▪ Abstract The use of stable isotope techniques in plant ecological research has grown
steadily during the past two decades. This trend will continue as investigators realize that …

Recent studies have demonstrated the increasingly important role of lianas (woody vines) in
forest regeneration, species diversity and ecosystem-level processes, particularly in the …

The frequency of severe droughts is increasing in many regions around the world as a result
of climate change 1–3. Droughts alter the structure and function of forests 4, 5. Site-and …

Water stable isotopes (18O and 2H) are widely used as ideal tracers to track water through
the soil and to separate evaporation from transpiration. Due to the technical developments in …

Aquifers and groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are facing increasing pressure
from water consumption, irrigation and climate change. These pressures modify …

Comparative functional ecology seeks to understand why and how ecological systems and
their components operate differently across environments. Although traditionally used in …

The biomass of tropical forests plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, both as a
dynamic reservoir of carbon, and as a source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in areas …

Despite the fundamental significance of water to plants and the persisting question of how
competing species coexist, this is the first review of hydrological niches. We define …

A frequently expressed viewpoint across the Earth science community is that global soil
moisture estimates from satellite L‐band (1.4 GHz) measurements represent moisture only …

One of the main goals in ecology is determining the mechanisms that control the abundance
and distribution of organisms. Using data from 69 tropical forests worldwide, I demonstrate …