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- Logue, Jürg Brendan, et al.
(författare)
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Progress in the Ecological Genetics and Biodiversity of Freshwater Bacteria
- 2008
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Ingår i: BioScience. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 58:2, s. 103-113
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The field of microbial ecology has grown tremendously with the advent of novel molecular techniques, allowing the study of uncultured microbes in the environment, and producing a paradigm shift: now, rather than using bacteria cultures for evaluating cell-specific questions, researchers use RNA and DNA techniques to examine more broad-based ecological and evolutionary constructs such as biogeography and the long-debated biological species concept. Recent work has begun to relate bacteria functional genes to ecosystem processes and functioning, thereby enabling a better understanding of the interactive role of bacteria in different and often-changing environments. The field continues to mature and will most likely make substantial contributions in the future with additional efforts that include metagenomics and genomics. Here we review progress in the application of molecular techniques to study microbial communities in freshwater environments.
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| 4. |
- Carpenter, Stephen R., et al.
(författare)
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Accelerate Synthesis in Ecology and Environmental Sciences
- 2009
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Ingår i: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 59:8, s. 699-701
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ecology is a leading discipline in the synthesis of diverse knowledge. Ecologists have had considerable experience in bringing together diverse, multinational data sets, disciplines, and cultural perspectives to address a wide range of issues in basic and applied science. Now is the time to build on this foundation and invest in ecological synthesis through new national or international programs. While synthesis takes place through many mechanisms, including individual efforts, working groups, and research networks, centers are extraordinarily effective institutional settings for advancing synthesis projects.
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| 5. |
- Gotthard, Karl
(författare)
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Adaptive growth decisions in butterflies
- 2008
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Ingår i: Bioscience. - 0006-3568. ; 58:3, s. 222-230
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Caterpillars have a great capacity for rapid weight gain, but to reap the benefits of this capacity, larvae must be able to survive in a hostile environment and emerge as adults at the right time of year. In this article, I review examples of growth decisions in butterfly larvae that can be viewed as adaptations for optimized growth performance. These include sex-specific growth decisions that lead to protandry and sexual size dimorphism, fine-tuning of growth in response to photoperiod and temperature, development of alternative larval morphs that mimic the plant structures they feed on, and the peculiar growth patterns of lycenid butterflies that manipulate ants and grow as "cuckoos" inside ant nests. I conclude that growth of an individual can be seen as the sum of several environmentally dependent decisions, which may influence the growth trajectory by changes in physiology, behavior, and morphology.
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| 7. |
- Luck, Gary W., et al.
(författare)
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Quantifying the Contribution of Organisms to the Provision of Ecosystem Services
- 2009
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Ingår i: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 59:3, s. 223-235
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research on ecosystem services has grown rapidly over the last decade. Two conceptual frameworks have been published to guide ecological assessments of organisms that deliver services-the concepts of service-providing units (SPUs) and ecosystem service providers (ESPs). Here, we unite these frameworks and present an SPU-ESP continuum that offers a coherent conceptual approach for synthesizing the latest developments in ecosystem service research, and can direct future studies at all levels of organization. In particular, we show how the service-provider concept call be applied tit the population, functional group, and community levels, We strongly emphasize the need to identify and quantify the organisms and their characteristics (e.g., functional traits) that provide services, and to assess service provision relative to the demands of human beneficiaries. We use key examples from the literature to illustrate the new approach and to highlight gaps in knowledge, particularly in relation to the impact of species interactions and ecosystem dynamics on service provision.
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| 8. |
- Åkesson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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How migrants get there: Migratory performance and orientation
- 2007
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Ingår i: BioScience. - 0006-3568. ; 57:2, s. 123-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Migratory animals show a suite of adaptations to cope with their journeys. These include not only morphological features for efficient locomotion and storage of energy but also behavioral adjustments to exploit winds and currents or to avoid drift caused by moving fluids. Migration strategies across locomotory modes can be analyzed in the context of optimality models, using some general principles concerning migration range and selection criteria. Comparisons of model predictions with natural behavior help researchers understand the selection pressures that underlie migration strategies. We give examples of typical migration speeds and distances for animals using different locomotion models. Successful migration also requires accurate orientation and/or navigation between distant areas for reproduction and survival. Animals can use a suite of different compasses, which may be cross-calibrated or integrated for direction finding, depending on the geographical and ecological situation, and may be used with an endogenous clock for time compensation.
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