Steven Declerck

TL;DR: The results reveal that body size and dispersal mode are important drivers of metacommunity structure and these traits should therefore be considered when developing a predictive framework for metacomunity dynamics.

TL;DR: It is suggested that the fast population growth rates of bacteria facilitate efficient species sorting along environmental gradients in bacterial communities over a very broad range of dispersal rates.

TL;DR: It is argued that ponds and pools offer powerful potential for studies in ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology, and are good model systems for large-scale surveys and hypothesis testing through experimental manipulation.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review published and new data supporting the hypotheses that, with a warming climate, there will be changes in: fish community structure (e.g., higher or lower richness depending on local conditions); life history traits (e,g., smaller body size, shorter life span, earlier and less synchronised reproduction); feeding mode (i.e., increased omnivory and herbivory); behaviour, i.e. stronger association with littoral areas and a greater proportion of benthivores); and winter survival.

TL;DR: It is suggested that connection of isolated habitat fragments may in some cases reduce, rather than enhance, landscape-level biodiversity, and implies that biodiversity at the regional level will be maximized if the local habitat patches vary widely in size and degree of connectivity.