Jiarong Yang and Yu Liu, East China Normal University, discuss their article: Rare tree species host a high diversity of rhizosphere fungi Forest ecosystems are intricate webs of life where trees and their root-associated fungi form a delicate balance. One question that remains, is whether and how tree species abundance influences the fungal communities that…
Vincent Buness, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, discusses his article: Distinct diversity trajectories of boreal wood-inhabiting fungi following fire vs. clear-cutting As humans, we tend to trust our senses and assume that we can perceive most of what surrounds us. When we walk through the forest, we see trees with their stems and canopy, and…
Gang Yang and Zuzana Münzbergová, Charles University in Prague, discuss their article: Contrasting drought responses in two grassland plant-microbe systems under climate change Drought is becoming more frequent and intense under global change, but plant responses vary widely. Some species are adapted to tolerate stress, while others perform well only when resources are abundant. Because…
Ramalka H. Kasige, Ximena Cibils-Stewart, Adam Frew, and Scott N. Johnson from Western Sydney University in Australia, discuss their article: Interactions between beneficial fungi and plant silicon: A review Plants are continually exposed to stresses — from drought, salinity, and metal toxicity to herbivores and pathogens. To withstand these challenges, they employ multiple strategies, including…
Skylar Burg, University of Jyväskylä in Finland, discusses her article: Abiotic conditions along altitude shape plant-fungal associations by influencing both fungal availability and association strength Setting out in the mountains High in the mountainous tundra of Norway, Sweden, and Finland, the perennial herb Bistorta vivipara, known as alpine bistort, thrives in conditions that challenge most…
Keke Cheng & Shixiao Yu, from Sun Yat-sen University, discuss their article: Specificity determinants of pathogens in forest in English and Chinese. Background Autumn has come and the fruit is ripe. Seeds fall from the tree and spread around the mother tree, attracting squirrels who love to eat them. Squirrels came and ate a large…
The interest on the microbial ecosystems that inhabit leaves is rapidly increasing due to their participation in basic ecosystem functions. One of the aspects of plant dynamics which leaf fungi can most clearly affect is recruitment, since the success of newly germinated plants can be seriously compromised by pathogenic activity or by the absence of…
Once upon a time… large mammals flourished in the lush tropical forests of South America. Those giants evolved as key ecosystem engineers, acting as top-down regulators of ecological processes, either by predating on other smaller-sized animals, or feeding on plants, eating fruits and seeds, browsing and chewing leaves and branches, or even by trampling and…
Welcome to the January Art Gallery. This month we are excited to feature found objects, video art, AI, linocuts, watercolours, immersive installation, collage and photography. Our artists are Jitka Klimešová, Jenny Jih, Sanji Yang, Pocoyo, Neal Haddaway, Annette Raffan, Iris Hill and Shengdi Cui. Shengdi Cui This art project focuses on exploring the small and…
To celebrate UK Pride Month, the British Ecological Society journal blogs are posting a Rainbow Research series, which aims to promote visibility of STEM researchers from the LGBTQ+ community. Each post will be connected to a theme represented by one of the colours shown in the Progress Pride flag. In this post, Justin Stewart discusses their…
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