ecology papers | Gist.Science

Common, species-specific, and accession-specific responses of foliar phytohormones and morphological traits to drought and herbivory

This study demonstrates that while certain phytohormonal responses to drought and herbivory are conserved across three distinct plant species, the overall morphological and hormonal reactions are largely shaped by species-specific and accession-specific variations, highlighting the need to consider both interspecific and intraspecific scales in understanding plant resilience to combined environmental stressors.

Xiao, X., Aragam, K. S., Braeutigam, A. + 21 more2026-04-01🌿 ecology

Local interaction networks reconstructed from global biodiversity data improve pollinator restoration decision making

The paper introduces NECTAR, a novel framework that integrates global biodiversity data to reconstruct local plant-pollinator interaction networks, enabling the design of habitat restoration plant mixes that support significantly more pollinator species than existing methods.

Baiotto, T., Cosma, C., Cheung, Y. Y. J. + 16 more2026-04-01🌿 ecology

Extending island biogeography theory to biotic islands: Microbial communities in epiphytic bird's nest fern Asplenium nidus

This study demonstrates that epiphytic bird's nest ferns function as dynamic biotic islands where microbial diversity follows island biogeography theory, driven by a combination of patch size effects (via environmental heterogeneity and disproportionate sampling) and spatial isolation.

Tseng, Y.-P., Wei, S., Ke, P.-J.2026-04-01🌿 ecology

Brown and Lesser noddies as epidemiological reservoirs and sentinels of avian influenza virus in the South-western Indian Ocean

This study identifies Brown and Lesser noddies as stable epidemiological reservoirs and effective sentinel species for avian influenza virus in the South-western Indian Ocean, evidenced by their high seroprevalence and the detection of circulating viral strains across multiple islands.

Lebarbenchon, C., Toty, C., Voogt, N. + 11 more2026-04-01🌿 ecology

Eco-Friendly Antifouling Solutions: Hazard Assessment of Synthetic Derivatives of Natural Compounds

This study evaluates the eco-friendly potential of two synthetic natural compound derivatives, GBA and DH345, as antifouling agents, finding that while both inhibit algae growth and GBA shows low toxicity to zebrafish and mussels, DH345 exhibits developmental toxicity in zebrafish, suggesting they offer lower environmental risks than traditional biocides like tralopyril but require further long-term ecological assessment.

Leite, J. P., Lima, E., Pereira, D. + 4 more2026-04-01🌿 ecology

Collective learning and manifold behaviors in predator groups

This study demonstrates that stable behavioral diversity and coordinated collective foraging in predator groups can emerge spontaneously through shared learning histories, forming path-dependent interaction structures where specific combinations of non-interchangeable strategies optimize group performance, but which are fragile to changes in group composition.

Hoover, S. H., Satterfield, D. R., Gil, M. A. + 4 more2026-03-31🌿 ecology

The OS-Prey (Omnibus Study of Prey) database: A compilation of diet records for birds of prey.

The OS-Prey database is a comprehensive, global compilation of over 3,500 quantitative diet records for 173 raptor species, spanning from 1893 to 2025, which aggregates data from more than 1,000 studies to provide fine-resolution insights into predator-prey interactions across diverse habitats and seasons.

Uiterwaal, S. F., La Sorte, F. A., Coblentz, K. E. + 1 more2026-03-31🌿 ecology

Algal-derived extracts act as selective ecological filters shaping soil microbiomes, bacterial traits, and tomato performance under biotic stress

This study demonstrates that diverse algal extracts act as selective ecological filters that restructure soil microbiomes to enhance specific plant-beneficial bacterial traits, such as siderophore production, ultimately improving tomato growth and survival under biotic stress.

McQuade, M. R., Lisboa da Silva, D. A., Niraula, K. + 10 more2026-03-31🌿 ecology

On-site metabarcoding analysis of environmental DNA samples

This study demonstrates the feasibility of a fully portable, off-grid eDNA metabarcoding pipeline using compact equipment like the BentoLab and MinION sequencer, which successfully enabled on-site collection, sequencing, and analysis of aquatic biodiversity in remote locations within a few days.

Mauvisseau, Q., Ewer, I., Blumeris, I. + 28 more2026-03-30🌿 ecology

How farming practices and livestock management affect Human-Wildlife Conflict intensity in Southern Ecuador: The case of the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and feral dogs

This study investigates the drivers of Human-Wildlife Conflict in Southern Ecuador, revealing that feral dogs have become the primary source of economic loss for small-scale livestock farmers while forest-edge proximity increases the risk of severe conflicts with spectacled bears, thereby highlighting the urgent need for targeted mitigation strategies that address both feral dog control and farm management practices.

Lopes, F., Penaherrera-Aguirre, M., Cisneros, R.2026-03-30🌿 ecology

Twenty-five years of monitoring reveals that uninterrupted rodent control is the fundamental driver of breeding success in the Galapagos Petrel Pterodroma phaeopygia

Twenty-five years of monitoring on Santa Cruz Island demonstrates that uninterrupted rodent control is the critical factor driving Galapagos petrel breeding success, as a single year of control failure caused a dramatic 35–40% drop in hatching and breeding rates due to black rat predation on eggs and small chicks.

Lopes, F., Gibbs, J. P., Carrion, J.2026-03-30🌿 ecology

Forecasts for 80% of wild populations and communities predict no change, and why

By analyzing approximately 53,000 global time series across diverse taxa, this study reveals that parsimonious statistical models forecast no directional change for the majority of wild populations and communities, suggesting that stability is the norm rather than the exception in biodiversity trends.

Bozzuto, C., Ives, A. R.2026-03-29🌿 ecology

Parallel elevational replacement of hosts and parasites in a highly susceptible songbird genus

This study demonstrates that haemosporidian parasite assemblages infecting three congeneric vireo species exhibit elevational replacement patterns that mirror their hosts, driven by a combination of host-specialized lineages and generalist lineages resulting from spillover.

Wiley, D. L. F., Williamson, J. L., Fischer, S. E. + 5 more2026-03-29🌿 ecology

Metabolic fluctuations explain allometric scaling diversity

This paper proposes that the diverse allometric scaling exponents observed across species emerge spontaneously from stochastic cellular growth dynamics governed by nonequilibrium thermodynamic constraints, challenging the notion of a universal metabolic scaling law.

Tabi, A., Merbis, W., Santos, F. + 1 more2026-03-29🌿 ecology

Tipping Points and Emergent Phases of Species Diversity in Mutualistic Ecological Networks under Global Warming

This study develops a theoretical framework revealing that global warming drives mutualistic ecological networks through three distinct diversity phases toward irreversible extinction, highlighting that low-abundance species are most vulnerable and that delayed emission reductions fail to prevent biodiversity collapse.

Sun, Y., Wang, J., Qi, M. + 4 more2026-03-29🌿 ecology

Species interactions determine plasmid persistence in a 3-member bacterial community

This study demonstrates that in a three-member bacterial community, interspecies bacterial interactions are the primary driver of community dynamics and plasmid persistence following environmental perturbations, often overriding the retention of plasmids even when they carry relevant resistance genes.

Schaal, K. A., Wang, Y.-J., Nauta, J. + 3 more2026-03-28🌿 ecology

Red List criteria underestimate climate-related extinction risk of range-shifting species

This study reveals that current IUCN Red List guidelines systematically underestimate climate-related extinction risks for range-shifting species due to a flawed linear assumption regarding habitat loss, prompting recommendations for updated assessment methods.

Keuth, R., Fritz, S. A., Zurell, D.2026-03-27🌿 ecology

Transient species can increase resident metapopulation size by modifying local conditions and regional connectivity

Using nectar microbes as a model, this study demonstrates that transient bacterial species can increase resident yeast metapopulation size by modifying local resource conditions and altering dispersal dynamics, thereby highlighting the critical role of cross-boundary material flows in shaping ecological communities.

Ou, W. J.-A., Germain, R. M., Fukami, T.2026-03-27🌿 ecology

Multidecadal changes in land cover across a disturbance gradient in mountain grasslands of Kyrgyzstan

This study utilizes high-resolution satellite imagery from 1997 to 2021 to map land-cover dynamics in Kyrgyzstan's Tien Shan mountains, revealing that intermediate elevations and high grazing intensities are the primary drivers of habitat transitions, thereby providing a critical framework for distinguishing climate impacts from land-use changes to inform localized management in data-poor regions.

Young, S. C. E., Watkins, H. V., Brownlee, S. F. + 2 more2026-03-27🌿 ecology

Signal Versus Noise: Evaluating iNaturalist Photos as a Source of Quantitative Phenotypic Data in Plethodon Salamanders using Autoresearch and Agentic AI

This study demonstrates that while iNaturalist photographs can effectively recover discrete color morph frequencies in *Plethodon* salamanders, they are unsuitable for continuous quantitative phenotyping like dorsal brightness due to overwhelming observer-induced noise that obscures geographic signals.

O'Connell, K. A.2026-03-27🌿 ecology

← Previous Next →