Chaoqing Song: Tree demography in a moist tropical forest: Response to water stress and associations with plant functional traits

In this new post, PhD candidate at University of Sun Yat-sen University, Chaoqing Song, presents his work ‘Differential tree demography mediated by water stress and functional traits in a moist tropical forest’. He shows the importance of water for tree survivability, highlights how functional traits can help us to understand demography, and thanks data collectors who help to enable science to advance.  About the paper … Continue reading Chaoqing Song: Tree demography in a moist tropical forest: Response to water stress and associations with plant functional traits

Xibin Sun: A global synthesis of nutrient resorption control in terrestrial plants

In this new post, Xibin Sun—a PhD candidate at Sun Yat-sen University, China—presents his work ‘Widespread controls of leaf nutrient resorption by nutrient limitation and stoichiometry’. Xibin discusses were the idea for this study came from and the joys of working in and around nature. About the paper Leaf nutrient resorption is a process by which plants relocate nutrients from senescing leaves to other living … Continue reading Xibin Sun: A global synthesis of nutrient resorption control in terrestrial plants

Natalie Rideout: The floodplain wetland puzzle

In this new post, Natalie Rideout, a new ecological researcher working at the University of New Brunswick, Canada, discusses her paper: Environmental filtering of macroinvertebrate traits influences ecosystem functioning in a large river floodplain—recently shortlisted for the 2022 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers. Natalie has already provided a blogpost which discusses the particulars of her paper and research experience. Check it out HERE! About … Continue reading Natalie Rideout: The floodplain wetland puzzle

Manjunatha H. Chandregowda: Grasses adjust their root traits during drought to reduce the negative impacts on aboveground productivity

In this new post, Manjunatha H. Chandregowda—a new ecological researcher working at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia—discusses his paper: Root trait shifts towards an avoidance strategy promote productivity and recovery in C3 and C4 pasture grasses under drought—recently shortlisted for the 2022 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers. About the research Human disruption of global carbon and nitrogen cycles has … Continue reading Manjunatha H. Chandregowda: Grasses adjust their root traits during drought to reduce the negative impacts on aboveground productivity

Yankun Zhu: A long-term precipitation manipulation field experiment in a shrub-encroached grassland in Inner Mongolia, China

In this new post, Yankun Zhu—Associate Professor at Sanming University, China—discusses his paper: Increased precipitation attenuates shrub encroachment by facilitating herbaceous growth in a Mongolian grassland—recently shortlisted for the 2022 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers. About the paper Widespread shrub encroachment is profoundly impacting the structures and functions of global drylands, and precipitation change is assumed to be one of the most critical factors … Continue reading Yankun Zhu: A long-term precipitation manipulation field experiment in a shrub-encroached grassland in Inner Mongolia, China

Aya Permin: Bryophyte-associated nitrogen fixation in a tropical mountain cloud forest—rates and responses to climate change

In this new post, Aya Permin, a new ecological researcher at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, discusses her paper—High nitrogen-fixing rates associated with ground-covering mosses in a tropical mountain cloud forest will decrease drastically in a future climate—which has won the 2022 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers! About the paper Bryophytes (mosses, hornworts, and liverworts) are known to host nitrogen (N2)-fixing bacteria. These bacteria … Continue reading Aya Permin: Bryophyte-associated nitrogen fixation in a tropical mountain cloud forest—rates and responses to climate change

Clea van de Ven: Three travelers discover how plants move during European Survey

In this new post, Clea van de Ven—a PhD candidate at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research—presents her recently published article ‘Establishing cordgrass plants cluster their shoots to avoid ecosystem engineering’. She presents her experience conducting ecological research in European shores, encourages us to dig into salt marshes, and shares the joy behind coincidences in life. On March 1st, 2019, I first entered the … Continue reading Clea van de Ven: Three travelers discover how plants move during European Survey

Liesbeth van den Brink & Rafaella Canessa: Microbial communities prefer high quality food, not specifically the food available “at home”

In this new post, post-doctoral friends Liesbeth van den Brink and Rafaella Canessa from the University of Tübingen, Germany, present their recently published paper “No home-field advantage in litter decomposition from the desert to temperate forest.” They discuss the importance of litter characteristics for decomposition, share their experiences with rodents, and celebrate the joy of working with friends. Una versión en Español de esta publicación … Continue reading Liesbeth van den Brink & Rafaella Canessa: Microbial communities prefer high quality food, not specifically the food available “at home”

Liesbeth van den Brink & Rafaella Canessa: Las comunidades microbianas prefieren alimentos de alta calidad, no necesariamente comida local

En nuestro último post, las amigas y post-docs Liesbeth van den Brink y Rafaella Canessa de la University of Tübingen presentan su trabajo ‘No home-field advantage in litter decomposition from the desert to temperate forest’. En él discuten la importancia de las características de la hojarasca y su descomposición, presentan su ‘experiencia’ con roedores y comparten el placer de trabajar con tus amigos. An English … Continue reading Liesbeth van den Brink & Rafaella Canessa: Las comunidades microbianas prefieren alimentos de alta calidad, no necesariamente comida local

Melissa Pastore: What’s happening beneath our feet when it comes to climate change?

In this new post, Melissa Pastore—a global change ecologist and Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Vermont in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, USA, and with the Gund Institute for Environment, USA—discusses her recently published paper ‘Soil microbial legacies influence freeze–thaw responses of soil’. Her research takes a cross-scale approach to understanding the impacts of global environmental changes, spanning processes happening at … Continue reading Melissa Pastore: What’s happening beneath our feet when it comes to climate change?