EFFECTS OF BIODIVERSITY ON ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING: A CONSENSUS OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE

Ecological Monographs, Journal Year: 2005, Volume and Issue: 75(1), P. 3 - 35

Published: Feb. 1, 2005

Humans are altering the composition of biological communities through a variety activities that increase rates species invasions and extinctions, at all scales, from local to global. These changes in components Earth's biodiversity cause concern for ethical aesthetic reasons, but they also have strong potential alter ecosystem properties goods services provide humanity. Ecological experiments, observations, theoretical developments show depend greatly on terms functional characteristics organisms present distribution abundance those over space time. Species effects act concert with climate, resource availability, disturbance regimes influencing properties. Human can modify above factors; here we focus modification these biotic controls. The scientific community has come broad consensus many aspects relationship between functioning, including points relevant management ecosystems. Further progress will require integration knowledge about abiotic controls properties, how ecological structured, forces driving extinctions invasions. To strengthen links policy management, need integrate our understanding social economic constraints practices. Understanding this complexity, while taking steps minimize current losses species, is necessary responsible ecosystems diverse biota contain. Based review literature, certain following conclusions: 1) Species' strongly influence Functional operate contexts, dominant keystone engineers, interactions among (e.g., competition, facilitation, mutualism, disease, predation). Relative alone not always good predictor ecosystem-level importance as even relatively rare predator) pathways energy material flows. 2) Alteration via caused by human altered well-documented cases. Many difficult, expensive, or impossible reverse fix technological solutions. 3) loss composition, mechanisms which manifest themselves, differ types, change. 4) Some initially insensitive because (a) may multiple carry out similar roles, (b) some contribute little (c) be primarily controlled environmental conditions. 5) More needed insure stable supply spatial temporal variability increases, typically occurs longer time periods larger areas considered. We high confidence Certain combinations complementary their patterns use average productivity nutrient retention. At same time, conditions complementarity structuring communities. Identification way complex just beginning. Susceptibility invasion exotic influenced and, under conditions, generally decreases increasing richness. However, several other factors, such propagule pressure, regime, availability success often override richness comparisons across different sites Having range respond differently perturbations stabilize process response disturbances variation Using practices maintain diversity effect types help preserve options. Uncertainties remain further research areas: resolution relationships taxonomic diversity, structure important identifying effects. Multiple trophic levels common been understudied biodiversity/ecosystem functioning research. varying consumer much more than responses seen experiments vary only primary producers. Theoretical work stability outpaced experimental work, especially field long-term able assess stability, well recovery disturbances. Design analysis must account factors covary diversity. Because both responds influences feedbacks involved results broader scales. Likely extinction linked drivers global change, communities, development effective conservation strategies. This paper focuses terrestrial systems, coverage freshwater where most empirical study focused. While fundamental principles described should apply marine realm necessary. Despite uncertainties circumstances incorporating into essential, making decisions involving large Sacrificing difficult reconstruct, simply yet extent affect restrict future options further. It incumbent upon ecologists communicate need, values derive perspective, charged decision-making.

Language: Английский

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Exotic plant invasions and the enemy release hypothesis

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2002, Volume and Issue: 17(4), P. 164 - 170

Published: April 1, 2002

Language: Английский

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Urbanization as a major cause of biotic homogenization

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2005, Volume and Issue: 127(3), P. 247 - 260

Published: Nov. 3, 2005

Language: Английский

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Cancer as an evolutionary and ecological process

Nature reviews. Cancer, Journal Year: 2006, Volume and Issue: 6(12), P. 924 - 935

Published: Nov. 16, 2006

Language: Английский

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Introduced species and their missing parasites

Nature, Journal Year: 2003, Volume and Issue: 421(6923), P. 628 - 630

Published: Feb. 1, 2003

Language: Английский

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Fundamentals of Microbial Community Resistance and Resilience

Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 3

Published: Jan. 1, 2012

Microbial communities are at the heart of all ecosystems, and yet microbial community behavior in disturbed environments remains difficult to measure predict. Understanding drivers stability, including resistance (insensitivity disturbance) resilience (the rate recovery after is important for predicting response disturbance. Here, we provide an overview concepts stability that relevant communities. First, highlight insights from ecology useful defining measuring stability. To determine whether general disturbance responses exist communities, next examine representative studies literature investigated press (long-term) pulse (short-term) disturbances a variety habitats. Then discuss biological features individual microorganisms, populations, may govern overall We conclude with thoughts about unique systems perspectives - informed by meta-omics data

Language: Английский

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The Application of Ecological Theory Toward an Understanding of the Human Microbiome

Science, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 336(6086), P. 1255 - 1262

Published: June 7, 2012

The human-microbial ecosystem plays a variety of important roles in human health and disease. Each person can be viewed as an island-like "patch" habitat occupied by microbial assemblages formed the fundamental processes community ecology: dispersal, local diversification, environmental selection, ecological drift. Community assembly theory, metacommunity theory particular, provides framework for understanding dynamics microbiome, such compositional variability within between hosts. We explore three core scenarios microbiome assembly: development infants, representing previously unoccupied habitats; recovery from antibiotics, after disturbance; invasion pathogens, context invasive species. Judicious application may lead to improved strategies restoring maintaining microbiota crucial health-associated services that it provides.

Language: Английский

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Performance Comparisons of Co-Occurring Native and Alien Invasive Plants: Implications for Conservation and Restoration

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Journal Year: 2003, Volume and Issue: 34(1), P. 183 - 211

Published: Nov. 1, 2003

▪ Abstract In the search to identify factors that make some plant species troublesome invaders, many studies have compared various measures of native and alien invasive performance. These comparative provide insights into more general question “Do plants usually outperform co-occurring species, what degree does answer depend on growing conditions?” Based 79 independent native-invasive comparisons, invaders were not statistically likely higher growth rates, competitive ability, or fecundity. Rather, relative performance natives often depended conditions. 94% 55 comparisons involving than one condition, native's was equal superior invader, at least for key in Most commonly, these conditions involved reduced resources (nutrients, light, water) and/or specific disturbance regimes. Independently conditions, leaf area lower tissue construction costs (advantageous under high light nutrient conditions) greater phenotypic plasticity (particularly advantageous disturbed environments where are frequent flux). There appear be few “super invaders” universal advantages over natives; rather, increased resource availability altered regimes associated with human activities differentially increase natives.

Language: Английский

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Plant invasions: merging the concepts of species invasiveness and community invasibility

Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment, Journal Year: 2006, Volume and Issue: 30(3), P. 409 - 431

Published: June 6, 2006

This paper considers key issues in plant invasion ecology, where findings published since 1990 have significantly improved our understanding of many aspects invasions. The review focuses on vascular plants invading natural and semi-natural ecosystems, fundamental ecological relating to species invasiveness community invasibility. Three big questions addressed by the SCOPE programme 1980s (which invade; which habitats are invaded; how can we manage invasions?) still underpin most work ecology. Some organizing unifying themes field organism-focused relate (the tens rule; concept residence time; taxonomic patterns Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis; phenotypic plasticity rapid evolutionary change, including evolution increased competitive ability role long-distance dispersal). Others ecosystem-centred deal with determinants invasibility communities, regions (levels invasion, propagule pressure; biotic resistance hypothesis links between diversity invasibility; synergisms, mutualisms, invasional meltdown). theories taken an overarching approach invasions integrating concepts (a theory seed invasiveness; fluctuating resources invasibility). Concepts, hypotheses reviewed here be linked naturalization-invasion continuum concept, relates processes a sequence environmental barriers that introduced must negotiate become casual, naturalized invasive. New research tools ecology succession conservation biology weed science, respectively, strengthened conceptual pillars

Language: Английский

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Allelopathy and Exotic Plant Invasion: From Molecules and Genes to Species Interactions

Science, Journal Year: 2003, Volume and Issue: 301(5638), P. 1377 - 1380

Published: Sept. 4, 2003

Here we present evidence that Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed), an invasive species in the western United States, displaces native plant by exuding phytotoxin (-)-catechin from its roots. Our results show inhibition of species' growth and germination field soils at natural concentrations (-)-catechin. In susceptible such as Arabidopsis thaliana, allelochemical triggers a wave reactive oxygen (ROS) initiated root meristem, which leads to Ca2+ signaling cascade triggering genome-wide changes gene expression and, ultimately, death system. support "novel weapons hypothesis" for success.

Language: Английский

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