Christian Ammer, University of Göttingen, discusses his article: Get out of the starting block quickly—Small initial differences in seed and seedling size affect tree survival and growth over 25 years A race spanning decades—who will win? When seeds fall from old European beech trees during a mast year, several hundred thousand seedlings can sprout across…
Yong-Jiao Zhou, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, discusses their article: Trait networks and the whole-plant economics spectrum: Uncovering key determinants of growth rate across 33 temperate tree species Why do some trees grow fast, while others always seem to lag behind? For decades, ecologists have strived to answer this question. Past research…
Xinmin Lu, Huazhong Agricultural University, Joshua Lynn, Manchester University, and Evan Siemann, Rice University, discuss their article: Latitudinal patterns in growth and defense against multiple enemies of an invasive species and its native congener Why are some plant species more successful invaders than others? A long-standing hypothesis is that invasive plants differ from native species…
Lauren Jenkins, Duke University, discusses her article: Fecundity and terrain-climate interactions that shape tree niche differences across North America and Europe Terrain shapes tree reproduction When you think about climate change threatening forests, you may picture species migrating miles northward or upslope. But what if refuge is just around the hillside? In forests of the…
Heng Ge, Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discusses her article: Autumn nutrient resorption and twig storage shape spring phenology in woody species When we think about spring phenology, we usually notice the visible signs first: buds swelling, leaves unfolding, and flowers opening. Spring phenology is often discussed as a response to…
Curtis Lubbe, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, discusses their article: Trade-offs and bet-hedging in clonal offspring allocation What about clones? Most angiosperms reproduce clonally in addition to the production of seeds. That is, they form new units of their bodies (rooting units, or ramets): vegetative clonal reproduction, using rhizomes (horizontal belowground stems)…
Ylva Lekberg, from MPG Ranch, discusses her article: Eco-evolutionary shifts in interactions between a globally invasive plant and belowground putative pathogens coincide with shifts in plant performance Some plant species become invasive in non-native ranges and outcompete native plants, reduce biodiversity, and alter ecosystem functions. Altogether, invasive species cost billions of dollars to manage. We…
Inge Althuizen, Norwegian Research Center AS (NORCE), discusses her article: Climate-induced shifts in plant investment strategies regulate ecosystem carbon cycling across alpine grasslands Alpine ecosystems provide a diversity of ecosystem services, including carbon storage. These cold ecosystems and carbon stored in them are particularly sensitive to climate change. But what are the mechanisms underlying carbon…
Journal of Ecology is delighted to welcome 63 new Associate Editors to the Editorial Board following our latest open call. Spanning 18 countries, they bring valuable expertise that will help us to continue publishing high-quality, influential papers where plant ecology is central. Find out more about our new editors below: George AdamidisUniversity of Patras, Greece George is…
Benjamin Roux, University of Bordeaux in France, discusses his article: Tree canopy shapes the survival of oak and beech saplings during the regeneration stage along an elevation-driven temperature gradient The challenges of heatwaves for forest ecosystems As western Europe experiences yet another heatwave, most of the public discussion focuses on how human societies can adapt…
Liedson Carneiro, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, discusses his article: Structural differences in individual pollinator networks across bee species reveal the importance of population-level processes in the assembly of species interactions Plant–pollinator interactions are often described as networks; plant species are connected to pollinator species through their visits to flowers. This approach has advanced our understanding…
Brandie Quarles-Chidyagwai, University of California, Davis, discusses her article: Adaptational lag at high elevations depends on life stage in a California wildflower With ongoing climate change, many plant species will have to track environmental changes through adaptation or poleward/upslope dispersal. High elevations in particular are experiencing warming temperatures, reduced snowpack, and shifting growing seasons. With…
Jonathan Ritson, who worked at the University of Manchester during this research, discusses his article: Cation responses to global changes alter ecological processes in ombrotrophic systems In bogs, we often focus on the hydrology of the system; there has also been a large body of work trying to understand the global implications of acid deposition…
Diana Bertuol Garcia, University of Victoria, discusses her article: Long-term aridity shapes grassland drought resistance and modulates the roles of plant diversity and functional composition As ecologists, we often ask how ecosystems cope with change. This question now feels more urgent than ever. Around the world, ecosystems are facing habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, rising…
Kechang Niu and Pingyu Liu, Nanjing University, discuss their article: Earlier flowering, later fading: Plant diversity loss restructures alpine phenology via competitive release What is our paper about? For centuries, the timing of flowering has captivated both the public and scientists. Much of this fascination stems from a desire to understand the rhythms of life…
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