A b s tra c t A lthough below ground ecosystems have been studied extensively and soil biota play integral roles in biogeochem icai processes, surprisingly we have a lim ited understanding o f global patterns in below ground biom ass and com m unity structure. T o address this critical gap, we conducted a meta-analysis o f published data (> 1300 datapoints) to com pare below ground plant, m icr...

All published distributional data on recent benthic foraminifera of the North American Atlantic continental margin were archived into computerized catalogs. Cluster analysis of these data delimited seven large, marginally overlapping provinces exhibiting a congruous relationship with western North Atlantic water masses. The single major latitudinal faunal change occurs at Cape Hatteras.

The present study examined how species-specific attributes of the invasive alga Codium fragile ssp. fragile (hereafter Codium) and eelgrass Zostera marina influenced faunal assemblages associated with eelgrass ecosystems in îles de la Madeleine, eastern Canada. Direct association of species with Codium (<1 m) was evaluated and compared to eelgrass faunal assemblages from invaded beds. Potential...

Changes in species assemblages of intertidal foraminifera can be used to estimate the amount of earthquake-related subsidence during plate-boundary earthquakes at the Cascadia subduction zone. The accuracy and precision of foraminiferal methods in paleoenvironmental reconstruction is underpinned by the relations between contemporary taxa and their environment, which are used to calibrate fossil...

One of the most challenging fauna to study in situ is the obligate cave fauna because of the difficulty of sampling. Cave-limited species display patchy and restricted distributions, but it is often unclear whether the observed distribution is a sampling artifact or a true restriction in range. Further, the drivers of the distribution could be local environmental conditions, such as cave humidi...

An overview of the population histories of three insular realms (Gargano palaeo-archipelago, Sardinia–Maritime Tuscany palaeobioprovince and the Sicilian insular complex) during the Late Miocene and Quaternary are here presented. The complexity of biodiversity changes in the islands is analysed to propose an interpretation of origination and extinction patterns. The study highlighted several im...