Phylogenetically closely related plant species often share similar trait states (phylogenetic signal), but local assembly may favor dissimilar relatives and thereby decouple the diversity of a trait from the diversity of phylogenetic lineages. Associated fauna might either benefit from plant trait diversity, because it provides them complementary resources, or suffer from it due to dilution of preferred resources. We hence hyp...

Coccolithophores are unicellular phytoplankton that produce calcium carbonate coccoliths as an exoskeleton. E miliania huxleyi , the most abundant coccolithophore in the world's ocean, plays a major role in the global carbon cycle by regulating the exchange of CO 2 across the ocean‐atmosphere interface through photosynthesis and calcium carbonate precipitation. As CO 2 concentration is rising in the atmosphere, the ocean is ac...

Implementing ecosystem‐based fisheries management requires indicators and models that address the impacts of fishing across entire ecological communities. However, the complexity of many ecosystems presents a challenge to analysis, especially if reliant on quantification because of the onerous task of precisely measuring or estimating numerous parameters. We present qualitative modelling as a complementary approach to quantita...

Common ash is a temperate forest tree with a colonizing behaviour, a discontinuous spatial distribution and a peculiar and poorly known mating system. Microsatellite markers were used to study the genetic structure in natural populations of common ash. Twelve populations located in northeastern France were analysed at five loci. Levels of genetic variability within and among stands were estimated for the seedling and adult sta...