Category: Plain language summary

Climatic definitions of the world’s terrestrial biomes

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Prepared by Javier Loidi, Gonzalo Navarro-Sánchez and Denys Vynokurov

Domains, Ecozones, Biomes and Subbiomes of the Earth. Distribution of the 20 subbiomes across the world. 1a Polar tundra, 1b Tundras of the temperate mountains in cryoro belt, 1c Tundras of the tropical mountains in cryoro belt, 2a Lowland boreal Taiga, 2b Forests and shrublands of the temperate oro belt, 3a Temperate deciduous forests, 4a Lauroid evergreen forest of the lowlands, 4b Conifer coastal forests, 4c Tropical montane cloud lauroid and conifer evergreen forest, 5a Oceanic sclerophyllous-microphyllous evergreen forests and shrublands (Mediterranean), 5b Continental scrub and woodlands, 5c Patagonian shrubland, 6a Forest-steppe, 6b Grass-steppe, 7a Cold deserts and semi-deserts, 7b Temperate deserts and semi-deserts, 7c Warm deserts and semi-deserts, 8a Tropical xeric shrublands and woodlands, 8b Tropical pluviseasonal forests and woodlands, 9a Tropical rain forests.
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Ellenberg-type indicator values for European vascular plant species

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Prepared by Lubomír Tichý, Irena Axmanová and Milan Chytrý

Recommended area for safe application of the harmonized European dataset of indicator values (image from the original article).

The system of indicator values for vascular plants proposed by the famous German plant ecologist Heinz Ellenberg has been widely used in Europe for the bioindication of environmental conditions.…

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Controlling the abundance of a native invasive plant does not affect species richness or functional diversity of wet grasslands

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By Marie-Therese Krieger, Julia Ditton, Harald Albrecht, Barteline Martina Baaij, Johannes Kollmann & Leonardo Henrique Teixeira

The yellow flowering marsh ragwort (Jacobaea aquatica) contains toxic components making it a problematic plant in grasslands. Photo credit: Marie-Therese Krieger

Marsh ragwort (Jacobaea aquatica) is a poisonous plant naturally occurring in pre-alpine wet grasslands in Central Europe.…

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Observer-driven pseudoturnover in vegetation monitoring is context-dependent but does not affect ecological inference

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Prepared by Steffen Boch, Helen Küchler, Meinrad Küchler, Angéline Bedolla, Klaus T. Ecker, Ulrich H. Graf, Tobias Moser, Rolf Holderegger & Ariel Bergamini

Photo of a permanent 10 m2 vegetation plot marked with Swiss flags located in the Canton of Valais (Photo credit: S.
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Increasing abundance of an invasive C4 grass is associated with larger community changes away than at home

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Prepared by Alida A. Hábenczyus, Csaba Tölgyesi, Róbert Pál, András Kelemen, Eszter Aradi, Zoltán Bátori, Judit Sonkoly, Edina Tóth, Nóra Balogh & Péter Török

Maps and photographs of the localities of the surveyed sites in the native (North American) and the non-native (Hungarian) ranges of Sand Dropseed.
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Are historical land use patterns and chemical soil characteristics complementary for assessing the restoration potential of Nardus grassland?

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By Frederik Van Daele, Thierry Onkelinx, Kris Verheyen, Hans Van Calster, Maud Raman, Jasper Van Ruijven & Luc De Keersmaeker

The presence of a species-rich Nardus grassland adjacent to the ancient forest of Halle in Flanders (northern Belgium) is explained by the land-use and management history of the site.
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Degradation influences equilibrium and non-equilibrium dynamics in rangelands: implications in resilience and stability

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By Dardo R. López, Laura Cavallero, Priscila Willems, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer & Miguel A. Brizuela

Photo of the Patagonian steppes where the study was carried out located in Pilcaniyeu (Rio negro province, Argentina). Photo credit: Dardo López.

Our work focused on the study of the ecological resilience of alternative states in steppes of Patagonia (Argentina).…

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Short-term effects of experimental goose grazing and warming differ in three low-Arctic coastal wetland plant communities

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Prepared by Ryan T. Choi, Matteo Petit Bon, A. Joshua Leffler, Katharine C. Kelsey, Jeffrey M. Welker & Karen H. Beard

Experimental goose grazing and summer warming elicit compositional changes in three distinct low-Arctic coastal wetland plant communities of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska.
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Functional traits and propagule pressure explain changes in the distribution and demography of non-native trees in Spain

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By Carlos Lara-Romero, Paloma Ruiz-Benito & Pilar Castro-Díez

Old plantation of Australian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) in Cíes Island (National Park of the Atlantic Islands, Galicia, Spain). Photo credit: Pilar Castro-Díez.

Non-native tree species (NNT) have been planted worldwide to provide different types of benefits, from resources, such as wood, tannins, or fiber, to ornamental assets.…

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