The temporal stability of aggregate community properties depends on the dynamics of the component species. Since species growth can compensate for the decline of other species, synchronous species dynamics can maintain stability (i.e. invariability) in aggregate properties such as community abundance and metabolism. In field experiments we tested the separate and interactive effects of two stre...

Large-scale natural disturbances, such as hurricanes, have profound effects on populations, either directly by causing mortality, or indirectly by altering ecological conditions or the quantity, quality, and spatial distribution of resources. In the last 20 years, two major disturbances, Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Georges in 1998, struck the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico, providin...

The role of disturbance in the promotion of biological heterogeneity is widely recognised and occurs at a variety of ecological and evolutionary scales. However, within species, the impact of disturbances that decimate populations are neither predicted nor known to result in conditions that promote genetic diversity. Directly examining the population genetic consequences of catastrophic disturb...

Disturbance is a major factor determining the plant community structure of ecological systems. In particular, small-scale disturbances from animals can increase heterogeneity and species diversity in plant communities. Kangaroo rat (Dipodomys spectabilis) mounds are small-scale disturbances that support unique plant communities compared to surrounding habitats. The seed bank, which is usually a...

Carbon stocks in boreal forests play an important role in global carbon balance but are sensitive to climate change and disturbances. Ecological models offer valuable insights into the effects of climate change and disturbances on boreal forests carbon stocks. However, the current pixel-based model coupling approaches are challenging to apply over large spatial extents because high computationa...

Soil fungi associated with plant roots, notably ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi, are central in above- and below-ground interactions in Mediterranean forests. They are a key component in soil nutrient cycling and plant productivity. Yet, major disturbances of Mediterranean forests, particularly in the Southern Mediterranean basin, are observed due to the greater human pressures and climate changes....

A significant challenge in the assessment of forest management outcomes is the limited ability to compare forest conditions quantitatively across ecological zones. We propose an approach for comparing different forest types through the use of reference forests. We tested our idea by drawing a sample of 42 forests from the Midwest USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Bolivia, Uganda, and Ne...

Limitation of disturbances, such as grazing and fire, is a key tool for nature reserve management and ecological restoration. While the role of these disturbances in shaping ecosystem structure and functioning has been intensively studied, less is known about the consequences of long-term prevention of grazing and fire. Based on a 31-year study, we show that relative biomass of the dominant gra...

Ecological forestry is based on the idea that forest patterns and processes are more likely to persist if harvest strategies produce stand structures, return intervals, severities similar those from natural disturbances. Taylor et al. (2020) reviewed disturbance regimes in Nova Scotia, Canada, support implementation of ecological forestry. In this follow-up paper, we (i) review use determine ta...

As the centerpiece of ecosystems and human societies, river basins are complex social–ecological systems (SESs) that depend on natural flow regime hydrologic variability to adapt changes absorb disturbances. Anthropogenic climate change disturbances destabilize systems. Therefore, a resilience question arises: What is carrying capacity basin, i.e., how much disturbance can basin take until syst...