| 1. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(författare)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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| 2. |
- Schoch, Conrad L., et al.
(författare)
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Finding needles in haystacks: linking scientific names, reference specimens and molecular data for Fungi
- 2014
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Ingår i: Database: The Journal of Biological Databases and Curation. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1758-0463. ; 2014:bau061, s. 1-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- DNA phylogenetic comparisons have shown that morphology-based species recognition often underestimates fungal diversity. Therefore, the need for accurate DNA sequence data, tied to both correct taxonomic names and clearly annotated specimen data, has never been greater. Furthermore, the growing number of molecular ecology and microbiome projects using high-throughput sequencing require fast and effective methods for en masse species assignments. In this article, we focus on selecting and re-annotating a set of marker reference sequences that represent each currently accepted order of Fungi. The particular focus is on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer region in the nuclear ribosomal cistron, derived from type specimens and/or ex-type cultures. Re-annotated and verified sequences were deposited in a curated public database at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), namely the RefSeq Targeted Loci (RTL) database, and will be visible during routine sequence similarity searches with NR_prefixed accession numbers. A set of standards and protocols is proposed to improve the data quality of new sequences, and we suggest how type and other reference sequences can be used to improve identification of Fungi.
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| 3. |
- Poorter, Lourens, et al.
(författare)
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Wet and dry tropical forests show opposite successional pathways in wood density but converge over time
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2397-334X. ; 3:6, s. 928-934
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tropical forests are converted at an alarming rate for agricultural use and pastureland, but also regrow naturally through secondary succession. For successful forest restoration, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of secondary succession. These mechanisms may vary across forest types, but analyses across broad spatial scales are lacking. Here, we analyse forest recovery using 1,403 plots that differ in age since agricultural abandonment from 50 sites across the Neotropics. We analyse changes in community composition using species-specific stem wood density (WD), which is a key trait for plant growth, survival and forest carbon storage. In wet forest, succession proceeds from low towards high community WD (acquisitive towards conservative trait values), in line with standard successional theory. However, in dry forest, succession proceeds from high towards low community WD (conservative towards acquisitive trait values), probably because high WD reflects drought tolerance in harsh early successional environments. Dry season intensity drives WD recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in convergence of the community WD over time as vegetation cover builds up. These ecological insights can be used to improve species selection for reforestation. Reforestation species selected to establish a first protective canopy layer should, among other criteria, ideally have a similar WD to the early successional communities that dominate under the prevailing macroclimatic conditions.
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| 4. |
- Fernandes, Alwyn R., et al.
(författare)
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Recommended terms and abbreviations for polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs) as the predominant component of chlorinated paraffins (CPs)
- 2023
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Ingår i: TrAC. Trends in analytical chemistry. - : Elsevier. - 0165-9936 .- 1879-3142. ; 169
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite several decades of study, ambiguities persist in terms used to express environmental and biotic occurrences of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs), the main ingredient of chlorinated paraffins (CPs). This can lead to misinterpretation of data between analytical chemists, toxicologists, risk assessors/managers and regulators. The terms recommended here to harmonise reporting and reduce ambiguity use the conventional definition of PCAs - linear chlorinated alkanes (typically, C≥10) with one chlorine per carbon, although some evidence of multiple chlorination exists. Other recommendations include.● reporting the “Sum of measured PCAs” because “Total PCAs” is currently unquantifiable.●reporting individual chain lengths, e.g., ΣPCAs-C11, ΣPCAs-C13, allows easier comparability and allows toxicology and risk assessment to consider different PCA combinations.● maintain studies on individual PCAs in order to better characterise chemical, environmental and health risk behaviour.The terms could be extended in future to assimilate new findings on individual PCAs, multiple chlorination and chirality.
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| 5. |
- Gei, Maga, et al.
(författare)
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Legume abundance along successional and rainfall gradients in Neotropical forests
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-334X. ; 2:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nutrient demands of regrowing tropical forests are partly satisfied by nitrogen-fixing legume trees, but our understanding of the abundance of those species is biased towards wet tropical regions. Here we show how the abundance of Leguminosae is affected by both recovery from disturbance and large-scale rainfall gradients through a synthesis of forest inventory plots from a network of 42 Neotropical forest chronosequences. During the first three decades of natural forest regeneration, legume basal area is twice as high in dry compared with wet secondary forests. The tremendous ecological success of legumes in recently disturbed, water-limited forests is likely to be related to both their reduced leaflet size and ability to fix N2, which together enhance legume drought tolerance and water-use efficiency. Earth system models should incorporate these large-scale successional and climatic patterns of legume dominance to provide more accurate estimates of the maximum potential for natural nitrogen fixation across tropical forests.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Poorter, Lourens, et al.
(författare)
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Functional recovery of secondary tropical forests
- 2021
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 118:49, s. e2003405118-e2003405118
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One-third of all Neotropical forests are secondary forests that regrow naturally after agricultural use through secondary succession. We need to understand better how and why succession varies across environmental gradients and broad geographic scales. Here, we analyze functional recovery using community data on seven plant characteristics (traits) of 1,016 forest plots from 30 chronosequence sites across the Neotropics. By analyzing communities in terms of their traits, we enhance understanding of the mechanisms of succession, assess ecosystem recovery, and use these insights to propose successful forest restoration strategies. Wet and dry forests diverged markedly for several traits that increase growth rate in wet forests but come at the expense of reduced drought tolerance, delay, or avoidance, which is important in seasonally dry forests. Dry and wet forests showed different successional pathways for several traits. In dry forests, species turnover is driven by drought tolerance traits that are important early in succession and in wet forests by shade tolerance traits that are important later in succession. In both forests, deciduous and compound-leaved trees decreased with forest age, probably because microclimatic conditions became less hot and dry. Our results suggest that climatic water availability drives functional recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in a convergence of community trait values with forest age when vegetation cover builds up. Within plots, the range in functional trait values increased with age. Based on the observed successional trait changes, we indicate the consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling and propose an ecologically sound strategy to improve forest restoration success.
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| 8. |
- Wiberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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The Enantioselective Bioaccumulation of Chiral Chlordane and -HCH Contaminants in the Polar Bear Food Chain
- 2000
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Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 34:13, s. 2668-74
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The enantiomer ratios (ERs) of -HCH and chlordane related compounds (CHLs) were examined in the polar bear food chain (arctic cod-ringed seal-polar bear), using chiral gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The cod showed near-racemic mixtures (ER = 1) for most of the compounds. In contrast, ERs in ringed seal and polar bear were frequently nonracemic (ER 1), due to enantiomer-specific biotransformation. As (+)--HCH was transferred up the food chain, it became more abundant relative to (-)--HCH. For the CHLs, there was no uniform trend for the ER changes and the increasing trophic level. Apparent chiral biomagnification factors (BFs) were calculated and up to a 20-fold difference in the BF between enantiomers was found. Analysis of chiral BFs relative to CB-153 indicated that oxychlordane was formed by ringed seal and metabolized by polar bears. However, the ERs did not change significantly as a result of these biotransformations. Multivariate statistical methods revealed the clustering of sample categories and were used to investigate the relationships between the ERs, chemical residue concentrations, and biological data. ERs were important variables for the sample groupings and for the class separation of male/female seals and fat/liver tissues. The variance in the cytochrome P450 CYP2B protein content of bear liver could be explained by the variances in chemical residue data. In this analysis the ERs were of secondary importance. The ERs of some highly recalcitrant CHLs in polar bear adipose showed linear relationships with the age of the bears.
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| 9. |
- Chazdon, Robin L., et al.
(författare)
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Carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forest regeneration in the Latin American tropics
- 2016
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 2:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Regrowth of tropical secondary forests following complete or nearly complete removal of forest vegetation actively stores carbon in aboveground biomass, partially counterbalancing carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, burning of fossil fuels, and other anthropogenic sources. We estimate the age and spatial extent of lowland second-growth forests in the Latin American tropics and model their potential aboveground carbon accumulation over four decades. Our model shows that, in 2008, second-growth forests (1 to 60 years old) covered 2.4 million km2 of land (28.1% of the total study area). Over 40 years, these lands can potentially accumulate a total aboveground carbon stock of 8.48 Pg C (petagrams of carbon) in aboveground biomass via low-cost natural regeneration or assisted regeneration, corresponding to a total CO2 sequestration of 31.09 Pg CO2. This total is equivalent to carbon emissions from fossil fuel use and industrial processes in all of Latin America and the Caribbean from 1993 to 2014. Ten countries account for 95% of this carbon storage potential, led by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. We model future land-use scenarios to guide national carbon mitigation policies. Permitting natural regeneration on 40% of lowland pastures potentially stores an additional 2.0 Pg C over 40 years. Our study provides information and maps to guide national-level forest-based carbon mitigation plans on the basis of estimated rates of natural regeneration and pasture abandonment. Coupled with avoided deforestation and sustainable forest management, natural regeneration of second-growth forests provides a low-cost mechanism that yields a high carbon sequestration potential with multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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| 10. |
- Houde, Magali, et al.
(författare)
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POLYBROMINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS AND THEIR HYDROXYLATED ANALOGS IN PLASMA OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) FROM THE UNITED STATES EAST COAST.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 28:10, s. 2061-2068
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hydroxylated-PBDEs (OH-PBDE) were determined in plasma of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from Charleston (CHS), South Carolina, and the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, US. Significantly lower sum (Sigma) of PBDE concentrations (sum of 12 congeners) were found in animals from the IRL [arithmetic mean: 5.454.63 ng/g wet weight (ww)] compared to CHS (3040 ng/g ww). BDE-47 was the predominant PBDE in dolphins from the IRL (50% of the SigmaPBDEs) and CHS (58%). SigmaPBDE concentrations in plasma of dolphins were negatively correlated with age at both locations. Fifteen and sixteen individual OH-PBDE congeners could be quantified in plasma of dolphins from IRL and CHS, respectively. Similar to SigmaPBDE, mean SigmaOH-PBDE concentrations were significantly higher in plasma of dolphins at CHS (1150708 pg/g ww) compared to IRL (624393 pg/g ww). The predominant congener at both locations was 6-OH-PBDE 47 (IRL: 384319 pg/g ww; CHS: 541344 pg/g ww) representing 61.5% of total SigmaOH-PBDE at IRL and 47.0% at CHS. Concentrations of SigmaOH-PBDEs were weakly negatively correlated with age in dolphins from both locations (P<0.05; IRL, R2=0.048; CHS, R2=0.021). In addition to the OH-PBDE congeners identified with technical standards, eight and four unidentified OH-PBDEs were detected and quantified respectively in animals from CHS (sum of unidentified OH-PBDEs=1.350.90 pg/g ww) and IRL (0.730.40 pg/g ww). Our results suggest that, unlike OH-PCBs, OH-PBDEs in bottlenose dolphins are minor products in plasma relative to SigmaPBDEs and a significant proportion may be a consequence of the dietary uptake of naturally produced methoxylated- and OH-PBDEs.
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