| 1. |
- Abrego, Nerea, et al.
(author)
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Airborne DNA reveals predictable spatial and seasonal dynamics of fungi
- 2024
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In: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 631, s. 835-842
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fungi are among the most diverse and ecologically important kingdoms in life. However, the distributional ranges of fungi remain largely unknown as do the ecological mechanisms that shape their distributions1,2. To provide an integrated view of the spatial and seasonal dynamics of fungi, we implemented a globally distributed standardized aerial sampling of fungal spores3. The vast majority of operational taxonomic units were detected within only one climatic zone, and the spatiotemporal patterns of species richness and community composition were mostly explained by annual mean air temperature. Tropical regions hosted the highest fungal diversity except for lichenized, ericoid mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi, which reached their peak diversity in temperate regions. The sensitivity in climatic responses was associated with phylogenetic relatedness, suggesting that large-scale distributions of some fungal groups are partially constrained by their ancestral niche. There was a strong phylogenetic signal in seasonal sensitivity, suggesting that some groups of fungi have retained their ancestral trait of sporulating for only a short period. Overall, our results show that the hyperdiverse kingdom of fungi follows globally highly predictable spatial and temporal dynamics, with seasonality in both species richness and community composition increasing with latitude. Our study reports patterns resembling those described for other major groups of organisms, thus making a major contribution to the long-standing debate on whether organisms with a microbial lifestyle follow the global biodiversity paradigms known for macroorganisms4,5.
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| 2. |
- Ovaskainen, Otso, et al.
(author)
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Global Spore Sampling Project: A global, standardized dataset of airborne fungal DNA
- 2024
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In: Scientific Data. - 2052-4463. ; 11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Novel methods for sampling and characterizing biodiversity hold great promise for re-evaluating patterns of life across the planet. The sampling of airborne spores with a cyclone sampler, and the sequencing of their DNA, have been suggested as an efficient and well-calibrated tool for surveying fungal diversity across various environments. Here we present data originating from the Global Spore Sampling Project, comprising 2,768 samples collected during two years at 47 outdoor locations across the world. Each sample represents fungal DNA extracted from 24 m3 of air. We applied a conservative bioinformatics pipeline that filtered out sequences that did not show strong evidence of representing a fungal species. The pipeline yielded 27,954 species-level operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Each OTU is accompanied by a probabilistic taxonomic classification, validated through comparison with expert evaluations. To examine the potential of the data for ecological analyses, we partitioned the variation in species distributions into spatial and seasonal components, showing a strong effect of the annual mean temperature on community composition.
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| 3. |
- Jones, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Shifts in honeybee foraging reveal historical changes in floral resources
- 2021
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In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 4:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Decreasing floral resources as a result of habitat loss is one of the key factors in the decline of pollinating insects worldwide. Understanding which plants pollinators use is vital to inform the provision of appropriate floral resources to help prevent pollinator loss. Using a globally important pollinator, the honeybee, we show how changes in agricultural intensification, crop use and the spread of invasive species, have altered the nectar and pollen sources available in the UK. Using DNA metabarcoding, we analysed 441 honey samples from 2017 and compared these to a nationwide survey of honey samples from 1952. We reveal that shifts in major plants foraged by honeybees are driven by changes in the availability of these plants within the landscape. Improved grasslands are the most widespread habitat type in the UK, and management changes within this habitat have the greatest potential to increase floral resource availability.
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| 4. |
- Kurganskiy, Alexander, et al.
(author)
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Predicting the severity of the grass pollen season and the effect of climate change in Northwest Europe
- 2021
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In: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 7:13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation in the nose caused by overreaction of the immune system to allergens in the air. Managing allergic rhinitis symptoms is challenging and requires timely intervention. The following are major questions often posed by those with allergic rhinitis: How should I prepare for the forthcoming season? How will the season's severity develop over the years? No country yet provides clear guidance addressing these questions. We propose two previously unexplored approaches for forecasting the severity of the grass pollen season on the basis of statistical and mechanistic models. The results suggest annual severity is largely governed by preseasonal meteorological conditions. The mechanistic model suggests climate change will increase the season severity by up to 60%, in line with experimental chamber studies. These models can be used as forecasting tools for advising individuals with hay fever and health care professionals how to prepare for the grass pollen season.
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| 5. |
- Rowney, Francis M, et al.
(author)
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Environmental DNA reveals links between abundance and composition of airborne grass pollen and respiratory health
- 2021
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In: Current Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0445 .- 0960-9822. ; 31:9, s. 4-2003
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Grass (Poaceae) pollen is the most important outdoor aeroallergen,1 exacerbating a range of respiratory conditions, including allergic asthma and rhinitis ("hay fever").2-5 Understanding the relationships between respiratory diseases and airborne grass pollen with a view to improving forecasting has broad public health and socioeconomic relevance. It is estimated that there are over 400 million people with allergic rhinitis6 and over 300 million with asthma, globally,7 often comorbidly.8 In the UK, allergic asthma has an annual cost of around US$ 2.8 billion (2017).9 The relative contributions of the >11,000 (worldwide) grass species (C. Osborne et al., 2011, Botany Conference, abstract) to respiratory health have been unresolved,10 as grass pollen cannot be readily discriminated using standard microscopy.11 Instead, here we used novel environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and qPCR12-15 to measure the relative abundances of airborne pollen from common grass species during two grass pollen seasons (2016 and 2017) across the UK. We quantitatively demonstrate discrete spatiotemporal patterns in airborne grass pollen assemblages. Using a series of generalized additive models (GAMs), we explore the relationship between the incidences of airborne pollen and severe asthma exacerbations (sub-weekly) and prescribing rates of drugs for respiratory allergies (monthly). Our results indicate that a subset of grass species may have disproportionate influence on these population-scale respiratory health responses during peak grass pollen concentrations. The work demonstrates the need for sensitive and detailed biomonitoring of harmful aeroallergens in order to investigate and mitigate their impacts on human health.
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| 6. |
- Salis, Romana K., et al.
(author)
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Successful invasions to freshwater systems double with climate warming
- 2023
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In: Limnology and Oceanography. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0024-3590 .- 1939-5590. ; 68:4, s. 953-962
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Although invasive species are recognized as a major threat to freshwaters, little is known about how future climate warming will affect the success of invaders. Ecosystems are also often simultaneously impacted by multiple, potentially interacting, invading species and the management of species invasions can be incredibly difficult. Sensitive methods such as environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, may be key to the early detection and monitoring of invaders. Therefore, to quantify invader success, we performed an outdoor mesocosm experiment mimicking present and future temperatures (IPCC RPC 8.5) combined with a multispecies invasion of planktonic organisms collected from a region with 3–4°C higher mean temperature. 18S eDNA metabarcoding was used to track invaders and impacts on the established eukaryotic community over 22 weeks. We show that invasion success doubled with climate warming compared to present temperatures, implying a substantial increase in successful establishment of invaders in the future. In addition, after the invasion, species richness increased at warming, but not at present, climate conditions. Our quantification of the establishment of invaders in a climate warming scenario, using advanced eDNA methodologies, provides an important step in understanding and predicting how climate warming may affect the success of invasive species in the future, thereby allowing for more informed management recommendations in adapting society to climate change.
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