Abstract Explaining spatiotemporal disparities in island species‐richness (ISR) is a fundamental pursuit in (macro)ecology and biogeography. While most research has focused on vertebrates and vascular plants, invertebrates—representing ~70% of global species—remain understudied. Using data from 727 islands worldwide, we evaluate the impact of 14 key biogeographic variables, including island area, isolation, climate, energy, environmental heterogeneity, and human presence, on different insular land snail chorotypes: total indigenous richness, archipelagic endemics, including multiple‐ and single‐island endemics, and native non‐endemics. We find that these variables jointly explain 80%–84% of inter‐island variation in endemic ISR, substantially enhancing explanatory power beyond what can be attributed to traditional species–area and species–energy relationships. In contrast, native non‐endemic ISR, although partially explained by area or energy alone, is predominantly influenced by other unaccounted factors including source‐pool effects. Driver significance varies among chorotypes, illustrating the capture of distinct biogeographic processes (speciation vs. colonization) per chorotype. Our findings show that factors influencing land snail ISR broadly align with those for vertebrates and plants while revealing significant variation in community assembly processes across chorotypes. Thus, our study provides a step towards a unified theory of diversity, encompassing chorotypes as fundamental ISR components, and invertebrates, which comprise most island animal diversity.
Abstract Plant physiological adaptations to metal‐rich soils consist either in metal exclusion or in metal (hyper)accumulation in leaves and aboveground tissues. However, the relationship between these adaptations and the functional strategies developed by metallophytes to sustain their development is unknown. Here, given the soil instability often occurring in metalliferous ecosystems, we assumed that many metallophyte species should present ruderal‐like syndromes. Additionally, because leaf metal accumulation requires resources and energy, we assumed that metal‐accumulating species should be found among fast‐growing acquisitive species. We studied functional traits related to the two major plant functional dimensions (size and leaf resource economics) for 107 herbaceous species in eight metalliferous sites (four calamine, three serpentine, and one copper‐rich ecosystem) in Europe, Central Africa, and Japan. Zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), or copper (Cu) accumulation ability was determined for all species. Soil instability was evaluated in one site in the Pyrenees through rockiness characterization and slope steepness calculated from a high‐resolution digital elevation model. Results showed that soil‐metal availability and slope steepness impacted vegetation development in the Pyrenees. Consistently, plant size was reduced in the most polluted areas, and many species were acquisitive, exhibiting the expected ruderal‐like syndromes. This pattern was confirmed along a soil‐Cu gradient in Central Africa. At the global scale, plant size reduction was confirmed for calamine and Cu‐rich environments, and was more variable in serpentine ones. In all sites, a mix of acquisitive and conservative species was observed. This variability was correlated with leaf metal accumulation, acquisitive species showing high accumulation, and conservative species showing high metal exclusion. Notably, hyperaccumulating species were always found among acquisitive species. These findings offer new perspectives regarding the evolution of metal hyperaccumulation, suggesting that high photosynthetic activity is a prerequisite to handle the cost of metal hyperaccumulation. They also complete the main hypotheses explaining the ecological advantage of hyperaccumulation, that is, the defense against herbivores and allelopathic interference with neighbors through litter decomposition. Acquisitive species are indeed preferentially chosen by herbivores and produce a fast‐decomposing litter. Further studies should test the generality of these results for other accumulated elements, and for woody Ni hyperaccumulators in tropical serpentine areas.
Abstract Tidal wetlands build soil as a dynamic response to inundation, resulting in carbon sequestration and resilience to sea‐level rise. Process models can be used to make site‐specific forecasts, anticipate future changes, and plan management responses. But to be actionable, forecasts from these models need to be accompanied by descriptions of their confidence. In this study, we demonstrate the application of ecological forecasting principles to the unique case of tidal wetland vulnerability and carbon storage, given accelerating and uncertain sea‐level rise. We present a case study using the Cohort Marsh Equilibrium Model at the Global Change Research Wetland in Maryland, USA. We used meta‐analyses to quantify lab‐ and sample‐level measurement uncertainties for common soil measurements and to develop Bayesian model priors. Reanalysis of previous literature supported predictive relationships between belowground turnover and mean annual temperature, as well as between soil erodibility and suspended sediment concentration that could be transferable to other locations. The model forecasted a likely conversion of low‐elevation marsh to open water by the 2060s, accompanied by a decrease in marsh carbon storage capacity. Forecasted uncertainty in elevation was dominated by structural uncertainty in the model, while carbon accumulation rates were more influenced by parameter uncertainty. After 2050, and increasingly as the forecast approached 2100, uncertainty in sea‐level rise projections contributed to uncertainty in both forecasts. Forecasts were most sensitive to processes related to organic matter preservation, plant productivity (maximum aboveground biomass and belowground turnover), and organic soil packing density. The soil formed was an organic‐rich peat (>70% organic matter according to the data), and model predictions were insensitive to parameters associated with mineral sedimentation. We identify additional field data collection, such as on decomposition trajectories and plant productivity, and data‐model coupling of near‐term elevation records as the most impactful strategies for reducing uncertainties in future forecasting efforts. Future work can build on this forecasting framework in other locations, using it for adaptive management, identifying appropriate interventions to mitigate wetland loss, and projecting future carbon removal capacity in response to accelerated sea‐level rise.
Abstract Efficient trophic transfer of energy and matter underpins ecosystem functionality, service provision, and stability. The efficiency of energy and matter transfer is jeopardized by various environmental stressors, but their limiting factors might be distinct and require mechanistic elucidation. Addressing this gap, this study examined the transfer efficiency of energy and fatty acids (FAs), and consumer energy budget in a highly representative and widely distributed marine tritrophic food chain under nutrient enrichment using in situ enclosure and lab mesocosm experiments, as well as with a comprehensive global‐scale estimation. Our results showed that nutrient enrichment led to a 32.3% decrease in the trophic transfer efficiency of energy, while enhancing the energy loss rate of secondary consumers. Meanwhile, the trophic transfer efficiency of FAs decreased under nutrient enrichment, with the greatest decline in long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reaching 62.1%. Both declines were primarily driven by nutrient‐induced shifts in plant–herbivore interaction, mediated by distinct plant traits. Specially, seagrass nutritional quality (starch and total FAs) was the key factor limiting energy transfer efficiency, while chemical defense (total phenols and tannins) predominantly constrained matter transfer efficiency. By scaling these findings through a global estimation, nutrient‐enriched seagrass beds may lose approximately 2.0 Tg C of energy and 63.5 × 10 6 kg of long‐chain PUFAs annually through food chain transfer. Such reductions in the trophic transfer efficiency of energy and matter could ultimately compromise ecosystem stability and diminish the quantity and quality of seafood available for human consumption. Therefore, these novel findings advance our understanding of how plant–herbivore interactions mediate the trophic transfer efficiency of energy and matter, and also provide a scientific basis for crucial decisions concerning eutrophication mitigation and the conservation of vital ecosystem services.
The Deposit-Refund System (DRS) was introduced in Hungary in 2024 as a new element of the country’s waste management framework to strengthen circular economy objectives. Before the system implementation, consumer attitudes and expectations were explored in a large-scale survey conducted by Sz?cs et al. (2024), which identified both promising support and considerable concerns regarding the system’s economic, environmental, and practical implications. Building on this earlier research present study looks at the first year of the Hungarian DRS operation and focuses on how consumers experienced the system compared to their earlier expectations. Based on a nationwide reach consumer survey (N = 527) conducted in mid-2025, reveals that 96.6% of the respondents used the system at least once, and over 75% expressed positive or neutral experience. Overall environmental motivation and general understanding of the system were strong. However, technical problems such as machine malfunctions (reported by 72.7% of respondents) and practical issues (like limited storage space at home) still cause difficulties. Interestingly, respondents with higher environmental awareness tended to evaluate the system more positively, even when they encountered these problems. Although acceptance of the DRS has grown in some groups, ongoing challenges related to convenience, infrastructure, and communication continue to influence overall satisfaction. By comparing preliminary attitudes with implementation experiences, this study provides a systematic evaluation of the DRS’s first-year performance and offers evidence-based insights for policymakers, system operators, and stakeholders to improve effectiveness and public trust in long term.
