We tested for phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC) in community assembly in African Restionaceae that are endemic to the Western Cape. Significant niche segregation occurred on soil moisture gradients in 7 of 10 communities sampled, but PNC was detectable in only one. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that tolerance of drought is evolutionarily convergent rather than conserved.

There is a lack of understanding of the ecological responses to glacial recession; especially that of terrestrial invertebrates. In Glacier Bay, Alaska, carabid beetle communities were studied, along with a range of habitat variables. Carabid beetles do not show the same successional patterns as other taxa and have weak associations with habitat variables, unlike those in more temperate environments.

We followed the survival and performance of seedlings of two grass and two forb species in a grassland where the presence of forbs and grasses is experimentally manipulated on a long-term basis. Our results suggest better performance of forb seedlings in grass-only plots and vice versa, supporting negative feedback hypothesis.

Green roofs are of increasing interest in ecology as an urban habitat, capable of supporting an array of above-ground organisms. However, little is known about the soil community despite its importance for ecosystem functioning. Over two years we have discovered a unique but impoverished soil community, capable of withstanding harsh conditions, and have analysed interactions between these organisms.

We show that cycles of species diversity in butterfly communities differ among two study sites located in Ecuador and Costa Rica. While cycles are annual in Equador, the cycles are biannual in Costa Rica.  We also find the same pattern in intra-year variation of precipitation which suggests that this key environmental variable has a non-neutral effect on community dynamics.

The Metabolic Theory of Ecology stipulates temperature to be a major driver of ecological processes by affecting organisms' metabolic rates. We tested theoretical predictions with a microcosm-based experiment, also accounting for the role of habitat size and species identity. The outcome of competition shifted along the temperature gradient, while population dynamics changed with temperature in both predicted and unexpected ways.

We develop a spatially-continuous neutral model (SCNM), which includes tree interactions, demography and dispersal. We parameterize the model using Bayesian inference and tree census data from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Our approach evaluates the ability of a neutral model to capture spatial patterns in forests. Based on departures between predictions and observations we suggest extensions to the basic neutral model.

Determining the relative contribution of different mechanisms on the assembly and species coexistence of communities remains a major goal in ecology. We will seek to elucidate ecological mechanisms changing with life stage by comparing species and phylogenetic diversity and explore the relative importance of habitat heterogeneity and successional stages in explaining shifts of several ecological mechanisms with life stage.

Rural ponds have been shown to contribute significantly to regional biodiversity.  However, their biodiversity in urban areas has been largely overlooked.  This talk presents the findings of a study which investigated the conservation value of urban ponds and the local (water quality, physical habitat) and spatial (land-use, connectivity) factors that influence community composition.

PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) aims to model ecological responses to anthropogenic change in order to make policy-relevant projections.  To do this, we are collating existing data comparing community composition among sites.  We outline the PREDICTS framework, present some initial results from the first 3000 sites - and ask for data!

Most state and transition models describe qualitative changes in plant communities in response to disturbances. We have developed a simple quantitative model to describe changes in sagebrush-steppe vegetation. The model has two axes, one relating to shrub dominance and the other to dominance by native species. This model can characterize transitions following wildfire and could help forecast potential future changes.

Trade offs are considered a crucial mechanism for promoting coexistence. We look at the effects of a trade off between fecundity and growth rate in canopy trees on the possibility of multiple species co-existing. Stochastic effects are introduced and the impact on co-existence examined using both analytical techniques and simulations.

Trait-based ecology attempts to predict variability in species responses to anthropogenic disturbances. In Afromontane dung beetle communities, we tested for trait-mediated responses to edge effects and adjacent matrix restoration. Species-level trait determinants were weak due to high, individual-level trait variability and strong environmentally-driven trait plasticity. Our results demonstrate the need to quantify individual-level traits for predictive accuracy in trait-based ecology.

Changing abiotic conditions may strongly affect plant functional traits and growth habit. We found that physiological and morphological traits in an alpine cushion species varied with elevation, in parallel with its effects on soil conditions and consequently its positive effects on other species. This highlights the importance of nurse plants’ traits for its facilitation effect.

Honey bees forage for pollen as a primary source of protein for the hive and store it within the hive as ‘bee bread’. Working with hobbyist beekeepers located across northwest England, we used stratified sampling to determine how the nutritional content of bee bread varied both temporally through the beekeeping season and spatially, using landscape-scale data from the Countryside Survey

Notoriously, secondary tropical vegetation hosts fewer insect species than primary rainforests, but it is difficult to explain this difference by specific vegetation traits since the two forest types differ in so many of them. We use rainforest plots in New Guinea to demonstrate a new method of partitioning diversity difference and attributing it to the effect of individual forest traits.