA models in capturing the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and nutrient regimes.•Despite strengths, the CA model has limitations and uncertainties like parameterization complexity and model validations suggesting future research to enhance accuracy and applicability.

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

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

Intra-annual compositions and diversity variations of waterbird communities in China

Waterbirds are often used as indicators of wetland biodiversity and ecosystem health due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. However, most studies have focused on long-term variations of waterbird communities, while the intra-annual changes have rarely been investigated. Here, we analyzed the seasonal dynamics of compositions and the intra-annual variations of species richness and abundance of waterbird communities among the nine major river basins of China, and focused on the effects of different residential types and taxonomic groups on the diversity variations. In most of the nine basins, the waterbird communities in spring and autumn showed high similarity, while those in summer and winter were quite different. Such a seasonal cycle of species composition was caused by the seasonal migration of waterbirds. The season with higher species richness shifted from summer to winter as the latitude of the basin decreased within China, but almost all basins had the lowest community abundance in summer. This was because the variation of richness was directly influenced by the variation in species composition, but the variation of abundance was more influenced by the population size of different waterbird assemblages. Our results emphasized the importance of seasonal dynamics of waterbird communities to the understanding of their migration patterns, and highlighted the impact of different waterbird assemblages on intra-annual community variations. Additionally, we also noted the potential effects of population size and behaviors at different parts of the waterbird life circle on the observations of them. The information gathered in this study will provide guidance for the conservation of waterbird species and their habitats.