Scheuring & Douglas (2012) Ecology Letters

Scheuring, I., Douglas, W.Y. (2012) How to assemble a beneficial microbiome in three easy steps. Ecology Letters (2012) 15: 1300–1307. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01853.x


Abstract
There is great interest in explaining how beneficial microbiomes are assembled. Antibiotic-producing microbiomes are arguably the most abundant class of beneficial microbiome in nature, having been found on corals, arthropods, molluscs, vertebrates and plant rhizospheres. An exemplar is the attine ants, which cultivate a fungus for food and host a cuticular microbiome that releases antibiotics to defend the fungus from parasites. One explanation posits long-term vertical transmission of Pseudonocardia bacteria, which (somehow) evolve new compounds in arms-race fashion against parasites. Alternatively, attines (somehow) selectively recruit multiple, non-coevolved actinobacterial genera from the soil, enabling a multi-drug strategy against parasites. We reconcile the models by showing that when hosts fuel interference competition by providing abundant resources, the interference competition favours the recruitment of antibiotic-producing (and -resistant) bacteria. This partner-choice mechanism is more effective when at least one actinobacterial symbiont is vertically transmitted or has a high immigration rate, as in disease-suppressive soils.


Keywords
Actinomycetes, antibiotics, Attini, game theory, horizontal transmission, microbiome, mutualism, screening, Streptomyces, symbiosis

Ferincz et al. (2012) Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae

Ferincz, Á., Staszny, Á., Ács, A., Weiperth, A., Tátrai, I. and Paulovits, G. (2012): Long-term development of fish assemblage in Lake Fenéki (Kis-Balaton Water Protection System, Hungary): succession, invasion and stabilization. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (Supplement 1): 3–18.

Abstract

This analysis of long-term (1992–2011) changes in the fish assemblage of the partially operating shallow, hypertrophic reservoir (Ingói-marsh, Lake Fenéki) was carried out on the occasion of the planned completion of the impoundment. Samplings were performed in standard localities with electrofishing. Three phases could be distinguished in fish fauna development. The first phase is characterized by two allochtonous marsh-species: the Mud-minnow (Umbra krameri) and the Crucian carp (Carassius carassius), and was fast replaced by the second invasion phase, characterized by the invasion of non-native gibel carp (Carassius gibelio),and the third phase by the dominance of roach (Rutilus rutilus) and bleak (Alburnus alburnus). The cumulative relative abundance of non-indigenous species reached a peak in the third year of the impoundment (1995; 56.4%), and remained high (>>50%) until 2001. The number of species, Shannon-Weaver diversity, and relative abundance of piscivorous species correlated positively with the age of reservoir. The shift of the fish fauna between the two phases was dynamic and dramatic, since the all previously dominant species disappeared within 4 years. The impact of invasive gibel carp is considered as high, because it has completely replaced its native relative (C. carassius), but in the other hand it only was able to delay the natural successive process, not completely transform it.

 

Keywords

gibel carp, diversity, assemblage structure, shallow reservoir

Kelemen et al. (2013) Journal of Vegetation Science

Kelemen, K., Kriván, A., Standovár, T. (2013): Effects of land-use history and current management on ancient woodland herbs in Western Hungary. Journal of Vegetation Science. doi: 10.1111/jvs.12046


Abstract
Questions: At least half of the European woodland is recent and most stands have been under heavy management since the Industrial Revolution. Woodland herbs have adapted to the conditions of the forest interior and many species occur at lower frequencies in recent habitats as well as in young stands. We compared herbaceous plant composition of forests with different land-use history and looked for life-history traits that could be responsible for the differences.
Location: Bakony Mountains, Western Hungary, Central Europe.
Methods: Adjacent old ancient, young ancient and post-agricultural recent forest stands were surveyed in the submontane beech zone in Western Hungary. Frequency data were recorded for herbaceous plants, indicator species analysis was carried out and trait-based species groups were identified.
Results: Species composition differed among all three categories. The most profound difference was in the occurrences of ancient forest species (species with low dispersal ability and early flowering). These were most abundant in old ancient forests, while three species were entirely missing from recent stands. Young stands were dominated by few shade-tolerant herbs and lacked most ancient forest species. Post-agricultural woodland was largely dominated by competitive species.
Conclusions: Current forest management as well as past agricultural use influenced herb composition. Reintroduction of ancient forest herbs might be necessary in the recent forests.
 

 

Keywords
Ancient forest, Dispersal limitation, Life-history trait, Post-agriculture, Recent forest, Spring geophyte

Batáry et al. (2013) PLOS One

Batáry P, Sutcliffe L, Dormann CF, Tscharntke T (2013) Organic Farming Favours Insect-Pollinated over Non-Insect Pollinated Forbs in Meadows and Wheat Fields. PLoS ONE 8(1): e54818. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054818


Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the relative effects of landscape-scale management intensity, local management intensity and edge effect on diversity patterns of insect-pollinated vs. non-insect pollinated forbs in meadows and wheat fields. Nine landscapes were selected differing in percent intensively used agricultural area (IAA), each with a pair of organic and conventional winter wheat fields and a pair of organic and conventional meadows. Within fields, forbs were surveyed at the edge and in the interior. Both diversity and cover of forbs were positively affected by organic management in meadows and wheat fields. This effect, however, differed significantly between pollination types for species richness in both agroecosystem types (i.e. wheat fields and meadows) and for cover in meadows. Thus, we show for the first time in a comprehensive analysis that insect-pollinated plants benefit more from organic management than non-insect pollinated plants regardless of agroecosystem type and landscape complexity. These benefits were more pronounced in meadows than wheat fields. Finally, the community composition of insect-pollinated and non-insect-pollinated forbs differed considerably between management types. In summary, our findings in both agroecosystem types indicate that organic management generally supports a higher species richness and cover of insect-pollinated plants, which is likely to be favourable for the density and diversity of bees and other pollinators.

Csontos et al. (2012) Applied Ecology and Environmental Research

Csontos, P., Halbritter, A., Tamás, J., Szili-Kovács. T., Kalapos, T., Uzinger, N., Anton, A. (2012): Afforestation of dolomite rock grasslands with non-native Pinus nigra, and its effect on soil trace elements. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 10: 405-415.

Abstract

The non-native  Pinus nigra has been widely planted on natural dolomite grasslands in Hungary, yet little is known on its influence on soil properties. We compared soil micro-element concentrations in rock grassland (RG) and under P. nigra plantation (PP), both grown on north facing slopes of dolomite bedrock. At PP sites, the original vegetation was RG prior to afforestation. For both vegetation types, five sampling sites were selected, and at each site soil samples were taken from three depths (0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 cm). Micro-element concentrations of corresponding soil layers in the two vegetation types were compared. Under the pine plantation, the concentration of a number of soil trace elements was altered compared to the original rock  grassland soil, and this effect increased with soil depth.  At the deepest layer, significant differences were found for 10 microelements (Al, Fe, Mn, Ba, Cd, Co, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn), and in each case the concentration was higher in PP than in RG soil. In contrast, the concentration of Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo and Se was not different between the two habitats throughout the soil layers sampled. Values exceeding the Hungarian environmental limits of background concentrations were detected for lead and cadmium. In the RG soil, concentrations of Pb and Cd were highest in the topmost layer, while for the PP sites these elements showed concentrations higher in the 10-15 cm layer than in the 5-10 cm depth. Concentrations of some other micro-elements showed similar inversion at PP sites. The depth inversion of these, often airborne pollutant trace elements was explained as a consequence of afforestation with P. nigra and such phytostabilization effect of the pine stands is assumed to increase with stand age.

Keywords

dolomite, heavy metals, Pinus nigra, rock grassland, soil pollution

Csontos & Kalapos (2012) Grass and Forage Science

Csontos, P. & Kalapos, T. (2013): More lightweight and isodiametric seeds for C4 than for C3 grasses are associated with preference for open habitats of C4 grasses in a temperate flora. Grass and Forage Science 68: 408-417. DOI: 10.1111/gfs.12003

Abstract

Seed mass and shape of grasses were analysed in a temperate flora containing 178 and 26 species belonging to C3 and C4 photosynthetic types respectively. The weedy character and the annual or perennial status were also considered. On the basis of the seed traits studied, three groups were distinguished: C4 grasses, annual C3 grasses of weedy character and perennial non-weedy C3 grasses. The C4 group had more isodiametric (same diameter in all directions) seed shape and lower average seed mass than the C3 group. To our knowledge, this has not yet been described for temperate C4 grasses and is certainly associated with their preference for open habitats where competition for light is small. Weedy annual C3 grasses had heavier and less isodiametric seeds than C4 grasses did. These species are mostly specialized to establish in the dense cover of perennial vegetation, and this ability distinguishes them from the C4 group. Non-weedy perennial C3 species possessed less isodiametric seeds than did C4 grasses, but did not differ from weedy annual C3 grasses. As most alien C4 grasses naturalized in Hungary are annuals with small, isodiametric seeds, these traits are good candidates to be included in screening for potential future invasives in open habitats.

Keywords

C4 grasses, photosynthetic types, seed ecology, seed slenderness, thousand-seed weight, weeds

Pal et al. (2013) Plant Biosystems

Pal, R.W., Pinke, Gy., Botta-Dukát, Z., Campetella, G., Bartha, S., Kalocsai, R., Lengyel, A. (2013): Can management intensity be more important than environmental factors? A case study along an extreme elevation gradient from Central Italian cereal fields. Plant Biosystems

DOI 10.1080/11263504.2012.753485

Abstract
This paper aims to assess the importance of environmental and management factors determining the weed species composition along a strong elevation gradient. A total of 76 cereal fields (39 low input and 37 intensively managed) were sampled along an elevation gradient in central Italy. Explanatory variables were recorded for each field to elucidate the role of large-scale spatial trends, of site-specific abiotic environmental conditions and of field management characters. Redundancy analysis was used to assess the relative importance of each environmental variable in explaining the variation in species composition. Our results indicate that variation in weed species composition is strongly determined by altitude, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and also by soil characteristics. However, the level of intensification proved to be the most influential variable. There was a significant difference in species richness and composition between low-input and intensively managed fields. Intensification leads to considerable species loss at both lower and higher elevations. Low-input fields had 296 species in total, while intensively managed fields had only 196.

Keywords

Intensification, intensively managed fields, low-input fields, redundancy analysis, species richness, weed vegetation