NEW HOT PAPERS
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Bradley J. Cardinale talks
with ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions
about this month's New Hot Paper in the field of
Environment/Ecology. The author has also sent along images
of their work.
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Article Title: Effects of biodiversity on the
functioning of trophic groups and ecosystems
Authors:
Cardinale
,
BJ;Srivastava, DS;Duffy, JE;Wright,
JP;Downing, AL;Sankaran, M;Jouseau, C
Journal: NATURE
Volume: 443
Issue: 7114
Page: 989-992
Year: OCT 26 2006
* Univ Calif Santa Barbara, Dept Ecol Evolut & Marine
Biol, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA.
* Univ Calif Santa Barbara, Dept Ecol Evolut & Marine
Biol, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA.
(addresses have been truncated; see full
article)
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Figures and descriptions:
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Figure
1:
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Figure 1: Experiments like those performed
at the Cedar Creek Long Term Ecological
Research (LTER) site in Minnesota have
helped researchers better understand how
modern diversity loss influences the
productivity of ecosystems. Photo credit:
David
Tilman.
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Figure
2:
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Figure 2: Effects of species diversity on
(a) community abundance or biomass, and (b)
the capture of resources. Each curve gives
data for a single study fit to Y =
Ymax* S /
(K + S) where Y
is the proportional change in the variable
with increasing richness S,
Ymax is the asymptotic
estimate of Y, and K is
the value of S at which Y
= ½Ymax. Black
circles/lines show aquatic studies while
gray circles/lines show terrestrial. Insets
give the mean ± 95% confidence
intervals for parameter estimates (aquatic
= black hatched, terrestrial = gray
solid).
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Figure
3:
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Figure 3: Growing evidence indicates that
the diversity of predator species has a
strong impact on biological control. Here,
the ladybug beetle is part of a synergistic
"team" of aphid predators that help alfalfa
farmers in the Midwest. Photo credit:
Anthony Ives.
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2008 : March 2008 - New Hot Papers : Bradley J. Cardinale - Figures & Descriptions
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