One-hectare fine-scale dataset of a fynbos plant community in the Cape Floristic Region.

Cape fynbos, which forms part of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa, a global biodiversity hotspot, is renowned for its high levels of plant species endemism and diversity. This extraordinary ecosystem, characterised by nutrient-poor soils and fire-adapted vegetation, is a treasure trove of endemic flora. However, this fragile system faces increasing threats from habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species.

On the Relationship Between the Gini Coefficient and Skewness.

Skewness, a measure of the asymmetry of a distribution, is frequently employed to reflect a biologically important property. Another statistic, the Gini coefficient (GC), originally used to measure economic inequality, has been validated in measuring the inequality of biological size distributions. Given that the GC and skewness control overlapping domains and interact with each other, researchers are perplexed by their relationship (varying with the biological [organ, tissue or cell] size distributions) and use both of them together to provide a more complete picture of the data.

Host and habitat shape ectoparasite diversity on and (Muridae).

and are commensal rodent species endemic to Africa. A recent taxonomic revision within leaves the parasite–host list of questionable and that of incomplete. The current study aimed to develop a better understanding of the ectoparasite diversity associated with the 2 distinct but closely related rodent species and to explore the influence of host and habitat type on ectoparasite infestations.

Cascading impacts of nitrogen deposition on soil microbiome and herbivore communities in desert steppes.

Human activities in the last century have intensified global nitrogen deposition, resulting in the degradation of ecosystem function and loss of biodiversity worldwide. Nitrogen addition is a crucial method for examining the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on species composition and structure of soil microbiome and biotic community, as exogenous nitrogen inputs can trigger cascading effects on ecosystem functions. In a 6-year experiment, we evaluated the impact of nitrogen addition on soil microbial-plant-insect systems in desert steppes.

Persistent biological invasions alter ecological network topology, impacting disease transmission during community assembly.

Ecological networks experiencing persistent biological invasions may exhibit distinct topological properties, complicating the understanding of how network topology affects disease transmission during invasion-driven community assembly. We developed a trait-based network model to assess the impact of network topology on disease transmission, measured as community- and species-level disease prevalence. We found that trait-based feeding interactions between host species determine the frequency distribution of the niche of co-occurring species in steady-state communities, being either bimodal or multimodal.

LncRNA DNAH17-AS1 promotes gastric cancer proliferation and radioresistance by sponging miR-202-3p to upregulate ONECUT2.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are frequently dysregulated in malignancies and serve as significant regulators of tumorigenesis. The role of the lncRNA DNAH17-AS1 in gastric cancer (GC) remains incompletely understood. In this study, we explored the biological function and underlying mechanism of DNAH17-AS1 in GC.

Current and future scenarios of suitability and expansion of cassava brown streak disease, species complex, and cassava planting in Africa.

Cassava () is among the most important staple crops globally, with an imperative role in supporting the Sustainable Development Goal of 'Zero hunger'. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is cultivated mainly by millions of subsistence farmers who depend directly on it for their socio-economic welfare. However, its yield in some regions has been threatened by several diseases, especially the cassava brown streak disease (CBSD).

Adaptive rewiring shapes structure and stability in a three-guild herbivore-plant-pollinator network.

Animal species, encompassing both pollinators and herbivores, exhibit a preference for plants based on optimal foraging theory. Understanding the intricacies of these adaptive plant-animal interactions in the context of community assembly poses a main challenge in ecology. This study delves into the impact of adaptive interaction rewiring between species belonging to different guilds on the structure and stability of a 3-guild ecological network, incorporating both mutualistic and antagonistic interactions.

Evidence That Field Muskmelon ( L. var. Naud.) Fruits Are Solids of Revolution.

In nature, the fruit shapes of many plants resemble avian eggs, a form extensively studied as solids of revolution. Despite this, the hypothesis that egg-shaped fruits are themselves solids of revolution remains unvalidated. To address this, 751 L.

Croconaine conjugated cationic polymeric nanoparticles for NIR enhanced bacterial killing.

Light-triggered treatment approach has been regarded as an effective option for sterilization due to noninvasiveness, limited drug resistance, and minimized adverse effects. Herein, we designed and synthesized a functionalized cationic polymer, CR-PQAC, with croconaine bridging agent and quaternary ammonium groups for photothermal enhanced antimicrobial therapy under near-infrared irradiation. The quaternary ammonium group on the pendent chain endowing CR-PQAC the ability to effectively bind to bacteria.

Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential.

Forests are a substantial terrestrial carbon sink, but anthropogenic changes in land use and climate have considerably reduced the scale of this system. Remote-sensing estimates to quantify carbon losses from global forests are characterized by considerable uncertainty and we lack a comprehensive ground-sourced evaluation to benchmark these estimates. Here we combine several ground-sourced and satellite-derived approaches to evaluate the scale of the global forest carbon potential outside agricultural and urban lands.

The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit.

Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records.

Inequality Measure of Leaf Area Distribution for a Drought-Tolerant Landscape Plant.

Measuring the inequality of leaf area distribution per plant (ILAD) can provide a useful tool for quantifying the influences of intra- and interspecific competition, foraging behavior of herbivores, and environmental stress on plants' above-ground architectural structures and survival strategies. Despite its importance, there has been limited research on this issue. This paper aims to fill this gap by comparing four inequality indices to measure ILAD, using indices for quantifying household income that are commonly used in economics, including the Gini index (which is based on the Lorenz curve), the coefficient of variation, the Theil index, and the mean log deviation index.

Native diversity buffers against severity of non-native tree invasions.

Determining the drivers of non-native plant invasions is critical for managing native ecosystems and limiting the spread of invasive species. Tree invasions in particular have been relatively overlooked, even though they have the potential to transform ecosystems and economies. Here, leveraging global tree databases, we explore how the phylogenetic and functional diversity of native tree communities, human pressure and the environment influence the establishment of non-native tree species and the subsequent invasion severity.

Deep learning approaches to landmark detection in tsetse wing images.

Morphometric analysis of wings has been suggested for identifying and controlling isolated populations of tsetse (Glossina spp), vectors of human and animal trypanosomiasis in Africa. Single-wing images were captured from an extensive data set of field-collected tsetse wings of species Glossina pallidipes and G. m.

Two dominant forms of multisite similarity decline - Their origins and interpretation.

The number of species shared by two or more sites is a fundamental measure of spatial variation in species composition. As more sites are included in the comparison of species composition, the average number of species shared across them declines, with a rate increasingly dependent on only the most widespread species. In over 80% of empirical communities, models of decline in shared species across multiple sites (multisite similarity decline) follow one of two distinct forms.

Multiple introductions, polyploidy and mixed reproductive strategies are linked to genetic diversity and structure in the most widespread invasive plant across Southern Ocean archipelagos.

Biological invasions in remote areas that experience low human activity provide unique opportunities to elucidate processes responsible for invasion success. Here we study the most widespread invasive plant species across the isolated islands of the Southern Ocean, the annual bluegrass, Poa annua. To analyse geographical variation in genome size, genetic diversity and reproductive strategies, we sampled all major sub-Antarctic archipelagos in this region and generated microsatellite data for 470 individual plants representing 31 populations.

Dynamic Species Distribution Modeling Reveals the Pivotal Role of Human-Mediated Long-Distance Dispersal in Plant Invasion.

Plant invasions generate massive ecological and economic costs worldwide. Predicting their spatial dynamics is crucial to the design of effective management strategies and the prevention of invasions. Earlier studies highlighted the crucial role of long-distance dispersal in explaining the speed of many invasions.