Open Journal of Ecology 

About: Open Journal of Ecology is an academic journal published by Scientific Research Publishing. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Species richness. It has an ISSN identifier of 2162-1993. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 541 publications have been published receiving 3373 citations. The journal is also known as: OJE.

Phytoremediation Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils: A Review

Abstract: Phytoremediation is a green emerging technology used to remove pollutants from environment components. Mechanisms used to remediate soils contaminated by heavy metal are: phytoextraction, phytostabilisation, phytovolatilization and rhizofiltration. The two first mechanisms are the most reliable. Many factors influence the choice of the suitable phytoremediation strategy for soil decontamination. It depends on soil properties, heavy metal levels and characteristics, plant species and climatic conditions. The present review discusses factors affecting heavy metals uptake by plant species, the different phytoremediation strategies of heavy metal contaminated soils and the advantages and disadvantages of phytoremediation and each of its mechanisms.

Greening the building envelope, facade greening and living wall systems

Abstract: For greening the building envelope several concepts can be used, for example green roofs, fa?ades greened with climbing plants or living wall systems (modular pre-vegetated panels), etc. Greening the building envelope allows to obtain a relevant improvement of the its effi- ciency, ecological and environmental benefits as well as an increase of the biodiversity. Since the interest restoring the environmental integ- rity of urban areas continues to increase, new developments in construction practices with beneficial environmental characteristics take place, as vertical greening systems. Applying green fa?ades is not a new concept and can offer multiple benefits as a component of cur- rent urban design; considering the relation be- tween the environmental benefits, energy sav- ing for the building and the vertical greening systems (material used, maintenance, nutrients and water needed) the integration of vegetation could be a sustainable approach for the enve- lope of new and existing buildings.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and ecosystem processes: Prospects for future research in tropical soils

Abstract: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are more widely distributed and can associate with a wide range of plant species. AMF are keystone organisms that form an interface between soils and plant roots. They are also sensitive to environmental changes. AMF are important microbial symbioses for plants under conditions of P-limitation. The AMF are crucial for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems as they form symbiotic interactions with plants. Mycorrhizal fungi are known to influence plant diversity patterns in a variety of ecosystems globally. AMF hyphae form an extensive network in the soil. The length is a common parameter used to quantifying fungal hyphae. The mycelial network of AM fungi extends into the soil volume and greatly increases the surface area for the uptake of immobile nutrients. Also, AM symbioses improve plants tolerance to drought and enhance plants’ tolerance of or resistance to root pathogens. Also, the networks of AM hyphae play a crucial role in the formation of stable soil aggregates and in the building up of a macroporous structure of soil that allows penetration of water and air and thereby prevents erosion. The functioning of AMF symbiosis is mediated by direct and indirect effects of biotic and abiotic factors of the surrounding rhizosphere, the community, and the ecosystem. AMF have great potential in the restoration of disturbed land and low fertility soil. However, despite the importance of AMF to terrestrial ecosystems, little is known about the effects of environmental changes on AMF abundance, activity and the impact of these changes on the ecosystem services. Therefore, it is important to gain a clearer understanding of the effects of environmental changes on the AM fungal species to guide conservation and restoration efforts.

Insect herbivory along environmental gradients

Abstract: There is a general assumption in the literature that insect herbivory increases towards the tropics, but decreases with increasing altitude. Similar generalities have been identified along other environmental gradients, such as resource, temperature, climatic and biotic gradients. However there is growing evidence in the scientific literature that such generalities are not consistent. This could be due to a number of reasons including the lack of consistency in the way herbivory is assessed such as different methodologies used by researchers, or fundamental differences in leaf damage caused by different types of insect herbivores. Here we assess 61 publications researching insect herbivory along a range of environmental gradients (both biotic and abiotic) and review the methods that researchers have used to collected their data. We found leaf chewing from samples collected in North America dominated the field and most studies assessed herbivory on a single host plant species. Thirty three percent of the studies assessed latitudinal gradients, while 10% assessed altitudinal gradients. Insect herbivory was most commonly expressed as percentage leaf damage using point herbivory. Fewer studies measured a range of different types of herbivory (such as sap sucking, leaf mining, galling, and root feeding) as leaves aged. From our synthesis, we hope that future research into insect herbivory along environmental gradients will take into account herbivory other than just leaf chewing, such as sap sucking, which may cause more damage to plants. Future research should also assess herbivory as a rate, rather than just a single point in time as damage to a young leaf may be more costly to a plant than damage to a mature or senescing leaf. Measurements of plant traits will also assist in comparing herbivory across habitats, plant species, and within species physiological variation. The true impacts that insects have on plants via herbivory along environmental gradients are still poorly understood.

Stable Isotope Sourcing Using Sampling

Abstract: Stable isotope mixing models are used to estimate proportional contributions of sources to a mixture, such as in the analysis of animal diets, plant nutrient use, geochemistry, pollution, and forensics. We describe an algorithm implemented as SISUS software for providing a user-specified number of probabilistic exact solutions derived quickly from the extended mixing model. Our method outperforms IsoSource [1], a deterministic algorithm for providing approximate solutions to represent the solution polytope. Our method is an approximate Bayesian large sample procedure. SISUS software is freely available at StatAcumen.com/sisus and as an R package at cran.r-project.org/web/packages/sisus.