Research on successions and community assembly both address the same processes such as dispersal, species sorting, biotic interactions but lack unifying concepts. Recent theoretical advances integrated research lines proposing a sequence of stochastic deterministic along successional gradients. Shifts in ecosystem states gradients are predicted to occur abruptly once abiotic factors dominate over dispersal main driver. Considering multidiversity composed five organismal groups including...

ABSTRACT Community assembly is a result of dispersal, abiotic and biotic characteristics the habitat as well stochasticity. A direct comparison between microbial ‘macrobial’ organisms hampered by sampling these communities in different studies, at sites or on scales. In glacier forefield Austrian Alps, we recorded soil plant microbiome (bacteria fungi) plants that occurred same landscape close proximity plots. We tested five predictions deduced from processes revealed deviating patterns...

Abstract Ecological studies are aligned along a realism–precision continuum ranging from field observations to controlled lab experiments that each have their own strengths and limitations. insight may be most robust when combining approaches. In successional gradient, we found correlations between plant species composition soil bacterial communities, while Shannon diversity was unrelated vegetation characteristics. To add causal understanding of the processes community assembly, designed...

Abstract Cities have been shown to be biodiverse, but it is unclear what fraction of a regional species pool can live within city borders and how this differs between taxa. Among animals, most research has focused on few well-studied taxa, such as birds or butterflies. For other species, progress limited by the paucity data. We used occurrence data for 11 taxa 23 German cities from Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) different states, in 50-km buffer around centre, investigate...

Recent research has highlighted the significance of cities for biodiversity, making them important places conservation in their own right. Current approaches are mostly defensive. Thus, they focus on remnant pockets natural areas or try to protect particular species that occur built environment. These vulnerable further urban development and do not create habitats. An alternative strategy is make wildlife an integral part thereby a new habitat built-up area. Here we address challenge...

Abstract. Studies on ecological successions have a long tradition and strongly contributed to the understanding of community assembly, niche theory, ecosystem structure functionality. Reports are however mostly restricted one or two taxonomic groups, neglecting mutual influences dependencies between multiple groups that building blocks diverse communities. We introduce Alpine research platform Ödenwinkel promote observational experimental emergence multidiversity complexity. established n=...

Receding glaciers create virtually uninhabited substrates waiting for initial colonization of bacteria, fungi and plants. These glacier forefields serve as an ideal ecosystem studying transformations in community composition diversity over time the interactions between taxonomic groups a dynamic landscape. In this study, we investigated relationships fungi, plant communities well environmental factors along successional gradient. We used random forest analysis assessing how mutually predict...

Abstract A significant number of bryophyte species are thought to have transcontinental geographic ranges, often with multiple disjunct distribution areas. One these cases is Epipterygium tozeri (Mniaceae), a Holarctic and ranges in western North America, the Mediterranean, Japan central Asia. Collections from different regions were lumped into E. based on morphology, but molecular confirmation was lacking so far. Here, we tested concepts genus , special focus complex, combining...

Abstract Complex links between biotic and abiotic constituents are fundamental for the functioning of ecosystems. Although non-monotonic interactions associations known to increase stability, diversity, productivity ecosystems, they frequently ignored by community-level standard statistical approaches. Using copula-based dependence measure qad, capable quantifying directed asymmetric variables all forms (functional) relationships, we determined proportion different an ecosystem (plants,...

Dispersal, environmental filtering, and biotic interactions define the species inventory of local communities. Along successional gradients, these assembly processes are predicted to sequentially vary in their relative importance with dispersal as dominating process early succession, followed by filtering at later stages. While observational data from field studies supported this prediction, controlled experiments confirming a sequence still lacking. We designed miniature ecosystems...

In primary successions, assembling plant communities are key for ecosystem functioning and stability. Often, successions described on a taxonomic, functional and/or phylogenetic level, where species' identities, traits or evolutionary histories considered. this study, we exploited community features characterizing whole assemblages to capture emerging properties only available at the level. Next aggregating over multiple species, used customized multispectral 3D scanner extracting digital as...

Abstract Vascular plants and bryophytes are key components driving the development of diverse ecosystems following glacial retreat. Unravelling biotic interaction mechanisms between both groups is crucial for understanding generation biodiversity under natural conditions. Focusing on a 170-year primary succession gradient in Austrian Alps, this study examines competitive vascular during initial phases ecosystem establishment. Using data vegetation structural complexity derived from...

Abstract Research on successions and community assembly both address the same processes such as dispersal, species sorting, biotic interactions but lack unifying concepts. Recent theoretical advances integrated research lines proposing a sequence of stochastic niche-based along successional gradients. Shifts in are predicted to occur abruptly once abiotic factors dominate over dispersal main driver. Considering multidiversity composed five organismal groups including plants, animals,...

Abstract Community assembly is a result of dispersal, abiotic and biotic characteristics the habitat as well stochasticity. A direct comparison between microbial ‘macrobial’ organisms hampered by sampling these communities in different studies, at sites, or on scales. In glacier forefield Austrian Alps, we recorded soil plant microbiome (bacteria fungi) plants that occurred same landscape close proximity plots. We tested five predictions deduced from processes revealed deviating patterns...

Summary Due to climate warming, recently deglaciated glacier forefields create virtually uninhabited substrates waiting for initial colonization of bacteria, fungi and plants serve as an ideal ecosystem studying transformations in community composition diversity over time the interactions between taxonomic groups. In this study, we investigated fungi, environmental factors (pH, temperature, plot age soil nutrients) along a 1.5km forefield. We used random forest analysis detect how well...