A5040774119- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Forest Management and Policy
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
University of Tartu
2015-2024
Stockholm University
2011-2020
Intensification or abandonment of agricultural land use has led to a severe decline semi-natural habitats across Europe. This can cause immediate loss species but also time-delayed extinctions, known as the extinction debt. In pan-European study 147 fragmented grassland remnants, we found differences in debt from different trophic levels. Present-day richness long-lived vascular plant specialists was better explained by past than current landscape patterns, indicating an contrast,...
Abstract A large proportion of European biodiversity today depends on habitat provided by low‐intensity farming practices, yet this resource is declining as agriculture intensifies. Within the Union, particularly central and eastern new member states have retained relatively areas species‐rich farmland, but despite increased investment in nature conservation here recent years, farmland trends appear to be worsening. Although high value Central Eastern has long been reported, amount research...
Summary The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are a globally distributed group of soil organisms that play critical roles in ecosystem function. However, the ecological niches individual AM fungal taxa poorly understood. We collected > 300 samples from natural ecosystems worldwide and modelled realised virtual (VT; approximately species‐level phylogroups). found environmental spatial variables jointly explained VT distribution worldwide, with temperature pH being most important abiotic...
When plants establish outside their native range, ability to adapt the new environment is influenced by both demography and dispersal. However, relative importance of these two factors poorly understood. To quantify influence dispersal on patterns genetic diversity underlying adaptation, we used data from a globally distributed demographic research network comprising 35 18 nonnative populations Plantago lanceolata . Species-specific simulation experiments showed that would dilute influences...
Abstract During the past century, semi‐natural grasslands, once widespread throughout Europe, have largely been converted into intensively managed agricultural areas, abandoned or afforested. These large‐scale land‐use changes already resulted in considerable biodiversity loss but can also lead to decline ecosystem service provision and multifunctionality. We assessed impact of afforestation abandonment grasslands on supply services Western Estonia. compared a wide array provided by open...
Summary 1. We provide a brief overview of progress in our understanding introduced plant species. 2. Three main conclusions emerge from review: (i) Many lines research, including the search for traits that make species good invaders, or ecosystems susceptible to invasion, are yielding idiosyncratic results. To move forward, we advocate more synthetic approach incorporates range different types information about and communities habitats they invading. (ii) Given growing evidence adaptive...
Abstract Aim Habitat loss and degradation pose a major threat to biodiversity, which can result in the extinction of habitat characteristic species. However, many species exhibit delayed response environmental changes because slow intrinsic dynamics populations, resulting debt. We assess directly composition by comparing historical (1923) current inventories highly fragmented grasslands. aim characterize that constitute debt European calcareous Location Europe, Estonia, 59–60° N, 24–25° E....
Abstract Aim Identifying the factors that drive large‐scale patterns of biotic interaction is fundamental for understanding how communities respond to changing environmental conditions. Mycorrhizal symbiosis a key between fungi and most vascular plants. Whether plants are obligately (OM) or facultatively (FM) mycorrhizal, which mycorrhizal type they form – arbuscular (AM), ectomycorrhizal (ECM), ericoid (ERM) non‐mycorrhizal (NM) can have strong implications plant species distribution at...
Abstract Aims Understanding fine‐grain diversity patterns across large spatial extents is fundamental for macroecological research and biodiversity conservation. Using the GrassPlot database, we provide benchmarks of richness values Palaearctic open habitats vascular plants, bryophytes, lichens complete vegetation (i.e., sum former three groups). Location biogeographic realm. Methods We used 126,524 plots eight standard grain sizes from database: 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 1,000 m...
1 Species-rich semi-natural grasslands in Europe developed during prehistoric times and have endured due to human activity. At the same time, intensive grassland management or changes land use may result species extinction. As a consequence, plant diversity calcareous be related both historical current population density. 2 We hypothesize that vascular is positively correlated with Late Iron Age (c. 800–1000 years ago) density of settlements (indicated by fortresses villages) enhancement...
A number of studies show contrasting results in how plant species with specific life‐history strategies respond to fragmentation, but a general analysis on whether traits affect occurrences relation habitat area and isolation has not been performed. We used published data from forests grasslands north‐central Europe analyse if there are patterns sensitivity dependency for using three traits: life‐span, clonality, seed weight. that larger share all forest was affected by as compared grassland...
Invasions have increased the size of regional species pools, but are typically assumed to reduce native diversity. However, global-scale tests this assumption been elusive because focus on exotic richness, rather than relative abundance. This is problematic low invader richness can indicate invasion resistance by community or, alternatively, dominance a single species. Here, we used globally replicated study quantify relationships between and abundance in grass-dominated ecosystems 13...
In the era of ongoing global change, it is highly important that restoration efforts lead to functioning, self‐sustainable ecosystems are resilient disturbance and resistant environmental changes. Therefore, necessary aims at achieving high genetic diversity plant populations in addition recovery characteristic species composition diversity. Nevertheless, species‐ gene‐level biodiversity rarely examined together context restoration, although a fundamental factor ensuring long‐term success...
Abstract Aim Habitat fragmentation is a major driver of biodiversity loss but it insufficiently known how much its effects vary among species with different life‐history traits; especially in plant communities, the understanding role traits related to persistence and dispersal determining dynamics communities fragmented landscapes still limited. The primary aim this study was test their interactions modify vulnerability decreasing habitat area increasing isolation. Location Five regions...
Temperate calcareous grasslands are characterized by high levels of species richness at small spatial scales. Nevertheless, many from a habitat‐specific regional pool may be absent local communities and represent the ‘dark diversity’ these sites. Here we investigate dry in northern Europe to determine what proportion is realized scales (i.e. how community completeness varies) which mechanisms contributing relative sizes observed dark diversity. We test whether absence particular potentially...
Species dispersal, establishment, and assembly are crucial stages of the life history plants, clear understanding governing forces rules that shape species composition in a particular community is vital for successful ecological restoration. In this article, we focus on five aspects seed dispersal plant which should be considered during habitat restoration actions. first two sections, discuss success spontaneous establishment based either spatial or local banks. third section, assess...
Abstract Sedimentary pollen offers excellent opportunities to reconstruct vegetation changes over past millennia. Number of different taxa or richness is used characterise plant richness. To improve the interpretation sedimentary richness, it essential understand relationship between and in contemporary landscapes. This study presents a regional‐scale comparison from northern Europe evaluates importance environmental variables on We use dataset 511 lake‐surface samples ranging through...
The prevailing nature‐based solution to tackle climate change is tree planting. However, there growing evidence that it has serious contraindications in many regions. main shortcoming of global planting its awareness disparity alternative ecosystem types, mainly grasslands. Grasslands, where they constitute the natural vegetation, may support higher biodiversity and a safer, soil‐locked carbon stock than plantations other forests. We suggest replacing “tree planting” by “restore native...