Another red alert for American science

Although research has bipartisan support in the US Congress, and trust in science is above 75% across the country, the Trump administration seems as determined as ever to mortally wound the nation’s s...

science.org

Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening

A patch of ocean south-east of Greenland is the only place on Earth that is cooling, and it could be a sign that the warm water "conveyor belt" in the Atlantic is slowing down

newscientist.com

Coarse Woody Debris Maintains Two Distinct and Interrelated Detrital Food Webs in Forest Ecosystems - Ecosystems

The detrital food web plays an irreplaceable role in carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The function of the diverse microhabitats created by coarse woody debris (CWD) in maintaining the trophic structure of detrital food webs on the forest floor remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted an in situ deadwood decomposition experiment in a subalpine Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) forest from August 2013 to May 2021. Invertebrates on the CWD surface and at the soil–CWD interface were collected and identified after 8 years of decomposition, and the trophic structure of detrital food webs was analyzed using δ13C and δ15N stable isotope methods. We found that the CWD surface had a greater density and diversity of soil invertebrates compared with the soil–CWD interface. The composition and structure of soil invertebrate communities at the family level were more diverse at the CWD surface than at the soil–CWD interface. Moreover, the stable isotopes of detrital food webs were associated with higher trophic levels and δ15N values on the CWD surface but higher δ13C values at the soil–CWD interface, implying that the CWD-created microhabitats maintain two distinct and interrelated detrital food webs with different trophic structures. We also found that the concentration of organic carbon and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in food resources were closely correlated with the community composition and trophic structure of detrital food webs. In conclusion, decaying CWD on the forest floor creates heterogeneous microhabitats that promote soil invertebrate diversity and maintain the trophic structure of detrital food webs in forest ecosystems. Graphical Abstract Conceptual diagram depicts how coarse woody debris on the forest floor maintains two detrital food webs with different trophic structures.

doi.org

Coarse Woody Debris Maintains Two Distinct and Interrelated Detrital Food Webs in Forest Ecosystems - Ecosystems

The detrital food web plays an irreplaceable role in carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The function of the diverse microhabitats created by coarse woody debris (CWD) in maintaining the trophic structure of detrital food webs on the forest floor remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted an in situ deadwood decomposition experiment in a subalpine Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) forest from August 2013 to May 2021. Invertebrates on the CWD surface and at the soil–CWD interface were collected and identified after 8 years of decomposition, and the trophic structure of detrital food webs was analyzed using δ13C and δ15N stable isotope methods. We found that the CWD surface had a greater density and diversity of soil invertebrates compared with the soil–CWD interface. The composition and structure of soil invertebrate communities at the family level were more diverse at the CWD surface than at the soil–CWD interface. Moreover, the stable isotopes of detrital food webs were associated with higher trophic levels and δ15N values on the CWD surface but higher δ13C values at the soil–CWD interface, implying that the CWD-created microhabitats maintain two distinct and interrelated detrital food webs with different trophic structures. We also found that the concentration of organic carbon and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in food resources were closely correlated with the community composition and trophic structure of detrital food webs. In conclusion, decaying CWD on the forest floor creates heterogeneous microhabitats that promote soil invertebrate diversity and maintain the trophic structure of detrital food webs in forest ecosystems. Graphical Abstract Conceptual diagram depicts how coarse woody debris on the forest floor maintains two detrital food webs with different trophic structures.

doi.org

More concentrated precipitation decreases terrestrial water storage - Nature

Concentration of precipitation in large events decreases land water availability, and this effect will further increase with a future warming climate.

nature.com

Episodic Tales of Salt   - Eos

When episodic pulses of road salt hit after a winter storm, the impact can be like a lightning strike for the environment.

eos.org

Schrödinger’s carbon’: The misclassification of carbon capture and storage as standard mitigation

Letter to the Editor

nature.com

‘Food security timebomb’: a visual guide to the Gulf fertiliser blockade

UN says record numbers of people could face acute hunger if conflict continues

theguardian.com

Strong Spatial and Seasonal Variation in Dissolved Greenhouse Gases is Driven by Stream Chemistry and Temperature Across a Coastal Suburban River Network - Ecosystems

Surface waters including streams and rivers play a critical role in global carbon and nitrogen cycling, including the production and emission of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO2), metha...

doi.org

Dynamics of Respired Dissolved Organic Carbon in a Stream - Ecosystems

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) represents a large flux of carbon (C) across landscapes and supports respiration (mineralization) in streams. Because DOC comprises many compounds with varying reactivit...

doi.org

Long-Term Stability of Macrophyte Dominance Triggered by Common Carp Removal from a Temperate Shallow Lake - Ecosystems

Many ecosystems can abruptly shift between states, and shallow lakes are a classic example. Biomanipulation via the removal of benthivores can shift a shallow lake from a turbid to a clear-water macro...

doi.org

Identifying Headwater Streams across the Conterminous United States - Ecosystems

Headwater streams play critical roles in hydrologic and biogeochemical processes and functions, yet their spatial distribution and land cover context remain poorly understood at continental scales, an...

doi.org

Ecosystem Experiments: How Does Manipulation Rate Affect Indicators of Resilience? - Ecosystems

Experiments on entire ecosystems have contributed knowledge on effects of atmospheric CO2 and climate change, environmental pollutants, trophic cascades, response of fisheries to management, consumer ...

doi.org

Sediment Chemistry Predicts Littoral Methane Emissions - Ecosystems

Methane emissions from the nearshore zones of lakes are relatively large but can vary by several orders of magnitude. This variability may reflect differences in organic matter inputs, particularly th...

doi.org

Ecosystems

Ecosystems is an international journal that bridges fundamental ecology, environmental ecology, and environmental problem-solving across diverse temporal and ...

link.springer.com

Antarctic Peninsula Faces Starkly Different Futures, Depending on Decisions Made Today - Eos

A study reveals interconnected changes under three emissions pathways and describes the emerging challenges facing Antarctic fieldwork.

eos.org