Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Many important endemic and emerging diseases are transmitted by vectors that are biting arthropods. The functional traits of vectors can affect pathogen transmission rates directly and also through their effect on vector population dynamics. Increasing empirical evidence shows that vector traits vary significantly across individuals, populations, a...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
A vast literature indicates that environment plays a paramount role in determining floristic composition in tropical forests. However, it remains unclear which are the most important environmental factors and their relative effect across different spatial scales, plant life forms or forest types. This study reviews the state of knowledge on the eff...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Millennial-scale environmental histories from North American desert southwest (SW) ciénegas were examined with existing time series for the North American Monsoon (NAM) and El Niño, in concert with published long-term records of desert vegetation and climate. The goal was to better understand the relationships among fire, the seasonality of precipi...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
The Amazon comprises many of the largest rivers in the planet and also houses some of the richest bat communities in the world. Rivers are important geographic barriers for the dispersal and distribution of different taxa worldwide and, particularly in the Amazon region, they form the conceptual and empirical bases for the recognition of the so-cal...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Measures of biological diversity (biodiversity) are important for monitoring the state of ecosystems. Several indices and methods are used to describe biodiversity from field observations. Marine faunal biodiversity is often quantified based on analysis of samples collected using a trawl during research surveys. To monitor spatial and temporal chan...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Human activity causes biome shifts that alter biodiversity and spatial resilience patterns. Rare species, often considered vulnerable to change and endangered, can be a critical element of resilience by providing adaptive capacity in response to disturbances. However, little is known about changes in rarity patterns of communities once a biome tran...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Bats are known to be sensitive to changes in their environment. The impact of natural vegetation cover, artificial light intensity and noise (dBA) were investigated on the bat community on the opencast Venetia diamond mine using mixed-effects models. Clutter-feeding bats were virtually absent compared to surrounding natural habitats, suggesting the...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
China is a country that experiences severe natural hazards. In comparison to urban residents, farmers in rural areas of China are more susceptible to these natural hazards, whose impact is multidimensional; however, existing research has mainly focused on the household level. Based on China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) data in 2019, a total of 1...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Intra-specific aggressive interactions play a prominent role in the life of many animals. While studies have found evidence for repeatability in boldness, activity, and exploration in amphibians, we know relatively little about consistent among-individual variation in aggressiveness, despite its importance for male-male competition and territoriali...
Published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Microorganisms play a crucial role in regulating the turnover and transformation of soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas microbial contribution to SOC formation and storage is still unclear in coastal wetlands. In this study, we collected topsoil (0–20 cm) with 7 salinity concentrations and explored the shifts in microbial residues [represented by am...
