Abstract Biodiversity drives ecological functioning, ultimately providing ecosystem services. Ecosystem processes are favored by greater functional diversity, particularly when groups of functionally different species interact synergistically. Many such functions performed insects, among which dung beetles stand out for their important role in decomposition. However, anthropogenic disturbances negatively affecting dynamics and We conducted a manipulative field study to evaluate the effect...

Abstract Rapid environmental changes across Europe include warmer and increasingly variable temperatures, in soil nutrient availability, pollinator decline. These abiotic biotic can affect natural plant populations force them to optimize resource use against competitors. To date, the evolution of competitive ability context availability remains understudied. In this study, we investigated whether common calcareous grassland herb Leontodon hispidus recently evolved its response availability....

Abstract Cliffs are unique ecosystems with an outstanding but relatively unknown plant diversity, harboring rare, endemic and threatened species, also rock-specialist or generalist species that can become locally common dominant on cliffs. The rising popularity of climbing represents increasing threat to cliff biota, affecting community composition potentially diminishing diversity associations. We used a novel sampling design closely-paired climbed versus unclimbed points along the...

Cliffs harbor unique and specialized biodiversity that warrants attention conservation. At the same time, cliffs are under increased threat from anthropogenic disturbance climate change. Since highly heterogeneous, spatially isolated, often inaccessible compared to nearby habitats, land managers require up-to-date site-specific information protect them. overlooked due technical logistical challenges posed by surveying these environments, but field inventorying monitoring can fill this gap....

It is widely accepted that changes in the environment affect mean trait expression, but little known about how shapes intra-individual and intra-population variance. Theory suggests variance might be plastic under natural selection, rather than reflecting developmental noise, evidence for this hypothesis scarce. Here, we experimentally tested whether differences intrinsic environmental predictability variability of different reproductive traits, selection.Under field conditions, subjected...

Abstract Cliff ecosystems provide refuge to 35%–66% of the world's endemic plants. However, they face growing threats from sport climbing. Evidence suggests that unclimbed cliffs harbour approximately twice plant richness compared with climbed cliffs, increasing impact as climbing intensity increases. Unfortunately, it remains unknown whether on cliff vegetation originates development (opening) routes or temporal changes resulting subsequent We recorded vascular plants and lichens at...

Abstract Questions Is rock climbing pressure, together with microtopographic conditions, disturbing cliff plant cover and composition? What are the impacts on specialist non‐specialist species? Can a case‐control approach, not previously implemented in environments, offer additional value for actual long‐term ecological research? Location Chulilla, Levante coast, Spain. Methods We surveyed situ nine routes order to examine differences species richness vegetation between unclimbed climbed...

In recent years, the popularity of rock-climbing has grown tremendously, setting an increasing pressure on cliff habitats. Climbing may be particularly harmful in Mediterranean biome due to its appropriate environmental conditions for climbing. A few studies have identified effect climbing plant diversity at a small-scale (namely locally or even just specific areas). However, no exist assessing potential risk broad-scale (e.g., regional national). The study aims identify priority locations...

Climate-change induced warmer spring temperatures advance tree leaf-out and result in earlier shading of the forest floor. Climate change also leads to more frequent droughts. Forest understorey herbs may respond these environmental changes by varying traits at different hierarchical levels organization. While trait mean variation inter-individual level response is well-studied, little known about how intra-individual responds.We sampled genets herb Galium odoratum from 21 populations three...

Abstract Environments characterized by physical extremes harbor unique species diversity with particular adaptations. Cliffs are harsh environments for organisms but host a great of specialized plants many endemics, rare and even endangered species. It is, however, less known which fungal the cliff habitats contain whether it differs among different locations. We thus sampled soil from three separate locations in North, Centre, South Spain used eDNA metabarcoding to determine diversity. To...

Current climate change is characterized by an increase in weather variability, which includes altered means, variance and predictability of parameters, may affect organism's ecology evolution. Few studies have experimentally manipulated the variability very little known about effects changes intrinsic parameters on living organisms. Here, we tested differences precipitation-predictability two herbaceous plants (Onobrychis viciifolia Papaver rhoeas). Lower led to phenological advance...

Abstract The great plasticity and diverse reproductive strategies of invasive alien plants are widely assumed to contribute invasion success, even in extreme areas, often displacing native species. In this context, climate change creates new opportunities for biological invasions. Environmental variability global warming two the climatic processes that may promote invasiveness, since species modulate their phenology succeed under these circumstances. We monitored phenological development...

Climate change is a key factor that may cause the extinction of species. The associated reduced weather predictability alter survival plants, especially during their early life stages, when individuals are most fragile. While it expected extreme events will be highly detrimental for species, effects more subtle environmental changes have been little considered. In four-year experiment on two herbaceous Papaver rhoeas and Onobrychis viciifolia, we manipulated precipitation by changing...

1. Cliff ecosystems provide refuge to 35-66% of the world’s endemic plants. However, they face growing threats from climbing. Evidence suggests that untouched cliffs harbor approximately twice plant richness compared climbed cliffs, with increasing impact as climbing intensity increases. Unfortunately, origin and extent has not been assessed so far. 2. We recorded cliff vascular plants lichens at protected natural area El Potrero Chico (Mexico) before after establishment new routes....

Iturbide is located in the Northeast of Mexico, it has a rich native and exotic flora, however, there are no ethnobotanical records, therefore, requires attention documentation traditional practices uses its botanical resources. In 2021, twelve field trips were carried out, applying 110 semi-structured interviews. Plant samples collected, identified deposited an herbarium. We used Chi-square test to compare with respect others reported Mexico. To determine cultural importance, three indices...

Iturbide is in the northeast of Mexico and has a rich native exotic flora; however, there are no ethnobotanical records, therefore, it requires attention documentation traditional knowledge practices its botanical resources. In 2021, twelve field trips were carried out, applying 110 semi-structured interviews. Plant samples collected, identified deposited an herbarium. We used Chi-square test to compare anthropocentric categories concerning others reported Mexico. To determine cultural...

1. Many animals invest a great amount of time and energy foraging. However, the sit‐and‐wait strategy is common behaviour, which reduces cost moving by using perches. In case dung beetles, individuals many species use leaves as The factors for selection these perches are still unknown, but one hypothesis proposes that plant features may be key, creating an ecological animal–plant network. 2. We identified beetles in tropical rain forest measured height area leaves, body length each species....

Climate change affects means, variances and the intrinsic predictability of climate. However, experimental tests how changes in climatic plant traits, allocation strategies selective regime acting on them are scarce, as well evidence for importance root functional traits to cope with uncertainty. Here, we experimentally manipulated daily inter‐seasonal precipitation‐predictabilities tested their effect strategies, them, transgenerational responses, using a four‐year field experiment...

Recent climatic changes, such as more frequent droughts and heatwaves, can lead to rapid evolutionary adaptations in plant populations. Such evolution be investigated using the resurrection approach by comparing plants raised from stored ancestral contemporary seeds same population. This has so far only been used common garden experiments, allowing reveal genetic differentiation but not adaptation. In this study, we performed a novel testing for adaptation natural populations study...

Abstract Current climate change leads to an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts a decreased precipitation predictability. The few studies investigating plant evolutionary responses contrasting predictability regimes showed that intrinsic shapes phenotypic variation, drives evolution plasticity can vary strength direction selection. This suggests selection pressure induced by may lead plants coping better with severe drought events. To investigate whether past influences...