Author: curtislubbe

Xinmin Lu, Huazhong Agricultural University, Joshua Lynn, Manchester University, and Evan Siemann, Rice University, discuss their article: Latitudinal patterns in growth and defense against multiple enemies of an invasive species and its native congener Why are some plant species more successful invaders than others? A long-standing hypothesis is that invasive plants differ from native species […]

Yong-Jiao Zhou, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, discusses their article: Trait networks and the whole-plant economics spectrum: Uncovering key determinants of growth rate across 33 temperate tree species Why do some trees grow fast, while others always seem to lag behind? For decades, ecologists have strived to answer this question. Past research […]

Christian Ammer, University of Göttingen, discusses his article: Get out of the starting block quickly—Small initial differences in seed and seedling size affect tree survival and growth over 25 years Four-year-old saplings on a subplot where beech seeds were sown. Slight differences in seedling height in the year of germination have led to increasingly high […]

Caiyue Yang and Shaopeng Li, from East China Normal University, and Scott J. Meiners, from Eastern Illinois University, discuss their article: Compensatory and statistical-averaging effects jointly explain the decrease in species asynchrony over 60 years of succession The arch at the entrance to the William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center where the Buell–Small Succession Study […]

Caiyue Yang and Shaopeng Li, from East China Normal University, and Scott J. Meiners, from Eastern Illinois University, discuss their article: Compensatory and statistical-averaging effects jointly explain the decrease in species asynchrony over 60 years of succession The arch at the entrance to the William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center where the Buell–Small Succession Study […]

Duo Chen, University of Konstanz in Germany, discusses her article: Induced resistance of plants reduces their negative soil-legacy effects on natives but not on naturalized aliens Plants leave a lasting imprint on the soil Plants do much more than grow in soil. Throughout their lives, they alter the environment around their roots by taking up […]

Nicolas D. Zurbuchen, University of Zurich, discusses his article: Intraspecific trait variation responds consistently to global change drivers and mediates herbivory across unrelated plant species Plants may look still, but they live in a busy world. Around them, insects and other invertebrates are feeding, fungi are infecting leaves, and the climate is changing. For plant […]

Xiaoran Wang, East China Normal University, and Jian Zhang, Sun Yat-Sen University, discuss their article: Elevation and environmental factors shape variability rather than the mean of seedling herbivory across subtropical forests In mountain forests, not all seedlings experience insect herbivory in the same way. While some individuals suffer substantial leaf damage, others are barely affected. […]

Luís Felipe Daibes, from Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Haldre Rogers, from Virginia Tech, and Marco A. Pizo, from São Paulo State University, discuss their article: Landscape features predict broad-scale seed rain patterns across fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in both English and Portuguese Spanning a broad latitudinal gradient across South America, the Brazilian […]

Alexandra Urza, Whitebark Institute in California, discusses her article: Seed source climate and precipitation timing determine dryland tree recruitment in hot and dry range margins As climate change intensifies drought and reshapes precipitation patterns across western North America, many dryland forests are facing an uncertain future. Adult trees can survive harsh conditions for centuries, but […]