PeerJ – Ecology section

20 October 2016

Predictions of potential geographical distribution and quality of Schisandra sphenanthera under climate change

Yanlong Guo, Haiyan Wei, Chunyan Lu, Bei Gao, Wei Gu

Editor rating: 7 / 10

Chiyuan Miao –– The study supplies construction and advice for the protection and sustainable utilization of resources, and provides some measures and proposals for the prediction of the distribution and quality of medicinal plants under climate change conditions.

13 October 2016

Environmental and spatial drivers of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic characteristics of bat communities in human-modified landscapes

Editor rating: 8 / 10

Karen Esler –– Using a novel variation partitioning approach, the authors assessed the relative importance of spatial and environmental drivers of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic aspects of bat communities.

4 October 2016

A comprehensive investigation of mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Hawaiian Archipelago

Editor rating: 8 / 10

Xavier Pochon –– This review article presents a synopsis of more than two decades of mesophotic research in the Hawaiian Islands, and therefore is a very valuable document for all readers interested in mesophytic coral ecosystems.

29 September 2016

Reef-scale trends in Florida Acropora spp. abundance and the effects of population enhancement

Editor rating: 7 / 10

James Reimer –– Research examining population enhancement in endangered Acropora spp. in Florida - which may have relevance and meaning for coral reefs across the Caribbean.

28 September 2016

Investigating the spatial distribution and effects of nearshore topography on Acropora cervicornis abundance in Southeast Florida

Editor rating: 7 / 10

Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty –– This study focuses on an endangered coral species in the Caribbean Sea, and findings from it will facilitate conservation efforts.

15 September 2016

Functional, size and taxonomic diversity of fish along a depth gradient in the deep sea

Editor rating: 7 / 10

María Ángeles Esteban –– This article demonstrate that the different measures of diversity which have been examined suggest that the deep areas of the continental slope may be equally or more diverse than assemblages just beyond the continental shelf.

8 September 2016

Spatial heterogeneity of physicochemical properties explains differences in microbial composition in arid soils from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico

Editor rating: 7 / 10

Budiman Minasny –– microbial diversity

8 September 2016

Patchiness of forest landscape can predict species distribution better than abundance: the case of a forest-dwelling passerine, the short-toed treecreeper, in central Italy

Editor rating: 7 / 10

Luis Eguiarte –– This paper is an interesting and relevant contribution to the understanding of the process that determine the distribution and abundance of a species in relationship to environmental variables and patchiness. Also it is important because the comparison among different modelling methods, and for the potential of the ideas and methods in conservation biology and in understanding the role of fragmentation. The different methodologies and approaches should be useful in similar studies in other species.

1 September 2016

Stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of soil nematodes from four feeding groups

Editor rating: 7 / 10

Budiman Minasny –– A good one

31 August 2016

Continent-wide survey reveals massive decline in African savannah elephants

Editor rating: 8 / 10

David Roberts –– The Convention of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species will be discussion elephants and therefore this will be extremely important

Ecology

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Ecology