Fungal ecology is often studied using short fragments of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). These DNA fragments can approximate fungal species using different computational methods but the best choice is not clear. We analysed large, simulated fungal communities to overcome the limitations of experimental work and compare different analysis workflows. Our results identify the analysis choices which give the closest match to reality. This should help guide study design in fungal ecology.

Urban soil bacteria are important for human health, plants, and the environment. We studied bacterial communities under city trees and found that, like in non-urban soils, bacterial diversity is affected by soil pH and water availability. However, bacterial communities in cities can show quite a lot of variation between locations, and we suspect that they are therefore far more affected by historic construction. Our findings highlight the importance of paying attention to soil bacteria for city planning.

Not all nutrients (C, N, P) are processed in the same way: some nutrient forms hold power dynamics over others for efficient assimilation in biological systems. Rings of Power connect the ecology and metabolism of aquatic ecosystems, providing means to control nutrient cycles in waters through higher trophic levels (aquatic consumers).

Hedgerows are a threatened component of agricultural landscapes that illustrate the relationships between biodiversity and farmland management. This study explores the effect of both the distance and management of hedgerows on ant communities, using taxonomic and functional diversities. We observed various links that allowed us to highlight the influence of hedgerows on ant communities and the agroecological services and disservices they could promote in farmlands.

How do soil nematodes survive in Earth's harshest places? We synthesized global research from polar, alpine, and arid regions. We found they share common survival strategies, like suspending their metabolism, and rely on simple microbe-based food webs. Our review concludes that climate change impacts them mostly indirectly, by altering permafrost or vegetation. Understanding these sensitive organisms is vital for predicting the stability of nutrient cycling in Earth's most vulnerable ecosystems.

Climate change may reduce available habitat for native species, while simultaneously increasing suitable habitat for invasive species.To identify climate refugia that are both suitable for native species and unsuitable for invasive species, we propose a refugia habitat identification metric based on ecological niche modelling. We demonstrate the utility of the metric via a case study of a freshwater crayfish which is threatened by both climate change and the invasive brown bullhead catfish.