Ecology

Green fluorescent protein-like pigments optimise the internal light environment in symbiotic reef-building corals

1. Elena Bollati
2. Niclas H Lyndby
3. Cecilia D'Angelo
4. Michael Kühl
5. Jörg Wiedenmann
6. Daniel Wangpraseurt

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper will be of interest to marine biologists, and has particular relevance to those studying symbiotic corals. The use of compelling experimental optical measurements performed in situ allows testing of previous predictions on protein-based pigments that are found in many coral species. Specifically, the study analyzes the role of two classes of pigments, the Red Fluorescent Proteins (RFPs) and the Chromo proteins. It provides direct measurement data that suggest that RFPs can indeed provide additional light to the symbionts by converting the prevalent blue-green light at depth in orange-red light that penetrates more in the tissues of the polyps, thus increasing the number of photons available for photosynthesis. The authors also provide evidence based on light measurement for a possible photoprotective role of Chromoproteins, although the study does not yet provide any direct evidence for an ecological benefit of such light conversion/light protective functions.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #2 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Linking spatial self-organization to community assembly and biodiversity

1. Bidesh K Bera
2. Omer Tzuk
3. Jamie JR Bennett
4. Ehud Meron

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  In this paper, the authors use a mathematical model of plant and water dynamics in drylands to show that drylands adaptive capacity to respond to changes, via spatial self-organization in space, has also beneficial effects in preserving its biodiversity and ecosystem functions. The current study extends previous work by considering a trait diversity gradient that ranges from stress-tolerant to fast-growing plant species.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #2 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their names with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Effects of an IgE receptor polymorphism acting on immunity, susceptibility to infection, and reproduction in a wild rodent

1. Klara M Wanelik
2. Mike Begon
3. Janette E Bradley
4. Ida M Friberg
5. Joseph A Jackson
6. Christopher H Taylor
7. Steve Paterson

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of polymorphism in an immune gene (the immunoglobulin E receptor Fcer1a) on immune responses, resistance to infection, and reproductive fitness in a wild rodent population. The authors claim to have found evidence for sex-specific effects of Fcer1a polymorphism, a result that would have broad implications for our understanding of the maintenance of genetic variation. The support for this claim is currently rather weak.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. The reviewers remained anonymous to the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Bundling and segregation affect pheromone deposition, but not choice, in an ant

1. Massimo De Agrò
2. Chiara Matschunas
3. Tomer J Czaczkes

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This manuscript has the potential to be of interest to a broad range of behavioral scientists. It provides insights into how biases can affect value-based behavior in invertebrates, similar to what has been reported in humans. However, there are a number of potential confounders that need to be addressed before drawing robust conclusions from the data reported.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1, Reviewer #2 and Reviewer #4 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife, preLights

Tree species and genetic diversity increase productivity via functional diversity and trophic feedbacks

1. Ting Tang
2. Naili Zhang
3. Franca J Bongers
4. Michael Staab
5. Andreas Schuldt
6. Felix Fornoff
7. Hong Lin
8. Jeannine Cavender-Bares
9. Andrew L Hipp
10. Shan Li
11. Yu Liang
12. Baocai Han
13. Alexandra-Maria Klein
14. Helge Bruelheide
15. Walter Durka
16. Bernhard Schmid
17. Keping Ma
18. Xiaojuan Liu

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  Using an impressive experimental design, Tang et al. analyzed the effects of intraspecific (genetic) and interspecific (species) diversity in ecosystem processes carried out by forest communities. The results show that both species and genotype diversity influence productivity via changes in overall functional diversity, herbivory, and soil fungal diversity. This study will be important to ecologists and environmentalists interested in ecosystem processes and restoration efforts.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. The reviewers remained anonymous to the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

A social media-based framework for quantifying temporal changes to wildlife viewing intensity: Case study of sea turtles before and during COVID-19

1. Kostas Papafitsoros
2. Lukáš Adam
3. Gail Schofield

Reviewed by ScreenIT

COVID-19 lockdown reveals fish density may be much higher in marine reserves

1. Manuel Olán-González
2. Héctor Reyes-Bonilla
3. Isabel Montserrat Arreola-Alarcon
4. Regina Valdovinos Uribe
5. Damien Olivier

Reviewed by ScreenIT

Species clustering, climate effects, and introduced species in 5 million city trees across 63 US cities

1. Dakota E McCoy
2. Benjamin Goulet-Scott
3. Weilin Meng
4. Bulent Furkan Atahan
5. Hana Kiros
6. Misako Nishino
7. John Kartesz

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper will be of interest to urban foresters, ecologists, and planners. It provides an urban tree dataset across US cities that can be used to address questions on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services. It contains clear descriptions about the data processing and structures in general, but would need further clarifications about the sample completeness and representativeness of the data.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. The reviewers remained anonymous to the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Rapid transgenerational adaptation in response to intercropping reduces competition

1. Laura Stefan
2. Nadine Engbersen
3. Christian Schöb

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  This paper is of potential interest to people working at the interface between agronomy, ecology, and evolution. By growing experimental mixtures of crop species, i.e., intercrops, the study aims at testing whether positive interactions between species grown in association strengthen over generations of coexistence. The data are original and of high quality, and the statistical analysis are rigorous. The interpretation of the Results as well as the Discussion and Conclusions currently ignore an important discrepancy in the results for competition versus overall yield.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #3 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife

Regional opportunities for tundra conservation in the next 1000 years

1. Stefan Kruse
2. Ulrike Herzschuh

• Curated by eLife

  Evaluation Summary:

  Kruse and Herzschuh apply LAVESI, a machine-intensive and spatially-explicit simulation of individual Siberian trees at the tundra-forest boundary, to call attention to the rapid reduction in the tundra biome as climate warming pushes forests toward the Arctic Ocean. This detailed modelling study predicts dramatic losses of tundra area by the middle of the millenium even under an ambitious climate mitigation scenario and highlights considerable risks of extinction.

  (This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1 agreed to share their name with the authors.)

Reviewed by eLife