{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1111/2041-210X.14392", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:18:28Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-08-07", "title": "Sap Flow Analyzer: A tool to standardize sap flow estimation and scaling to whole\u2010tree water use using the HFD method", "description": "Abstract

Sap flow measurements are fundamental to understanding water use in trees and could aid in predicting climate change effects on forest function. Deriving knowledge from such measurements requires empirical calibrations and upscaling methods to translate thermometric recordings to tree water use. Here, we developed a user\uffe2\uff80\uff90friendly open\uffe2\uff80\uff90source application, the Sap Flow Analyzer (SFA), which estimates sap flow rates and tree water use from the heat field deformation (HFD) instruments.

The SFA incorporates four key features to ensure maximum accuracy and reproducibility of sap flow estimates: diagnosis diagrams to assess data patterns visually, regression models implemented to increase accuracy when estimating K (the main HFD parameter), three approaches to upscale sap flow rates to whole\uffe2\uff80\uff90tree water use and visualization of the input parameters' uncertainty. Thirteen participants were given three raw datasets and assigned data processing tasks using the SFA user guide, from estimating sapwood depth to scaling sap flow rates to whole\uffe2\uff80\uff90tree water use to assess the reproducibility and applicability of the SFA.

Participants' results were reasonably consistent and independent of their background in using the SFA, R, or HFD method. The results showed lower variability for high flow rates (SD: mean 1% vs. 10%). K estimates and sapwood depth differentiation were the primary sources of variability, which in turn was mainly caused by the user's chosen scaling method.

The SFA provides an easy way to visualize and process sap flow and tree water use data from HFD measurements. It is the first free and open software tool for HFD users. The ability to trace analysis steps ensures reproducibility, increasing transparency and consistency in data processing. Developing tools such as the SFA and masked trials are essential for more precise workflows and improved quality and comparability of HFD sap flow datasets.

Fog makes a significant contribution to the hydrology of a wide range of important terrestrial ecosystems. The amount and frequency of fog immersion are affected by rapid ongoing anthropogenic changes but the impacts of these changes remain relatively poorly understood compared with changes in rainfall.

Here, we present the design and performance of a novel experiment to actively manipulate low lying fog abundance in an old\uffe2\uff80\uff90growth tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) in Peru\uffe2\uff80\uff94the Wayqecha Amazon Cloud Curtain Ecosystem Experiment (WACCEE). The treatment consists of a 30\uffe2\uff80\uff89m high, 40\uffe2\uff80\uff89m wide mesh curtain suspended between two towers and extending down to the ground, and two supplementary curtains orientated diagonally inwards from the top of each tower and secured to the ground upslope. The curtains divert and intercept airborne water droplets in fog moving upslope, thereby depriving a ~420\uffe2\uff80\uff89m2 patch of forest immediately behind the curtains of this water source. We monitored inside the treatment and a nearby unmodified control plot various metrics of water availability (air humidity, vapour pressure deficit, leaf wetness and soil moisture) and other potentially confounding variables (radiation, air and soil temperature) above and below the forest canopy.

The treatment caused a strong reduction in both air humidity and leaf wetness, and an increase in vapour pressure deficit, above the canopy compared to the control plot. This effect was most pronounced during the nighttime (20:00\uffe2\uff80\uff9305:00). Below\uffe2\uff80\uff90canopy shifts within the treatment were more subtle: relative humidity at 2\uffe2\uff80\uff89m height above the ground was significantly suppressed during the daytime, while soil moisture was apparently elevated. The treatment caused a small but significant increase in air temperature above the canopy but a decrease in temperature in and near the soil, while mixed effects were observed at 2\uffe2\uff80\uff89m height above the ground. Above\uffe2\uff80\uff90canopy radiation was slightly elevated on the treatment relative to the control, particularly during the dry season.

Further application of the method in other systems where fog plays a major role in ecosystem processes could improve our understanding of the ecological impacts of this important but understudied climate driver.

Sap flow measurements are fundamental to understanding water use in trees and could aid in predicting climate change effects on forest function. Deriving knowledge from such measurements requires empirical calibrations and upscaling methods to translate thermometric recordings to tree water use. Here, we developed a user\uffe2\uff80\uff90friendly open\uffe2\uff80\uff90source application, the Sap Flow Analyzer (SFA), which estimates sap flow rates and tree water use from the heat field deformation (HFD) instruments.

The SFA incorporates four key features to ensure maximum accuracy and reproducibility of sap flow estimates: diagnosis diagrams to assess data patterns visually, regression models implemented to increase accuracy when estimating K (the main HFD parameter), three approaches to upscale sap flow rates to whole\uffe2\uff80\uff90tree water use and visualization of the input parameters' uncertainty. Thirteen participants were given three raw datasets and assigned data processing tasks using the SFA user guide, from estimating sapwood depth to scaling sap flow rates to whole\uffe2\uff80\uff90tree water use to assess the reproducibility and applicability of the SFA.

Participants' results were reasonably consistent and independent of their background in using the SFA, R, or HFD method. The results showed lower variability for high flow rates (SD: mean 1% vs. 10%). K estimates and sapwood depth differentiation were the primary sources of variability, which in turn was mainly caused by the user's chosen scaling method.

The SFA provides an easy way to visualize and process sap flow and tree water use data from HFD measurements. It is the first free and open software tool for HFD users. The ability to trace analysis steps ensures reproducibility, increasing transparency and consistency in data processing. Developing tools such as the SFA and masked trials are essential for more precise workflows and improved quality and comparability of HFD sap flow datasets.

Fog makes a significant contribution to the hydrology of a wide range of important terrestrial ecosystems. The amount and frequency of fog immersion are affected by rapid ongoing anthropogenic changes but the impacts of these changes remain relatively poorly understood compared with changes in rainfall.

Here, we present the design and performance of a novel experiment to actively manipulate low lying fog abundance in an old\uffe2\uff80\uff90growth tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) in Peru\uffe2\uff80\uff94the Wayqecha Amazon Cloud Curtain Ecosystem Experiment (WACCEE). The treatment consists of a 30\uffe2\uff80\uff89m high, 40\uffe2\uff80\uff89m wide mesh curtain suspended between two towers and extending down to the ground, and two supplementary curtains orientated diagonally inwards from the top of each tower and secured to the ground upslope. The curtains divert and intercept airborne water droplets in fog moving upslope, thereby depriving a ~420\uffe2\uff80\uff89m 2 patch of forest immediately behind the curtains of this water source. We monitored inside the treatment and a nearby unmodified control plot various metrics of water availability (air humidity, vapour pressure deficit, leaf wetness and soil moisture) and other potentially confounding variables (radiation, air and soil temperature) above and below the forest canopy.

The treatment caused a strong reduction in both air humidity and leaf wetness, and an increase in vapour pressure deficit, above the canopy compared to the control plot. This effect was most pronounced during the nighttime (20:00\uffe2\uff80\uff9305:00). Below\uffe2\uff80\uff90canopy shifts within the treatment were more subtle: relative humidity at 2\uffe2\uff80\uff89m height above the ground was significantly suppressed during the daytime, while soil moisture was apparently elevated. The treatment caused a small but significant increase in air temperature above the canopy but a decrease in temperature in and near the soil, while mixed effects were observed at 2\uffe2\uff80\uff89m height above the ground. Above\uffe2\uff80\uff90canopy radiation was slightly elevated on the treatment relative to the control, particularly during the dry season.

Further application of the method in other systems where fog plays a major role in ecosystem processes could improve our understanding of the ecological impacts of this important but understudied climate driver.

Land-use is a major driver of changes in biodiversity worldwide, but studies have overwhelmingly focused on above-ground taxa: the effects on soil biodiversity are less well known, despite the importance of soil organisms in ecosystem functioning. We modelled data from a global biodiversity database to compare how the abundance of soil-dwelling and above-ground organisms responded to land use and soil properties.

Results

We found that land use affects overall abundance differently in soil and above-ground assemblages. The abundance of soil organisms was markedly lower in cropland and plantation habitats than in primary vegetation and pasture. Soil properties influenced the abundance of soil biota in ways that differed among land uses, suggesting they shape both abundance and its response to land use.

Conclusions

Our results caution against assuming models or indicators derived from above-ground data can apply to soil assemblages and highlight the potential value of incorporating soil properties into biodiversity models.

", "keywords": ["Land-use intensity", "0106 biological sciences", "570", "Evolution", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Organism abundance", "soil biodiversity", "01 natural sciences", "soil biota", "mixed-effects models", "Soil", "land\u2011use intensity", "Land-use", " Land-use intensity", " Mixed-effects models", " Organism abundance", " Soil biodiversity", " Soil biota", "land-use", "QH359-425", "Soil biota", "land-use intensity", "Biology", "Land-use", "QH540-549.5", "Ecosystem", "Soil Microbiology", "2. Zero hunger", "Ecology", "Research", "Biology and Life Sciences", "Biodiversity", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "organism abundance", "Soil biodiversity", "Biota", "[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Chemistry", "land\u2011use", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Human medicine", "Mixed-effects models", "mixed\u2011effects models"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.iris.unict.it/bitstream/20.500.11769/647835/1/12862_2022_Article_2089.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-022-02089-4"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/BMC%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1186/s12862-022-02089-4", "name": "item", "description": "10.1186/s12862-022-02089-4", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1186/s12862-022-02089-4"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-11-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fevo.2021.619215", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:20:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-03-16", "title": "Ant Communities Resist Even in Small and Isolated Gypsum Habitat Remnants in a Mediterranean Agroecosystem", "description": "

Natural and seminatural habitat remnants play a crucial ecological role in intensified agroecosystems. Assumptions on the conservation value of small and poorly connected fragments in a hostile matrix come from generalization obtained from a limited number of taxa, mostly plants, and vertebrates. To date, few studies have analyzed the effect of fragmentation on ant communities in Mediterranean agroecosystems, despite the importance of this group of animals on several key ecosystem functions and services. Here, we analyze the effects of fragment area and connectivity on ant communities in gypsum outcrops in a large cereal agroecosystem of Central Spain. Ant communities were described by their species composition, abundance (total number of occurrences), and number of species, standardized both by area (species density), and abundance (species richness). Observed number of species was relatively high in comparison with other studies in the Mediterranean, and we found no effects of fragment characteristics on species density, species richness and species composition, which implies that even small and isolated patches do have a value for ant conservation. Moreover, total number of occurrences were higher for smaller and more isolated fragments. This finding contrasts with the results reported for other taxa in similar gypsum habitats and suggests that certain ant traits and strategies make them particularly resistant to fragmentation and capable to take advantage of small habitat patches. Given the important ecological role played by ants, we recommend the preservation of these small habitat fragments in the management plans of agroecosystems in these drylands, especially in those cases in which intensification of agricultural practices greatly diminish natural habitat availability.

", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "drylands", "agroecosystems", "gypsum habitats", "Ecology", "Evolution", "Ants", "ants", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Biolog\u00eda y Biomedicina / Biolog\u00eda", "01 natural sciences", "13. Climate action", "fragmentation", "QH359-425", "biodiversity conservation", "Crematogaster", "14. Life underwater", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.619215"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fevo.2021.619215", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fevo.2021.619215", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fevo.2021.619215"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-03-16T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fevo.2021.714134", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:20:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-09-30", "title": "Intracellular Storage Reduces Stoichiometric Imbalances in Soil Microbial Biomass \u2013 A Theoretical Exploration", "description": "

Microbial intracellular storage is key to defining microbial resource use strategies and could contribute to carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. However, little attention has been devoted to the role of intracellular storage in soil processes, in particular from a theoretical perspective. Here we fill this gap by integrating intracellular storage dynamics into a microbially explicit soil C and nutrient cycling model. Two ecologically relevant modes of storage are considered: reserve storage, in which elements are routed to a storage compartment in proportion to their uptake rate, and surplus storage, in which elements in excess of microbial stoichiometric requirements are stored and limiting elements are remobilized from storage to fuel growth and microbial maintenance. Our aim is to explore with this model how these different storage modes affect the retention of C and nutrients in active microbial biomass under idealized conditions mimicking a substrate pulse experiment. As a case study, we describe C and phosphorus (P) dynamics using literature data to estimate model parameters. Both storage modes enhance the retention of elements in microbial biomass, but the surplus storage mode is more effective to selectively store or remobilize C and nutrients according to microbial needs. Enhancement of microbial growth by both storage modes is largest when the substrate C:nutrient ratio is high (causing nutrient limitation after substrate addition) and the amount of added substrate is large. Moreover, storage increases biomass nutrient retention and growth more effectively when resources are supplied in a few large pulses compared to several smaller pulses (mimicking a nearly constant supply), which suggests storage to be particularly relevant in highly dynamic soil microhabitats. Overall, our results indicate that storage dynamics are most important under conditions of strong stoichiometric imbalance and may be of high ecological relevance in soil environments experiencing large variations in C and nutrient supply.

", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "ecological stoichiometry", "nutrient limitation", "0303 health sciences", "microbial model", "Ecology", "Evolution", "15. Life on land", "surplus accumulation", "6. Clean water", "reserve storage", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "international", "QH359-425", "Plan_S-Compliant_OA", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.714134"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fevo.2021.714134", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fevo.2021.714134", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fevo.2021.714134"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-09-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fevo.2023.1094269", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:20:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-02-03", "title": "Decomposition rate as an emergent property of optimal microbial foraging", "description": "

Decomposition kinetics are fundamental for quantifying carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Several theories have been proposed to construct process-based kinetics laws, but most of these theories do not consider that microbial decomposers can adapt to environmental conditions, thereby modulating decomposition. Starting from the assumption that a homogeneous microbial community maximizes its growth rate over the period of decomposition, we formalize decomposition as an optimal control problem where the decomposition rate is a control variable. When maintenance respiration is negligible, we find that the optimal decomposition kinetics scale as the square root of the substrate concentration, resulting in growth kinetics following a Hill function with exponent 1/2 (rather than the Monod growth function). When maintenance respiration is important, optimal decomposition is a more complex function of substrate concentration, which does not decrease to zero as the substrate is depleted. With this optimality-based formulation, a trade-off emerges between microbial carbon-use efficiency (ratio of growth rate over substrate uptake rate) and decomposition rate at the beginning of decomposition. In environments where carbon substrates are easily lost due to abiotic or biotic factors, microbes with higher uptake capacity and lower efficiency are selected, compared to environments where substrates remain available. The proposed optimization framework provides an alternative to purely empirical or process-based formulations for decomposition, allowing exploration of the effects of microbial adaptation on element cycling.

", "keywords": ["Ekologi", "0301 basic medicine", "0303 health sciences", "microbial model", "Ecology", "Evolution", "Applied Mathematics", "500", "growth-efficiency trade-off", "6. Clean water", "510", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "microbial adaptation", "QH359-425", "decomposition kinetics", "optimization", "Mathematics", "Ecology", " Evolution", " Behavior and Systematics", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1094269"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fevo.2023.1094269", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fevo.2023.1094269", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fevo.2023.1094269"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-02-03T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3389/fevo.2023.1106461", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:20:32Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-03-20", "title": "Primary production in subsidized green-brown food webs", "description": "

Ecosystems worldwide receive large amounts of nutrients from both natural processes and human activities. While direct subsidy effects on primary production are relatively well-known (the green food web), the indirect effects of subsidies on producers as mediated by the brown food web and predators are poorly considered. With a dynamical green-brown food web model, parameterized using empirical estimates from the literature, we illustrate the effect of organic and inorganic nutrient subsidies on net primary production (NPP) (i.e., after removing loss to herbivory) in two idealized ecosystems\u2014one terrestrial and one aquatic. We find that nutrient subsidies increase net primary production, an effect that saturates with increasing subsidies. Changing the quality of subsidies from inorganic to organic tends to increase net primary production in terrestrial ecosystems, but less often so in aquatic ecosystems. This occurs when organic nutrient inputs promote detritivores in the brown food web, and hence predators that in turn regulate herbivores, thereby promoting primary production. This previously largely overlooked effect is further enhanced by ecosystem properties such as fast decomposition and low rates of nutrient additions and demonstrates the importance of nutrient subsidy quality on ecosystem functioning.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Ekologi", "ecosystem modeling", "food web", "Ecology", "nutrient subsidy", "Evolution", "organic fertilization", "15. Life on land", "551", "trophic cascade", "13. Climate action", "ecosystem function", "QH359-425", "QH540-549.5", "primary production"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Zelnik, Yuval, Manzoni, Stefano, Bommarco, Riccardo,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/30719/1/zelnik-y-r-et-al-20230421.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1106461"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fevo.2023.1106461", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fevo.2023.1106461", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fevo.2023.1106461"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-03-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10486/705687", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:24:47Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-03-16", "title": "Ant Communities Resist Even in Small and Isolated Gypsum Habitat Remnants in a Mediterranean Agroecosystem", "description": "

Natural and seminatural habitat remnants play a crucial ecological role in intensified agroecosystems. Assumptions on the conservation value of small and poorly connected fragments in a hostile matrix come from generalization obtained from a limited number of taxa, mostly plants, and vertebrates. To date, few studies have analyzed the effect of fragmentation on ant communities in Mediterranean agroecosystems, despite the importance of this group of animals on several key ecosystem functions and services. Here, we analyze the effects of fragment area and connectivity on ant communities in gypsum outcrops in a large cereal agroecosystem of Central Spain. Ant communities were described by their species composition, abundance (total number of occurrences), and number of species, standardized both by area (species density), and abundance (species richness). Observed number of species was relatively high in comparison with other studies in the Mediterranean, and we found no effects of fragment characteristics on species density, species richness and species composition, which implies that even small and isolated patches do have a value for ant conservation. Moreover, total number of occurrences were higher for smaller and more isolated fragments. This finding contrasts with the results reported for other taxa in similar gypsum habitats and suggests that certain ant traits and strategies make them particularly resistant to fragmentation and capable to take advantage of small habitat patches. Given the important ecological role played by ants, we recommend the preservation of these small habitat fragments in the management plans of agroecosystems in these drylands, especially in those cases in which intensification of agricultural practices greatly diminish natural habitat availability.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0106 biological sciences", "drylands", "agroecosystems", "gypsum habitats", "Ecology", "Evolution", "Ants", "ants", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Biolog\u00eda y Biomedicina / Biolog\u00eda", "01 natural sciences", "13. Climate action", "fragmentation", "QH359-425", "biodiversity conservation", "Crematogaster", "14. Life underwater", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10486/705687"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10486/705687", "name": "item", "description": "10486/705687", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10486/705687"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-03-16T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10044/1/101414", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:24:29Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-11-17", "title": "Land use and soil characteristics affect soil organisms differently from above-ground assemblages", "description": "Abstract Background

Land-use is a major driver of changes in biodiversity worldwide, but studies have overwhelmingly focused on above-ground taxa: the effects on soil biodiversity are less well known, despite the importance of soil organisms in ecosystem functioning. We modelled data from a global biodiversity database to compare how the abundance of soil-dwelling and above-ground organisms responded to land use and soil properties.

Results

We found that land use affects overall abundance differently in soil and above-ground assemblages. The abundance of soil organisms was markedly lower in cropland and plantation habitats than in primary vegetation and pasture. Soil properties influenced the abundance of soil biota in ways that differed among land uses, suggesting they shape both abundance and its response to land use.

Conclusions

Our results caution against assuming models or indicators derived from above-ground data can apply to soil assemblages and highlight the potential value of incorporating soil properties into biodiversity models.

", "keywords": ["Land-use intensity", "0106 biological sciences", "570", "Evolution", "[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Organism abundance", "soil biodiversity", "01 natural sciences", "soil biota", "mixed-effects models", "Soil", "land\u2011use intensity", "Land-use", " Land-use intensity", " Mixed-effects models", " Organism abundance", " Soil biodiversity", " Soil biota", "land-use", "QH359-425", "Soil biota", "land-use intensity", "Biology", "Land-use", "QH540-549.5", "Ecosystem", "Soil Microbiology", "2. Zero hunger", "Ecology", "Research", "Biology and Life Sciences", "Biodiversity", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "organism abundance", "Soil biodiversity", "Biota", "ddc:", "[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]", "Chemistry", "land\u2011use", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Human medicine", "Mixed-effects models", "mixed\u2011effects models"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://www.iris.unict.it/bitstream/20.500.11769/647835/1/12862_2022_Article_2089.pdf"}, {"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12862-022-02089-4.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10044/1/101414"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/BMC%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10044/1/101414", "name": "item", "description": "10044/1/101414", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10044/1/101414"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-11-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "20.500.11755/6f892ba7-93fa-4ced-ac75-2b5ff43692d6", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:25:20Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-09-30", "title": "Intracellular Storage Reduces Stoichiometric Imbalances in Soil Microbial Biomass \u2013 A Theoretical Exploration", "description": "

Microbial intracellular storage is key to defining microbial resource use strategies and could contribute to carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. However, little attention has been devoted to the role of intracellular storage in soil processes, in particular from a theoretical perspective. Here we fill this gap by integrating intracellular storage dynamics into a microbially explicit soil C and nutrient cycling model. Two ecologically relevant modes of storage are considered: reserve storage, in which elements are routed to a storage compartment in proportion to their uptake rate, and surplus storage, in which elements in excess of microbial stoichiometric requirements are stored and limiting elements are remobilized from storage to fuel growth and microbial maintenance. Our aim is to explore with this model how these different storage modes affect the retention of C and nutrients in active microbial biomass under idealized conditions mimicking a substrate pulse experiment. As a case study, we describe C and phosphorus (P) dynamics using literature data to estimate model parameters. Both storage modes enhance the retention of elements in microbial biomass, but the surplus storage mode is more effective to selectively store or remobilize C and nutrients according to microbial needs. Enhancement of microbial growth by both storage modes is largest when the substrate C:nutrient ratio is high (causing nutrient limitation after substrate addition) and the amount of added substrate is large. Moreover, storage increases biomass nutrient retention and growth more effectively when resources are supplied in a few large pulses compared to several smaller pulses (mimicking a nearly constant supply), which suggests storage to be particularly relevant in highly dynamic soil microhabitats. Overall, our results indicate that storage dynamics are most important under conditions of strong stoichiometric imbalance and may be of high ecological relevance in soil environments experiencing large variations in C and nutrient supply.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0301 basic medicine", "ecological stoichiometry", "nutrient limitation", "0303 health sciences", "microbial model", "Ecology", "Evolution", "15. Life on land", "surplus accumulation", "6. Clean water", "reserve storage", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "international", "QH359-425", "Plan_S-Compliant_OA", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/20.500.11755/6f892ba7-93fa-4ced-ac75-2b5ff43692d6"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "20.500.11755/6f892ba7-93fa-4ced-ac75-2b5ff43692d6", "name": "item", "description": "20.500.11755/6f892ba7-93fa-4ced-ac75-2b5ff43692d6", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/20.500.11755/6f892ba7-93fa-4ced-ac75-2b5ff43692d6"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-09-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3202337364", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:26:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-09-30", "title": "Intracellular Storage Reduces Stoichiometric Imbalances in Soil Microbial Biomass \u2013 A Theoretical Exploration", "description": "

Microbial intracellular storage is key to defining microbial resource use strategies and could contribute to carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. However, little attention has been devoted to the role of intracellular storage in soil processes, in particular from a theoretical perspective. Here we fill this gap by integrating intracellular storage dynamics into a microbially explicit soil C and nutrient cycling model. Two ecologically relevant modes of storage are considered: reserve storage, in which elements are routed to a storage compartment in proportion to their uptake rate, and surplus storage, in which elements in excess of microbial stoichiometric requirements are stored and limiting elements are remobilized from storage to fuel growth and microbial maintenance. Our aim is to explore with this model how these different storage modes affect the retention of C and nutrients in active microbial biomass under idealized conditions mimicking a substrate pulse experiment. As a case study, we describe C and phosphorus (P) dynamics using literature data to estimate model parameters. Both storage modes enhance the retention of elements in microbial biomass, but the surplus storage mode is more effective to selectively store or remobilize C and nutrients according to microbial needs. Enhancement of microbial growth by both storage modes is largest when the substrate C:nutrient ratio is high (causing nutrient limitation after substrate addition) and the amount of added substrate is large. Moreover, storage increases biomass nutrient retention and growth more effectively when resources are supplied in a few large pulses compared to several smaller pulses (mimicking a nearly constant supply), which suggests storage to be particularly relevant in highly dynamic soil microhabitats. Overall, our results indicate that storage dynamics are most important under conditions of strong stoichiometric imbalance and may be of high ecological relevance in soil environments experiencing large variations in C and nutrient supply.

", "keywords": ["0301 basic medicine", "2. Zero hunger", "ecological stoichiometry", "nutrient limitation", "0303 health sciences", "microbial model", "Ecology", "Evolution", "15. Life on land", "surplus accumulation", "6. Clean water", "reserve storage", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "international", "QH359-425", "Plan_S-Compliant_OA", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/3202337364"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3202337364", "name": "item", "description": "3202337364", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3202337364"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-09-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3138037657", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-07-26T16:26:11Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-03-16", "title": "Ant Communities Resist Even in Small and Isolated Gypsum Habitat Remnants in a Mediterranean Agroecosystem", "description": "

Natural and seminatural habitat remnants play a crucial ecological role in intensified agroecosystems. Assumptions on the conservation value of small and poorly connected fragments in a hostile matrix come from generalization obtained from a limited number of taxa, mostly plants, and vertebrates. To date, few studies have analyzed the effect of fragmentation on ant communities in Mediterranean agroecosystems, despite the importance of this group of animals on several key ecosystem functions and services. Here, we analyze the effects of fragment area and connectivity on ant communities in gypsum outcrops in a large cereal agroecosystem of Central Spain. Ant communities were described by their species composition, abundance (total number of occurrences), and number of species, standardized both by area (species density), and abundance (species richness). Observed number of species was relatively high in comparison with other studies in the Mediterranean, and we found no effects of fragment characteristics on species density, species richness and species composition, which implies that even small and isolated patches do have a value for ant conservation. Moreover, total number of occurrences were higher for smaller and more isolated fragments. This finding contrasts with the results reported for other taxa in similar gypsum habitats and suggests that certain ant traits and strategies make them particularly resistant to fragmentation and capable to take advantage of small habitat patches. Given the important ecological role played by ants, we recommend the preservation of these small habitat fragments in the management plans of agroecosystems in these drylands, especially in those cases in which intensification of agricultural practices greatly diminish natural habitat availability.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0106 biological sciences", "drylands", "agroecosystems", "gypsum habitats", "Ecology", "Evolution", "Ants", "ants", "Biodiversity", "15. Life on land", "Biolog\u00eda y Biomedicina / Biolog\u00eda", "01 natural sciences", "13. Climate action", "fragmentation", "QH359-425", "biodiversity conservation", "Crematogaster", "14. Life underwater", "QH540-549.5"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/3138037657"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3138037657", "name": "item", "description": "3138037657", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3138037657"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-03-16T00:00:00Z"}}], "links": [{"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "This document as GeoJSON", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=QH359-425&f=json", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "alternate", "type": "text/html", "title": "This document as HTML", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=QH359-425&f=html", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection URL", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"type": "application/geo+json", "rel": "first", "title": "items (first)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=QH359-425&", "hreflang": "en-US"}, {"rel": "last", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "items (last)", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items?keywords=QH359-425&offset=14", "hreflang": "en-US"}], "numberMatched": 14, "numberReturned": 14, "distributedFeatures": [], "timeStamp": "2026-07-27T13:06:40.609755Z"}