Restoring indigenous names in taxonomy.

Some pillars of scientific practice appear immutable. We propose that one of these needs more thorough consideration and modification: this being the long-standing emphasis in nomenclature for first published names over pre-existing indigenous names, in accepting species epithets. We suggest that biologists re-evaluate this practice, in the context of a current more general re-evaluation of indigenous knowledge.

Stochastic and Deterministic Effects of a Moisture Gradient on Soil Microbial Communities in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica.

Antarctic soil supports surface microbial communities that are dependent on ephemeral moisture. Understanding the response to availability of this resource is essential to predicting how the system will respond to climate change. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free soil region in Antarctica.

Advanced Photogrammetry to Assess Lichen Colonization in the Hyper-Arid Namib Desert.

The hyper-arid central region of the Namib Desert is characterized by quartz desert pavement terrain that is devoid of vascular plant covers. In this extreme habitat the only discernible surface covers are epilithic lichens that colonize exposed surfaces of quartz rocks. These lichens are highly susceptible to disturbance and so field surveys have been limited due to concerns about disturbing this unusual desert feature.

Global Diversity of Desert Hypolithic Cyanobacteria.

Global patterns in diversity were estimated for cyanobacteria-dominated hypolithic communities that colonize ventral surfaces of quartz stones and are common in desert environments. A total of 64 hypolithic communities were recovered from deserts on every continent plus a tropical moisture sufficient location. Community diversity was estimated using a combined t-RFLP fingerprinting and high throughput sequencing approach.

Seedling mortality from litterfall increases with decreasing latitude.

Global patterns in ecology need to be identified and interpreted if macroecological processes are to be fully understood. Facilitating effects on seedlings such as that of nurse plants and competitive effects such as allelopathy have been well recognized but the importance of plants acting as killers through physical damage by the litterfall they produce has received relatively little attention. Here I examine latitudinal patterns of physical disturbance to seedlings (microdisturbance) due to litterfall and discuss the macroecological implications in light of current research.

Biogeography of photoautotrophs in the high polar biome.

The global latitudinal gradient in biodiversity weakens in the high polar biome and so an alternative explanation for distribution of Arctic and Antarctic photoautotrophs is required. Here we identify how temporal, microclimate and evolutionary drivers of biogeography are important, rather than the macroclimate features that drive plant diversity patterns elsewhere. High polar ecosystems are biologically unique, with a more central role for bryophytes, lichens and microbial photoautotrophs over that of vascular plants.

Revisiting spatial scale in the productivity-species richness relationship: fundamental issues and global change implications.

The relationship between net primary productivity (NPP) and species richness has been the subject of long-running debate. A changing climate gives added impetus to resolving this debate, as it becomes increasingly necessary to predict biodiversity responses that might arise from shifts in productivity or its climatic correlates. It has become increasingly clear that at small scales productivity-species richness relationships (PSRs) are variable, while at macro scales relationships are typically positive.

What is the form of the productivity-animal-species-richness relationship? A critical review and meta-analysis.

The nature of the relationship between productivity and species richness has remained controversial for at least two decades. Recently authors have favored the suggestion that the form of this relationship is highly variable and scale dependent. However, this conclusion is not universally accepted.

Faster evolution of highly conserved DNA in tropical plants.

A faster rate of nuclear DNA evolution has recently been found for plants occupying warmer low latitudes relative to those in cooler high latitudes. That earlier study by our research group compared substitution rates within the variable internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal gene complex amongst 45 congeneric species pairs, each member of which differed in their latitudinal distributions. To determine whether this rate differential might also occur within highly conserved DNA, we sequenced the 18S ribosomal gene in the same 45 pairs of plants.

Latitude, elevation and the tempo of molecular evolution in mammals.

Faster rates of microevolution have been recorded for plants and marine foraminifera occupying warmer low latitude environments relative to those occurring at higher latitudes. By contrast, because this rate heterogeneity has been attributed to a relationship between thermal habit and mutagenesis via a body temperature linkage, it has been assumed that microevolution in mammals should not also vary systematically with environmental temperature. However, this assumption has not previously been empirically examined.

Slower tempo of microevolution in island birds: implications for conservation biology.

Whether microevolution on small islands differs from that on larger landmasses is a key question in biology with substantial implications for species conservation. However, due to the difficulties faced in producing adequately replicated samples and in controlling for confounding variables, prior attempts to examine evolutionary questions relating to habitat area and population size have produced equivocal results. Here we show, using experimental design criteria that reduce the potential for such confounding, that bird species on larger landmasses have higher rates of molecular evolution.

The influence of productivity on the species richness of plants: a critical assessment.

Despite much scrutiny the relationship between productivity and species richness remains controversial, and there is little agreement about causal processes. We present the results of a survey of 159 productivity-plant species richness (P-PSR) relationships from 131 published studies. We critically assessed each study with respect to experimental design and for the appropriateness of the surrogates used for productivity.