Phylogenetic diversity and the structure of host-epiphyte interactions across the Neotropics

Understanding the mechanisms driving community assembly has been a major focus of ecological research for nearly a century, yet little is known about these mechanisms in commensal communities, particularly with respect to their historical/evolutionary components. Here, we use a large-scale dataset of 4,440 vascular plant species to explore the relationship between the evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) (as measured by the 'species evolutionary history' (SEH)) of host species and the phylogenetic diversity (PD) of their associated epiphyte species. Although there was considerable variation across hosts and their associated epiphyte species, they were largely unrelated to host SEH. Our results mostly support the idea that the determinants of epiphyte colonization success might involve host characteristics that are unrelated to host SEH (e.g., architectural differences between hosts). While determinants of PD of epiphyte assemblages are poorly known, they do not appear to be related to the evolutionary history of host species. Instead, they might be better explained by neutral processes of colonization and extinction. However, the high level of phylogenetic signal in epiphyte PD (independent of SEH) suggests it might still be influenced by yet unrecognized evolutionary determinants. This study highlights how little is still known about the phylogenetic determinants of epiphyte communities

ENM2020 : A FREE ONLINE COURSE AND SET OF RESOURCES ON MODELING SPECIES NICHES AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The field of distributional ecology has seen considerable recent attention, particularly surrounding the theory, protocols, and tools for Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) or Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). Such analyses have grown steadily over the past two decades-including a maturation of relevant theory and key concepts-but methodological consensus has yet to be reached. In response, and following an online course taught in Spanish in 2018, we designed a comprehensive English-language course covering much of the underlying theory and methods currently applied in this broad field. Here, we summarize that course, ENM2020, and provide links by which resources produced for it can be accessed into the future. ENM2020 lasted 43 weeks, with presentations from 52 instructors, who engaged with >2500 participants globally through >14,000 hours of viewing and >90,000 views of instructional video and question-and-answer sessions. Each major topic was introduced by an "Overview" talk, followed by more detailed lectures on subtopics. The hierarchical and modular format of the course permits updates, corrections, or alternative viewpoints, and generally facilitates revision and reuse, including the use of only the Overview lectures for introductory courses. All course materials are free and openly accessible (CC-BY license) to ensure these resources remain available to all interested in distributional ecology.Peer reviewe

Ten simple rules to host an inclusive conference.

Conferences are spaces to meet and network within and across academic and technical fields, learn about new advances, and share our work. They can help define career paths and create long-lasting collaborations and opportunities. However, these opportunities are not equal for all. This article introduces 10 simple rules to host an inclusive conference based on the authors' recent experience organizing the 2021 edition of the useR! statistical computing conference, which attracted a broad range of participants from academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. Coming from different backgrounds, career stages, and even continents, we embraced the challenge of organizing a high-quality virtual conference in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and making it a kind, inclusive, and accessible experience for as many people as possible. The rules result from our lessons learned before, during, and after the organization of the conference. They have been written mainly for potential organizers and selection committees of conferences and contain multiple practical tips to help a variety of events become more accessible and inclusive. We see this as a starting point for conversations and efforts towards building more inclusive conferences across the world. * Translated versions of the English abstract and the list of rules are available in 10 languages in S1 Text: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, and Thai

EpIG‐DB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages in the Neotropics

Vascular epiphytes are a diverse and conspicuous component of biodiversity in tropical and subtropical forests. Yet, the patterns and drivers of epiphyte assemblages are poorly studied in comparison with soil‐rooted plants. Current knowledge about diversity patterns of epiphytes mainly stems from local studies or floristic inventories, but this information has not yet been integrated to allow a better understanding of large‐scale distribution patterns. EpIG‐DB, the first database on epiphyte assemblages at the continental scale, resulted from an exhaustive compilation of published and unpublished inventory data from the Neotropics. The current version of EpIG‐DB consists of 463,196 individual epiphytes from 3,005 species, which were collected from a total of 18,148 relevés (host trees and ‘understory’ plots). EpIG‐DB reports the occurrence of ‘true’ epiphytes, hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines, including information on their cover, abundance, frequency and biomass. Most records (97%) correspond to sampled host trees, 76% of them aggregated in forest plots. The data is stored in a TURBOVEG database using the most up‐to‐date checklist of vascular epiphytes. A total of 18 additional fields were created for the standardization of associated data commonly used in epiphyte ecology (e.g. by considering different sampling methods). EpIG‐DB currently covers six major biomes across the whole latitudinal range of epiphytes in the Neotropics but welcomes data globally. This novel database provides, for the first time, unique biodiversity data on epiphytes for the Neotropics and unified guidelines for future collection of epiphyte data. EpIG‐DB will allow exploration of new ways to study the community ecology and biogeography of vascular epiphytes

The future of road transport

A perfect storm of new technologies and new business models is transforming not only our vehicles, but everything about how we get around, and how we live our lives. The JRC report “The future of road transport - Implications of automated, connected, low-carbon and shared mobility” looks at some main enablers of the transformation of road transport, such as data governance, infrastructures, communication technologies and cybersecurity, and legislation. It discusses the potential impacts on the economy, employment and skills, energy use and emissions, the sustainability of raw materials, democracy, privacy and social fairness, as well as on the urban context. It shows how the massive changes on the horizon represent an opportunity to move towards a transport system that is more efficient, safer, less polluting and more accessible to larger parts of society than the current one centred on car ownership. However, new transport technologies, on their own, won't spontaneously make our lives better without upgrading our transport systems and policies to the 21st century. The improvement of governance and the development of innovative mobility solutions will be crucial to ensure that the future of transport is cleaner and more equitable than its car-centred present.JRC.C.4-Sustainable Transpor

The Future of Cities

This report is an initiative of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the science and knowledge service of the European Commission (EC), and supported by the Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). It highlights drivers shaping the urban future, identifying both the key challenges cities will have to address and the strengths they can capitalise on to proactively build their desired futures. The main aim of this report is to raise open questions and steer discussions on what the future of cities can, and should be, both within the science and policymaker communities. While addressing mainly European cities, examples from other world regions are also given since many challenges and solutions have a global relevance. The report is particularly novel in two ways. First, it was developed in an inclusive manner – close collaboration with the EC’s Community of Practice on Cities (CoP-CITIES) provided insights from the broader research community and city networks, including individual municipalities, as well as Commission services and international organisations. It was also extensively reviewed by an Editorial Board. Secondly, the report is supported by an online ‘living’ platform which will host future updates, including additional analyses, discussions, case studies, comments and interactive maps that go beyond the scope of the current version of the report. Steered by the JRC, the platform will offer a permanent virtual space to the research, practice and policymaking community for sharing and accumulating knowledge on the future of cities. This report is produced in the framework of the EC Knowledge Centre for Territorial Policies and is part of a wider series of flagship Science for Policy reports by the JRC, investigating future perspectives concerning Artificial Intelligence, the Future of Road Transport, Resilience, Cybersecurity and Fairness Interactive online platform : https://urban.jrc.ec.europa.eu/thefutureofcitiesJRC.B.3-Territorial Developmen

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Fern abundance in metacommunities: linking patterns and processes with statistical models

Entender como comunidades são estruturadas a partir de um pool de espécies é uma questão central em Ecologia de Comunidades. Diversas abordagens foram propostas para estabelecer a ligação entre os padrões de estrutura de comunidades e os processos que os geram. As regras de assembleia e a abordagem filogenética em ecologia de comunidades são alguns exemplos. Entretanto, o que estas abordagens não levam em conta é o efeito de processos neutros na estruturação de comunidades. Há um consenso de que tanto nicho como neutralidade afetam a estrutura de comunidades e que se deve avaliar a importância relativa de cada um destes processos. A ideia desta tese foi usar modelos estatísticos para representar como processos neutros e de nicho geram padrões em comunidades. No Capítulo 2 propus uma abordagem baseada em modelos hierárquicos através da qual é possível expressar processos neutros e de nicho. A partir disso, foi possível representar hipóteses em que apenas processos neutros afetam a estrutura da comunidade, apenas processos de nicho ou diferentes combinações entre ambos. Usando seleção de modelos, identifiquei qual a combinação de processos melhor explica as abundâncias observadas das espécies. Com isso, mostrei que as comunidades de samambaias em gradientes altitudinais na Serra do Mar no Paraná, Brasil são estruturadas por uma mistura de filtro ambiental, deriva ecológica e limitação de dispersão. O filtro ambiental define as abundâncias das espécies selecionando as melhores estratégias ecológicas das espécies dependendo da altitude. A variação de abundância entre as espécies que compartilham as mesmas estratégias ecológicas é explicada em parte por deriva ecológica e limitação de dispersão e, em parte, por filtro de habitat independente dos atributos das espécies incorporados no modelo. Com isso, delimitei como processos baseados em nicho e neutralidade afetam a abundância das espécies de samambaias ao longo de gradientes altitudinais. No Capítulo 3 usei um estudo de caso para explorar a ideia central da abordagem filogenética em ecologia de comunidades de que é possível inferir os processos que afetam as comunidades com base em padrões locais de estrutura filogenética. Usei a abordagem de modelos proposta no Capítulo 2 para simular comunidades geradas por processos puramente neutros, puramente de nicho e uma combinação hierárquica entre os dois. Encontrei que comunidades geradas apenas por processos de nicho geram estruturas filogenéticas aleatórias na maioria dos casos. A detecção de estruturas filogenéticas aleatórias foi ainda mais frequente nas comunidades geradas por processos puramente neutros e pela combinação de processos neutros e de nicho, não sendo possível a distinção entre estes dois cenários. Desse modo, o estudo de caso mostrou que estruturas filogenéticas não aleatórias são muito pouco plausíveis e que os processos neutros geram uma forte assinatura nos padrões de estrutura filogenética. Com a abordagem proposta nesta tese foi possível delimitar a influência de processos de nicho e neutralidade em comunidades e entender suas consequências em termos dos padrões por eles gerados. A tradução dos diferentes processos em modelos mistos mostrou-se uma ferramenta poderosa para quantificar padrões e construir explicações de como os processos operam juntosUnderstanding how communities are assembled from a species pool is a central question in community ecology. Different approaches to link pattern and processes in community ecology were proposed. Some examples are assembly rules and the community phylogenetic approach. However, one aspect not accounted in those approaches is how neutral processes affect community patterns. There is a consensus that both niche and neutral processes affect community assembly and that the goal should be assess the relative importance of each process. The general idea if this thesis was to use statistical models to represent how niche and neutral generate community patterns. In Chapter 3, I proposed a framework based on hierarchical models to express niche and neutral processes. I used this approach to represent hypothesis in which only niche processes affect community structure, only neutral processes or a hierarchical combination of both explains species abundance. By using model selection, I identifyied which combination of processes better predicts observed abundances on local communities. I showed that fern communities across altitudinal gradients at Serra do Mar in Paraná, Brazil are structured by a mixture of environmental filtering, ecological drift and limited dispersal. Environmental filtering defines species abundance, selecting the best ecological strategies of species depending on altitude. Variation on species abundance sharing the same ecological strategies is explained in part by drift and limited dispersal, and in part by habitat filtering independent of species traits considered in the models. Hence, I refined how niche and neutral processes affect fern abundance on altitudinal gradients. In Chapter 3, I used a case study to explore the idea from community phylogenetics of inferring processes affecting communities based on patterns of phylogenetic structure. I used the modeling framework from Chapter 3 to simulate communities built by niche, neutral and combination of both processes. I found that communities based on niche processes are likely to generate a random phylogenetic structure. The detection of random phylogenetic strucure was even more common on communities built solely by neutral processes and combination of both niche and neutral processes. Therefore, the case study showed that a non random phylogenetic strucure is unlikely and that neutral processes strongly affect the outcome of phylogenetic patterns. Based on the framework proposed on this thesis it is possible to delimit the influence of niche and neutral processes on community assembly and to understand what are the consequences in terms of community patterns. Translating different processes into mixed models can be a powerful tool to quantify patterns and built explanations on how the processes operate togethe