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8 real negative results, null findings, and replication failures in Ecology · Negative / Null Result Report. Search the index →

WASTE indexes published research — it does not host or republish full papers. Each entry is a metadata record compiled from open scholarly databases; the abstract is shown in full only where the paper is openly licensed, otherwise a short excerpt under fair use. Classifications are automated and approximate.

Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Using accelerometers for tracking loggerhead and green sea turtle behaviour

Jessica Harvey-Carroll, Daire Carroll, Jose Luis Crespo-Picazo et al. · 2025 · Animal Biotelemetry

Abstract Background Understanding animal behaviour is critical for the design of effective conservation and management strategies. Animal-borne tri-axial accelerometers constitute a type of biologging device which have the potential to provide continuous high-resolution behavioural data. For marine animals, device attachment position may influence both the accuracy of behavioural predictions and the hydrodynamic profile of the animal. We present a case study on the use of accelerometers for the behavioural classification of two sea turtle species in captivity: the loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Long-term nitrogen deposition alters the soil bacterial community structure but has little effect on fungal communities

Xiangzhou Zheng, Aiai Xu, Yan Lin et al. · 2024 · Global Ecology and Conservation

Subtropical Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests have become hot spots for nitrogen (N) deposition in China. However, the effect of long-term N deposition on the structure of soil microbial communities in different horizons of these forests remains unclear. To investigate the influence of extended N deposition on soil bacteria and fungi, a simulated N deposition field study was conducted in Fujian Province with four N deposition levels (0, 20, 40 and 80 kg N hm−2 a−1). The absolute abundances, diversity, community structure, and potential functions of soil bacteria and fungi were investi

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Impact of Canopy Openness on Forest Regeneration and Forest Soil Nutrients

Pratik Ojha, Radha Kandel · 2025 · Ecology and Evolution

ABSTRACT Canopy structure plays a critical role in regulating forest regeneration and soil nutrient dynamics, yet its specific effects remain insufficiently understood in the subtropical forests of Nepal. This study investigates the impact of canopy openness on forest regeneration and soil nutrients in six Shorea robusta‐dominated mixed community forests within the Chure region of Makawanpur District, Nepal. A total of 90 sample plots for regeneration assessment and 45 soil samples were systematically distributed across three canopy classes—dense (70%–100%), moderate (40%–70%), and open (10%–4

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Evaluation of isoprene light response curves for bryophyte-dominated ecosystems and implications for atmospheric composition

Ben Langford, James M Cash, Massimo Vieno et al. · 2022 · Environmental Research: Ecology

Isoprene is emitted from numerous plant species in response to light and temperature and parameterisations of these relationships, based on observations from a few vascular plant species, have been shown to be broadly applicable to many different vegetation types. Here, we investigate their performance when applied to an ecosystem dominated by bryophytes. Over a six-week period, emissions of isoprene were measured above a Scottish peat bog. The light response derived on the basis of both canopy-scale flux and whole-plant enclosure measurements, deviated from the classical response, showing no

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Factors affecting formation of adventitious branches in the seaweeds Fucus vesiculosus and F. radicans

Alexandra Kinnby, Ricardo T. Pereyra, Jonathan N. Havenhand et al. · 2019 · BMC Ecology

Abstract Background In the brackish Baltic Sea, shedding of adventitious branches is central to asexual recruitment of new thalli in the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus and F. radicans. To test which factors influence the formation of adventitious branches in brackish and in more marine conditions, we sampled 29 Fucus sites in the Baltic Sea (salinity 3–11) and 18 sites from the Danish straits, Kattegat, Skagerrak, and the North Sea (salinity 15–35). Separately for each area, we used structural equation modelling to determine which of eight predictor factors (phosphate, nitrate, chlorophyll-a (a

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Influence of sugarcane plantations on the population dynamics and community structure of small mammals in a savanna-agricultural landscape

Mnqobi Mamba, Nicolas J. Fasel, Themb'alilahlwa A.M. Mahlaba et al. · 2019 · Global Ecology and Conservation

Conversion of native habitats into agricultural monocultures is a major cause of biodiversity loss favouring a small number of generalist species. Rodents can cause significant declines in crop yield, hence understanding the factors affecting their population dynamics is of importance to the agricultural sector. Sugarcane plantations in African savannas harbour a low diversity of small mammals, with a single genus (Mastomys spp.) often dominating the community. Our study investigated the factors that shape the composition of the small mammal community and the life-history traits of the dominan

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

The long-term effect of repeated exposure to degraded nature via immersive virtual reality on environmental awareness and pro-conservation behavioral intention: A longitudinal approach

Imed Nouri, Khouloud Chaabane, Rym Bouzaabia · 2026 · Nature Conservation

Immersive virtual reality is increasingly being used as a tool for promoting environmental awareness, particularly to strengthen engagement with nature. However, most research has focused on the short-term effects of a single exposure, neglecting the issue of sustainability and the potential reinforcement of effects through repeated exposure. Furthermore, few studies have examined the role of affective factors such as love and care for nature in this context. The aim of this study was to examine short- and long-term differences in levels of environmental awareness and pro-conservation behavior

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Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessEcology

Soil mycobiome structure across central and peripherial zones in a pecan nut agroecosystem [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch]

Sánchez-Ledesma Judith A., Águila Bernardo, Garibay-Orijel Roberto et al. · 2025 · Folia Oecologica

Using ITS1-based metabarcoding, we investigated the structure of the soil fungal communities in the central and peripheral zones of a 25-hectare pecan nut (Carya illinoinensis) orchard located in the arid region of Coahuila, Mexico. While environmental conditions such as soil moisture and temperature varied between zones, physicochemical soil properties (pH, organic carbon, total carbon, organic matter, electrical conductivity, and zinc) remained homogeneous. A total of 4,443 fungal OTUs were detected at 97% similarity. Alpha diversity indices did not differ significantly between zones. The fu

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