The high local-scale species diversity of marine meiofauna, and of nematodes in particular, has puzzled ecologists for decades. Both pronounced niche differentiation and neutral dynamics have been suggested as mechanisms underlying that high diversity. Differential resource use is the most plausible basis for niche differentiation, yet the vast maj...
The water-soluble fraction (WSF) of an oil contains different classes of petroleum hydrocarbons and, despite their low potential for bioaccumulation, these can be highly toxic to biota. Nematodes are usually the most abundant and species-rich group of metazoans in marine and freshwater sediments as well as terrestrial soils and have been proposed a...
Published in Oecologia
Marine ecosystems are experiencing accelerating population and species loss. Some ecosystem functions are decreasing and there is growing interest in the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The role of cryptic (morphologically identical but genetically distinct) species in this biodiversity–ecosystem functioning link is unclear and...
Published in European Journal of Soil Biology
•1 mg L−1 Ni strongly impaired C. elegans growth and reproduction than 1 mg L−1 Pb.•Toxicity order found in C. elegans reproduction Pb ≥ Ni > Zn; and growth, Ni > Pb > Zn.•Reproduction proved to be a more sensitive endpoint than growth, except for Ni.•Zn had the strongest effect in the behavioural assay from the three metals tested.•Behavioural ass...
Published in PloS one
Biodiversity has diminished over the past decades with climate change being among the main responsible factors. One consequence of climate change is the increase in sea surface temperature, which, together with long exposure periods in intertidal areas, may exceed the tolerance level of benthic organisms. Benthic communities may suffer structural c...
Published in Marine Biology
Accurate prediction of the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationship requires adequate understanding of the interactions among species in a community. Effects of species diversity on ecosystem functioning are usually considered more pronounced with increasing functional dissimilarity, although species within functional groups may also perform...
