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Special Issue "Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Global Change”"

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A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024 | Viewed by 2747

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Prof. Dr. Shucun Sun

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Guest Editor

School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Interests: biodiversity and ecosystem function; plant-animal relationships; global change biology

Prof. Dr. Panayiotis Dimitrakopoulos

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Guest Editor

Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81132 Mytilene, Greece
Interests: biodiversity and ecosystem processes; functional plant ecology; community ecology; biodiversity conservation; conservation policy
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Dear Colleagues,

Human activities have induced conspicuous global changes including, inter alia, climate change, land use change, nitrogen deposition, and biological invasions, which negatively impact biodiversity and ecosystem function in the Anthropocene. The decline in biodiversity and the deterioration of ecosystem functions and services may hamper the sustainable development of both the economy and society.

For decades, ecologists have investigated the effect of global changes on biodiversity and ecosystem functions in various ecosystems, from tundra to tropical forests. Global warming has been found to be responsible for the vegetation shift along altitudes and latitudes, phenological shift of plants and animals, and organism body size. Simulated warming experiments using open-top chambers and infrared heaters have been conducted to understand how global warming affects biodiversity and ecosystem functions, including primary productivity and nutrient cycling. Similarly, the effects of rainfall intensity and frequency have been experimentally studied in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Except for climate change, land use change, nitrogen deposition, and biological invasions are also extensively addressed to understand their effects on species diversity, plant biomass accumulation, soil carbon decomposition, nitrogen cycling and leaching, and microbial communities.

However, the biological and ecological mechanisms underlying how global changes impact biodiversity and ecosystem functions have not been fully understood. In particular, the question of how global changes influence species interactions (e.g., mutualism, parasitism, competition, facilitation, and trophic interactions) and microbial processes to indirectly affect species diversity and ecosystem properties deserves further research.

In this Special Issue on “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Global Change”, we welcome all aspects (either theoretical or experimental studies from various ecosystems) of original research articles and reviews on this topic to highlight the biological and ecological mechanisms underlying how global changes impact biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Shucun Sun
Prof. Dr. Panayiotis Dimitrakopoulos
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

climate change
global warming
precipitation
N deposition
biological invasion
species interaction
microbial process
ecosystem function
ecosystem service

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen Addition Affects Interannual Variation in Seed Production in a Tibetan Perennial Herb

and

Biology 2023, 12(8), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12081132 - 14 Aug 2023

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Abstract

The variability observed in the annual seed production of perennial plants can be seen as an indication of changes in the allocation of resources between growth and reproduction, which can be attributed to fluctuations in the environment. However, a significant knowledge gap exists concerning the impacts of nitrogen addition on the interannual seed production patterns of perennial plants. We hypothesized that the addition of nitrogen would impact the annual variations in the seed production of perennial plants, ultimately affecting their overall reproductive efficiency. A multiyear field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of varying nitrogen supply levels (e.g., 0, 4, and 8 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ of N0, N4, and N8) on vegetative and floral traits, pollinator visitation rates, and seed traits over a period of four consecutive years. The results showed that the N0 treatment exhibited the highest levels of seed production and reproductive efficiency within the initial two years. In contrast, the N4 treatment displayed its highest level of performance in these metrics in the second and third years, whereas the N8 treatment showcased its most favorable outcomes in the third and fourth years. Similar patterns were found in the number of flowers per capitulum and the number of capitula per plant. There exists a positive correlation between aboveground biomass and several factors, including the number of flowers per capitulum, the number of capitula per plant, the volume of nectar per capitulum, and the seed production per plant. A positive correlation was found between pollinator visitation and the number of flowers per capitulum or the number of capitula per plant. This implies that the addition of N affected the maintenance of plant aboveground biomass, flower trait stability, pollinator visitation, and, subsequently, the frequency of seed production and reproductive efficiency. Our results suggest that augmenting the nitrogen content in the soil may have the capacity to modify the inherent variability in seed production that is observed across various years and enhance the effectiveness of reproductive processes. These findings have the potential to enhance our comprehension of the impact of nitrogen addition on the reproductive performance of perennial herbaceous plants and the underlying mechanisms of biodiversity in the context of global environmental changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Global Change”)

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Open AccessArticle

The Mechanism by Which Umbrella-Shaped Ratchet Trichomes on the Elaeagnus angustifolia Leaf Surface Collect Water and Reflect Light

Zhanlin Bei

Xin Zhang

and

Xingjun Tian

Biology 2023, 12(7), 1024; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12071024 - 20 Jul 2023

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Abstract

Leaves are essential for plants, enabling photosynthesis and transpiration. In arid regions, water availability limits plant growth. Some plants, like Elaeagnus angustifolia, a sandy sub-tree species widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions, have unique leaf structures to reduce water loss and solar radiation. Here, we describe the leaves of Elaeagnus angustifolia L., with special functioning trichomes. Through leaf submicroscopic structure observation, in situ water collection experiments, photosynthesis measurements, and reflection spectrum analysis, we investigated E. angustifolia leaves, focusing on their functioning trichomes. These trichomes capture water vapor, reflect UV and NIR light, and possess a 3D interface structure composed of 1D and 2D structures. The 1D conical structure captures water droplets, which are then gathered by the radial conical structure and guided towards the stomata through wedge-shaped grooves on the 2D umbrella structure. The trichomes also reflect sunlight, with micropapillae reflecting UV light and the umbrella structure reflecting NIR light. These mechanisms reduce leaf temperature, respiration, and water transpiration, protecting against solar radiation damage. This study provides insights into water collection and light-reflection mechanisms, revealing adaptive strategies of plants with large leaves in arid regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Global Change”)

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Open AccessArticle

Long-Term Daytime Warming Rather Than Nighttime Warming Alters Soil Microbial Composition in a Semi-Arid Grassland

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Biology 2023, 12(5), 699; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12050699 - 10 May 2023

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Abstract

Climate warming has profoundly influenced community structure and ecosystem functions in the terrestrial biosphere. However, how asymmetric rising temperatures between daytime and nighttime affect soil microbial communities that predominantly regulate soil carbon (C) release remains unclear. As part of a decade-long warming manipulation experiment in a semi-arid grassland, we aimed to examine the effects of short- and long-term asymmetrically diurnal warming on soil microbial composition. Neither daytime nor nighttime warming affected soil microbial composition in the short term, whereas long-term daytime warming instead of nighttime warming decreased fungal abundance by 6.28% (p < 0.05) and the ratio of fungi to bacteria by 6.76% (p < 0.01), which could be caused by the elevated soil temperature, reduced soil moisture, and increased grass cover. In addition, soil respiration enhanced with the decreasing fungi-to-bacteria ratio, but was not correlated with microbial biomass C during the 10 years, indicating that microbial composition may be more important than biomass in modulating soil respiration. These observations highlight the crucial role of soil microbial composition in regulating grassland C release under long-term climate warming, which facilitates an accurate assessment of climate-C feedback in the terrestrial biosphere. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function under Global Change”)

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