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A general limitation of ecological investigations based on nematodes is related to the difficult and time-consuming taxonomic identification of species. Therefore, nematologists are investing many efforts to develop alternative approaches as proxies applicable in biomonitoring assessment. Recently, an alternative method that combines morpho-functional traits was proposed for detecting assemblage changes of marine nematodes. In view of the promising results, it was tested the same approach to document taxonomic structure changes of soil free-living and plant parasitic nematodes. Specifically, this attempt was carried out using three data sets that include studies from various European regions and different types of ecosystems: forests, grasslands and maize crops. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the simple combination of the four traits (i.e., buccal cavity cuticularization occurrence, amphideal fovea size and shape, morphology of the cuticle and pharynx) in a single code number perfectly mirrors the taxonomic structure trends of the nematode assemblage at genus level. Therefore, we predict that similar results can be also obtained by directly encoding nematode specimens with the selected traits and we point to new important advances if this procedure can be coupled with advanced machine learning.

Phytoplankton guilds are commonly characterised by dominance effects, while the main contribution to biological diversity is given by rare species. Here, we analysed the influence of rare species on taxonomic and functional diversity, which is described by taxa richness and composition, cell size, and size–abundance relationships in phytoplankton guilds. We explore these relationships at global and regional scales by analysing phytoplankton guilds from five biogeographical regions: the Northern Atlantic Ocean (Scotland), the South-Western Atlantic Ocean (Brazil), the South-Western Pacific Ocean (Australia), the Indo-Pacific Ocean (Maldives), and the Mediterranean Sea (Greece and Turkey). We have comparatively analysed the phytoplankton taxonomic diversity of the whole dataset and with the datasets obtained by progressively subtracting taxa occurring in the last 1%, 5%, 10%, and 25% of both numerical abundance and overall biomass. Globally, 306 taxa were identified across five ecoregions with only 27 taxa accounting for 75% of overall numerical abundance and biomass; almost 50% of taxa were lost on every step. The removal of 1% of most rare taxa significantly affected the phytoplankton size–abundance relationships and body-size structure, strongly impacting on small taxa. The progressive removal of additional rare taxa did not further affect phytoplankton size–abundance relationships and size structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the various strategies adopted by an invasive plant species for expanding its niche breadth, phenotypic differentiation (either due to plasticity and/or adaptive evolution) is proven to be the most successful. Lately, we studied the persistence of substantial morpho-functional variations within the individuals of alien invasive plant, Parthenium hysterophorus in Chandigarh, India, through field surveys. Based on observed differences, the individuals were categorized into two morphotypes, PA and PB. PA had higher leaf area, leaf biomass, and chlorophyll content as compared with PB. However, PB had a higher stem circumference, stem specific density, twig dry matter content, profuse branching, bigger canopy, and better reproductive output than PA. To substantiate the persistence of intraspecific variations in P. hysterophorus and to deduce the possible genesis of these variations, we propagated both the morphotypes under experimental conditions in winter and summer. Apart from the key morpho-functional differences observed during the field studies, protein and carbohydrate metabolism were studied in leaves and roots of the propagated plants. Differences in plant metabolism were observed only during the early growth period, whereas the morpho-functional traits varied in the mature flowering plants. The effect of growth season was highly significant on all the studied morpho-functional and biochemical parameters (p ≤ 0.05). Parent morphotypes (P) and interactions between morphotypes and seasons significantly affected several growth parameters (p ≤ 0.05). The analyses revealed that the contrasting growth conditions at the time of transplantation and early growth may regulate the phenotype of P. hysterophorus. The pattern of intraspecific variations observed during the study is justified to consider morphotype PA as winter biotype and morphotype PB as summer biotype of P. hysterophorus. The study points towards the role of plasticity or a combination of genetic and environmental (G × E) factors in producing the phenotypic variability observed in the population of P. hysterophorus.

The first results of the application of the integrated multidisciplinary protocol to study the effects of water level management on the Lake Maggiore littoral habitats and biocoenosis are presented. The "Parchi Verbano Ticino" project (2019-2021, ID: 481668) was the driving force to fine-tune the monitoring and management system of multidisciplinary information (chemistry, hydro-morphology, macro- and meio-fauna monitoring). The study reveals that water level fluctuations in Lake Maggiore, sometimes characterized by measurable changes in water levels, have remarkable effects on littoral habitats and on the structure and function of macro- and meiofaunal assemblages living there. Overall, this study provides insights into the potential impacts of Lake Maggiore water management strategy on freshwater littoral ecosystems during late spring-early summer, and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of the lake ecosystem dynamics. Thanks to the results achieved, publicly endorsed water management rules will be stated, for the late spring-early summer period, considering frequency and amplitude of water level fluctuations as crucial factors in management plans to mitigate their impacts. The endorsed rules turn out to be a negotiated compromise between the maintenance of ecosystem services and the protection of littoral life below water.

An integrated multidisciplinary protocol on monitoring, sampling, and laboratory procedures was developed and proposed as part of the Project "Parks Verbano Ticino" in the framework of the INTERREG V-A Italy-Switzerland 2014-2020 Cooperation Program. The project's overall goal is to evaluate the effects of water-level management (hydro-morphological stress) on both macro- and meio-fauna along the shores of Lake Maggiore, a large and deep temperate lake in northwest Italy. Because of their importance in the aquatic food web, determining how this stress affects macro- and meio-faunal assemblages is difficult. The protocol developed thus includes the evaluation of hydro-morphological impacts via the Lake Habitat Survey method, which entails monitoring of human-induced impacts and related infrastructures, followed by an in-depth evaluation of the ecological health of lake habitats via chemical analyses. The protocol then describes the sampling methods for shallow lake waters (i.e.,

An alternative approach to notice changes of the nematode community structure was evaluated in five study cases in the Mediterranean Sea. In detail, we suggested a combination of morpho-functional traits (i.e., amphid, cuticle, buccal cavity, and tail shape) as an alternative to the taxonomic identification of nematodes. The results clearly demonstrated that the matrixes made using the trait code numbers perfectly mirror the changes of the nematode community structure at the genus level. The combination of the morpho-functional traits more frequently observed in areas under human pressure were ascribable to genera belonging to Xyalidae, Linhomoeidae and Chromadoridae families. This approach might greatly speed the analyses of nematode fauna in biomonitoring programs and might also be adopted for other meiobenthic organisms that may be categorized in functional groups opening new perspectives in the ecological assessment of meiofauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated multidisciplinary protocol on monitoring, sampling, and laboratory procedures was developed and proposed as part of the Project "Parks Verbano Ticino" in the framework of the INTERREG V-A Italy-Switzerland 2014-2020 Cooperation Program. The project's overall goal is to evaluate the effects of water-level management (hydromorphological stress) on both macro- and meio-fauna along the shores of Lake Maggiore, a large and deep temperate lake in northwestern Italy. Because of their importance in the aquatic food web, determining how this stress affects macro- and meio-faunal assemblages is pivotal. The protocol developed thus includes the evaluation of hydro-morphological impacts via the Lake Habitat Survey method, which entails monitoring human-induced impacts and related infrastructures, followed by an in-depth evaluation of the ecological health of lake habitats via chemical analyses. The protocol then describes the sampling methods for shallow lake waters (i.e., <1.5 m depth) of deep lakes, but it also provides guidance on the best time to sample, how to select sampling sites, and how to allocate sample replicates along transects. A detailed step-by-step laboratory procedure for sample treatment was provided in order to assess the structure of macro- and meio-fauna assemblages, as well as morpho-functional traits (e.g., body shape and size, biomass estimate) in response to water-level management. For the first time, a set of morphological and functional characteristics of macro- and meio-faunal taxa are proposed for comparison. The protocol for standardized trait measurement is intended to be widely used. We also proposed chironomid species-specific length-mass regression models for biomass estimation, which is important for determining the growth rate and secondary production of these taxa in temperate zone lakes. Length-mass equations could shed light on the role of specific species in the flow of energy through aquatic ecosystems. The proposed protocol was evaluated by team members to ensure common utility, accuracy, and repeatability of the procedures towards a feasible application by researchers and stakeholders involved in water management of lakes with similar physical characteristics to use it. The protocol, which has been adapted or simply developed to meet the needs of the Italian context, could be successfully applied to other Alpine and Mediterranean temperate, deep lakes, reservoirs, and other glacial, volcanic, and morainic lakes, as well as to a broader European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We utilized the trait-based approach in a novel way to examine how specific phytoplankton traits are related to physical features connected to global change, water quality features connected to catchment change, and nutrient availability connected to nutrient loading. For the analyses, we used summertime monitoring data originating from the coastal northern Baltic Sea and generalized additive mixed modeling (GAMM). Of the physical features connected to global climate change, temperature was the most important affecting several studied traits. Nitrogen-fixing, buoyant, non-motile, and autotrophic phytoplankton, as well as harmful cyanobacteria, benefited from a higher temperature. Salinity and stratification did not have clear effects on the traits. Water transparency, which in the Baltic Sea is connected to catchment change, had a mostly negative relation to the studied traits. Harmfulness was negatively correlated with transparency, while the share of non-harmful and large-sized phytoplankton was positively related to it. We used nutrient loading source type and total phosphorus (TP) as proxies for nutrient availability connected to anthropogenic eutrophication. The nutrient loading source type did not relate to any of the traits. Our result showing that N-fixing was not related to TP is discussed. The regionality analysis demonstrated that traits should be calculated in both absolute terms (biomass) and proportions (share of total biomass) to get a better view of community changes and to potentially supplement the environmental status assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent researches suggest that functional diversity represents the response of communities to environmental alterations better than taxonomic diversity. However, there is scarce information about how the functional diversity of freshwater fishes is affected by habitat type and the dominance of non-native species. To address this question, we analysed a large database containing 15 morpho-functional traits of 61 fish species from the Pannon Biogeographic region (Hungary). Based on a fish faunistic list and relative abundance of taxa, we quantified the taxonomic and functional diversity of riverine communities for > 700 sites of six habitat types. We asked how non-native fishes affected the taxonomic and functional diversity in different river types and at the local scale (i.e. at the site level), and how the diversity measures of native fauna elements changes along the invasion gradient. Our results showed that both functional and taxonomic richness increases with habitat complexity, from small headwater streams to large rivers. Therefore taxonomic diversity served as a good proxy for functional diversity along the environmental gradient of river types. Non-natives showed considerable functional diversity relative to their species number in each habitat type. Diversity values of native fauna elements initially increased, and then showed a major decrease along the invasion gradient. River type-specific evaluations highlighted the importance of considering the proliferation of invasive species based on both taxonomic and functional diversity indices. We argue that type-specific action plans are needed in conservation management to preserve the taxonomic and functional diversity of native fishes in Hungary, but also elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies with Baltic Sea phytoplankton combining elevated seawater temperature with CO2 revealed the importance of size trait-based analyses, in particular dividing the plankton into edible (>5 and 100 µm) size classes for mesozoopankton grazers. While the edible phytoplankton responded predominantly negative to warming and the inedible group stayed unaffected or increased, independent from edibility most phytoplankton groups gained from CO2. Because the ratio between edible and inedible taxa changes profoundly over seasons, we investigated if community responses can be predicted according to the prevailing composition of edible and inedible groups. We experimentally explored the combined effects of elevated temperatures and CO2 concentrations on a late-summer Baltic Sea community. Total phytoplankton significantly increased in response to elevated CO2 in particular in combination with temperature, driven by a significant gain of the inedible

We utilized the trait-based approach in a novel way to examine how specific phytoplankton traits are related to physical features connected to global change, water quality features connected to catchment change, and nutrient availability connected to nutrient loading. For the analyses, we used summertime monitoring data originating from the coastal northern Baltic Sea and generalized additive mixed modeling (GAMM). Of the physical features connected to global climate change, temperature was the most important affecting several studied traits. Nitrogen-fixing, buoyant, non-motile, and autotrophic phytoplankton, as well as harmful cyanobacteria, benefited from a higher temperature. Salinity and stratification did not have clear effects on the traits. Water transparency, which in the Baltic Sea is connected to catchment change, had a mostly negative relation to the studied traits. Harmfulness was negatively correlated with transparency, while the share of non-harmful and large-sized phytoplankton was positively related to it. We used nutrient loading source type and total phosphorus (TP) as proxies for nutrient availability connected to anthropogenic eutrophication. The nutrient loading source type did not relate to any of the traits. Our result showing that N-fixing was not related to TP is discussed. The regionality analysis demonstrated that traits should be calculated in both absolute terms (biomass) and proportions (share of total biomass) to get a better view of community changes and to potentially supplement the environmental status assessments.

Since the first decades of the last century, several hypotheses have been proposed on the role of phytoplankton morphology in maintaining a favorable position in the water column. Here, by an extensive review of literature on sinking rate and cell volume, we firstly attempted to explore the dependency of sinking rate on morphological traits using the allometric scaling approach. We found that sinking rate tends to increase with increasing cell volume showing the allometric scaling exponent of 0.43, which is significantly different than the Stokes' law exponent of 0.66. The violation of the 2/3 power rule clearly indicates that cell shape changes as size increases. Both size and shape affect how phytoplankton sinking drives nutrient acquisition and losses to sinking. Interestingly, from an evolutionary perspective, simple and complex cylindrical shapes can get much larger than spherical and spheroidal shapes and sink at similar rates, but simple and complex cylindrical shapes cannot get small enough to sink slower than small spherical and spheroidal shapes. Cell shape complexity is a morphological attribute resulting from the combination of two or more simple geometric shapes. While the effect of size on sinking rate is well documented, this study deepens the knowledge on how cell shape or geometry affect sinking rates that still needs further consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of maintenance of biodiversity and ecological functions, microbial ecologists face the challenge of linking individual level variability in functional traits to larger scale ecosystem processes. Phytoplankton cell size and shape are key traits under selection by environmental filters and species interactions. Spatial differences in resource availability shape species diversity according to their use efficiency. Niche partitioning promotes plankton diversity. Here, we explore how size and shape enter the diversity game. How does taxonomic and morpho-functional community structure vary at different spatial scales? What are the potential drivers shaping the structure of phytoplankton communities? We explore these questions by looking at the individual level variability in taxonomic and morphological traits in a biogeographical snapshot of natural phytoplankton communities in coastal ecosystems around the globe. We found that taxonomic variability is mainly concentrated at local and regional levels, whereas shape and size variability are mainly concentrated at a local level, despite the environmental heterogeneity of ecosystems. Species diversity was more variable than trait diversity from local to global spatial scales. We suggest that structural organization of phytoplankton communities in coastal ecosystems may follow a hierarchical pattern of trait organization, where a different combination of multiple functional traits may represent effective strategies and promote success under given environmental conditions as a resolution of Hutchinson's paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study portrays the frequency and intensity of bloom-forming cyanobacteria in relation to highly changing environmental conditions in a floodplain lake from the Chaco-Pampean region and identifies the factors promoting the growth of different species along a 15-year period marked by important drought and flood periods. Phytoplankton in Laguna Grande was increasingly dominated by cyanobacteria represented by eight bloom-forming species bearing different eco-physiological traits. The bloom development showed strong inter-annual variability in correspondence with the depth of the lake that was affected by local rainfall and the ENSO regional phenomenon. The water level of the lake strongly influenced the species composition, favoring non-heterocystous filaments in deep turbid waters and nitrogen fixing in very short well lit, nitrogen-depleted water columns. Species morphology, dimensions and occurrence of akinetes in the filaments also varied in relation to water level. We suggest that the akinete pool of the sediments played a key role on the occurrence of recurrent Anabaenopsis cf. elenkinii and Sphaerospermopsis cf. aphanizonemoides blooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest plantations have been extensively used to combat desertification. In drylands, harsh climate conditions and unfertile soils often preclude seedling establishment. The improvement in seedling quality by manipulating nutrient availability could contribute to increase planting success. However, morpho-functional traits defining optimum seedling quality in drylands, and the fertilization schemes to achieve them, are still under discussion. Several studies suggest that well fertilized seedlings may perform better than nutrient limited seedlings in these environments. However, recent works have shown opposite results. In this review, we discuss the concept of seedling quality in drylands based on an evaluation of the effects of nutrient manipulation on seedling morpho-functional traits and field performance. According to existing data, we hypothesize that nutrient-limited small seedlings may be better adapted to arid environments and unfavorable microsites, where access to water is uncertain and a conservative water use strategy may be advantageous. In contrast, in dry sub-humid areas, areas with deep soils, protected from excess radiation, and areas where irrigation is feasible, well-fertilized big seedlings with high root growth potential may have more chances of success. We discuss this theory in the context of the multiple objectives of dryland restoration and the environmental constrains posed by these areas, and identify knowledge gaps that should be targeted to test our hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms that drive species coexistence and community dynamics have long puzzled ecologists. Here, we explain species coexistence, size structure and diversity patterns in a phytoplankton community using a combination of four fundamental factors: organism traits, size-based constraints, hydrology and species competition. Using a 'microscopic' Lotka-Volterra competition (MLVC) model (i.e. with explicit recipes to compute its parameters), we provide a mechanistic explanation of species coexistence along a niche axis (i.e. organismic volume). We based our model on empirically measured quantities, minimal ecological assumptions and stochastic processes. In nature, we found aggregated patterns of species biovolume (i.e. clumps) along the volume axis and a peak in species richness. Both patterns were reproduced by the MLVC model. Observed clumps corresponded to niche zones (volumes) where species fitness was highest, or where fitness was equal among competing species. The latter implies the action of equalizing processes, which would suggest emergent neutrality as a plausible mechanism to explain community patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter is a relevant carbon reservoir and CO2 sink in temperate grassland ecosystems and increased carbon uptake may mitigate climate change. Relatively little is known about the relationship between ecosystem function and soil fungal biodiversity in grasslands. However, this relationship is important because the saprotrophic microorganisms within the decomposer chain may, given their important role in the decomposition processes of litter and dead roots, control soil carbon storage. In this study, we provide the first empirical evidence of natural patterns of soil fungal biodiversity and soil carbon storage in Mediterranean grasslands at different elevations. We observed an asymptotic relationship between morphological and functional trait richness and fungal biodiversity. This relationship is consistent with the redundancy hypothesis of species diversity and ecosystem function. A limited number of fungal species is sufficient to attain morphological and functional variability in the soil fungal assemblages in these grasslands. We found that increasing fungal biodiversity and biochemical specialization were related to higher soil carbon storage (at a higher altitudes and lower slope position), even in fenced-off grasslands. We discuss the main ecological mechanisms controlling soil carbon storage in grasslands within the framework of a conceptual model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies with Baltic Sea phytoplankton combining elevated seawater temperature with CO2 revealed the importance of size trait-based analyses, in particular dividing the plankton into edible (>5 and <100 µm) and inedible (<5 and >100 µm) size classes for mesozoopankton grazers. While the edible phytoplankton responded predominantly negative to warming and the inedible group stayed unaffected or increased, independent from edibility most phytoplankton groups gained from CO2. Because the ratio between edible and inedible taxa changes profoundly over seasons, we investigated if community responses can be predicted according to the prevailing composition of edible and inedible groups. We experimentally explored the combined effects of elevated temperatures and CO2 concentrations on a late-summer Baltic Sea community. Total phytoplankton significantly increased in response to elevated CO2 in particular in combination with temperature, driven by a significant gain of the inedible <5 µm fraction and large filamentous cyanobacteria. Large flagellates disappeared. The edible group was low as usual in summer and decreased with both factors due to enhanced copepod grazing and overall decline of small flagellates. Our results emphasize that the responses of summer communities are complex, but can be predicted by the composition and dominance of size classes and groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Highlights: Seedlings of different Quercus suber L. populations and half-sib families differ in their response to multiple stressors, which may have consequences on the future distribution of this Mediterranean species. Background and Objectives: Global change will likely increase the frequency and severity of drought in drylands. Plant species' distributions will largely depend on their ability to respond to the combined effect of drought and other environmental stressors. Genetic diversity in morpho-functional traits are key components of this response. Yet, information on the response to multiple stresses is scarce for many iconic species. The present study assessed the variability in the response of populations and half-sib families of a Mediterranean acidophilous tree, cork oak, to drought and changes in soil conditions. Materials and Methods: We sampled acorns of half-sib families from two cork oak populations genetically introgressed with the alkaline-tolerant species Quercus ilex L., and from a non-introgressed cork oak population located in its core habitat. We germinated the acorns and subjected seedlings to contrasted levels of water availability and additions of calcium and magnesium carbonate, and assessed their morpho-physiological response. Results: Response to drought and soil chemistry composition differed between populations and families. For some traits, introgressed populations responded similarly to drought than the non-introgressed population. Conversely, the response to soil chemistry was not clearly related to introgression. When considering half-sib families within populations, the population effect diminished, which revealed the importance of intra-population variation. However, relevant traits for water scarcity adaptations, such as specific leaf area and root:shoot ratio, remained significantly different at the population level, which highlights the relevance of these traits for management. Conclusions: Our study shows that the adaptive management and restoration of cork oak forests should consider not only geographic provenances, but also half-sib lines within populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional groups have become an important tool for characterizing communities of marine and estuarine environments. Their use also holds promise for a better understanding of the temporal dynamics of phytoplankton. This study aimed to evaluate the contributions of phytoplankton size fractions and functional groups characterizing short‐term variation throughout tidal cycles and between dry and rainy seasons in a tropical estuarine system. Camamu Bay is an oligotrophic estuarine system that is under strong influence from tropical shelf waters and is characterized by high salinity and low concentrations of dissolved nutrients. Surface‐water samples were collected at nine sampling sites distributed among the three hydrodynamic regions of the bay, and at a mooring, at 3‐hr intervals during tidal cycles (12 hr each) in both the rainy and the dry season. Although the abundances of the phytoplankton fractions (pico‐, nano‐, and micro‐) were higher in the rainy season and during periods of higher tide, they were not significantly higher. The phytoplankton community in the bay comprises three functional groups: GI = "colonial" (i.e., chain‐forming diatoms and filamentous cyanobacteria); GII = "GALD >40" (i.e., pennate and centric diatoms with MDL >40 µm), and GIII = "flagellates" (i.e., species with motility via flagella). Nanoflagellates were the most abundant form in the bay, while chain‐forming diatoms, in particular, contributed to the microphytoplankton fraction during both the rainy and dry seasons. Functional groups, as defined by cluster analysis, reflected ecological strategies compatible with the high hydrodynamics of Camamu Bay, which is characterized by processes of tidal‐forced intense mixing, mainly during periods of spring tides. The phytoplankton of the bay was found to possess a series of attributes (functional traits) that endow them with some resistance to sinking. Functional diversity indexes (FEve, FDiv, and FDis) indicated a stable community without significant short‐term variation due to low variability in the environmental conditions of the system during the study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]