A5055383203- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Forest ecology and management
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Forest Management and Policy
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research
University College London
2023-2025
ETH Zurich
2019-2024
University of Tasmania
2021-2024
UNSW Sydney
2024
Museum of Old and New Art
2024
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2020-2022
Museums Victoria
2021
University of Chicago
2017-2020
Yale University
2012-2018
University of New Hampshire
2012-2013
Summary Litter decomposition is a biogeochemical process fundamental to element cycling within ecosystems, influencing plant productivity, species composition and carbon storage. Climate has long been considered the primary broad‐scale control on litter rates, yet recent work suggests that traits may predominate. Both paradigms, however, rely inferences from cross‐biome studies analyse site‐level means. We re‐analyse data classical study demonstrate previous research falsely inflate...
Decomposition of organic material by soil microbes generates an annual global release 50-75 Pg carbon to the atmosphere, ∼7.5-9 times that anthropogenic emissions worldwide. This process is sensitive change factors, which can drive cycle-climate feedbacks with potential enhance atmospheric warming. Although effects interacting factors on microbial activity have been a widespread ecological focus, regulatory interspecific interactions are rarely considered in climate feedback studies. We...
Fungi are prominent components of most terrestrial ecosystems, both in terms biomass and ecosystem functioning, but the hyper-diverse nature communities has obscured search for unifying principles governing community organization. In particular, unlike plants animals, observational studies provide little evidence existence niche processes structuring fungal at broad spatial scales. This limits our capacity to predict how communities, their vary across landscapes. We outline a shift focus,...
Significance Fungi play a key role in the global carbon cycle as main decomposers of litter and wood. Although current climate models reflect limited functional variation microbial groups, fungi differ vastly their decomposing ability. Here, we examine which traits explain fungal-mediated wood decomposition. In laboratory study 34 fungal isolates, found that ability varies along spectrum from stress-tolerant, poorly to fast-growing, competitive rapidly decompose We observed similar patterns...
Abstract Due to massive energetic investments in woody support structures, trees are subject unique physiological, mechanical, and ecological pressures not experienced by herbaceous plants. Despite a wealth of studies exploring trait relationships across the entire plant kingdom, dominant traits underpinning these aspects tree form function remain unclear. Here, considering 18 functional traits, encompassing leaf, seed, bark, wood, crown, root characteristics, we quantify multidimensional...
Significance Diverse communities typically have higher functional potential (e.g., biomass production) because species use different resources and respond to environmental cues. Yet, in highly competitive communities, individuals often grow less efficiently together due intense competition for shared resources. Here, we show that the structure of network (i.e., who beats who) ultimately determines whether an increase diversity leads or a decrease functioning. The diversity–function...
Soil stores more carbon (C) than all vegetation and the atmosphere combined. C stocks are broadly shaped by temperature, moisture, soil physical characteristics, vegetation, microbial-mediated metabolic processes. The efficiency with which microorganisms use regulates balance between storage in atmosphere. In this review, we discuss how microbial physiology community assembly processes determine growth rate and, turn, organic cycling through lens of ecology. We introduce a conceptual...
Abstract The consequences of deforestation for aboveground biodiversity have been a scientific and political concern decades. In contrast, despite being dominant component that is essential to the functioning ecosystems, responses belowground forest removal received less attention. Single‐site studies suggest soil microbes can be highly responsive removal, but are variable, with negligible effects in some regions. Using high throughput sequencing, we characterize on microbial communities...
The industrial sector represents roughly 22% of U.S. emissions. Unlike emissions from fossil-fueled power plants, the carbon footprint a complex mixture stationary combustion and process produced as reaction byproduct cement, iron steel, glass, oil production. This study quantifies potential opportunities for low-cost capture storage (CCS) scenarios with by analyzing variabilities in point-source geographic proximity to relevant sinks, specifically enhanced recovery (EOR) geologic...
One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles proximity adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree exhibit weaker CDD than arbuscular species. We further...
Abstract 1. Biodiversity is an important component of natural ecosystems, with higher species richness often correlating increase in ecosystem productivity. Yet, this relationship varies substantially across environments, typically becoming less pronounced at high levels richness. However, alone cannot reflect all properties a community, including community evenness, which may mediate the between biodiversity and If evenness correlates negatively forests globally, then greater number not...