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Comparative analyses of gene birth–death dynamics have the potential to reveal gene families that played an important role in the evolution of morphological, behavioral, or physiological variation. Here, we used whole genomes of 30 species of butterflies and moths to identify gene birth–death dynamics among the Lepidoptera that are associated with specialist or generalist feeding strategies. Our w
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The consequences of this include rising temperatures, shifts in precipitation patterns, and increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heat waves and droughts. Elevated temperatures can accelerate microbial activity in soil, potentially resulting in an increased rate of soil
Ultra-short period planets (USPs) have orbital periods of less than 1 d. Since their masses and radii can be determined to a higher precision than long-period planets, they are the preferred targets to determine the density of planets which constrains their composition. The K2-106 system is particularly interesting because it contains two planets of nearly identical masses. One is a high-density U
Microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) describes the partitioning of carbon (C) between respiration and growth, and this defines the soil-atmosphere C balance. Despite its importance, CUE is not properly represented in soil biogeochemical models. Here, we estimated how CUE varied in soil along a continental gradient. Through a structural equation model, we found that bacterial growth, fungal commun
Community cohesion is a recent concept in ecology referring to the varying levels of connectivity and integration between populations of different taxonomic or functional groups within ecosystems. Positive cohesion denotes positive interactions such as mutualism or facilitation, while negative cohesion implies negative interactions such as competitive exclusion or a preference for different habita
Plant invaders often exhibit substantially higher productivity than the communities they replace. However, little is known about interactions among invaders and microbial decomposers responsible for converting organic nutrients into plant-available forms to fuel this productivity. We performed two laboratory incubations with soil and plant material collected from five-year-old experimental plantin
Soil microbial communities perform vital ecosystem functions, such as the decomposition of organic matter to provide plant nutrition. However, despite the functional importance of soil microorganisms, attribution of ecosystem function to particular constituents of the microbial community has been impeded by a lack of information linking microbial function to community composition and structure. He
Microbial stoichiometry has become a key aspect in ecological research as shifts in microbial C:N, C:P and N:P ratios upon nutrient addition are presumed to give insight into relative nutrient limitations for soil microorganisms–with far-reaching implications for biogeochemical processes. However, this expectation has never been tested against direct methods of microbial growth responses to nutrie
Two patterns of bacterial growth response upon drying and rewetting (DRW) of soils have previously been identified. Bacterial growth can either start increasing immediately after rewetting in a linear fashion (“type 1” response) or start increasing exponentially after a lag period (“type 2” response). The effect of repeated DRW cycles was studied in three soils with different response patterns aft
Bees often focus their foraging effort on a few or even a single flower species, even if other equally rewarding flower species are present. Although this phenomenon-called flower constancy-has been widely documented during single foraging trips, it is largely unknown if the behavior persists over longer time periods, especially under field conditions with large temporal variations of resources. W
Temperature is a major determinant of biological process rates, and microorganisms are key regulators of ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics. Temperature controls microbial rates of decomposition, and thus warming can stimulate C loss, creating positive feedback to climate change. If trait distributions that define temperature relationships of microbial communities can adapt to altered temperatures, the
Soil microbes perceive drying and rewetting (DRW) events as more or less harsh depending on the previous soil moisture history. If a DRW event is not perceived as harsh, microbial growth recovers rapidly after rewetting (referred to as ‘type 1’ response), while a harsh DRW will be followed by a delayed growth recovery (‘type 2’ response). Predicting these responses based on pedoclimatic factors is
Introduction: Heterogeneity in composition and spatial configuration of landscape elements support diversity and abundance of flower-visiting insects, but this is likely dependent on taxonomic group, spatial scale, weather and climatic conditions, and is particularly impacted by agricultural intensification. Here, we analyzed the impacts of both aspects of landscape heterogeneity and the role of c
In 2015, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Although the SDGs, which are to be achieved by 2030, are not the first attempt to guide policy actors through global goals, they go far beyond earlier agreements in their detail, comprehensiveness, and ambition. Yet the 2022 SD
Sustainable agriculture requires balancing crop yields with the effects of pesticides on non-target organisms, such as bees and other crop pollinators. Field studies demonstrated that agricultural use of neonicotinoid insecticides can negatively affect wild bee species 1,2, leading to restrictions on these compounds 3. However, besides neonicotinoids, field-based evidence of the effects of lands
Soil microbial communities play a pivotal role in regulating ecosystem functioning. But they are increasingly being shaped by human-induced environmental change, including intense “pulse” perturbations, such as droughts, which are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change. While it is known that soil microbial communities are sensitive to such perturbations and that effe
