Collapse of terrestrial mammal food webs since the Late Pleistocene

Science, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(6609), P. 1008 - 1011

Published: Aug. 25, 2022

Food webs influence ecosystem diversity and functioning. Contemporary defaunation has reduced food web complexity, but simplification caused by past is difficult to reconstruct given the sparse paleorecord of predator-prey interactions. We identified changes terrestrial mammal globally over ~130,000 years using extinct extant traits, geographic ranges, observed interactions, deep learning models. underwent steep regional declines in complexity through loss links after arrival expansion human populations. estimate that a 53% decline globally. Although extinctions explain much this effect, range losses for species degraded similar extent, highlighting potential restoration via recovery.

Language: Английский

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Plant diversity drives positive microbial associations in the rhizosphere enhancing carbon use efficiency in agricultural soils

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Sept. 14, 2024

Expanding and intensifying agriculture has led to a loss of soil carbon. As agroecosystems cover over 40% Earth's land surface, they must be part the solution put in action mitigate climate change. Development efficient management practices maximize carbon retention is currently limited, part, by poor understanding how plants, which input soil, microbes, determine its fate there, interact. Here we implement diversity gradient intercropping undersown species with barley large field trial, ranging from one eight species. We find that increasing plant strengthens positive associations within rhizosphere microbial community relation negative associations. These associations, turn, enhance use efficiency. Jointly, our results highlight can used as strategy potential agricultural soils.

Language: Английский

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Network ecology in dynamic landscapes

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 288(1949)

Published: April 28, 2021

Network ecology is an emerging field that allows researchers to conceptualize and analyse ecological networks their dynamics. Here, we focus on the dynamics of in response environmental changes. Specifically, formalize how network topologies constrain systems into a unifying framework refer as 'ecological framework'. This stresses interplay between species interaction spatial layout habitat patches key identifying which properties (number weights nodes links) trade-offs among them are needed maintain interactions dynamic landscapes. We conclude be functional, should scaled according dispersal abilities landscape heterogeneity. Determining such effective change through space time can help reveal complex changing world.

Language: Английский

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A roadmap towards predicting species interaction networks (across space and time)

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 376(1837), P. 20210063 - 20210063

Published: Sept. 20, 2021

Networks of species interactions underpin numerous ecosystem processes, but comprehensively sampling these is difficult. Interactions intrinsically vary across space and time, given the number that compose ecological communities, it can be tough to distinguish between a true negative (where two never interact) from false have not been observed interacting even though they actually do). Assessing likelihood an imperative for several fields ecology. This means predict species-and describe structure, variation, change networks form-we need rely on modelling tools. Here, we provide proof-of-concept, where show how simple neural network model makes accurate predictions about limited data. We then assess challenges opportunities associated with improving interaction predictions, conceptual roadmap forward towards predictive models explicitly spatial temporal. conclude brief primer relevant methods tools needed start building models, which hope will guide this research programme forward. article part theme issue 'Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity dynamics globe'.

Language: Английский

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Global knowledge gaps in species interaction networks data

Journal of Biogeography, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 48(7), P. 1552 - 1563

Published: April 29, 2021

Abstract Ecological networks are increasingly studied at large spatial scales, expanding their focus from a conceptual tool for community ecology into one that also addresses questions in biogeography and macroecology. This effort is supported by increased access to standardized information on ecological networks, the form of openly accessible databases. Yet, there has been no systematic evaluation fitness purpose these data explore synthesis very scales. In particular, because sampling difficult task, they likely not have good representation diversity Earth's bioclimatic conditions, be spatially aggregated, therefore unlikely achieve broad representativeness. this paper, we analyse over 1300 mangal.io database, discuss coverage climates, geographic areas which deficit networks. Taken together, our results suggest while some about global structure available, it remains fragmented space, with further differences types interactions. causes great concerns both ability transfer knowledge region next, but forecast structural change under climate change.

Language: Английский

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Using ecological networks to answer questions in global biogeography and ecology

Journal of Biogeography, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 50(1), P. 57 - 69

Published: June 16, 2022

Abstract Ecological networks have classically been studied at site and landscape scales, yet recent efforts made to collate these data into global repositories. This offers an opportunity integrate upscale knowledge about ecological interactions from local scales gain enhanced insights the mechanistic information provided by data. By drawing on existing research investigating patterns in continental we show how networks, collected appropriate can be used generate improved understanding of many aspects ecology biogeography—for example, species distribution modelling, restoration conservation. We argue that structure function across it is possible enhance our natural world.

Language: Английский

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The Resilience of Plant–Pollinator Networks

Annual Review of Entomology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 68(1), P. 363 - 380

Published: Oct. 7, 2022

There is growing awareness of pollinator declines worldwide. Conservation efforts have mainly focused on finding the direct causes, while paying less attention to building a systemic understanding fragility these communities pollinators. To fill this gap, we need operational measures network resilience that integrate two different approaches in theoretical ecology. First, should consider range conditions compatible with stable coexistence all species community. Second, address rate and shape collapse once safe space exited. In review, describe integrative approach several mechanisms may enhance communities, chiefly rewiring interactions, increasing heterogeneity, allowing variance, enhancing coevolution. The most pressing develop ways reduce gap between recommendations practical applications. This perspective shifts emphasis from traditional focusing equilibrium states strategies allow pollination networks cope global environmental change.

Language: Английский

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Combined use of urban Atlas and Corine land cover datasets for the implementation of an ecological network using graph theory within a multi-species approach

Ecological Indicators, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 148, P. 110150 - 110150

Published: March 20, 2023

Ecological sustainability has recently risen to prominence in scientific research and management applications. Approaches measuring ecological connectivity their application optimize network (EN) design are powerful tools against landscape fragmentation biodiversity loss. We focused on building an EN by identifying the most sensitive areas for within Reggio Calabria (Italy) metropolitan area. also proposed a defragmentation scenario improve obtained EN. The CORINE Land Cover Urban Atlas 2018 were used obtain fine-scale representation of study Ten terrestrial mammal species model following multi-species approach. Dispersal distance, patch size, resistance movement identify patches corridors. Vegetational fractional coverage based three years time series Sentinel-2 red-edge normalized difference vegetation index was discriminate with higher naturalness. graph theory metrics test EN’s robustness locations restoration scenario. EN, formed separate components, composed 724 arcs 300 nodes average area 27.04 ha. After hypothesis, only one component, 771 328 26.82 It possible analyze evaluate impact intended enhance connectivity. By comparing several metrics, we highlighted potential land interventions as planning tool future conservation.

Language: Английский

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Intraspecific variation in species interactions promotes the feasibility of mutualistic assemblages

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 26(3), P. 448 - 459

Published: Jan. 23, 2023

Patterns of resource use observed at the species level emerge from way individuals exploit range available resources. Hence, accounting for interindividual differences in use, such as pollinator by plants, is essential to advance our understanding community assembly and persistence. By using finely resolved data on plant-pollinator interactions, we evaluated how plant variation scales up affect structure dynamics. All co-occurring comprised specialists interacting with proper subsets pollinators that visited generalists, interaction patterns were driven among-individual trait variation. Furthermore, nested feasibility communities maximised higher levels traits use. Our study sheds light pervasive properties arise individual-level processes contributes elucidate importance preserving intraspecific within populations.

Language: Английский

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Dynamical Mean-Field Theory of Complex Systems on Sparse Directed Networks

Physical Review Letters, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 134(3)

Published: Jan. 24, 2025

Although real-world complex systems typically interact through sparse and heterogeneous networks, analytic solutions of their dynamics are limited to models with all-to-all interactions. Here, we solve the a broad range nonlinear on directed networks random structure. By generalizing dynamical mean-field theory systems, derive an exact equation for path probability describing effective single degree freedom. Our general solution applies key in study neural ecosystems, epidemic spreading, synchronization. Using population algorithm, path-probability determine phase diagram seminal network model regime, showing that this undergoes transition from fixed-point chaos as function topology.

Language: Английский

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