Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland.

Butterflies and moths, collectively Lepidoptera, are integral components of ecosystems, providing key services such as pollination and a prey resource for vertebrate and invertebrate predators. Lepidoptera are a relatively well studied group of invertebrates. In Great Britain and Ireland numerous citizen science projects provide data on changes in distribution and abundance.

Impacts of invasive plant species on riparian plant assemblages: interactions with elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen deposition.

Resource competition is commonly invoked to explain negative effects of invasive plants on native plant abundance. If invasives out-compete natives, global changes that elevate resource availability may interact with invasives to exacerbate impacts on native communities. Indeed, evidence is accumulating that elevated CO(2) and N deposition decrease native biomass and simultaneously increase invasive biomass.

Compensatory growth of Phanerochaete velutina mycelial systems grazed by Folsomia candida (Collembola).

Phanerochaete velutina is a major agent of wood decomposition in temperate forests. It grows out of woody resources in search of other resources and is then vulnerable to grazing by invertebrates. The aim of this study was to determine how continuous grazing and grazing for only 2 days by different densities of collembola, Folsomia candida, affect mycelial development (radial extension, hyphal coverage and fractal dimension) of P.

Reorganization of mycelial networks of Phanerochaete velutina in response to new woody resources and collembola (Folsomia candida) grazing.

Mycelial development of Phanerochaete velutina extending from wood inocula in 57 x 57 cm trays of non-sterile soil was characterized after adding: (1) collembola; (2) new wood resources; (3) both new wood resources and collembola; and (4) no new resources and no collembola. After 99 d, all systems had produced distinct mycelial cords, much of the diffuse mycelium and thinner cords that were produced early on having regressed. Systems to which new resources (but no collembola) had been added developed thick cords interconnecting inocula with new resources, and much of the non-connected mycelium regressed.

Grazing by Folsomia candida (Collembola) differentially affects mycelial morphology of the cord-forming basidiomycetes Hypholoma fasciculare, Phanerochaete velutina and Resinicium bicolor.

Cord-forming basidiomycetes are important decomposers of dead wood in forest ecosystems but the impact of mycophagous soil invertebrates on their mycelia are little known. Here we investigate the effects of different grazing intensities of Collembola (Folsomia candida) on mycelial foraging patterns of the saprotrophic cord-forming basidiomycetes Hypholoma fasciculare, Phanerochaete velutina and Resinicium bicolor growing from beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood block inocula in dishes of non-sterile soil. Mycelial extension rate and hyphal coverage decreased with increased grazing intensity.

Mycelial responses of Hypholoma fasciculare to collembola grazing: effect of inoculum age, nutrient status and resource quality.

The effects of grazing by the collembolan Folsomia candida on mycelial foraging patterns of Hypholoma fasciculare growing from beech (Fagus sylvatica) wood block inocula in trays of non-sterile soil was investigated. The wood inocula differed in size, state of decay (time for which wood has been colonized: 2 yr, 1 yr, 6 and 3 months) and nutrient status (inocula colonized on malt agar or nutrient agar). Mycelia were most luxuriant, had greater hyphal coverage and extended more rapidly from 2 yr old than younger inocula, from 4 cm3 than 1 cm3 inocula, and from inocula colonized on malt extract agar rather than on distilled water agar.