| 1. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(author)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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. |
- Rader, Erika, et al.
(author)
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Preferably Plinian and Pumaceous : Implications of Microbial Activity in Modern Volcanic Deposits at Askja Volcano, Iceland, and Relevancy for Mars Exploration
- 2020
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In: ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2472-3452. ; 4:9, s. 1500-1514
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To search more efficiently for a record of past life on Mars, it is critical to know where to look and thus maximize the likelihood of success. Large-scale site selection for the Mars 2020 mission has been completed, but small (meter to 10 cm)-scale relationships of microenvironments will not be known until the rover reaches the surface. Over a 2 m transect at a modern volcanic deposit on the flank of Askja volcano in the barren highlands of Iceland, we compared two biological indicators (ATP activity and 16SrRNA amplicon sequence composition) to physical characteristics including bulk chemical composition, spectral signatures of mineralogy, and grain size. Using analytical instrumentation analogous to those available on Mars rovers, we were able to characterize the geological setting of the deposits and link physical parameters to microbial abundance and diversity. In general, methanogenesis, methanotrophy/methylotrophy, and nitrate reduction were the functional traits most associated with microbial community shift along the transect. Core microbiome members tended to be associated with nitrate reduction, and relative abundance of core microbes was strongly related to free water in the deposit. Community compositional shift of the rare microbiome was related to microenvironmental changes such as change in grain size, geochemistry, and age of deposit. These correlations lead us to suggest a sampling strategy that accounts for Martian geology, looking for undisturbed (not remobilized) explosive volcanic ash below pumice that could maximize diversity and abundance of different bioindicators. Our study also illustrates the importance of studying the variability across microenvironments in low biomass settings on earth.
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| 3. |
- Senapathi, Deepa, et al.
(author)
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Wild insect diversity increases inter-annual stability in global crop pollinator communities
- 2021
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In: Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 1471-2954 .- 0962-8452. ; 288:1947
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While an increasing number of studies indicate that the range, diversity and abundance of many wild pollinators has declined, the global area of pollinator-dependent crops has significantly increased over the last few decades. Crop pollination studies to date have mainly focused on either identifying different guilds pollinating various crops, or on factors driving spatial changes and turnover observed in these communities. The mechanisms driving temporal stability for ecosystem functioning and services, however, remain poorly understood. Our study quantifies temporal variability observed in crop pollinators in 21 different crops across multiple years at a global scale. Using data from 43 studies from six continents, we show that (i) higher pollinator diversity confers greater inter-annual stability in pollinator communities, (ii) temporal variation observed in pollinator abundance is primarily driven by the three-most dominant species, and (iii) crops in tropical regions demonstrate higher inter-annual variability in pollinator species richness than crops in temperate regions. We highlight the importance of recognizing wild pollinator diversity in agricultural landscapes to stabilize pollinator persistence across years to protect both biodiversity and crop pollination services. Short-term agricultural management practices aimed at dominant species for stabilizing pollination services need to be considered alongside longer term conservation goals focussed on maintaining and facilitating biodiversity to confer ecological stability.
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| 4. |
- Tan, George K., et al.
(author)
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Spatial Variation in Results of Biosignature Analyses of Apparently Homogeneous Samples from Mars Analogue Environments in Iceland
- 2022
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In: ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2472-3452. ; 6:6, s. 1472-1481
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The search for signs of life on Mars and beyond is time consuming and labor-intensive; hence, it is critical to understand how to design sampling strategies that can maximize the likelihood of success. Two distinct Mars analogue environments in Iceland were selected to represent volcanic resurfacing and glacial environments where characterization of different biosignatures at various spatial scales (100 m, 10 m, 1 m, 10 cm) was performed. This study serves the twofold purposes of (1) understanding the different levels of biosignature distributions in these analogue environments and (2) the spatial distributions of biosignatures in these environments, with an overarching goal of drawing lessons from low biomass Mars analogue environments to inform the best sampling strategies for sample collection strategies on Mars. Our results show that samples should be collected for analysis at large (at least 100 m spacing) to capture most differences within an apparently homogeneous environment of the aged resurfaced volcanic region like Mælifellssandur, whereas a smaller spacing at 10 m scale is necessary for younger glacial–volcanic environments like Fimmvörduháls. This study also illustrates the importance of understanding the variability across spatial scales in sampling design for future planetary missions.
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