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Microbial enzyme diversity is a key to understand many ecosystem processes. Whole metagenome sequencing (WMG) obtains information on functional genes, but it is costly and inefficient due to large amount of sequencing that is required. In this study, we have applied a captured metagenomics technique for functional genes in soil microorganisms, as an alternative to WMG. Large-scale targeting of fun

The effect of grazing by large herbivores on the microbial community and the ecosystem functions they provide are relatively unknown in grassland systems. In this study, the impact of grazing upon the size, composition and activity of the soil microbial community was measured in field experiments in two coastal ecosystems: one salt marsh and one sand dune grassland. Bacterial, fungal and total mic

The use of stable carbon isotopes (d13C) has played a key role in estimation of the proportion of aquatic consumer biomass derived from terrestrial organic matter (OM; i.e., allochthony; Meili et al. 1996; Grey et al. 2001; Pace et al. 2004). However, the use of d13C for assessing allochthony has shortcomings because of the small natural separation between terrestrial and aquatic isotopic end memb

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a master variable in aquatic systems. Modern fluorescence techniques couple measurements of excitation emission matrix (EEM) spectra and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to determine fluorescent DOM (FDOM) components and DOM quality. However, the molecular signatures associated with PARAFAC components are poorly defined. In the current study we characterized riv

Introduction Many studies deal with taxonomic diversity (TD) or estimation of functional traits of ectomycorrhizal communities. However, to our knowledge, none of them has ever tried to calculate the functional diversity (FD) of those communities, which is of critical importance for the diversity and reliability of nutrient supply to the tree. Objectives Here, we propose to evaluate the functional

P>Many ecological, physical and geographical processes affected by climate in the natural environment are scale-dependent: determining surface-air-temperature distribution at a scale of tens to hundreds of metres can facilitate such research, which is currently hampered by the relative dearth of meteorological stations and complex surface temperature characteristics, particularly in mountain areas

In a warming climate, mercury (Hg) pathways in the Arctic can be expected to be affected. The Hg transport from the high arctic Zackenberg River Basin was assessed in 2009 in order to describe and estimate the mercury transported from land to the marine environment. A total of 95 water samples were acquired and filtered (0.4 mu m pore size), and Hg concentrations were determined in both the filter

The wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum, causal organism of the wheat disease Stagonospora nodorum blotch, has emerged as a model for the Dothideomycetes, a large fungal taxon that includes many important plant pathogens. The initial annotation of the genome assembly included 16 586 nuclear gene models. These gene models were used to design a microarray that has been interrogated with labelled tra

1. Fine roots and mycorrhiza often represent the largest input of carbon (C) into soils and are therefore of primary relevance to the soil C balance. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have previously been found to increase litter decomposition which may lead to reduced soil C stocks, but these studies have focused on immediate decomposition of relatively high amounts of high-quality litter and may

Recent global change has had a substantial influence on the distribution of organisms, and many species are currently expanding their ranges. To evaluate the underlying processes, long-term data with good geographic resolution are essential. One important but generally overlooked data source is offered by the taxon-specific national catalogues of first provincial records that are kept in many coun

Budburst models have mainly been developed to capture the processes of individual trees, and vary in their complexity and plant physiological realism. We evaluated how well eleven models capture the variation in budburst of birch and Norway spruce in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and Finland. The comparison was based on the models performance in relation to their underlying physiological as

Little is known of the population dynamics of long-range insect migrants, and it has been suggested that the annual journeys of billions of nonhardy insects to exploit temperate zones during summer represent a sink from which future generations seldom return (the “Pied Piper” effect). We combine data from entomological radars and ground-based light traps to show that annual migrations are highly a

Wildfires are a major driver of ecosystem development and contributor to carbon emissions in boreal forests. We analyzed the contribution of fires of different fire size classes to the total burned area and suggest a novel fire characteristic, the characteristic fire size, i.e., the fire size class with the highest contribution to the burned area, its relation to bioclimatic conditions, and intra-

Global environmental changes and human activity influence wildland fires worldwide, but the relative importance of the individual factors varies regionally and their interplay can be difficult to disentangle. Here we evaluate projected future changes in burned area at the European and sub-European scale, and we investigate uncertainties in the relative importance of the determining factors. We sim

The present study investigated the effects of land-use abandonment on the soil decomposer community of two grazed Mediterranean ecosystems (an annual grassland with scattered holm oaks and a low-density shrubland). To test the influence of grazing abandonment, a set of plots within each site were fenced and kept undisturbed during 4-5 years, during which above-ground plant community structure was

Aim This study investigates inter-annual variability in burnt area in southern Africa and the extent to which climate is responsible for this variation. We compare data from long-term field sites across the region with remotely sensed burnt area data to test whether it is possible to develop a general model. Location Africa south of the equator. Methods Linear mixed effects models were used to det

Natural formation of organically bound chlorine is extensive in many environments. The enzymes associated with the formation of chlorinated organic matter are produced by a large variety of organisms. Little is known about the ecological role of the process, the key question being: why do microorganisms promote chlorination of organic matter? In a recent paper we discuss whether organic matter chl

Evolution of lignocellulose decomposition was one of the most ecologically important innovations in fungi. White rot fungi in the Agaricomycetes (mushrooms and relatives) are the most effective microorganisms in degrading both cellulose and lignin components of woody plant cell walls (PCW). However, the precise evolutionary origins of lignocellulose decomposition are poorly understood, largely bec

Irish peat soils are extensive, covering approximately 14-20% of the national land area. They contain between 53% and 62% of the national soil organic carbon stock. Montane blanket bog covers approximately 25% or 242650ha of the total peatland area in Ireland and is the dominant peatland type covering the upland area of Wicklow. Blanket bogs are very sensitive systems and have experienced much dis