Global patterns and climatic controls of forest structural complexity

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Jan. 22, 2021

Abstract The complexity of forest structures plays a crucial role in regulating ecosystem functions and strongly influences biodiversity. Yet, knowledge the global patterns determinants structural remains scarce. Using stand index based on terrestrial laser scanning, we quantify boreal, temperate, subtropical tropical primary forests. We find that variation is largely explained by annual precipitation seasonality (R² = 0.89). forests as benchmark, model potential across biomes present map earth´s ecoregions. Our analyses reveal distinct latitudinal structure show hotspots high coincide with plant diversity. Considering mechanistic underpinnings complexity, our results suggest spatially contrasting changes climate change within biomes.

Language: Английский

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Impact of climate change on immune responses and barrier defense

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 153(5), P. 1194 - 1205

Published: Feb. 2, 2024

Climate change is not just jeopardizing the health of our planet, but it increasingly impacting immune health.There an expanding body evidence that climaterelated exposures, such as air pollution, heat, wildfires, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss significantly disrupt functioning human system.These exposures manifest in a broad range stimuli including antigens, allergens, heat stress, pollutants, microbiota changes, other toxic substances.Such pose direct indirect threat to body's primary line defense, epithelial barrier, affecting its physical integrity functional efficacy.Furthermore, these climate-related environmental stressors can hyper-stimulate innate system influence adaptive immunity, notably terms developing preserving tolerance.The or failure tolerance instigate wide spectrum non-communicable diseases autoimmune conditions, allergy, respiratory illnesses, metabolic diseases, obesity, others.As continues unravel, there need for additional research climate immunology covers diverse environments different global settings, employing modern biological epidemiological tools.

Language: Английский

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Responses of plant diversity to precipitation change are strongest at local spatial scales and in drylands

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: May 3, 2021

Abstract Mitigating and adapting to climate change requires an understanding of the magnitude nature by which will influence diversity plants across world’s ecosystems. Experiments can causally link precipitation plant change, however, these experiments vary in their methods metrics reported, making synthesis elusive. Here, we explicitly account for a number potentially confounding variables, including spatial grain, treatment direction background climatic conditions, synthesize data 72 manipulation experiments. We find that effects treatments with higher on are strongest at smallest scale, drier environments. Our emphasizes quantifying differential responses ecosystems explicit consideration grain experimental manipulation. Given provides essential ecosystem services, especially dry semi-dry areas, our finding particular sensitive projected changes has important implications conservation management.

Language: Английский

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Species richness promotes ecosystem carbon storage: evidence from biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 287(1939), P. 20202063 - 20202063

Published: Nov. 25, 2020

Plant diversity has a strong impact on plethora of ecosystem functions and services, especially carbon (C) storage. However, the potential context-dependency biodiversity effects across types, environmental conditions pools remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed meta-analysis by collecting data from 95 biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) studies 60 sites to explore plant different C pools, including aboveground belowground biomass, soil microbial biomass content types. The results showed that storage was significantly enhanced diversity, with stronger than content. Moreover, response magnitudes increased level species richness experimental duration all ecosystems. were more pronounced in grasslands forests. Furthermore, aridity index forests, suggesting climate change might modulate effects, which are under wetter but weaker arid conditions. Taken together, these provide novel insights into important role critical types contexts.

Language: Английский

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Increasing climatic sensitivity of global grassland vegetation biomass and species diversity correlates with water availability

New Phytologist, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 230(5), P. 1761 - 1771

Published: Feb. 12, 2021

Grasslands are key repositories of biodiversity and carbon storage heavily impacted by effects global warming changes in precipitation regimes. Patterns grassland dynamics associated with variability future climate conditions across spatiotemporal scales yet to be adequately quantified. Here, we performed a meta-analysis year growing season sensitivities vegetation aboveground biomass (AGB), net primary productivity (ANPP), species richness (SR) diversity (Shannon index, H) experimental shifts. All four variables were sensitive change. Their shifts correlated local background water availability, such as mean annual (MAP) aridity, AGB ANPP greater dry habitats than nonwater-limited habitats. There was no effect duration experiment (short vs long term) on sensitivities. Temporal trends SR sensitivity depended availability; increased over time irrigation decreased time. Our results provide overview the function change that will improve understanding ecological responses inform policies for conservation climates.

Language: Английский

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South America climate change revealed through climate indices projected by GCMs and Eta-RCM ensembles

Climate Dynamics, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 58(1-2), P. 459 - 485

Published: Aug. 23, 2021

Language: Английский

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Plant Endemism Centres and Biodiversity Hotspots in Greece

Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 10(2), P. 72 - 72

Published: Jan. 20, 2021

Biodiversity hotspots (BH) cover a small fraction of the Earth's surface, yet host numerous endemics. Human-induced biodiversity loss has been increasing worldwide, despite attempts to halt extinction crisis. There is thus an urgent need efficiently allocate available conservation funds in optimised prioritization scheme. Identifying BH and endemism centres (EC) therefore valuable tool planning. Even though Greece one most plant species-rich European countries, few studies have dealt with identification or EC none ever incorporated phylogenetic information extended national scale. Consequently, we are unaware extent that Special Areas Conservation (SAC) Natura 2000 network protect Greek diversity. Here, located for first time at scale framework, areas serving as EC, assessed effectiveness SAC safeguarding them. mainly near mountainous areas, supposedly floristically impoverished, such central Aegean islands. A critical re-assessment might be needed minimize risk endemics, by focusing efforts also on fall outside established SAC.

Language: Английский

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Functional susceptibility of tropical forests to climate change

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 6(7), P. 878 - 889

Published: May 16, 2022

Language: Английский

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One hundred important questions facing plant science: an international perspective

New Phytologist, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 238(2), P. 470 - 481

Published: March 16, 2023

Summary The ‘One Hundred Important Questions Facing Plant Science Research’ project aimed to capture a global snapshot of the current issues and future questions facing plant science. This revisiting builds on original 2011 paper. Over 600 were collected from anyone interested in plants, which reduced final list 100 by four teams panellists. There was remarkable consensus most important topics between subpanels. We present top science 2022, ranging how plants can contribute tackling climate change, plant‐defence priming epigenome plasticity. also provide explanations why each question is important. demonstrate focussing community protecting life has become increasingly for over past 11 years. illustrates collaborative international need long‐term funding research, alongside broad community‐driven efforts actively ameliorate halt while adapting its consequences.

Language: Английский

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Plant disease risk is modified by multiple global change drivers

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(11), P. R574 - R583

Published: June 1, 2023

Plant diseases are strongly influenced by host biodiversity, spatial structure, and abiotic conditions. All of these undergoing rapid change, as the climate is warming, habitats being lost, nitrogen deposition changing nutrient dynamics ecosystems with ensuing consequences for biodiversity. Here, I review examples plant–pathogen associations to demonstrate how our ability understand, model predict disease becoming increasingly difficult, both plant pathogen populations communities extensive change. The extent this change via direct combined effects global drivers, especially latter still poorly understood. Change at one trophic level expected drive also other, hence feedback loops between plants their pathogens changes in risk through ecological well evolutionary mechanisms. Many discussed here an increase a result ongoing suggesting that unless we successfully mitigate environmental going become heavy burden on societies far-reaching food security functioning ecosystems.

Language: Английский

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