Uncovering the mechanisms underpinning divergent environmental change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Environmental change drivers (ECDs) impact ecological communities in various ways, from enrichment that increases species' performance and abundance, to stressors that reduce their reproduction and growth. These effects can affect species coexistence as well as impact ecosystem functioning and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF). Predicting the impact of ECDs on communities and BEF relationships requires understanding how ECDs affect fundamental population parameters, including intrinsic rate of increase (r), carrying capacity (K), and interspecific interactions ( ).

Genome size influences plant growth and biodiversity responses to nutrient fertilization in diverse grassland communities.

Experiments comparing diploids with polyploids and in single grassland sites show that nitrogen and/or phosphorus availability influences plant growth and community composition dependent on genome size; specifically, plants with larger genomes grow faster under nutrient enrichments relative to those with smaller genomes. However, it is unknown if these effects are specific to particular site localities with speciifc plant assemblages, climates, and historical contingencies. To determine the generality of genome size-dependent growth responses to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization, we combined genome size and species abundance data from 27 coordinated grassland nutrient addition experiments in the Nutrient Network that occur in the Northern Hemisphere across a range of climates and grassland communities.

Monitoring urban biological invasions using citizen science: the polyphagous shot hole borer ().

Unlabelled: Benefits provided by urban trees are increasingly threatened by non-native pests and pathogens. Monitoring of these invasions is critical for the effective management and conservation of urban tree populations. However, a shortage of professionally collected species occurrence data is a major impediment to assessments of biological invasions in urban areas.