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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
In this article, we examine how climate adaptation policies can operate as mechanisms of dispossession, displacing marginalized communities under the guise of environmental protection. We introduce the concept of ‘adaptation by dispossession’ to describe how interventions framed as responses to climate-related hazards justify forced removal, exclusion and the reallocation of land and resources. Dr
Project Psyche is a transnational initiative to generate and study chromosome-level reference genomes of all ~11 000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) found in Europe. Here, we describe the decentralised network of collection and sequencing hubs that has enabled rapid progress, the standardised protocols for sampling and sequencing, and the collaborative framework for data analysis. W
Species of the ascomycetous genus Cladobotryum (Hypocreales, Hypocreaceae) are ecologically and economically important mycoparasites that cause cobweb disease in cultivated and wild mushrooms. Despite their significance as fungal pathogens and producers of bioactive metabolites, the taxonomy of Cladobotryum remains unresolved due to extensive morphological plasticity, complex teleomorph–anamorph c
Freshwater lakes are becoming warmer and browner, with poorly known ecosystem consequences. A major unresolved issue is how these changes will affect the feeding rates of predators that regulate top-down trophic cascades. We explored the effects of temperature and browning on the functional response and feeding rates of a keystone predator, the Northern pike Esox lucius. We first derived a simple
We present a genome assembly from a male specimen of Zethes insularis (Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Erebidae). The assembly contains two haplotypes with total lengths of 862.07 megabases and 869.20 megabases. Most of haplotype 1 (99.0%) is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. Most of haplotype 2 (95.76%) is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecu
Chemical communication is the oldest and most widespread form of signalling among and within organisms. Among the many compounds involved in such communication, pyrazines – nitrogen-containing heterocyclic molecules – are especially intriguing due to their widespread occurrence across the tree of life, from bacteria and fungi to insects and mammals. In this review, we focus on the role of pyrazine
Female-producing parthenogenesis is widespread in stick insects. It ranges from rare in sexual species to facultative or obligate, the latter sometimes in hybrids. This review synthesizes current knowledge on its origins, mechanisms, and evolutionary consequences, highlighting the distinction between hybrid and intra-specific origins. Hybrid-derived parthenogens are rare, obligate, frequently poly
Rising global temperatures and compound climatic extremes outpace avian thermoregulatory capacity. Yet, heat tolerance has been studied in only 1–2% of birds, mostly from the southern subtropics. The field requires research in two main areas. First, temperature and humidity must be considered in unison, and we provide a guiding, biophysical, framework for how these factors interact across climates
Water markets in China have received ample scholarly attention, but less is known about the political, ideological, and international influences that shaped their evolution. Using institutional analysis and a power-centered approach, we trace three Australian-funded projects (2005–2019) alongside domestic policy shifts to analyze how market ideas were institutionalized. We show how policy entrepre
Accounting for the estimated number of undescribed species, Gelechioidea are thought to be among the most species-rich superfamilies of Lepidoptera, with 18,500 described species, including numerous pests of economically significant crops such as cotton, tomato and wheat. Family-level topology of the superfamily and the extent and the number of accepted families have received important revisions t
Nestling feeding in altricial birds is a physiologically demanding phase of the annual cycle. Accordingly, parental effort in breeding songbirds has been suggested to be limited by the maximum capacity to perform sustained aerobic work. However, the maximum capacity for exercise and plasticity thereof is understudied in free-living, breeding songbirds. We tested two predictions related to the plas
Fragmentation refers to the plurality and differences among institutions in the contemporary, decentralized global governance system. Global sustainability governance is a prime example for fragmentation: lacking a central authority, sustainability governance is addressed by myriad institutions across international, national, regional and local spheres. This creates opportunities for synergies but
The Neotropical butterfly genus Adelpha Hübner exhibits remarkable species diversity and striking convergence in wing colour patterns potentially explained by mimicry, making it an exceptional model for exploring trait evolution and its relationship with speciation. To date, unresolved phylogenetic relationships hinder a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary biology of the genus. Using a
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
We investigated how legacies of land use and climate affected the microbial use of organic matter (OM) along a tropical climate gradient in Ethiopia. Four levels of land-use intensity ranging from croplands to pristine forests were assessed along a gradient from cool and moist high altitude (MAT = 16°C, MAP = 2,200 mm) to hot and dry lowland sites (MAT = 20°C, MAP = 1,050 mm). We resolved the biom
