Drought effects are pervasive in terrestrial ecosystems, yet there is limited understanding of how drought impacts the transformation of plant carbon (C) inputs to mineral‐associated organic matter (MAOM)—the largest and slowest‐cycling pool of soil organic carbon (SOC). In a 12‐week 13 C‐CO 2 greenhouse labeling experiment, we tracked the formation of MAOM derived from the two dominant sources of plant C input to the mineral...

Climatic changes with unpredictable weather conditions have negative effects on many primates. With several lemur species reaching their ecological limits in the dry and hypervariable spiny forest, Madagascar might provide an example for understanding adaptations of primates to unpredictable conditions. Here, we aimed to identify vegetation characteristics that allow Lepilemur petteri to persist in an environment at the limit...

The landscape theory of food web architecture (LTFWA) describes relationships among body size, trophic position, mobility, and energy channels that serve to couple heterogenous habitats, which in turn promotes long‐term system stability. However, empirical tests of the LTFWA are rare and support differs among terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. Further, it is unclear whether the theory applies in highly altered ecosys...

Studies of the social behavior of Cuvier's beaked whales ( Ziphius cavirostris ) are challenging because of their deep‐water habitat usually far from shore and the limited time they spend at the surface. The sociality of these deepest diving mammals is of interest, however, especially for our understanding of how social systems evolve in extreme habitats. High levels of scarring suggest that males compete agonistically for acc...

High‐resolution, spatially continuous climate models are an essential first step in assessing fine‐scale impacts of climate and projected future climates. Observational weather station networks supporting such models are often inadequate and are spread unevenly throughout the globe, particularly in developing regions such as Madagascar, since network establishment and maintenance requires significant investment. Quality climat...

The ocean provides food, economic activity, and cultural value for a large proportion of humanity. Our knowledge of marine ecosystems lags behind that of terrestrial ecosystems, limiting effective protection of marine resources. We describe the outcome of 2 workshops in 2011 and 2012 to establish a list of important questions, which, if answered, would substantially improve our ability to conserve and manage the world's marine...