Ecosystem ecology articles within Nature

Featured

  • News Q&A |

    Oceanographer Patricia Yager explains what the research cruise she is leading could reveal about the future of the Antarctic.

    • Jane Qiu

  • Letter |

    The health of marine ecosystems is traditionally assessed by measuring the mean trophic level (MTL) of fishery catches. These authors model catch MTL and actual ecosystem MTL, and show that the former is not a good measure of the latter. They then show that MTLs have actually been increasing in recent years, but that fisheries are still at risk of collapse because all trophic levels have been similarly affected.

    • Trevor A. Branch
    • , Reg Watson
    •  & Sean R. Tracey

  • Letter |

    The effects of biodiversity on ecosystem function are usually studied within trophic levels. These authors conduct a large experiment across trophic levels to show how manipulations of plant diversity affect function in different groups. The effects are consistent across groups, but are stronger at adjacent trophic levels and in above-ground rather than below-ground groups.

    • Christoph Scherber
    • , Nico Eisenhauer
    •  & Teja Tscharntke

  • Editorial |

    A proposed road through the Serengeti can be halted only by providing a viable substitute, not by criticism.

  • Opinion |

    Tanzania's iconic national park must not be divided by a highway, say Andrew Dobson, Markus Borner, Tony Sinclair and 24 others. A route farther south would bring greater benefits to development and the environment.

    • Andrew P. Dobson
    • , Markus Borner
    •  & Eric Wolanski

  • Article |

    Using historical data combined with more recent satellite observations, these authors show that global phytoplankton biomass has been declining during the past century.

    • Daniel G. Boyce
    • , Marlon R. Lewis
    •  & Boris Worm

  • Letter |

    It remains uncertain whether added nitrogen enhances total plant productivity in response to CO2-fertilisation in natural ecosystems. Here the authors show that nitrogen addition initially enhances the CO2-stimulation of plant productivity but also promotes the encroachment of plant species that respond less strongly to elevated CO2 concentrations. Overall, the observed shift in the plant community ultimately suppresses the CO2-stimulation of plant productivity.

    • J. Adam Langley
    •  & J. Patrick Megonigal

  • Opinion |

    As tree habitats shift towards the poles in response to climate change, we must study the neglected, trailing edges of forests, warns Csaba Mátyás — they are economically and ecologically important.

    • Csaba Mátyás

  • Letter |

    The accumulation of nitrate in freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems is one of the consequences of the worldwide production of artificial fertilizers. Here it is shown that nitrate accumulation in ecosystems shows consistent and negative nonlinear correlations with organic carbon availability, along a continuum from soils, through freshwater systems and coastal margins, to the open ocean. This pattern can be explained by carbon:nitrate ratios, which influence nitrate accumulation by regulating microbial processes.

    • Philip G. Taylor
    •  & Alan R. Townsend

  • News Feature |

    An annual excursion to an exclusive Caribbean island has yielded an impressive body of ecological fieldwork. Just don't call it a holiday, says Mark Schrope.

    • Mark Schrope

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