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Alpine and Arctic bryophytes have been found to respond negatively to climate change, but as they are often analysed as one functional group, there is limited knowledge on species-specific responses. In this study, we examine how nearly two decades of experimental warming by open-top chambers and ambient warming have affected the bryophyte community structure in an alpine Dryas octopetala L. heath in Finse, southwest Norway. In contrast to what we expected, we found that bryophyte abundance, species richness, and evenness increased over time in the control plots, indicating a positive response to ambient warming. However, the increase in bryophyte abundance and cover was suppressed in experimentally warmed plots compared with control plots. Bryophyte community composition changed in a similar direction in response to both ambient and experimental warming. Acrocarpous mosses were not affected stronger by warming than pleurocarpous mosses, but individual species and taxa showed contrasting responses. Our study highlights the importance of studying bryophyte responses to environmental change, as well as combining long-term observations with experimental warming.

Elevational gradients in mountains show rapid changes in environmental conditions across a small geographic extent. This results in habitat specialization in animal communities which results in changes in species composition across space. We explore changes in species and functional group composition of ants using the first ever data on the distribution of ants across an elevational gradient in the Eastern Himalaya. Ants were sampled from 600 to 2400 m elevations at 200 m intervals using Winklers and pitfall traps. The sampling yielded 166 species of ants from 10,560 individuals, which were then classified into functional groups. We used redundancy analysis to test the effects of environmental factors (temperature, leaflitter volume, understory vegetation) and spatial predictors on species as well as functional group composition of communities at different elevations. Our results show that species diversity within all functional groups decreases towards higher elevations. The functional group composition of ant communities shows a gradient from high evenness at low elevations to being dominated by opportunist species at higher elevations. Redundancy analyses shows that most of the variation in species as well as functional group composition is driven by spatially structured environmental variation. This is most likely due to the high correlation between temperature and elevation. In summary, the changes in species as well as functional group composition are likely driven by a gradient in climate across the elevation gradient.

Land-use change is well documented to cause species loss. However, our understanding of the effects of land-use change on other aspects of biodiversity is still limited. We evaluated if different land-use changes (Eucalyptus plantation and planted pasture) affect ant species and functional groups in similar ways across three Cerrado vegetation types (grassland, savanna and savanna-forest). We found that ant species and functional responses differed with land-use change in relation to frequency of occurrence and habitat specificity and fidelity. Land-use change affected species frequency of occurrence but not functional groups, indicating that species are more sensitive than functional groups to habitat transformation. Native habitats had different indicator species and functional groups compared with converted habitats. However, we did not find functional group indicators of converted habitats in any vegetation type; indicating that there is no specificity and fidelity of functional group to converted habitats and that such an approach is less sensitive to land-use changes. In savanna and savanna-forest, species and functional groups showed the same response in relation to composition with differences between native and converted habitats. Thus, functional groups will be lost when ant species are lost. In grasslands, functional group composition was similar between native and converted habitats indicating a turnover of species within functional groups. We demonstrate that both Eucalyptus plantation and planted pasture affect ant species and functional groups in different ways, with negative impacts both taxonomically and less so functionally. Therefore, we show that the two aspects of biodiversity can respond independently to land-use changes and, hence, the importance of using both taxonomic and functional group approaches to evaluate the effects of land-use change on biodiversity in savanna systems.

The majority of our understanding of the effects of climate change on coral reef fishes are currently based on studies of small-bodied species such as damselfishes. By contrast, we know little about the potential impacts of ocean warming on larger species of herbivorous and detritivorous reef fish, despite them being a critical functional group and an essential source of food protein for millions of people. In addition, we know little of the role of habitat in determining species’ thermal sensitivity and the legitimacy of extrapolating thermal performance across closely-related species from different habitat types. Here we test the effect of exposure to increased water temperature during juvenile development on key physiological and behavioral traits of two species of rabbitfish typically associated with different habitats: Siganus doliatus (reef-associated) and S. lineatus (estuarine). Wild-caught juveniles were reared for 14 weeks at temperatures representing present-day ambient conditions (28.0 °C), late-summer ambient conditions (30.0 °C), or those projected on reefs under future global warming scenarios (31.5 °C). We then measured the somatic (growth, condition, immune response) and behavioral (feeding rate, latency to feed and activity level) traits of individuals within each treatment to determine the sensitivity of each species to elevated water temperatures. Overall, both species showed comparatively robust levels of thermal tolerance, based on previously-documented responses of small-bodied reef fishes. However, two very different patterns emerged. The reef-associated S. doliatus showed a greater physiological response to temperature, with negative effects on hepatosomatic condition and immune function observed in individuals exposed to the 31.5 °C treatment. By contrast, there were no negative physiological effects of temperature observed in S. lineatus and instead we recorded behavioral changes, with individuals at 30 °C and 31.5 °C displaying altered feeding behavior (increased feeding rate and decreased latency to feed). These distinct responses observed between congeners are likely due to their evolutionary history and flag the potential inaccuracies that could arise from extrapolating effects of ocean warming across even closely-related species adapted to different habitats.

AIM: Microbial diversity is one of the most important factors for maintaining the performance of multiple functions in soils (multifunctionality). However, existing studies typically consider the taxonomic richness or Shannon diversity of the entire community. We know little about the connection network of taxonomic and phylogenetic facets of diversity and their collective impact on multifunctionality. In this study, the linkages of effects of diversity within functional groups were disentangled in drylands. LOCATION: The central Tibetan Plateau. TIME PERIOD: Present. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Phototrophs and diazotrophs (mainly cyanobacteria). METHODS: Given the carbon‐ and nitrogen‐limited nature of drylands, we conducted a high‐throughput sequencing of C/N‐fixing functional groups from biocrusts and evaluated multiple facets of diversity (i.e., richness, evenness and phylogeny‐related trait dissimilarity), together with seven crucial variables of soil functioning to calculate multifunctionality. The relationships between multifaceted diversity and abundance with individual functions and multifunctionality were validated by a set of solid statistical analyses. RESULTS: We found that the integrated biodiversity index was a stronger predictor of multifunctionality than richness. The divergent performance of different facets of diversity determined the idiosyncratic effect of each functional group on soil multifunctionality. Moreover, the evaluation of functional significance at the species level gave important clues on the trade‐offs and redundancy in each functional group, explaining the distinct patterns of effects of diversity. Richness was the dominant factor for diazotrophs to maximize multifunctionality, whereas phylogenetic dissimilarity was the essential one for phototrophs. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that multiple facets of diversity should be considered when assessing the effects of biodiversity. In contrast to the community level, within‐functional group measures might adequately capture the features of diversity that are most correlated with soil multifunctionality. Our results provide a perspective to bridge the gap between taxonomic and trait‐based approaches for elucidating the biodiversity–ecosystem function relationship.

Significance: Hydropersulfides (RSSH) and related polysulfide species (RSnR, n > 2, R = alkyl, H) are highly biologically prevalent with likely important physiological functions. Due to their preva...

Trait‐based approaches are increasingly used as a proxy for understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Macrobenthic fauna are considered one of the major providers of ecosystem functions in marine soft sediments; however, several gaps persist in the knowledge of their trait classification, limiting the potential use of functional assessments. While trait databases are available for the well‐studied North Atlantic benthic fauna, no such trait classification system exists for Australia. Here, we present the South Australian Macrobenthic Traits (SAMT) database, the first comprehensive assessment of macrobenthic fauna traits in temperate Australian waters. The SAMT database includes 13 traits and 54 trait‐modalities (e.g., life history, morphology, physiology, and behavior), and is based on records of macrobenthic fauna from South Australia. We provide trait information for more than 250 macrobenthic taxa, including outcomes from a fuzzy coding procedure, as well as an R package for using and analyzing the SAMT database. The establishment of the SAMT constitutes the foundation for a comprehensive macrobenthic trait database for the wider southern Australian region that could facilitate future research on functional perspectives, such as assessments of functional diversity and changes to ecosystem functioning., Step‐by‐step processes for assessing ecosystem functioning. The use of SAMT database is highlighted as an essential step for understanding ecosystem functioning.

Information on the functional traits of the most widespread species of freshwater zooplankton (Rotifera, Cladocera, and Copepoda) in European Russia was collected and analyzed. Our database includes 355 species described by 4 traits, namely: maximum body length, trophic group, feeding type, and movement type. Cluster analysis based on Gower's functional distances shows that freshwater zooplankton can be classified into 19 groups with different ecological roles. The characteristics of each identified functional group are presented. We believe it to be fundamentally important to build a unified classification using all available data and applicable characters for all three main taxonomic groups of zooplankton. Comparison with the existing ecological zooplankton classification proposed by Yu. S. Chuikov has demonstrated a number of advantages of our approach. Several ecological groups in Yu. S. Chuikov’s classification are represented by more fractional categories in our classification. Our system of functional groups can be used in studies of the structure of zooplanktocoenoses based on direct cluster analysis and ordination or based on functional distances between samples. To calculate the functional similarity between species, one can use our database of features, which is contained in the Appendix. Analysis based on functional groups gives a better unerstanding of the structure of a community than traditional ordination, which takes into account only the taxonomic affiliation of species. The approach used for functional group identification can be useful in assessing functional diversity and identifying patterns of freshwater zooplanktocoenoses dynamics. The database of functional signs of zooplankton can be used to check the relationship of functional signs with environmental factors.

Reservoir eutrophication is a global problem that needs to be urgently solved, and exploring phytoplankton dynamics in young reservoirs is extremely important for artificial intervention during the process of eutrophication. However, the succession of phytoplankton communities and their responses to environmental variables in young canyon reservoirs remain obscure. Therefore, phytoplankton functional group data were collected from a young canyon reservoir for 2 years, and the succession pattern and its response to environmental variables were simultaneously evaluated. The results revealed significant spatial differences and rapid interannual changes in some environmental variables (water temperature, suspended solids) in the young canyon reservoir. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that phytoplankton functional group structure differed obviously among the zones of the reservoir, while significant interannual succession (from the Lo and Y groups to the X2 group) occurred in the lacustrine zone. Additionally, redundancy analysis demonstrated that the structure of phytoplankton functional groups varied significantly between the spatially different environments. Finally, the succession of phytoplankton functional groups in the lacustrine zone was mainly driven by increases in nutrients and water temperature. The rules underlying and dominant mechanism driving short-term succession in the young canyon reservoir revealed in this study may provide a deeper understanding of the intervention mechanisms that could be implemented to alleviate reservoir eutrophication.

Functional assessment approaches can identify indicators of environmental change and ecological response in estuaries. This study used a 24-year coastal fisheries dataset (1993–2016) and environmental data to evaluate fish assemblage changes in Galveston Bay, Texas (USA) in response to environmental parameters and freshwater inflows, drought, and flood. Functional classification categorized 107 fish species into eleven functional groups to determine if estuarine species serve as suitable indicators of environmental condition. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), distance-based linear models, and graphing techniques using annual departures from period averages determined relationships between functional group abundance, freshwater inflows, and environmental parameters. Results show that estuarine-resident carnivore, estuarine-resident omnivore, marine migrant carnivore, and marine straggler carnivore functional groups exhibit highest species richness (mean = 21 species) and abundance (mean = 48,411 individuals) compared with other functional groups (mean species richness = 3; mean abundance = 1143 individuals). Declines in abundance of functional groups occurred during a 2011–2014 drought, with rebounds in 2015–2016. Relationships between inflows, salinity, and functional group abundance were evident in upper Galveston Bay, diminishing with increasing distance from major freshwater sources. Functional abundance in lower parts of the bay was decoupled from inflows and salinity changes. Findings support the conclusion that estuarine-resident and marine functional groups have limited potential to serve as bioindicators, while freshwater migrant carnivores are potential bioindicators for upper portions of the estuary. Functional methodologies provide insight into effects of environmental change on estuarine ecosystems and serve as management tools to assess changes in fish assemblages.

Sulfoximines have been largely disregarded in medicinal chemistry for a long time. However, recently, they have risen to the apparent level of stardom on the drug discovery scene. Considering the outstanding properties of sulfoximines, this versatile functional group has advanced to implementation in several drug discovery programs. Currently, this fashionable functional group can be found in various hit-to-lead and lead optimization studies in early stages and in several compounds currently in clinical trials. Herein, we review recent developments to demonstrate the scope and limitations of this interesting and versatile functional group in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.

In Antarctica, amphipods form a highly diverse group, occupy many different ecological niches and hold an important place in food webs. Here, we aimed to test whether differences in Antarctic amphipod feeding habits were reflected in their mandible morphology, and if mouthpart specialization could be used to describe amphipod trophic ecology. To do so, we compared mandible morphology in nine species spanning seven families and five functional groups (grazers, suspension feeders, generalist predators, specialist predators and scavengers). Mandible morphology adequately depicted some aspects of amphipod trophic ecology, such as the trophic level at which animals feed or their degree of dietary specialization. On the other hand, links between mandible morphology and amphipod diet were seldom unambiguous or straightforward. Similar adaptations were found in distinct functional groups. Conversely, mandible morphology could vary within a single functional group, and phylogenetic effects sometimes complicated the interpretation of form-function relationships. Overall, mandible morphology on its own was generally not sufficient to precisely predict amphipod feeding strategies. However, when combined with other methods (e.g. gut contents, trophic markers), it constitutes a valuable source of information for integrative studies of amphipod ecological diversity in the Southern Ocean.

River phytoplankton has been studied to understand its occurrence and composition since the end of the nineteenth century. Later, pioneers addressed mechanisms that affected river phytoplankton by “origin of plankton”, “turbulent mixing”, “flow heterogeneity”, “paradox of potamoplankton maintenance” and “dead zones” as keywords along the twentieth century. A major shift came with the recognition that characteristic units in phytoplankton compositions could be linked to specific set of environmental conditions, known as the “Phytoplankton Functional Group concept” sensu Reynolds. The FG concept could successfully be applied to river phytoplankton due to its close resemblance to shallow lakes phytoplankton. The FG approach enables one to separate the effects of “natural constraints” and “human impacts” on river phytoplankton and to evaluate the ecological status of rivers. The FG classification has mainly been advocated in the context of how the environment shaped the functional composition of phytoplankton. It may be further developed in the future by a trait-based mechanistic classification of taxa into FGs, and by the exact quantification of FGs on ecosystem functioning. These improvements will help quantify how global warming and human impacts affect river phytoplankton and corresponding alterations in ecosystem functioning.

The variations of phytoplankton functional groups and their correlation with environmental factors, as well as the applicability of phytoplankton functional groups to serve as biological water quality indicator in the Pearl River, South China, were studied in the present study. A total of 96 samples were collected and divided into 21 functional groups from September 2016 to July 2017. The phytoplankton functional groups P and G were dominant during the investigation, and their biomass contributing was ranged 0.06 to 89.07%, the average 30.73%, and ranged 1.47 to 62.40%, the average 9.33% of the total biomass, respectively. The results showed environmental estrogens—BPA (bisphenol A), E2 (17β-estradiol), E1 (estrone), 4-t-OP (4-tert-octylphenol), 4-NP (nonylphenol), TCS (triclosan), and TCC (triclocarban)—in the Pearl River were significantly different, and with average values of 269.30 ng L−1, 2.76 ng L−1, 4.24 ng L−1, 53.68 ng L−1, 952.72 ng L−1, 16.79 ng L−1, and 8.61 ng L−1, respectively. This was likely responsible for the differences in the phytoplankton functional groups. We observed positive correlations between P and A, and G and J. Functional groups P biomass decreased significantly with functional groups LM increased, and functional groups M and J with X2. We found positive correlations between functional group G and concentrations of E1 and TCC; functional group A and total nitrogen (TN), 4-NP, 4-t-OP, and E2; functional groups LM and L1 and total suspended particles, BPA, and TCS; and functional group G and negative total phosphorus (TP), pH, and TCS. The study showed that TN, TP, and the environmental estrogens in the aquatic ecosystems were correlation with phytoplankton functional groups type, and affected the ecological balance in aquatic environments.

Aim. The purpose of the article is to study the physical development and physical fitness of students of the III functional group under lack of physical activity and in the conditions of organized classes in a technical university. Materials and methods. The sample included 11 490 full time students (6051 males and 5439 females) aged 17–21 years. The study of physical deve­lopment and physical fitness was conducted in two stages. In all participants, anthropometric and physiometric health data were recorded. These data were studied in dynamics from the 1st to the 4th year. The obtained data were examined stage-by-stage during the academic year and vacation period. Results. Significant differences were obtained in the physical development of girls in terms of weight and height by the end of the third year. The values of the Stange and Gench tests improved by the end of the first year. However, by the end of the second year, the negative dynamics was detected. The results of the Genchtest significantly improved by the end of the fourth year. The study of physical fitness revealed significant positive dynamic in the development of speed and a significant decrease in strength preparedness by the end of the fourth year. By the end of the first year, strength endurance became significantly higher compared with the data obtained at the time of the beginning of training. By the end of the third year endurance decreased significantly. Conclusion. Young people who regularly engage in physical activity during the first two years at the university have a positive trend in most indicators of physical development and physical fitness. Lack of motor activity, caused by a decrease in the number of classes provided for by the general education program, significantly affects endurance, speed, the development of strength (static endurance of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and dynamic strength of the muscles of the lower extremities), speed and strength qualities (6th and 8th semesters), flexibility.

This essay offers insights into Renaissance Dalmatia’s intellectual elites by focusing, first, on individual experiences to derive, second, general trends about their socio-economic group behaviour. While these include known individuals like Brne Karnarutić, Federik Grisogono, and Šime Budinić, the author argues that we should also include their less-prominent neighbours to arrive at a fuller understanding of their activities throughout, and in some cases beyond, the Venetian Adriatic, thereby revealing new insights into the private lives of Dalmatia’s intellectuals, including interpersonal and spatial ties. Based on original research of primary sources preserved in the Croatian State Archives in Zadar, new insights into a field of research dominated by Renaissance Dalmatia’s urban elites are gained by widening the scope of enquiry and by including differentiations such as class, education, and gender to identify behavioural patterns.

Considerable effort and resources have been placed into conservation programs designed to reduce or alleviate negative environmental effects of crop production and into evaluation of the benefits of these programs. Wetlands are an important source of ecosystem services, but modeling wetland plants is an emerging science. To date, wetland plant growth has not been explicitly accounted for in ecosystem service models that quantify conservation program effects. As part of an effort to more accurately simulate wetland plants within process-based models, we expanded upon plant growth data collected in an earlier effort with additional sampling at two of four previously sampled areas, and included a fifth sampling site. We then used data from the five sites spanning five years as wetland plant parameters at both the species and functional group levels for the Agricultural Land Management Alternative with Numerical Assessment Criteria (ALMANAC) model. In addition to individual species, modelers are interested in functional groups representing a collection of species because it is unrealistic to model every species occurring in an ecosystem. ALMANAC simulations were completed at three sites for both individual wetland plant species and functional groups. At each site, simulated plant yields were within 1 Mg ha−1 (±7%) of measured values (r2 = 0.99). Multisite species simulated yields were within 37% of measured values (r2 = 0.95). Functional groups performed as well as individual species simulations. Functional group simulated yields were within 1 Mg ha−1 (±5%) of measured yields. Plant growth is a major component of these wetland ecosystems, and ALMANAC verified wetland plant parameters support more accurate assessments of conservation programs and practices on the influence of wetland ecosystems embedded within agricultural fields. The improved plant parameters we provide here will be transferred to other process-based models that focus on other ecosystem components such as soil and water effects, facilitating wetland evaluations across the United States and elsewhere.

Although soil nematode diversity has been used as an indicator of habitat characteristics and environmental change, the diversity of entire soil nematode communities has not been comprehensively evaluated at different taxonomic levels, or for different functional groups, or at a fine taxonomic level within functional groups. In this study, two taxonomic diversity indices, the Shannon-Wiener index (H′) and Simpson index (λ), were used to evaluate the following: 1) nematode diversity at different taxonomic levels for the whole community, 2) nematode diversity of different functional groups, and 3) nematode generic diversity of functional groups in the following four land-use types: forage land, cropland, secondary forest, and grass-shrubland. The results showed that significant differences in nematode diversity among land-use types were detected by assessment at the order level but not at the family or genus level. The results also showed that significant differences in nematode diversity were better revealed by assessment of trophic groups rather than cp groups. The generic diversities (H′)of omnivorous nematodes and cp3 nematodes also significantly differed among land-use types. Our results indicate that diversity at a high taxonomic level (i.e., order) may be a more useful indicator than diversity at a low taxonomic level (i.e., family or genus) of differences among land-use types. In addition, the functional group diversity (i.e., trophic group, cp group, and the combination of these two groups) for the whole community and the taxonomic diversity within functional groups were useful indicators of differences among land-use types.

Picocyanobacteria are important yet understudied components of lake foodwebs. While phylogenetic studies of isolated strains reveal a high diversity of freshwater genotypes, little is known about abiotic drivers associated with picocyanobacteria in different lakes. Due to methodological limitations, most previous studies assess potential drivers using total cell abundances as a response, with often conflicting and inconsistent results. In the present study, we explored how picocyanobacterial communities respond to environmental change using a combination of epifluorescence microscopy and community data determined using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. Temporal shifts in picocyanobacterial abundance, diversity and community dynamics were assessed in relation to potential environmental drivers in five contrasting lakes over one year. Cell abundances alone were not consistently related to environmental variables across lakes. However, the addition of metabarcoding data revealed diverse picocyanobacterial communities that differed significantly between lakes, driven by environmental variables related to trophic state. Within each lake, communities were temporally dynamic and certain amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were strongly associated with specific environmental drivers. Rapid shifts in community structure and composition were often related to environmental changes, indicating that lacustrine picocyanobacteria can persist at high abundances through collective community adaptation. These results demonstrate that a combination of microscopy and metabarcoding enables an in-depth characterisation of picocyanobacterial communities and reveals strain-specific drivers. We recommend that future studies cease referring to picocyanobacterial as one functional group and take strain specific variability into consideration.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are widely detected in aquatic ecosystems and attracting considerable attention. Although ecotoxicological impacts of NPs on aquatic biota are increasingly identified, the extent and magnitude of these detrimental effects on fish and aquatic invertebrates still lack systematic quantification and mechanistic interpretation. Here, the toxicity, influencing factors, and related mechanisms of NPs to fish and aquatic invertebrates are critically reviewed and summarized based on a total of 634 biological endpoints through a meta-analysis, where five vital response categories including growth, consumption, reproduction, survival, and behavior were emphasized to elucidate the negative impacts of NPs to fish and aquatic invertebrates from physiological to molecular levels. Our results revealed that NPs significantly decreased the survival, behavior, and reproduction of fish and/or aquatic invertebrates by 56.1%, 24.2%, and 36.0%, respectively. NPs exposure increased the oxidative stress and oxidative damage by 72.0% and 9.6%, respectively; while significantly decreased antioxidant prevention system and neurotransmission by 24.4% and 15.9%, respectively. Also, the effects of particle size, functional group, and concentration range of NPs on the physiological and biochemical reactions in the living organisms were discussed. This information is helpful to more accurately understanding the underlying toxic mechanisms of NPs to aquatic biota and guiding future studies.

Body size influences the effect of individuals and assemblages on ecosystem functioning and defines how they respond to ecosystem changes. We evaluated how body size structure of fish assemblages and functional groups respond to human modifications at catchment, riparian and local scales in 40 streams of the Pampa grasslands, southern Brazil. To describe body size structure, we calculated the mean, coefficient of variation, skewness, and kurtosis, using individual biomass data for the entire fish assemblages and separately by functional group. The results suggested that body size response depends on body size metrics, functional group, and the spatial scale of land use. From 11 functional groups, only five showed a clear response to land use. In general, most functional groups had a higher concentration of small sizes (left-skewed) in response to increased land use measured at distinct spatial scales (local, riparian, and catchment), and a greater concentration of sizes in a narrow and central distribution (higher kurtosis). However, the responses were complex and varied between the functional groups. We conclude that considering ecomorphological and trophic features separately by functional group and assessing multiple body size metrics contributed greatly to detecting the influence of land use on fish body size. Resumo O tamanho corporal influencia o efeito de indivíduos e assembleias no funcionamento dos ecossistemas e define como estes respondem à alterações ambientais. Investigamos como a estrutura do tamanho corporal de assembleias e grupos funcionais de peixes responde ao uso da terra quantificado em três escalas espaciais (sub-bacia, ripária e local), em 40 riachos do Pampa, sul do Brasil. Para tanto, calculamos média, coeficiente de variação, assimetria e kurtose usando biomassa individual em nível de assembleia e grupo funcional. As respostas do tamanho corporal dependeram da métrica utilizada, do grupo funcional e da escala de uso da terra. Entre os 11 grupos funcionais identificados, apenas cinco mostraram uma resposta clara ao uso da terra. Em geral, a maioria dos grupos mostrou uma assimetria na distribuição em favor de menores tamanhos corporais e uma concentração de tamanhos em uma distribuição estreita e central (alta kurtose) em resposta ao uso da terra quantificado nas três escalas espaciais. Entretanto, as respostas foram complexas e variaram entre grupos funcionais. A consideração de atributos ecomorfológicos e tróficos separadamente por grupo funcional e a avaliação de múltiplas métricas contribuem de forma importante para detectar a influência do uso da terra no tamanho corporal de peixes.

Aim The decomposition of plant residues is a fundamental process of soil organic matter accumulation. The loss of plant functional groups (PFGs) could affect this process by producing litter of different qualities in the soil. Microorganisms are one of the indispensable driving forces of ecological processes, but the mechanisms by microbial communities respond to aboveground PFG changes are still unclear, which limits our understanding of biogeochemical cycle changes under PFG loss.Methods We assessed the microbial taxonomic and functional composition of six typical single PFGs (evergreen conifer, evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrub, graminoid, forb and fern), random loss of a single PFG (SPFG) from litter mixtures and total mixture of six PFGs in a Tibetan fir forest by a high-throughput sequencing method.Results The microbial composition and function did not change with loss of a SPFG in litter, and microbial communities were mainly determined by the carbon and nitrogen ratio (C:N), carbon and phosphorus ratio (C:P), N and lignin, and bacterial functional pathways and fungal functional guilds were both determined by N, C:N and C:P ratios. Bacterial diversity was positively related while fungal diversity was negatively related to N and cellulose concentrations.Conclusion We speculated that the difference in initial litter qualities (especially C:N) between different PFGs, rather than a decreased number of PFGs, is a determinant of microbial composition and function. As the loss of PFG does not change litter quality, the microbial community can resist the loss of PFG, which maintains alpine ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling stability.

In natural communities, microbes exchange a variety of metabolites (public goods) with each other, which drives the evolution of auxotroph and shapes interdependent patterns at community-level. However, factors that determine the strategy of public goods synthesis for a given community member still remains to be elucidated. In anaerobic methanogenic communities, energy availability of different community members is largely varied. We hypothesized that this uneven energy availability contributed to the heterogeneity of public goods synthesis ability among the members in these communities. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the synthetic strategy of amino acids of the bacterial and archaeal members involved in four previously enriched anaerobic methanogenic communities residing in thermophilic chemostats. Our analyses indicate that most of the members in the communities did not possess ability to synthesize all the essential amino acids, suggesting they exchanged these essential public goods to establish interdependent patterns for survival. Importantly, we found that the amino acid synthesis ability of a functional group was largely determined by how much energy it could obtain from its metabolism in the given environmental condition. Moreover, members within a functional group also possessed different amino acid synthesis abilities, which are related to their features of energy metabolism. Our study reveals that energy availability is a key driver of microbial evolution in presence of metabolic specialization at community level and suggests the feasibility of managing anaerobic methanogenic communities for better performance through controlling the metabolic interactions involved.

In Korea, rapid urbanization has changed the land use in rural areas, which has resulted in an increase in the number of weirs that are left untended in streams. Previously, changes in stream morphology and fishes were studied following the removal of such weirs. The present study was conducted to investigate changes in the habitat of the macroinvertebrate community after weir removal using physical habitat simulations (PHSs). The functional group approach was used in the PHSs for the macroinvertebrate community. In the functional group approach, macroinvertebrates are classified based on the traits of their food acquisition (i.e., the functional feeding group) or habitat selection (i.e., the functional habit group). In the present study, macroinvertebrate species were divided into the functional habit groups (FHGs) of swimmers, clingers, burrowers, and sprawlers. Hydraulic simulations and habitat simulations were carried out using the River2D model and habitat suitability curves (HSCs), respectively. The distributions of the composite suitability index (CSI) for the FHGs were obtained over the entire study area, and the changes in the suitability of the habitat for the target FHGs were evaluated. The simulation results indicated that habitat suitability for swimmers, clingers, and sprawlers was improved. However, habitat suitability for burrowers was degraded after the weir was removed. Consequently, the removal of the weir increased the diversity of the macroinvertebrate community, thus improving the health of the aquatic ecosystem.

International audience; Understanding the relative importance of habitat and biotic drivers on community assembly across food web components is an important step towards predicting the consequences of environmental changes. Because documenting entire food webs is often impractical, this question has been only partially investigated. Here, we partitioned variation in species assemblages of the major components of tank bromeliad food webs (bacteria, algae, protozoans, detritivorous and predatory invertebrates) into habitat and biotic determinants and examined the influence of habitat variables and predator or prey abundance on all taxonomic assemblages. Ecological determinism of assemblage structure ranged from weak in bacteria (

1. In the prolonged absence of catastrophic disturbance, ecosystem retrogression occurs, which is characterized by declining soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability, increasing plant and soil N to P ratios, and reduced plant biomass and productivity. It is, however, largely unknown as to how the effects of plant communities on soil nutrients change during retrogression or might contribute to declining nutrient availability as retrogression proceeds. 2. We studied a well-characterized system of 30 lake islands in northern Sweden that collectively represent a 5000-year post-fire retrogressive chronosequence. For each island, we established an experiment that involved full factorial removal of three plant functional groups (tree roots, dwarf shrubs and mosses), and of three species of dwarf shrub (Vaccinium myrtillus, V. vitis-idaea and Empetrum hermaphroditum). After 19 years, we took various measures of soil N and P availability, and measured foliar N and P for each dwarf shrub species, for each plot in the experiment. 3. Although plant removal effects (and particularly removal of tree roots, shrubs, and Vaccinium species) on belowground N and P measures sometimes changed during retrogression, this seldom happened in a way that explains the decline in nutrient availability and increase in N to P ratios that characterizes ecosystem retrogression. The only exceptions were that the positive effects of tree roots on soil mineral N and P, and of V. myrtillus on soil mineral P, declined during retrogression. 4. Plant removal effects on community-level measures of shrub N and P varied greatly across the chronosequence, but these effects again did not align with the changes in soil nutrient availability or N to P ratios that characterize ecosystem retrogression. 5. Synthesis. Our results suggest that retrogression, and associated changes in nutrient availability and soil N to P ratios, is driven mainly by longer-term pedogenic processes as opposed to shorter-term effects of plant communities on soil N and P availability. More generally, they illustrate the value of long-term and large-scale experimental manipulations of plant communities for showing how effects of biodiversity loss on ecosystem properties vary across contrasting ecosystems. Accepted version This work was supported by grants to D.A.W. from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) and a Wallenberg Scholars award.

Understanding how ecosystems may cope with future environmental change is a key challenge in modern ecology. Ecosystem resilience depends on both functional redundancy (the number of species making a similar contribution to a given ecosystem function) and response diversity (variability in the responses of functionally similar species to disturbance). Ants provide numerous important ecosystem functions that are rooted in their dietary ecology. We focused on food resource exploitation and analyzed how functional redundancy and response diversity changed across common habitats for Mediterranean ant communities. Our aim was to assess the vulnerability of ant-furnished ecosystem functions to future environmental change. We used cafeteria experiments to identify ant functional groups: we offered ants a variety of seeds, insects, and liquid sugars. Then, using more general baits, we estimated ant species richness and abundance. We also examined 12 ant traits (morphological, social, ecobehavioral, and physiological) thought to reflect responses to disturbance. We found that most Mediterranean ant species are dietary generalists. Functional redundancy was highest and lowest for sugar and seed consumers, respectively, a consistent trend across habitats that was unrelated to species richness. Response diversity did not depend on ant functional group. Interestingly, both functional redundancy and response diversity were higher in pine forests and shrublands than in oak forests, a pattern that was consistent regardless of whether the functional groups were examined collectively or individually. Variation in functional redundancy and response diversity was strongly driven by site-specific species richness. Response diversity also varied based on trait type. Ecosystem functions mediated by seed-consuming ants should be the most vulnerable to environmental change, and habitat type and local species richness should affect the vulnerability of any ecosystem functions mediated by ant dietary ecology. Species-poor communities in forests should be the most vulnerable, while species-rich communities in open habitats should be the most resilient.

We examined the soil fauna community composition and structure of Poyang Lake beach wetlands using the modified Tullgren and Baermann methods during September and December 2015. A total of 3755 individuals were obtained from 2 samplings, which were found to belong to 7 classes, 8 orders, 3 suborders, and 17 families. Among these, the Oribatida, Prostigmata, Nematoda, and Onychiuridae were dominant. The functional groups of soil animals included omnivores, saprozoics, predators, and phytophages. Analysis results of the soil fauna composition and diversity showed that the soil animals were mainly concentrated at the 0-10 cm depth, presenting as a significant surface convergence phenomenon. The numbers of individual soil animals differed significantly between sampling sites (P < 0.05), with the beach wetland in Lianhu Township having the highest numbers of individuals and groups. The effect of water level variability on numbers of soil animals was not significant (P > 0.05). Habitat type and sampling time both had highly significant effects on diversity and evenness (P < 0.01), and significant effects on species richness (P < 0.05). During water level changes in Poyang Lake, the individual number, group number, and diversity of the soil animals were closely linked to the sampling site. These results provide basic data for further studies on soil fauna ecology in Poyang Lake beach wetlands.

Titles from entomology and ecology journals were analysed, testing the effect of Latin and common names, functional groups, geographic location, question marks, humour, and title length on citation rate. Using the Latin names of study organisms in a title decreases a paper's citation rate. There was no effect of the use of common names, question marks, humour, or title length on citation rate. Effects of functional group and geographic location were variable.

Resilience and redundancy are important for long-term conservation since both can indicate the condition and integrity of ecosystems. The goal of this research was to define, develop and demonstrate methods to measure resilience and redundancy in a spatially explicit manner in the San Pedro Watershed, Arizona. Species were categorized to one of several functional groups based on body mass and diet. We calculated metrics of resilience and redundancy for each functional group. Functional groups with smaller-bodied animals had more species than groups with larger-bodied animals suggesting increased resiliency and redundancy for those small-bodied groups. Small-bodied groups were the only body mass groups to include species representing all diet categories (i.e., carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, insectivores, granivores, nectarivores, and piscivores). The insectivore functional group was highly redundant; 154 of 283 (54%) bird species and 23 of 85 (27%) mammal species were insectivores. Carnivorous bird species (37 of 283; 13%) and omnivorous mammal species (23 of 85; 27%) also showed high redundancy relative to other dietary functional groups. Spatial analysis identified the northern portion of the watershed with low mean redundancy for most functional groups across both birds and mammals. Results highlight the importance of large carnivores and small mammals within ecosystems. Results also highlight current ecosystem services provided by insectivorous and nectarivorous species in the American Southwest. This process can be used to measure resilience and redundancy in a spatially explicit manner providing managers information for conservation in the face of climate change when using limited dollars to plan for future changes.

Background. One of the most relevant topics in ecology and evolution is understanding the relationship between biological and functional diversity at the ecosystem level; both important in the evolutionary processes and the structuring of complex communities. Goals. In this essay, the explanatory hypotheses focused on global patterns of the distribution of species are described along with selected hypotheses relating species richness/biodiversity to ecosystem function, and the differentiation of the terms guild and functional group are discussed. Methods. Both biodiversity and functional diversity are key in the evolutionary processes and the structuring of complex communities and thus examples of functional equivalence of convergent evolution derivatives are presented in terms of the form and ecological habits of fishes of the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. Finally, the importance of redundancy in ecosystem functioning is examined as well as the impact of environmental disturbances on ecosystem function. Results. In general, systems with low species richness and redundancy within functional groups are more vulnerable to disturbances. However, despite the extensive effort to understand the relationship between species richness/biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, there is no consensus on the effect of species loss on the functioning of the ecosystem. Some hypothesize that each species is unique and plays a unique role in the ecosystem whereas alternate hypotheses indicate that species overlap in function supporting sustainability at the ecosystem level, such that the removal of one species function may be replaced by another. Conclusions.The most widely accepted concept is that a greater number of species increases the efficiency in the use of resources and also provides resilience against environmental changes or impacts through functional redundancy.

1. Globally, many ecosystems are being challenged and transformed by anthropogenic climate change. Future ecosystem configurations will be heavily influenced by the critical ecological functions that affect resilience. Robust measures of these functions will thus be essential for understanding and responding to ecological change. 2. Coral reefs are experiencing unprecedented ecological change due to global mass coral bleaching. After bleaching events and other disturbances, herbivorous fishes provide functions that are critical for reef resilience by controlling harmful proliferation of algae. Identifying functional diversity amongst herbivorous fishes has been a mainstay of reef fish research, but it has remained unclear how, and to what extent, functional diversity translates to functional impacts on reefs. 3. Rather than assessing the functional potential of the herbivorous fish community, we explicitly considered the delivery of herbivory to the reef by quantifying, in unprecedented detail, the spatial extent and overlap of feeding areas across different functional groups. Core feeding areas were highly concentrated and consistently covered just 14% of available reef space. Overlap across functional groups was limited, showing high spatial complementarity as functional groups tended to feed next to one another. Thus, the delivery of critical ecosystem processes was patchy, effectively reducing functional redundancy, even in the presence of a diverse fish assemblage. 4. Our findings caution against assumptions of spatial homogeneity in the delivery of critical ecosystem functions. The functional impact of local herbivorous fish assemblages in current approaches may be overestimated, potentially leading to skewed assessments of reef resilience. Our results highlight the need to incorporate collective animal behaviour and spatio-temporal scales into future assessments of ecosystem functions and ultimately ecological resilience.

Land degradation from mining influences biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, comparative studies using small mammal functional groups within rehabilitated mining sites are missing, despite their significant ecological contributions. We investigated the recovery of small mammals according to their trophic guild and terrestriality in restored mining sites and analyzed whether they were influenced by restoration scheme (active or passive), restoration time, mineral type, body mass and invasive species. We were especially interested in whether functional groups showed different recovery patterns across time. We classified small mammals into functional groups according to trophic levels distinguishing carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, and according to their terrestriality categorized as above ground-dwelling (AGD) and fossorial and/or ground-dwelling individuals (FGD). We studied small mammal recovery globally following restoration of mining sites based on a meta-analysis using effect sizes. Influences of environmental variables were investigated with linear mixed models using effect sizes as response variable. We did not find significant differences for restoration scheme and time but we did for mineral type, body mass and invasive species in terms of population (abundance) recovery. Trajectories of functional group recoveries differed: FGD and herbivores quickly recovered after mining activities stopped, but declined later, whereas AGD, carnivores and omnivores recovered within the first few years or decades. Our results highlight the different vulnerability of functional groups, and the importance of considering this in conservation interventions.

This study aimed to investigate the differences of the macroinvertebrate community in two neotropical ecoregions. In this regard were sampled in 12 low-order streams, biological samples (benthic ma...

The functional group (FG) concept suggests that species having different phylogenetic origins but possessing similar functional characteristics can be considered as functional groups and these co-occur in the phytoplankton. Here, we study how functional redundancy of phytoplankton taxa (within group richness) contribute to the species diversity of assemblages in an oxbow lake in the Carpathian Basin. We found that although the observed functional redundancy was similar among several FGs, the shape of the species accumulation curves of these groups was considerably different, implying that the observed species numbers alone do not represent the real functional redundancy of the groups. We demonstrated that FGs that showed asymptotes in species richness estimates in small spatial scale, exhibited steady increase in large spatial, and temporal scales. The contribution of FGs to species richness depended strongly on the relative biomass of each FG. Species accumulation curves of those groups of which elements dominated in the phytoplankton, appeared to be approaching asymptotes. Since the shapes of species accumulation curves refer to the strengths of within-group competition among constituent species, our results imply that functional redundancy of phytoplankton is influenced by the role that the elements play within the assemblages.

The composition and structure of plant-root-associated fungal communities are determined by local abiotic and biotic conditions. However, the relative influence and identity of relationships to abiotic and biotic factors may differ across environmental and ecological contexts, and fungal functional groups. Thus, understanding which aspects of root-associated fungal community ecology generalise across contexts is the first step towards a more predictive framework. We investigated how the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors scale across environmental and ecological contexts using high-throughput sequencing (ca. 55 M Illumina metabarcoding sequences) of >260 plant-root-associated fungal communities from six UK salt marshes across two geographic regions (South-East and North-West England) in winter and summer. Levels of root-associated fungal diversity were comparable with forests and temperate grasslands, quadrupling previous estimates of salt-marsh fungal diversity. Whilst abiotic variables were generally most important, a range of site- and spatial scale-specific abiotic and biotic drivers of diversity and community composition were observed. Consequently, predictive models of diversity trained on one site, extrapolated poorly to others. Fungal taxa from the same functional groups responded similarly to the specific drivers of diversity and composition. Thus site, spatial scale and functional group are key factors that, if accounted for, may lead to a more predictive understanding of fungal community ecology.

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In this study, the concept of functional traits was used to classify zooplankton into functional groups and their seasonal dynamics were determined in relation to physico-chemical factors in a highly turbid and nutrient-rich wetland. This study revealed a seasonal variation of both physico-chemical factors and biomass of zooplankton functional groups. Water temperature (TEP), total phosphorus (TP), ferrous ion (Fe2+) and total carbon (TC) were significantly higher in summer while water transparency (SD) was notably higher in spring. Zooplankton functional group biomass was higher in summer (5.11 mg/L) followed by winter, autumn and spring (0.91, 0.72 and 0.28 mg/L, respectively). Large copepods and cladoceran carnivore (LCC) was the dominant functional group in spring accounting for about 86.7% of the total biomass. In summer, MCF (Middle copepods and cladocerans filter feeders) was the dominant group probably because of the optimal temperature and availability of nutrients. Pearson correlation and RDA analysis results suggested that Fe2+, TP and TEP were the major factors influencing zooplankton functional groups. Notably, turbidity was not the main factor despite the fact that Small Xingkai Wetland Lake is a very turbid lake. The variation of zooplankton functional groups among seasons highlights the role of physico-chemical factors in structuring zooplankton composition.

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of environmental, spatial, and temporal predictors on different ecological approaches in phytoplankton metacommunity of two subtropical reservoirs. Our hypothesis was that the morphological structure, represented by morphological traits, would be related to both environmental and spatial factors, while the functional structure, represented by the physiological, ecological, and morphological traits, would be related to environmental factors. We also test the temporal factor for both approaches. Sampling was performed in two Brazilian subtropical reservoirs along six sampling periods. We applied the morphology-based functional classification (MBFG) and the classification based on functional group (FG) as surrogates to phytoplankton metacommunity and performed the partition variation to investigate the influences of different predictors. We found spatial and temporal variability of MBFG and FG, and although the metacommunity models presented weak relations, the environmental, spatial, and temporal processes appear to influence the phytoplankton morpho-functional structure along the longitudinal axis reservoirs. However, the relative importance of these processes seems to depend on the type of functional attribute evaluated since the MBFGs were related to the spatial and temporal predictor, while the FGs were associated with environmental, spatial, and temporal predictors.

The nutritional composition and functional groups of the edible portion of the most often utilized cuttlefish, Sepia pharaonis of Puducherry coastal waters, India was evaluated. Moisture is the basic component of the mantle with 82.45±0.15% followed by a good source of 14.5±0.1% protein. The ash, lipid, and carbohydrates were found less than 1%. The energetic value of the mantle of cuttlefish S. pharaonis is calculated as 6.06 KJ/g. Na and K were found in considerable quantities of 2772 and 3247 mg/kg respectively and the Na/K ratio (0.85) was less than 1. The amount of Zn, Mn, B, Al, Sr, and As was found to be relatively high when compared to a low or insignificant level of Cu, Mo, Se, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Hg. The fatty acid profile analysis revealed that it contains 71.67% saturated fatty acids,17.87% polyunsaturated fatty acids and 10.38% monounsaturated fatty acids. In all three types, the C16:0 palmitic acid (40.29%), C18:0 stearic acid (16.54%), and C22:6 docosahexaenoic acid (13.52%) represented as the dominant fatty acids. The FT-IR analysis disclosed the presence of various functional groups belonging to protein, lipids, and polysaccharides. Thus, the present study proved that the cuttlefish S. pharaonis is considered as a potential nutraceutical and the right choice of food for greater and wider human consumption.

Fire and fuel management is a high priority in North American sagebrush ecosystems where the expansion of piñon and juniper trees and the invasion of nonnative annual grasses are altering fire regimes and resulting in loss of sagebrush species and habitat. We evaluated 10‐yr effects of woody fuel treatments on sagebrush recruitment and plant functional group interactions using Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project data. We used mixed‐effects ANOVAs to examine treatment effects on sagebrush density and cover and perennial and annual grass cover in expansion woodlands (prescribed fire and cut‐and‐leave) and annual grass invasion areas (prescribed fire, mowing, tebuthiuron herbicide application). We used piecewise structural equation models to evaluate interactions among sagebrush seedling density, juvenile and adult density, and cover and perennial and annual grass cover. Fuel treatments were equated to pulse or press disturbances varying in resource release and subsequent intra‐ and interspecific interactions. Prescribed fire, a high magnitude pulse disturbance with more severe effects in warm and dry sites, reduced sagebrush cover and decoupled associations among sagebrush seedlings, juvenile and adult density, and cover indicating changed population structure. Cutting and leaving trees, a low magnitude pulse disturbance in cooler and moister woodlands, increased sagebrush density and cover and generally had lesser effects on sagebrush intraspecific associations. Mowing, a moderate magnitude pulse disturbance, and tebuthiuron herbicide application, a multiyear press disturbance, reduced sagebrush cover and disrupted intraspecific relationships. Competitive release increased cover of perennial grass in all treatments but tebuthiuron. Annual grass increased in all treatments, especially prescribed fire and tebuthiuron. Annual and perennial grass interactions with sagebrush were generally rare, but in woodland treatments perennial grass suppressed annual grass through year 6. Treatments in cooler and moister woodland sites had more positive effects on sagebrush recruitment and perennial grass cover, less negative effects on sagebrush intraspecific interactions, and smaller increases in annual grass cover indicating potential increases in resilience to fire. In warmer and drier invasion sites, reductions in woody fuels resulted in lack of sagebrush recruitment, disruption of sagebrush intraspecific interactions, and progressive increases in annual grass indicating reduced resilience to fire and resistance to invaders.

The objective of this study was to evaluate long term trends of fish taxa in southern Lake Michigan while incorporating their functional roles to improve our understanding of ecosystem level changes that have occurred in the system over time. The approach used here highlighted the ease of incorporating ecological mechanisms into population models so researchers can take full advantage of available long-term ecosystem information. Long term studies of fish assemblages can be used to inform changes in community structure resulting from perturbations to aquatic systems and understanding these changes in fish assemblages can be better contextualized by grouping species according to functional groups that are grounded in niche theory. We hypothesized that describing the biological process based on partial pooling of information across functional groups would identify shifts in fish assemblages that coincide with major changes in the ecosystem (e.g., for this study, shifts in zooplankton abundance over time). Herein, we analyzed a long-term Lake Michigan fisheries dataset using a multi-species state space modeling approach within a Bayesian framework. Our results suggested the population growth rates of planktivores and benthic invertivores have been more variable than general invertivores over time and that trends in planktivores can be partially explained by ecosystem changes in zooplankton abundance. Additional work incorporating more ecosystem parameters (e.g., primary production, etc.) should be incorporated into future iterations of this novel modeling concept.