The host–microbiome dimension of ecological regime shifts

Rising climate and local pressures increase the risk of regime shifts, yet despite progress, thresholds remain difficult to identify early enough to take action. We argue that this shortfall reflects ...

cell.com

Elevation shapes alpine snow algal blooms and their influence on albedo reduction

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nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Harnessing microbiomes to redefine medicinal plant agriculture

Medicinal plants link agriculture, ecosystem health, and human therapeutics, with bioactive compound profiles providing a direct and economically meaningful readout of microbiome function. Although mi...

cell.com

Roadmaps for addressing the biodiversity crisis

Nature Reviews Biodiversity, Published online: 20 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s44358-026-00152-2This issue launches the Roadmap article format, with articles that chart a path forward on important topics in biodiversity science.

dlvr.it

The island biology of the host microbiome

Microbiomes perform critical functions for their hosts, and understanding microbiome variation is important for both basic and applied science. However, host traits alone cannot explain the entirety o...

cell.com

Smells like spring spirit

Nature Plants - The return of spring is an excellent occasion to celebrate the secondary metabolites that are the basis for the wonderfully diverse aromas and tastes of plants, which are used for...

rdcu.be

The use, misuse and opportunities for structural equation modelling (SEM) in wildlife ecology

The integration of SEM with observational wildlife datasets from passive detectors can lead to a step change in the scope, richness and robustness of insights about food webs, ecosystem functioning a...

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Emergent predictability in microbial ecosystems

A long-standing hypothesis of microbial ecology is that simple patterns might persist despite community complexity or even emerge because of it. However, the concept of “emergent simplicity” remains partly intuitive. Here, we defined emergent ...

science.org

Ecological and genomic variation in ectomycorrhizal fungal exploration types

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) produce mycelia with variable extension and complexity, which can be classified according to soil ‘exploration types’ (ETs). ETs have received attention as one of the few.....

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Micro-scale spatial metagenomics opens a new era in microbiome ecology

Understanding microbial communities requires moving beyond 2D representations toward a holistic view that couples 3D spatial organization with ecological function, integrating microbial inventories, g...

cell.com

A comprehensive dated phylogeny of China’s vascular plants reveals a hidden global biodiversity hotspot

Nature Ecology & Evolution - A dated phylogeny of 16,585 vascular plant species native to China reveals three major centres of endemism, including a potential new global biodiversity hotspot.

rdcu.be

The rhizosphere microbiome as a decentralized immune system

Plant immunity should be reconsidered beyond the boundaries of the plant genome. We propose that the rhizosphere microbiome may function analogously to a decentralized immune system, contributing adaptive defenselike properties and memory effects. In this forum article, we discuss how this perspective reframes immunity as an emergent property of plant–microbiome interactions, shifting the focus from a solitary host toward an integrated holobiont.

dlvr.it

Cell walls and their role in the plant root microbiome

Plant roots form a microbiome that interacts at the cell wall extracellular matrix before entering the cell. The root primary and accessory walls present a dynamic, cell-type-dependent scaffold that m...

cell.com

A roadmap for plant–microbiome breeding to enhance plant stress tolerance

Plants constantly form associations with microorganisms, and some are vital for plant performance, especially under stress conditions. Although some microorganisms have been developed into commercial ...

cell.com

Ecology and evolution of pyrazines in insects

Chemical communication is the oldest and most widespread form of signalling among and within organisms. Among the many compounds involved in such communication, pyrazines – nitrogen-containing hetero...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Beyond nitrogen: phosphate controls root nodule symbiosis commitment

While root nodule symbiosis (RNS) is primarily recognized for nitrogen acquisition, it is heavily influenced by phosphorus levels. In natural agroecosystems, nitrogen limitation frequently co-occurs with phosphorus deficiency, yet the role of phosphorus in modulating RNS remains understudied. Recent research in the legume Phaseolus vulgaris shows that phosphorus starvation suppresses nodulation by downregulating the master regulator gene Nodule Inception, mediated by phosphate-responsive factors such as Phosphate Starvation Response-Like 7. We propose an integrated model where phosphate signaling functions as a metabolic checkpoint, balancing carbon availability, nitrogen demand, and phosphorus status. Elucidating how phosphate scarcity rewires these symbiotic gene networks is essential for sustainable agriculture, allowing for the optimization of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in nutrient-depleted environments.

dlvr.it