Aim To provide the first global quantification of the slope and shape of the latitudinal gradient in seed mass, and to determine whether global patterns in seed mass are best explained by growth form, vegetation type, seed dispersal syndrome, or net primary productivity (NPP). Location Global.Methods We collected seed mass data for 11,481 species × site combinations from around the world. We used regression to describe the latitudinal gradient in seed mass, then applied general linear models to quantify the relative explanatory power of each of the variables hypothesized to underlie the latitudinal gradient in seed size. ResultsThere is a 320-fold decline in geometric mean seed mass between the equator and 60 ° . This decline is not linear. At the edge of the tropics, there is a sudden 7-fold drop in mean seed mass. The strongest correlates of the latitudinal gradient in seed mass are plant growth form, and vegetation type, followed by dispersal syndrome and NPP. A model including growth form, vegetation type, dispersal syndrome and NPP explains 51% of the variation in seed mass. Latitude explains just 0.2% of the residual variation from this model. Main conclusionsThis is the first demonstration of a major decrease in seed size at the edge of the tropics. This drop in seed mass is most closely correlated with changes in plant growth form and vegetation type. This suggests that the drop in seed mass might be part of a sudden change in plant strategy at the edge of the tropics.

Lateralization of function is a well-known phenomenon in humans. The two hemispheres of the human brain are functionally specialized such that certain cognitive skills, such as language or musical ability, conspecific recognition, and even emotional responses, are mediated by one hemisphere more than the other [1, 2]. Studies over the past 30 years suggest that lateralization occurs in other vertebrate species as well [3-11]. In general, lateralization is observed in different sensory modalities in humans as well as vertebrates, and there are interesting parallels (reviewed in [12]). However, little is known about functional asymmetry in invertebrates [13, 14] and there is only one investigation in insects [15]. Here we show, for the first time, that the honeybee Apis mellifera displays a clear laterality in responding to learned odors. By training honeybees on two different versions of the well-known proboscis extension reflex (PER) paradigm [16, 17], we demonstrate that bees respond to odors better when they are trained through their right antenna. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of asymmetrical learning performance in an insect.

Revegetation plantings have been established throughout the world to mitigate the effects of clearing, including loss of faunal habitat. Revegetation plantings can differ substantially in structural complexity and plant diversity, with potentially differing habitat qualities for fauna. We studied bird occurrence in revegetation of different complexity and floristics in southern Australia. We assessed bird species richness and composition in remnant forest and cleared agricultural land as reference points, and in two types of plantings differing in structure and floristics-(1) "woodlot plantings" composed of native trees only and (2) "ecological plantings" composed of many species of local trees, shrubs and understorey. By approximately 20 years of age, both types of plantings had a similar bird species richness to that in remnants. Bird species richness was greater in ecological plantings than woodlot plantings. Species composition also differed. Ecological plantings contained a shrub-associated bird assemblage, whereas woodlot plantings were dominated by generalist bird species. Remnants contained a unique bird assemblage, which were not found in either of the two types of plantings, suggesting that plantings are not a viable replacement of remnant vegetation over this time period. Bird species richness responded positively to structural complexity, but not to floristic richness. Bird species richness was greater in plantings that were older, in riparian locations, and where weed cover was lower. We conclude that plantings in general can provide habitat for many species of birds, and that structurally complex ecological plantings in particular will provide unique and valuable additional habitat for birds.

A meta-analysis of fauna and flora species richness and abundance in plantations and pasture lands. Biological conservation. Volume: 143Number: 3, pp 545-554. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon. 2009.11.030 Access to the published version may require journal subscription.Published with permission from: ELSEVIER We conducted a systematic global review of differences between timber plantations and pasture lands in terms of animal and plant species richness and abundance, and assessed the results using meta-analysis techniques. Our principal aim was to test the hypothesis that plantations contain higher species richness or abundance than pasture. Of the 1967 studies of potential relevance, 66 provided biological monitoring information and 36 met the requirements for meta-analyses. Sufficient data were available for meta-analyses to be conducted comparing the species richness and abundance of plantations and pasture lands for five taxonomic groups: plants, invertebrates, reptiles/amphibians, mammals, and birds. Within each taxon there was considerable variation in the difference between species richness and abundance between plantations and pasture lands. Birds and reptile/amphibians exhibited significantly higher species richness, and mammals exhibited significantly higher abundance, in plantations than in pasture lands which lacked remnant vegetation. Reptile/amphibian species richness was significantly higher in plantations in general. No significant differences in species richness were found for mammals, plants, or invertebrates, and no significant differences in abundance were found for birds, reptiles/amphibians, invertebrates, or plants. It is only within the presence of taxonomic caveats (ie. reptiles/amphibians), or specific landscape features (ie. absence of remnant vegetation within pasture), that it can be concluded that plantations support higher species richness or abundance than pasture land. We emphasize that caution is warranted when making general statements about the inherent biodiversity value of diverse and broadly-defined land-uses. 3Plantations and biodiversity 1

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Revegetation plantings have been established to ameliorate the negative effects of clearing remnant vegetation and to provide new habitat for fauna. We assessed the vegetation development of revegetation established on agricultural land in Gippsland, southeastern Australia. We compared (1) woodlot plantings (overstory eucalypts only) and (2) ecological plantings (many species of local trees, shrubs, and understory) with remnants and paddocks for development of vegetation structural complexity and colonizing plant species. We also assessed structural complexity and plant species composition in response to several site parameters. Structural complexity increased with age of planting, toward that of remnants, even when very few species were planted at establishment. Richness of all plants and native plants, however, did not increase with age. Native ground cover plants were not included at establishment in either planting type, and their richness also did not increase with age of planting. This indicated that colonization did not occur through time, which does not support the "foster ecosystem hypothesis." Weed species richness was unrelated to native plant richness, which does not support the "diversity-resistance hypothesis". Weed cover increased with age of planting in woodlot plantings but decreased with age in ecological plantings. Richness of all plants and native plants in plantings did not increase with planting size or with the presence of old remnant trees and was greater in gullies and where vegetation cover in the landscape was greater. Structural complexity was unaffected by planting size but was positively correlated with floristic richness. Ecological plantings had higher condition scores, greater shrub cover, more plant life-forms and fewer weeds than woodlot plantings indicating a possible greater benefit as habitat for wildlife. We conclude that ecological plantings can achieve similar overall structural complexity as remnant vegetation within 30-40 years but will not gain a native ground layer and will not necessarily contain some important structural features by this age. Ecological plantings may provide habitat for the conservation of fauna (through the development of structural complexity), but they may not provide for the conservation of non-planted flora (given the absence of re-colonizing smaller life-forms).

This paper describes associations between yield performance under drought and morpho-physiological traits, determined both under drought and non-drought conditions, for a large set of diverse cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), durum wheat (T. turgidum L.), triticale (X Tritosecale Wittmack) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L). Performance under drought was considered in terms of grain yield and drought susceptibility, the latter being proportional to the decrease in yield relative to yield without drought. Species effects are considered, but greatest attention is paid to associations amongst bread wheat cultivars (n = 34), based on phenotypic and genotypic correlations, multiple linear regression and principal components analysis. Under drought, which reduced yield on average 60%, greater yield was most closely associated with greater total dry weight at maturity. Variation in traits associated with plant water relations had only a minor influence. The best prediction of yield under drought, from traits measured in the absence of drought (non-drought traits), was given by a linear model containing total dry weight, kernel weight and leaf waxiness, all with positive coefficients. Drought susceptibility, as defined, was unrelated to plant water relations under drought, but was related to various non-drought traits. It increased with increased non-drought yield, harvest index, kernels per sq metre, kernels per spike and leaf water potential, and with decreased plant height and waxiness. One part of these associations with drought susceptibility appeared to be related to variation in height, probably arising from the action of the Norin 10 dwarfing genes; part, however, was independent of height. The relationships suggested that direct selection for increased yield in the absence of drought, or selection via most of the non-drought traits, increased drought susceptibility and, depending on drought level, may increase or decrease yield under drought. No trait had clearly desirable effects on yield both in the absence of drought and drought susceptibility; total dry weight appeared to have the least undesirable effect on susceptibility. ______________________ *Part 11, Aust. J. Agric. Res. 30: 801 (1979).

Long-term studies of ecological restoration, within a designed randomized experimental framework, are uncommon; however, such projects provide hitherto under-utilized opportunities to inform both evidence-based management planning and action, and ecological theory. Baseline data collected prior to the application of treatments allows accurate estimation of changes taking place on the experimental units, and random allocation of treatments ensures that relations between causes and effects can be established. This is critical to effective active adaptive management. In this paper, we outline the establishment phase of a new long-term ecological restoration experiment in south-eastern Australia, that will test ways of improving critically endangered box gum grassy woodlands for biodiversity.In the experimental design, treatments include the addition of 2000 tonnes of coarse woody debris, exclusion of kangaroos and fire. Random variation in biophysical variables occurs at several levels. To facilitate accurate estimation of key main effects, selected high order interactions are partially confounded with 'random' block terms. Response variables include: plants, birds, small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. Analysis of baseline data across selected response variables confirmed no pre-treatment effects.The experiment provides a strong inferential framework for tracking the effects of restoration treatments on woodland biodiversity over coming years. It also provides a model for other similar experiments that integrate restoration and research. A newly constructed feral animal-proof fence, that will allow reintroduction of locally extinct species, including ecosystem engineers, will provide additional opportunities to research the woodland restoration process. This experiment will become a long-term ecological research site, and an 'outdoor laboratory' for ecological restoration research, and community and student learning. need for conservation decisions to be evidence-based (Sutherland et al. 2004). Evidence-based management is also recognized as a desirable objective by government land management agencies; however, there is often a lack of resources and expertise to undertake the underpinning research. There is a critical need for longterm experiments in ecological restoration to inform conservation decision-making, particularly in highly modified or endangered ecosystem types.An example of a highly modified endangered ecosystem in Australia is temperate woodland, which is one of the vegetation types most profoundly affected by European settlement (Yates and Hobbs 1997; Hobbs and Yates 2000). A range of human-induced disturbances have led to a drastic reduction in the extent and condition of temperate woodland ecosystems. These threatening processes include: direct vegetation clearing, vegetation modification and fragmentation, altered grazing regimes, removal of fallen timber and dead trees (often for firewood), inappropriate re-vegetation activities, physical disturbance (e.g. 'tidying up', cultivation...