Wood trait-decay relationships depend on environmental context

Donghao Wu, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, discusses his article: Wood trait-decay relationships vary with topography and rainfall seasonality in a subtropical forest in China Wood trait-decay relationship Deadwood stores 8% of global forest carbon, and thus it is important to understand the dominant drivers of wood decomposition rates. Many physical…

Glucosinolates are probably not novel weapons that promote invasion by Alliaria petiolata

Robert I. Colautti (@ColauttiLab), Queen’s University in Canada, discusses his article: Direct and indirect fitness effects of plant metabolites and genetic constraints limit evolution of allelopathy in an invading plant A storied history As a relatively young discipline, invasion ecology has developed through a proliferation of hypotheses that often fail to hold against careful experimentation.…

The mechanisms of the depletion of alpine meadow seed banks due to nitrogen enrichment

Miaojun Ma, Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, discusses his article: Multiple mechanisms associated with loss of seed bank diversity under nitrogen enrichment Background Anthropogenic activities have caused an increase in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, which threatens the…

How rhizomes shape whole-plant ontogeny and growth

Jana Martínková (ExFuMo1), Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, discusses her article: The hidden half of ontogeny and seasonal dynamics in perennial herbs While flowers and leaves capture our attention, the unseen world beneath the soil is just as vital to plant survival and ecological balance. This truth applies not only to…

Citizen scientists from all over Europe helped to reveal the secrets of cowslips.

Marianne Kivastik, University of Tartu, discusses her article: A pan-European citizen science study reveals factors related to biased morph ratios in the heterostylous plant Primula veris Human-induced environmental changes have many negative consequences for biodiversity on all levels. Among plants, insect-pollinated species can be especially affected by habitat loss and fragmentation because of the adverse…

Big Seeds Are Smarter Than They Look

Si-Chong Chen (@SichongChen), Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discusses her article: Large seeds as a defensive strategy against partial granivory in the Fagaceae Imagine you are an acorn. You’re packed with nutrients and a perfect meal for animals like squirrels and birds. But you’re not just food; you’re also a seed…

Tropical Forest Species Coexistence and Surprisingly Simple Models

Douglas Sheil, Forest Ecology and Forest Management Chair Group, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands, discusses his article: A simple competition model can predict rainforest tree diversity, species abundance and ecosystem functions Many tropical forests are remarkably diverse, often supporting hundreds of tree species in just a few hectares. But how can so many species…