Acerentomon christiani sp. nov. is described from Vienna, Austria. The new species is a member of the "doderoi" group, characterized by the presence of seta x on tergite VII. It is most similar to A. ...gallicum, A. brevisetosum and A. tenuisetosum, but differs from these species in the length of foretarsal sensillum c and certain other chaetotaxic measurements and indices. In addition to the morphological description, the DNA barcoding region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) and the 28S ribosomal RNA of the new species are provided. The morphological characters and the barcode of the new species are discussed in comparison to those of other Acerentomon species. An identification key to all known Acerentomon spp. of the "doderoi" group is given.
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Protura is a group of tiny, primarily wingless hexapods living in soil habitats. Presently about 800 valid species are known. Diagnostic characters are very inconspicuous and difficult to recognize. ...Therefore taxonomic work constitutes an extraordinary challenge which requires special skills and experience. Aim of the present pilot project was to examine if DNA barcoding can be a useful additional approach for delimiting and determining proturan species.
The study was performed on 103 proturan specimens, collected primarily in Austria, with additional samples from China and Japan. The animals were examined with two markers, the DNA barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene and a fragment of the nuclear 28S rDNA (Divergent Domain 2 and 3). Due to the minuteness of Protura a modified non-destructive DNA-extraction method was used which enables subsequent species determination. Both markers separated the examined proturans into highly congruent well supported clusters. Species determination was performed without knowledge of the results of the molecular analyses. The investigated specimens comprise a total of 16 species belonging to 8 genera. Remarkably, morphological determination in all species exactly mirrors molecular clusters. The investigation revealed unusually huge genetic COI distances among the investigated proturans, both maximal intraspecific distances (0-21.3%), as well as maximal congeneric interspecifical distances (up to 44.7%).
The study clearly demonstrates that the tricky morphological taxonomy in Protura has a solid biological background and that accurate species delimitation is possible using both markers, COI and 28S rDNA. The fact that both molecular and morphological analyses can be performed on the same individual will be of great importance for the description of new species and offers a valuable new tool for biological and ecological studies, in which proturans have generally remained undetermined at species level.
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Topsoil removal, among other restoration measures, has been recognized as one of the most successful methods to restore biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in European grasslands. However, ...knowledge about how removal as well as other restoration methods influence interactions between plant and microbial communities is very limited. The aims of the current study were to understand the impact of topsoil removal on plant-microorganism interactions and on soil nitrogen (N) mineralization, as one example of ecosystem functioning. We examined how three different grassland restoration methods, namely ‘Harvest only’, ‘Topsoil removal’ and ‘Topsoil removal + Propagules (plant seed addition)’, affected i) the interactions between plants and soil microorganisms, ii) soil microbial community assembly processes, and iii) soil N mineralization. We compared the outcome of these three restoration methods to initial degraded and target semi-natural grasslands in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. We were able to show that ‘Topsoil removal’ and ‘Topsoil removal + Propagules’, but not ‘Harvest only’, reduced the soil total N pool and available N concentration, but increased soil N mineralization and strengthened the plant-microorganism interactions. Microbial community assembly processes shifted towards more deterministic after both topsoil removal treatments. These shifts could be attributed to an increase in dispersal limitation and selection due to stronger interactions between plants and soil microorganisms. The negative relationship between soil N mineralization and microbial community stochasticity indicated that microbial assembly processes, to some extent, can be incorporated into model predictions of soil functions. Overall, the results suggest that topsoil removal may change the microbial assembly processes and thus the functioning of grassland ecosystems by enhancing the interaction between plants and soil microorganisms.
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•Topsoil removal enhanced the interactions between plants and soil microbes.•Deterministic processes dominated the soil microbial community assembly when topsoil was removed.•Strengthened interaction between plants and soil microbes reduced dispersal of soil microbes.•Soil N mineralization increased with increased interactions between plants and soil microbes.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
It is generally assumed that restoring biodiversity will enhance diversity and ecosystem functioning. However, to date, it has rarely been evaluated whether and how restoration efforts manage to ...rebuild biodiversity and multiple ecosystem functions (ecosystem multifunctionality) simultaneously. Here, we quantified how three restoration methods of increasing intervention intensity (harvest only < topsoil removal < topsoil removal + propagule addition) affected grassland ecosystem multifunctionality 22 yr after the restoration event. We compared restored with intensively managed and targeted seminatural grasslands based on 13 biotic and abiotic, above- and belowground properties. We found that all three restoration methods improved ecosystem multifunctionality compared to intensively managed grasslands and developed toward the targeted seminatural grasslands. However, whereas higher levels of intervention intensity reached ecosystem multifunctionality of targeted seminatural grasslands after 22 yr, lower intervention missed this target. Moreover, we found that topsoil removal with and without seed addition accelerated the recovery of biotic and aboveground properties, and we found no negative long-term effects on abiotic or belowground properties despite removing the top layer of the soil. We also evaluated which ecosystem properties were the best indicators for restoration success in terms of accuracy and cost efficiency. Overall, we demonstrated that low-cost measures explained relatively more variation of ecosystem multifunctionality compared to high-cost measures. Plant species richness was the most accurate individual property in describing ecosystem multifunctionality, as it accounted for 54% of ecosystem multifunctionality at only 4% of the costs of our comprehensive multifunctionality approach. Plant species richness is the property that typically is used in restoration monitoring by conservation agencies. Vegetation structure, soil carbon storage and water-holding capacity together explained 70% of ecosystem multifunctionality at only twice the costs (8%) of plant species richness, which is, in our opinion, worth considering in future restoration monitoring projects. Hence, our findings provide a guideline for land managers how they could obtain an accurate estimate of aboveground-belowground ecosystem multifunctionality and restoration success in a highly cost-efficient way.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, INZLJ, KILJ, NLZOH, NMLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK, ZRSKP
Successful restoration of semi‐natural grasslands on grasslands previously subject to intensive management needs to overcome manifold barriers. These include high soil fertility, the dominance of a ...few fast‐growing plant species, degraded soil faunal communities and missing propagules of the targeted above‐ and below‐ground flora and fauna. A combination of removing the topsoil and introducing propagules of target plants has become one of the major tools for nature conservation agencies and practitioners to reduce soil fertility and restore former species‐rich grasslands in various European countries.
Using topsoil removal as a restoration measure has provoked an ongoing debate between supporting nature conservation and rejecting soil protection agencies. Although it favours species‐rich plant communities, it strongly disturbs soil communities and affects physical and chemical soil properties and processes. Currently, there is a lack of long‐term data to assess how restored grassland ecosystems develop and recover after topsoil removal. Here, we used two well‐established bioindicators, soil nematodes and plants, to quantify restoration success of topsoil removal in comparison with alternative restoration measures and target communities 22 years after intervention.
The nematode community composition indicated reduced nutrient availability in the restored systems, as was aimed at by topsoil removal. Nevertheless, after this 22‐year period following topsoil removal, nematode composition and structure revealed successful recovery.
Plant communities benefitted from the reduction of soil nutrients after topsoil removal as indicated by higher numbers of plant species and higher Shannon diversity. Furthermore, topsoil removal strongly promoted the re‐establishment of plant species of the target plant community.
Synthesis and applications. Overall, our study demonstrates how a massive intervention by topsoil removal proved successful in converting intensively managed into species‐rich grasslands. This contrasts with the mild intervention of repeated mowing and removing of the harvested plant material. We show that, in the long run, potential negative effects of topsoil removal on the soil fauna can be successfully overcome and plant communities can develop into targeted species‐rich grassland.
Overall, our study demonstrates how a massive intervention by topsoil removal proved successful in converting intensively managed into species‐rich grasslands. This contrasts with the mild intervention of repeated mowing and removing of the harvested plant material. We show that, in the long run, potential negative effects of topsoil removal on the soil fauna can be successfully overcome and plant communities can develop into targeted species‐rich grassland.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Evaluation of restoration activities is indispensable to assess the extent to which targets have been reached. Usually, the main goal of ecological restoration is to restore biodiversity and ...ecosystem functioning, but validation is often based on a single indicator, which may or may not cope with whole‐ecosystem dynamics. Network analyses are, however, powerful tools, allowing to examine both the recovery of various biotic and abiotic properties and the integrated response at community and ecosystem level.
We used restoration sites where topsoil was removed from former intensively managed grassland and seeds were added. These sites were between 3 and 32 years old. We assessed how plants, soil biota, soil properties and correlation‐based interactions between biotic communities and their abiotic environment developed over time and compared the results with (i) intensively managed (not restored), and (ii) well‐preserved targeted semi‐natural grasslands.
Plant, nematode, fungal and prokaryotic diversity and community structures of the restored grasslands revealed clear successional patterns and followed similar trajectories towards targeted semi‐natural grasslands. All biotic communities reached targeted diversity levels no later than 18 years post‐restoration.
Ecological networks of intensively managed and short‐term (~4 years) restored grasslands were less tightly connected compared to those found in mid‐ and long‐term (~18–30 years) restored and target grasslands. Restoration specifically enhanced interactions among biotic communities, but reduced interactions between biotic communities and their abiotic environment as well as interactions among abiotic properties in the short‐ and mid‐term.
Synthesis and applications: Overall, our study demonstrated that topsoil removal and seed addition were successful in restoring diverse, tightly coupled and well‐connected biotic communities above‐ and below‐ground similar to those found in the semi‐natural grasslands that were restoration targets. Network analyses proved to be powerful in examining the long‐term re‐establishment of functionally connected biotic communities in restored ecosystems. Thus, we provide an approach to holistically assess restoration activities by notably considering the complexity of ecosystems, much in contrast to most traditional approaches.
Overall, our study demonstrated that topsoil removal and seed addition were successful in restoring diverse, tightly coupled and well‐connected biotic communities above‐ and below‐ground similar to those found in the semi‐natural grasslands that were restoration targets. Network analyses proved to be powerful in examining the long‐term re‐establishment of functionally connected biotic communities in restored ecosystems. Thus, we provide an approach to holistically assess restoration activities by notably considering the complexity of ecosystems, much in contrast to most traditional approaches.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background Protura is a group of tiny, primarily wingless hexapods living in soil habitats. Presently about 800 valid species are known. Diagnostic characters are very inconspicuous and difficult to ...recognize. Therefore taxonomic work constitutes an extraordinary challenge which requires special skills and experience. Aim of the present pilot project was to examine if DNA barcoding can be a useful additional approach for delimiting and determining proturan species. Methodology and Principal Findings The study was performed on 103 proturan specimens, collected primarily in Austria, with additional samples from China and Japan. The animals were examined with two markers, the DNA barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene and a fragment of the nuclear 28S rDNA (Divergent Domain 2 and 3). Due to the minuteness of Protura a modified non-destructive DNA-extraction method was used which enables subsequent species determination. Both markers separated the examined proturans into highly congruent well supported clusters. Species determination was performed without knowledge of the results of the molecular analyses. The investigated specimens comprise a total of 16 species belonging to 8 genera. Remarkably, morphological determination in all species exactly mirrors molecular clusters. The investigation revealed unusually huge genetic COI distances among the investigated proturans, both maximal intraspecific distances (0-21.3%), as well as maximal congeneric interspecifical distances (up to 44.7%). Conclusions The study clearly demonstrates that the tricky morphological taxonomy in Protura has a solid biological background and that accurate species delimitation is possible using both markers, COI and 28S rDNA. The fact that both molecular and morphological analyses can be performed on the same individual will be of great importance for the description of new species and offers a valuable new tool for biological and ecological studies, in which proturans have generally remained undetermined at species level.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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