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The matrix in fragmented landscapes is considered as one of the major limitations in conservation research, because it is considered as a non-habitat. The present study was developed in Tolima (Colombia), with the objective of evaluating the mobility and transition of Nymphalidae between the forest fragment, the edge and outside (agroforestry matrix). Nymphalidae were used as a study model to evaluate the mobility and transition between landscape units and the influence of the edge effect on butterflies. We calculated and statistically compared abundance and richness in three sampling zones at three distances from the edge (130 m, 65 m and 50 m), using standardized methodologies (Jama and Van Someren Rydon Traps). The collected specimens (43 recaptures) were marked, photographed and released according to the capture-recapture method. Our results suggest that individuals moved more frequently from the forest fragment to the MA (67%), which is evidence of the permeability of the edge and the interaction between these two coverages. Significant differences are evident between the two coverages inrelation to richness and abundance and based on the distances evaluated according to their diversity, suggesting an edge effect at least up to 50 meters from the matrix area. In this sense, the presence of rare and indicator species and a strong effect on specialist Lepidoptera, which can be key to develop conservation plans, were evidenced., La matriz en paisajes fragmentados es considerada como una de las mayores limitantes en las investigaciones de conservación; debido a que se considera como un no hábitat. El presente estudio se desarrolló en Tolima(Colombia), con el objetivo de evaluar la movilidad y transición de los Nymphalidae entre el fragmento de bosque, el borde y exterior (matriz agroforestal). Se utilizó como modelo de estudio los Nymphalidae, para evaluar la movilidad y transición entre unidades del paisaje y la influencia del efecto borde en Lepidoptera. Calculamos y comparamos estadísticamente la abundancia, riqueza en tres zonas de muestreo a tres distancias al borde (130 m, 65m y 50 m), implementando metodologías estandarizadas (Jama y Trampas Van Someren Rydon). Los ejemplares recolectados (43 recapturas) fueron marcados, fotografiados y liberados acorde al método de captura-recaptura. Nuestros resultados sugieren que el desplazamiento de los individuos presentó mayor frecuencia desde el fragmento de bosque hacia la MA (67%), lo que evidencia la permeabilidad del borde y la interacción entre estas dos coberturas. Se evidencia diferencias significativas entre las dos coberturas en relación con la riqueza y abundancia y con base en las distancias evaluadas según su diversidad, sugiere un efecto borde al menos hasta los 50 metros del área de la matriz. En este sentido, se evidencio la presencia de especies raras e indicadoras y un efecto fuerte sobre los Lepidoptera especialistas quienes pueden ser clave para elaborar planes de conservación.

What critical thinking is and what is required in order to think critically, has been the focus of a long-lasting debate. One central controversy has concerned what role knowledge of the object to be thought about plays when to thinking critically. So called “generalists” have proposed that there is no need for any deeper knowledge regarding the object to thinking critically about; the central thing being to apply generic principles for critical thinking. So called “specifists” have, on the contrary, claimed that knowledge about the object in fact is the vehicle for being able to think critically. What characterize this debate is that it almost exclusively has been held on a theoretical level, with no substantial empirical evidence underpinning neither position. In the study reported we aimed to contribute empirically to the debate. 91 9th grade students participated in the study. Using essay tasks from the Swedish national tests in social studies, the students were asked to think critically about two social issues: wage differences and voting age. At the same time, we tested the student knowledge about these two issues. We used OLS regression analysis to estimate the relationship between knowledge and critical thinking ability for the two issues. The relationship was tested 191 times (90 times for wage differences, 91 times for voting age). The result is inconclusive, with no significant relationship for wage differences and significant relationship for voting age. Thus, the result gives neither the generalists nor the specifists right in their theoretical assumptions about the role of knowledge in critical thinking. The truth might possibly lie somewhere in between. Further research is needed.

IntroductionPlant functional traits (FTs) are important for understanding plant ecological strategies (e.g., drought avoidance), especially in the nutrient-poor soils of serpentine ecosystems. In the Mediterranean areas, such ecosystems are characterized by climatic factors (e.g., summer drought) that exert a filtering effect.Material and methodsIn our study, we analyzed 24 species with varying serpentine affinity, from strictly serpentine plants to generalist plants, from two ultramafic shrublands in southern Spain, considering four FTs: plant height (H), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and stem specific density (SSD). Additionally, we also identified the species' dominant strategies to avoid drought and those strategies' relationship to serpentine affinity. We used principal component analysis to identify combinations of FTs, and cluster analysis to define Functional Groups (FGs).Results and discussionWe defined eight FGs, which suggests that such Mediterranean serpentine shrublands are composed of species with wide-ranging of FTs. Indicator traits explained 67-72% of the variability based on four strategies: (1) lower H than in other Mediterranean ecosystems; (2) middling SSD; (3) low LA; and (4) low SLA due to thick and/or dense leaves, which contribute to long leaf survival, nutrient retention, and protection from desiccation and herbivory. Generalist plants had higher SLA than obligate serpentine plants, whereas the obligate serpentine plants showed more drought avoidance mechanisms than the generalists. Although most plant species inhabiting Mediterranean serpentine ecosystems have shown similar ecological adaptations in response to the Mediterranean environment, our results suggest that serpentine obligate plant species could present greater resilience to climate change. Given greater number and more pronounced drought avoidance mechanisms in these species compared with generalists, and the high number of FGs identified, the serpentine plants have

What critical thinking is and what is required in order to think critically, has been the focus of a long-lasting debate. One central controversy has concerned what role knowledge of the object to be thought about plays when to thinking critically. So called “generalists” have proposed that there is no need for any deeper knowledge regarding the object to thinking critically about; the central thing being to apply generic principles for critical thinking. So called “specifists” have, on the contrary, claimed that knowledge about the object in fact is the vehicle for being able to think critically. What characterize this debate is that it almost exclusively has been held on a theoretical level, with no substantial empirical evidence underpinning neither position. In the study reported we aimed to contribute empirically to the debate. 91 9th grade students participated in the study. Using essay tasks from the Swedish national tests in social studies, the students were asked to think critically about two social issues: wage differences and voting age. At the same time, we tested the student knowledge about these two issues. We used OLS regression analysis to estimate the relationship between knowledge and critical thinking ability for the two issues. The relationship was tested 191 times (90 times for wage differences, 91 times for voting age). The result is inconclusive, with no significant relationship for wage differences and significant relationship for voting age. Thus, the result gives neither the generalists nor the specifists right in their theoretical assumptions about the role of knowledge in critical thinking. The truth might possibly lie somewhere in between. Further research is needed.

The loss of biodiversity in the era of fast environmental change is often revealed as biotic homogenization. In the large and nutrient-rich Lake Taihu located in eastern China, we evaluated the degree of specialization among organisms and the impact of environmental factors on macroinvertebrate assemblages. First, we measured the niche widths of macroinvertebrate species in respect to environmental conditions and utilized the Outlying Mean Index (OMI) analysis to categorize them into specialists and generalists. The effects of environmental factors on assemblages of macroinvertebrate taxa identified by varying niche widths were then investigated using the lake dataset. Within our study lake, habitats display considerable environmental gradients, resulting in habitat heterogeneity linked to several habitats, and have no barriers to species migration. Generalist macroinvertebrate taxa dominated the macroinvertebrate assemblages in our study lake, but some differences were evident among the different habitat types of the lake. The macrophyte-dominated habitat (MDH) displayed the highest species richness for both generalists (11 species) and specialists (8 species), while the algal-dominated habitat (ADH) had lower richness but higher overall abundances. Generalist species showed the largest abundances, exhibiting considerable spatial heterogeneity among the sampled sites. Our results showed that generalists shape macroinvertebrate assemblages through their abundance and richness variation in large shallow lakes. Furthermore, strong environmental gradients and a high degree of habitat connectivity within large lakes allow specialist and intermediate species to maintain high richness in resource-rich habitats, in addition to generalist species also maintaining high abundance in such lakes.

What critical thinking is and what is required in order to think critically, has been the focus of a long-lasting debate. One central controversy has concerned what role knowledge of the object to be thought about plays when to thinking critically. So called “generalists” have proposed that there is no need for any deeper knowledge regarding the object to thinking critically about; the central thing being to apply generic principles for critical thinking. So called “specifists” have, on the contrary, claimed that knowledge about the object in fact is the vehicle for being able to think critically. What characterize this debate is that it almost exclusively has been held on a theoretical level, with no substantial empirical evidence underpinning neither position. In the study reported we aimed to contribute empirically to the debate. 91 9th grade students participated in the study. Using essay tasks from the Swedish national tests in social studies, the students were asked to think critically about two social issues: wage differences and voting age. At the same time, we tested the student knowledge about these two issues. We used OLS regression analysis to estimate the relationship between knowledge and critical thinking ability for the two issues. The relationship was tested 191 times (90 times for wage differences, 91 times for voting age). The result is inconclusive, with no significant relationship for wage differences and significant relationship for voting age. Thus, the result gives neither the generalists nor the specifists right in their theoretical assumptions about the role of knowledge in critical thinking. The truth might possibly lie somewhere in between. Further research is needed.

What critical thinking is and what is required in order to think critically, has been the focus of a long-lasting debate. One central controversy has concerned what role knowledge of the object to be thought about plays when to thinking critically. So called “generalists” have proposed that there is no need for any deeper knowledge regarding the object to thinking critically about; the central thing being to apply generic principles for critical thinking. So called “specifists” have, on the contrary, claimed that knowledge about the object in fact is the vehicle for being able to think critically. What characterize this debate is that it almost exclusively has been held on a theoretical level, with no substantial empirical evidence underpinning neither position. In the study reported we aimed to contribute empirically to the debate. 91 9th grade students participated in the study. Using essay tasks from the Swedish national tests in social studies, the students were asked to think critically about two social issues: wage differences and voting age. At the same time, we tested the student knowledge about these two issues. We used OLS regression analysis to estimate the relationship between knowledge and critical thinking ability for the two issues. The relationship was tested 191 times (90 times for wage differences, 91 times for voting age). The result is inconclusive, with no significant relationship for wage differences and significant relationship for voting age. Thus, the result gives neither the generalists nor the specifists right in their theoretical assumptions about the role of knowledge in critical thinking. The truth might possibly lie somewhere in between. Further research is needed.

What critical thinking is and what is required in order to think critically, has been the focus of a long-lasting debate. One central controversy has concerned what role knowledge of the object to be thought about plays when to thinking critically. So called “generalists” have proposed that there is no need for any deeper knowledge regarding the object to thinking critically about; the central thing being to apply generic principles for critical thinking. So called “specifists” have, on the contrary, claimed that knowledge about the object in fact is the vehicle for being able to think critically. What characterize this debate is that it almost exclusively has been held on a theoretical level, with no substantial empirical evidence underpinning neither position. In the study reported we aimed to contribute empirically to the debate. 91 9th grade students participated in the study. Using essay tasks from the Swedish national tests in social studies, the students were asked to think critically about two social issues: wage differences and voting age. At the same time, we tested the student knowledge about these two issues. We used OLS regression analysis to estimate the relationship between knowledge and critical thinking ability for the two issues. The relationship was tested 191 times (90 times for wage differences, 91 times for voting age). The result is inconclusive, with no significant relationship for wage differences and significant relationship for voting age. Thus, the result gives neither the generalists nor the specifists right in their theoretical assumptions about the role of knowledge in critical thinking. The truth might possibly lie somewhere in between. Further research is needed.

Das Interesse der akademischen Forschung an der Rolle, die Chief Executive Officers (CEO) bei der Bestimmung der Leistung von Organisationen spielen, hat seit der Einführung der Upper-Echelon-Theorie (UET) nicht nachgelassen. Auf der Grundlage dieser Theorie haben Wissenschaftler die CEOs in zwei Typen von CEOs eingeteilt. Den Generalisten und den spezialisierten CEO. Diejenigen, die über mehr unternehmensspezifische Fähigkeiten verfügen, werden als spezialisierte CEOs bezeichnet, im Gegensatz zu den generalistischen CEOs, die in verschiedenen Positionen, Organisationen und Branchen eine Menge Berufserfahrung gesammelt haben. Bislang gibt es jedoch keine Untersuchung, die dieses Thema auf das schnelllebige Umfeld von Einhörnern überträgt. Bei der quantitativen Untersuchung der Daten von 218 Einhörnern und ihren CEOs ergab diese Studie keine statistisch signifikante Unterstützung dafür, dass Generalisten die bessere Wahl für die Leistung des Unternehmens sind. Außerdem gab es kein signifikantes Ergebnis, dass Spezialisten in komplexen Branchen besser abschneiden. Diese Untersuchung widerspricht dem Argument, dass sich allgemeine Managementfähigkeiten positiv auf die Leistung auswirken und dass firmenspezifisches Wissen in komplexen Branchen von größerer Bedeutung ist als allgemeine Managementfähigkeiten., The interest of academic research in the role Chief Executive Officers (CEO) play in determining the performance of organizations, has not stopped since the introduction of the Upper-Echelon Theory (UET). Based upon this theory, scientists have categorized CEOs into two types of CEOs. The generalist and the specialist CEO. The ones with more firm specific skills are called specialist CEOs, contrary to generalist CEOs who have accumulated a lot of work experience through several positions, organizations, and industries. However, so far there is no research that brings that topic of interest to the fast-paced environment of unicorns. By examining data from 218 unicorns and their CEOs in a quantitative manner, this study did not provide statistically significant support that generalists are the better choice for the performance of the organization. Moreover, there was no significant result, that specialists perform better in complex industries. This research contradicts the argument that general managerial skills are positive regarding performance and that firm-specific knowledge is of more importance than general managerial abilities in complex industries., Masterarbeit Universität Innsbruck 2022

Forests harbour large spatiotemporal heterogeneity in canopy structure. This variation drives the microclimate and light availability at the forest floor. So far, we do not know how light availability and sub-canopy temperature interactively mediate the impact of macroclimate warming on understorey communities. We therefore assessed the functional response of understorey plant communities to warming and light addition in a full factorial experiment installed in temperate deciduous forests across Europe along natural microclimate, light and macroclimate gradients. Furthermore, we related these functional responses to the species’ life-history syndromes and thermal niches. We found no significant community responses to the warming treatment. The light treatment, however, had a stronger impact on communities, mainly due to responses by fast-colonizing generalists and not by slow-colonizing forest specialists. The forest structure strongly mediated the response to light addition and also had a clear impact on functional traits and total plant cover. The effects of short-term experimental warming were small and suggest a time-lag in the response of understorey species to climate change. Canopy disturbance, for instance due to drought, pests or logging, has a strong and immediate impact and particularly favours generalists in the understorey in structurally complex forests.

Understanding molecular mechanisms that determine the species life history is important for predicting their susceptibility to environmental change. While specialist species with a narrow niche breadth (NB) maximize their fitness in their optimum habitat, generalists with broad NB adapt to multiple environments. The main objective of this study was to identify general transcriptional patterns that would distinguish bacterial strains characterized by contrasted NBs along a salinity gradient. More specifically, we hypothesized that genes encoding fitness-related traits, such as biomass production have a higher degree of transcriptional regulation in specialists than in generalists, because the fitness of specialists is more variable under environmental change. By contrast, we expected that generalists would exhibit enhanced transcriptional regulation of genes encoding traits that protect them against cellular damage. To test these hypotheses, we assessed the transcriptional regulation of fitness-related and adaptation-related genes of 11 bacterial strains in relation to their NB and stress exposure under changing salinity conditions. The results suggested that transcriptional regulation levels of fitness- and adaptation-related genes correlated with the NB and/or the stress exposure of the inspected strains. We further identified a shortlist of candidate stress marker genes that could be used in future studies to monitor the susceptibility of bacterial populations or communities to environmental changes.

Understanding molecular mechanisms that determine the species life history is important for predicting their susceptibility to environmental change. While specialist species with a narrow niche breadth (NB) maximize their fitness in their optimum habitat, generalists with broad NB adapt to multiple environments. The main objective of this study was to identify general transcriptional patterns that would distinguish bacterial strains characterized by contrasted NBs along a salinity gradient. More specifically, we hypothesized that genes encoding fitness-related traits, such as biomass production have a higher degree of transcriptional regulation in specialists than in generalists, because the fitness of specialists is more variable under environmental change. By contrast, we expected that generalists would exhibit enhanced transcriptional regulation of genes encoding traits that protect them against cellular damage. To test these hypotheses, we assessed the transcriptional regulation of fitness-related and adaptation-related genes of 11 bacterial strains in relation to their NB and stress exposure under changing salinity conditions. The results suggested that transcriptional regulation levels of fitness- and adaptation-related genes correlated with the NB and/or the stress exposure of the inspected strains. We further identified a shortlist of candidate stress marker genes that could be used in future studies to monitor the susceptibility of bacterial populations or communities to environmental changes.

This dataset contains all supplementary datafiles of the manuscript: “Family dinner: Transcriptional plasticity of five Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) feeding on three host plant species” Published in: Ecology and Evolution http://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9258 See the README file for detailed information

As concerns about anthropogenic and natural disturbance grow, understanding animal resource use patterns has been increasingly prioritized to predict how changes in environmental conditions, food web structure, and population dynamics will affect biological resilience. Among the tools used to assess resource use, stable isotope analysis has proliferated in ecological studies, particularly in relation to describing intra- and interspecific variation in trophic interactions. Despite a growing need to disseminate scientific information, the inherent limitations of stable isotope ratios and inappropriate synonymizing of distinct evolutionary and ecological processes may mislead ecological inferences in natural systems. This situation necessitates a re-evaluation of the utility of stable isotope ratios to address certain ecological questions. Here, we assess the efficacy of stable isotope ratios to describe two fundamental ecological processes, niche partitioning and individual specialization. Investigation of these processes has increased substantially in accordance with increased access to stable isotope data. This article discusses the circumstances and approaches that are necessary to evaluate niche partitioning and individual specialization, and outlines key considerations for the associated application of stable isotope ratios.

Many organisms are specialized, and these narrow niches are often explained with trade-offs-the inability for one organism to express maximal performance in two or more environments. However, evidence is lacking that trade-offs are sufficient to explain specialists. Several lines of theoretical inquiry suggest that populations can specialize without explicit trade-offs, as a result of relaxed selection in generalists for their performance in rare environments. Here, I synthesize and extend these approaches, showing that emergent asymmetries in evolvability can push a population toward specialization in the absence of trade-offs and in the presence of substantial ecological costs of specialism. Simulations are used to demonstrate how adaptation to a more common environment interferes with adaptation to a less common but otherwise equal alternative environment and that this interference is greatly exacerbated at low recombination rates. This adaptive process of specialization can effectively trap populations in a suboptimal niche. These modeling results predict that transient differences in evolvability across traits during a single episode of adaptation could have long-term consequences for a population's niche.

Many organisms are specialized, and these narrow niches are often explained with trade-offs-the inability for one organism to express maximal performance in two or more environments. However, evidence is lacking that trade-offs are sufficient to explain specialists. Several lines of theoretical inquiry suggest that populations can specialize without explicit trade-offs, as a result of relaxed selection in generalists for their performance in rare environments. Here, I synthesize and extend these approaches, showing that emergent asymmetries in evolvability can push a population toward specialization in the absence of trade-offs and in the presence of substantial ecological costs of specialism. Simulations are used to demonstrate how adaptation to a more common environment interferes with adaptation to a less common but otherwise equal alternative environment and that this interference is greatly exacerbated at low recombination rates. This adaptive process of specialization can effectively trap populations in a suboptimal niche. These modeling results predict that transient differences in evolvability across traits during a single episode of adaptation could have long-term consequences for a population's niche.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a brief educational module on the self-reported knowledge, confidence, and intent of generalist clinicians to conduct goals-of-care conversations with hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System (SAVAHCS) in Tucson, Arizona. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an influx of seriously ill hospitalized patients who need their goals of care rapidly established to guide medical treatment decisions. Generalist clinicians have had to conduct these conversations more frequently due to large patient volumes and a shortage of palliative care specialists. However, generalists often report feeling underprepared due to limited formal goals-of-care communication training. Several recent studies have shown that educational interventions can improve goals-of-care-related knowledge, confidence, and skill levels. The Reframe, Expect emotion, Map outpatient goals, Align with goals, and Propose a plan (REMAP) communication framework is a structured, evidence-based approach to goals-of-care conversations that has been shown to increase the knowledge, confidence, and skill levels of generalists across multiple disciplines. Methods: Generalists at the SAVAHCS completed a web-based educational module that demonstrated the application of the REMAP framework to a COVID-specific case scenario. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention questionaries. Primary outcomes were changes in self-reported knowledge and confidence levels. Secondary outcomes included post-intervention feelings of preparedness and intention to conduct goals-of-care conversations. Results: Three participants completed the pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. All three participants reported an increase in their knowledge levels, and two out of three reported an increase in their confidence levels. Neither of the differences in means was statistically significant. All three participants strongly agreed that they felt more

Wild Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata Blyth) living in the highland and lowland areas of Yakushima are known to have different diets, with highland individuals consuming more leaves. We aim to clarify whether and how these differences in diet are also reflected by gut microbial composition and fermentation ability. Therefore, we conduct an in vitro fermentation assay using fresh feces from macaques as inoculum and dry leaf powder of Eurya japonica Thunb. as a substrate. Fermentation activity was higher for feces collected in the highland, as evidenced by higher gas and butyric acid production and lower pH. Genetic analysis indicated separation of highland and lowland in terms of both community structure and function of the gut microbiota. Comparison of feces and suspension after fermentation indicated that the community structure changed during fermentation, and the change was larger for lowland samples. Analysis of the 16S rRNA V3-V4 barcoding region of the gut microbiota showed that community structure was clearly clustered between the two areas. Furthermore, metagenomic analysis indicated separation by gene and pathway abundance patterns. Two pathways (glycogen biosynthesis I and D-galacturonate degradation I) were enriched in lowland samples, possibly related to the fruit-eating lifestyle in the lowland. Overall, we demonstrated that the more leaf-eating highland Japanese macaques harbor gut microbiota with higher leaf fermentation ability compared with the more fruit-eating lowland ones. Broad, non-specific taxonomic and functional gut microbiome differences suggest that this pattern may be driven by a complex interplay between many taxa and pathways rather than single functional traits.

Questions: Does the influence of forest edges on plant species richness and composition depend on forest management? Do forest specialists and generalists show contrasting patterns? Location: Mesic, deciduous forests across Europe. Methods: Vegetation surveys were performed in forests with three management types (unthinned, thinned 5-10 years ago and recently thinned) along a macroclimatic gradient from Italy to Norway. In each of 45 forests, we established five vegetation plots along a south-facing edge-to-interior gradient (n = 225). Forest specialist, generalist and total species richness, as well as evenness and proportion of specialists, were tested as a function of the management type and distance to the edge while accounting for several environmental variables (e.g. landscape composition and soil characteristics). Magnitude and distance of edge influence were estimated for species richness per management type. Results: Greatest total species richness was found in thinned forests. Edge influence on generalist plant species richness was contingent on the management type, with the smallest decrease in species richness from the edge-to-interior in unthinned forests. In addition, generalist richness increased with the proportion of forests in the surrounding landscape and decreased in forests dominated by tree species that cast more shade. Forest specialist species richness, however, was not affected by management type or distance to the edge, and only increased with pH and increasing proportion of forests in the landscape. Conclusions: Forest thinning affects the plant community composition along edge-to-interior transects of European forests, with richness of forest specialists and generalists responding differently. Therefore, future studies should take the forest management into account when interpreting edge-to-interior because both modify the microclimate, soil processes and deposition of polluting aerosols. This interaction is key to predict the effects of

Natural environments can present diverse challenges, but some genotypes remain fit across many environments. Such "generalists" can be hard to evolve, outcompeted by specialists fitter in any particular environment. Here, inspired by the search for broadly neutralizing antibodies during B cell affinity maturation, we demonstrate that environmental changes on an intermediate timescale can reliably evolve generalists, even when faster or slower environmental changes are unable to do so. We find that changing environments on timescales comparable with evolutionary transients in a population enhance the rate of evolving generalists from specialists, without enhancing the reverse process. The yield of generalists is further increased in more complex dynamic environments, such as a "chirp" of increasing frequency. Our work offers design principles for how nonequilibrium fitness "seascapes" can dynamically funnel populations to genotypes unobtainable in static environments.

This article responds to recent calls for situated examples of student-centered education. Our goal is to illustrate what student-centered pedagogies may look like in the music education classroom, particularly in the context of collaborative composition activities. The sample case presented features a Primary 5 Singaporean music teacher implementing a collaborative composition lesson on Gamelan Beleganjur, a traditional music style from Bali (Indonesia). After describing the structure of the lesson, we analyze data from teacher interviews, classroom interactions (illustrated with pictures), and transcriptions of students’ compositions. We argue that the content and design of the lesson itself, as well as the teacher’s genuine interest in exploring students’ musical ideas and fostering collaboration and creativity, led to the enactment of student-centricity. Our ultimate aim is to provide an additional resource that might inspire music educators (both specialists and generalists) in embracing student-centered education in their classrooms.

This article responds to recent calls for situated examples of student-centered education. Our goal is to illustrate what student-centered pedagogies may look like in the music education classroom, particularly in the context of collaborative composition activities. The sample case presented features a Primary 5 Singaporean music teacher implementing a collaborative composition lesson on Gamelan Beleganjur, a traditional music style from Bali (Indonesia). After describing the structure of the lesson, we analyze data from teacher interviews, classroom interactions (illustrated with pictures), and transcriptions of students’ compositions. We argue that the content and design of the lesson itself, as well as the teacher’s genuine interest in exploring students’ musical ideas and fostering collaboration and creativity, led to the enactment of student-centricity. Our ultimate aim is to provide an additional resource that might inspire music educators (both specialists and generalists) in embracing student-centered education in their classrooms.

[EN] For multihost pathogens, adaptation to multiple hosts has important implications for both applied and basic research. At the applied level, it is one of the main factors determining the probability and severity of emerging disease outbreaks. At the basic level, it is thought to be a key mechanism for the maintenance of genetic diversity both in host and pathogen species. In recent years, a number of evolution experiments have assessed the fate of plant virus populations replicating within and adapting to one single or to multiple hosts species. A first group of these experiments tackled the existence of trade-offs in fitness and virulence for viruses evolving either within a single hosts species or alternating between two different host species. A second set of experiments explored the role of genetic variability in susceptibility and resistance to infection among individuals from the same host species in the extent of virus local adaptation and of virulence. In general, when a single host species or genotype is available, these experiments show that local adaptation takes place, often but not always associated with a fitness trade-off. However, alternating between different host species or infecting resistant host genotypes may select for generalist viruses that experience no fitness cost. Therefore, the expected cost of generalism, arising from antagonistic pleiotropy and other genetic mechanisms generating fitness trade-offs between hosts, could not be generalized and strongly depend on the characteristics of each particular pathosystem. At the genomic level, these studies show pervasive convergent molecular evolution, suggesting that the number of accessible molecular pathways leading to adaptation to novel hosts is limited.

[EN] For multihost pathogens, adaptation to multiple hosts has important implications for both applied and basic research. At the applied level, it is one of the main factors determining the probability and severity of emerging disease outbreaks. At the basic level, it is thought to be a key mechanism for the maintenance of genetic diversity both in host and pathogen species. In recent years, a number of evolution experiments have assessed the fate of plant virus populations replicating within and adapting to one single or to multiple hosts species. A first group of these experiments tackled the existence of trade-offs in fitness and virulence for viruses evolving either within a single hosts species or alternating between two different host species. A second set of experiments explored the role of genetic variability in susceptibility and resistance to infection among individuals from the same host species in the extent of virus local adaptation and of virulence. In general, when a single host species or genotype is available, these experiments show that local adaptation takes place, often but not always associated with a fitness trade-off. However, alternating between different host species or infecting resistant host genotypes may select for generalist viruses that experience no fitness cost. Therefore, the expected cost of generalism, arising from antagonistic pleiotropy and other genetic mechanisms generating fitness trade-offs between hosts, could not be generalized and strongly depend on the characteristics of each particular pathosystem. At the genomic level, these studies show pervasive convergent molecular evolution, suggesting that the number of accessible molecular pathways leading to adaptation to novel hosts is limited.

While you are reading this, special alliances are being formed underground… invisible to the human eye. But they are crucial to plants, and help them conquer extreme environments such as acidic soil. We’re talking arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi who help plants improve their nutrient uptake. But how can these fungi themselves tolerate acidic soil? Are they "acidic soil specialists", who can thrive despite the acidity? We tested this hypothesis by collecting soil containing AM fungi along an acidity gradient in Japan. We also exposed fungi from two soils of different pH (acidic/ neutral) to changes in their soils' acidity levels in the lab, and observed their response. Surprisingly, we discovered that the fungi in the acidic soils also occurred in the less acidic and neutral soils, making them generalists! We believe that being generalists opens up many opportunities for AM fungi (and for their associated plants) to colonize new or quickly changing habitats.

While you are reading this, special alliances are being formed underground… invisible to the human eye. But they are crucial to plants, and help them conquer extreme environments such as acidic soil. We’re talking arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi who help plants improve their nutrient uptake. But how can these fungi themselves tolerate acidic soil? Are they "acidic soil specialists", who can thrive despite the acidity? We tested this hypothesis by collecting soil containing AM fungi along an acidity gradient in Japan. We also exposed fungi from two soils of different pH (acidic/ neutral) to changes in their soils' acidity levels in the lab, and observed their response. Surprisingly, we discovered that the fungi in the acidic soils also occurred in the less acidic and neutral soils, making them generalists! We believe that being generalists opens up many opportunities for AM fungi (and for their associated plants) to colonize new or quickly changing habitats.

Previous microscopy-based studies in the eastern English Channel have revealed it to be a productive meso-eutrophic coastal ecosystem, characterized by strong repeating patterns in microplankton succession. The present study examines the seasonal structure of the entire protistan community from March 2011 to July 2013, using tag pyrosequencing of the V2-V3 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene. A total of 1242 OTUs and 28 high-level taxonomic groups, which included previously undetected taxa in the area, were identified. The detected OTUs were considered according to taxon-specific traits, which included their trophic role, abundance and specialization level. Taxa differentiation based on specialization level rather than abundance was more informative in describing community organization. While generalists were always abundant, numerous specialists that were either rare or absent in most samples, increased in abundance for short periods, appearing to be overall abundant. Statistical and network analyses showed that the protistan seasonal organization was influenced by environmental parameters. It also highlighted that in addition to grazers, fungi and parasites played potentially significant roles during phytoplankton blooms. Overall, while the protistan succession was mainly shaped by environmental variations, biotic interactions among co-occurring taxa were the main structural drivers of the temporal assemblages.

Previous microscopy-based studies in the eastern English Channel have revealed it to be a productive meso-eutrophic coastal ecosystem, characterized by strong repeating patterns in microplankton succession. The present study examines the seasonal structure of the entire protistan community from March 2011 to July 2013, using tag pyrosequencing of the V2-V3 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene. A total of 1242 OTUs and 28 high-level taxonomic groups, which included previously undetected taxa in the area, were identified. The detected OTUs were considered according to taxon-specific traits, which included their trophic role, abundance and specialization level. Taxa differentiation based on specialization level rather than abundance was more informative in describing community organization. While generalists were always abundant, numerous specialists that were either rare or absent in most samples, increased in abundance for short periods, appearing to be overall abundant. Statistical and network analyses showed that the protistan seasonal organization was influenced by environmental parameters. It also highlighted that in addition to grazers, fungi and parasites played potentially significant roles during phytoplankton blooms. Overall, while the protistan succession was mainly shaped by environmental variations, biotic interactions among co-occurring taxa were the main structural drivers of the temporal assemblages.

Previous microscopy-based studies in the eastern English Channel have revealed it to be a productive meso-eutrophic coastal ecosystem, characterized by strong repeating patterns in microplankton succession. The present study examines the seasonal structure of the entire protistan community from March 2011 to July 2013, using tag pyrosequencing of the V2-V3 hypervariable region of the 18S rRNA gene. A total of 1242 OTUs and 28 high-level taxonomic groups, which included previously undetected taxa in the area, were identified. The detected OTUs were considered according to taxon-specific traits, which included their trophic role, abundance and specialization level. Taxa differentiation based on specialization level rather than abundance was more informative in describing community organization. While generalists were always abundant, numerous specialists that were either rare or absent in most samples, increased in abundance for short periods, appearing to be overall abundant. Statistical and network analyses showed that the protistan seasonal organization was influenced by environmental parameters. It also highlighted that in addition to grazers, fungi and parasites played potentially significant roles during phytoplankton blooms. Overall, while the protistan succession was mainly shaped by environmental variations, biotic interactions among co-occurring taxa were the main structural drivers of the temporal assemblages.

[Aim]: Anthropogenic food subsidies are increasingly present in ecosystems, but their impacts remain poorly understood. Big game hunting is a growing activity that annually subsidizes ecosystems with tonnes of carrion world-wide. By feeding on carrion, scavengers support key ecosystem functions and services, becoming key vectors to transfer the impacts of human-mediated food subsidies across ecosystems. We characterize and compare the structure of vertebrate communities feeding on these subsidies, namely big game hunting remains, at a global scale. [Location]: Global. [Methods]: We collected data from a countrywide field study in Spain and broadened it up to nine regions in four continents by reviewing scientific literature. We analysed the structure of the scavenger communities considering species composition, richness and scavenging frequency. [Results]: Seventy-nine vertebrate species, 19% globally threatened, scavenged food subsidies from big game hunting world-wide. Scavenger richness (2.0-11.0% of vertebrates/region) positively correlated with total vertebrate richness. Although scavenger communities at hunting remains varied among regions, we describe a general structural pattern. Birds and mammals dominate consumption, with birds scavenging twice more frequently than mammals - but more mammal species scavenge compared to birds. Generalists dominate scavenging globally, especially where the presence of obligate scavengers (vultures) and apex predators (e.g. wolves, hyenas, eagles) is low. [Main conclusions]: Anthropogenic food from hunting subsidizes many vertebrate species from different trophic levels and conservation status and thus is expected to affect from populations to ecosystems. Obligate scavengers and apex predators seem to play a key role structuring the scavenger community through top-down mechanisms. The general structure of scavenger communities we describe here provides a benchmark for comparisons of subsidized and non-subsidized communities.

[EN] This study evaluates the extent to which genetic differences among host individuals from the same species condition the evolution of a plant RNA virus. We performed a threefold replicated evolution experiment in which Tobacco etch potyvirus isolate At17b (TEV-At17b), adapted to Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Ler-0, was serially passaged in five genetically heterogeneous ecotypes of A. thaliana. After 15 passages we found that evolved viruses improved their fitness, showed higher infectivity and stronger virulence in their local host ecotypes. The genome of evolved lineages was sequenced and putative adaptive mutations identified. Host-driven convergent mutations have been identified. Evidences supported selection for increased translational efficiency. Next, we sought for the specificity of virus adaptation by infecting all five ecotypes with all 15 evolved virus populations. We found that some ecotypes were more permissive to infection than others, and that some evolved virus isolates were more specialist/generalist than others. The bipartite network linking ecotypes with evolved viruses was significantly nested but not modular, suggesting that hard-to-infect ecotypes were infected by generalist viruses whereas easy-to-infect ecotypes were infected by all viruses, as predicted by a gene-for-gene model of infection.

This study evaluates the extent to which genetic differences among host individuals from the same species condition the evolution of a plant RNA virus. We performed a threefold replicated evolution experiment in which Tobacco etch potyvirus isolate At17b (TEV-At17b), adapted to Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Ler-0, was serially passaged in five genetically heterogeneous ecotypes of A. thaliana. After 15 passages we found that evolved viruses improved their fitness, showed higher infectivity and stronger virulence in their local host ecotypes. The genome of evolved lineages was sequenced and putative adaptive mutations identified. Host-driven convergent mutations have been identified. Evidences supported selection for increased translational efficiency. Next, we sought for the specificity of virus adaptation by infecting all five ecotypes with all 15 evolved virus populations. We found that some ecotypes were more permissive to infection than others, and that some evolved virus isolates were more specialist/generalist than others. The bipartite network linking ecotypes with evolved viruses was significantly nested but not modular, suggesting that hard-to-infect ecotypes were infected by generalist viruses whereas easy-to-infect ecotypes were infected by all viruses, as predicted by a gene-for-gene model of infection.

[EN] This study evaluates the extent to which genetic differences among host individuals from the same species condition the evolution of a plant RNA virus. We performed a threefold replicated evolution experiment in which Tobacco etch potyvirus isolate At17b (TEV-At17b), adapted to Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Ler-0, was serially passaged in five genetically heterogeneous ecotypes of A. thaliana. After 15 passages we found that evolved viruses improved their fitness, showed higher infectivity and stronger virulence in their local host ecotypes. The genome of evolved lineages was sequenced and putative adaptive mutations identified. Host-driven convergent mutations have been identified. Evidences supported selection for increased translational efficiency. Next, we sought for the specificity of virus adaptation by infecting all five ecotypes with all 15 evolved virus populations. We found that some ecotypes were more permissive to infection than others, and that some evolved virus isolates were more specialist/generalist than others. The bipartite network linking ecotypes with evolved viruses was significantly nested but not modular, suggesting that hard-to-infect ecotypes were infected by generalist viruses whereas easy-to-infect ecotypes were infected by all viruses, as predicted by a gene-for-gene model of infection.

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and explore the subject of organizing generalists and specialists. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss different alternatives on organizational grouping from a generalists and specialists perspective. It will explore theories around organizational design, different organizational structures and give insight to the specialist and generalist function that can be found in most types of organizations. The aim is to be able to present different aspects of organizing generalists and specialists and to be able to answer the problem question: Is there a best organizational structure for specialist and generalist groups? The study is a qualitative study and the process of induction will be used. The epistemological standpoint is interprevistic and the ontological is more towards constructionism. The methods used are 1) the collection of and qualitative analysis of texts and documents and 2) qualitative semi-structured interviewing. The analysis is based on grounded theory method. The result and conclusions of the study is that generalists most likely do fit better in organizational forms such as simple structure, adhocracy and network organizations. Specialists tend to prefer bureaucracy or functional/unitary organizations. Keywords: generalists, specialists, organization, group structure, Här undersöks och diskuteras olika spekter på att organisera generalister och secialister i en organisations struktur. Teorier kring en organisations design och organisationsstruktur ger inblick i generalist och specialist funktioner. Dessa funktioner brukar man kunna hitta i alla typer av organisationer. Uppsatsen försöker svara på frågan: Finns det en en bästa organisationsstruktur utifrån generalist och specialist perspektivet?

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and explore the subject of organizing generalists and specialists. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss different alternatives on organizational grouping from a generalists and specialists perspective. It will explore theories around organizational design, different organizational structures and give insight to the specialist and generalist function that can be found in most types of organizations. The aim is to be able to present different aspects of organizing generalists and specialists and to be able to answer the problem question: Is there a best organizational structure for specialist and generalist groups? The study is a qualitative study and the process of induction will be used. The epistemological standpoint is interprevistic and the ontological is more towards constructionism. The methods used are 1) the collection of and qualitative analysis of texts and documents and 2) qualitative semi-structured interviewing. The analysis is based on grounded theory method. The result and conclusions of the study is that generalists most likely do fit better in organizational forms such as simple structure, adhocracy and network organizations. Specialists tend to prefer bureaucracy or functional/unitary organizations. Keywords: generalists, specialists, organization, group structure, Här undersöks och diskuteras olika spekter på att organisera generalister och secialister i en organisations struktur. Teorier kring en organisations design och organisationsstruktur ger inblick i generalist och specialist funktioner. Dessa funktioner brukar man kunna hitta i alla typer av organisationer. Uppsatsen försöker svara på frågan: Finns det en en bästa organisationsstruktur utifrån generalist och specialist perspektivet?

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and explore the subject of organizing generalists and specialists. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss different alternatives on organizational grouping from a generalists and specialists perspective. It will explore theories around organizational design, different organizational structures and give insight to the specialist and generalist function that can be found in most types of organizations. The aim is to be able to present different aspects of organizing generalists and specialists and to be able to answer the problem question: Is there a best organizational structure for specialist and generalist groups? The study is a qualitative study and the process of induction will be used. The epistemological standpoint is interprevistic and the ontological is more towards constructionism. The methods used are 1) the collection of and qualitative analysis of texts and documents and 2) qualitative semi-structured interviewing. The analysis is based on grounded theory method. The result and conclusions of the study is that generalists most likely do fit better in organizational forms such as simple structure, adhocracy and network organizations. Specialists tend to prefer bureaucracy or functional/unitary organizations. Keywords: generalists, specialists, organization, group structure, Här undersöks och diskuteras olika spekter på att organisera generalister och secialister i en organisations struktur. Teorier kring en organisations design och organisationsstruktur ger inblick i generalist och specialist funktioner. Dessa funktioner brukar man kunna hitta i alla typer av organisationer. Uppsatsen försöker svara på frågan: Finns det en en bästa organisationsstruktur utifrån generalist och specialist perspektivet?

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and explore the subject of organizing generalists and specialists. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss different alternatives on organizational grouping from a generalists and specialists perspective. It will explore theories around organizational design, different organizational structures and give insight to the specialist and generalist function that can be found in most types of organizations. The aim is to be able to present different aspects of organizing generalists and specialists and to be able to answer the problem question: Is there a best organizational structure for specialist and generalist groups? The study is a qualitative study and the process of induction will be used. The epistemological standpoint is interprevistic and the ontological is more towards constructionism. The methods used are 1) the collection of and qualitative analysis of texts and documents and 2) qualitative semi-structured interviewing. The analysis is based on grounded theory method. The result and conclusions of the study is that generalists most likely do fit better in organizational forms such as simple structure, adhocracy and network organizations. Specialists tend to prefer bureaucracy or functional/unitary organizations. Keywords: generalists, specialists, organization, group structure, Här undersöks och diskuteras olika spekter på att organisera generalister och secialister i en organisations struktur. Teorier kring en organisations design och organisationsstruktur ger inblick i generalist och specialist funktioner. Dessa funktioner brukar man kunna hitta i alla typer av organisationer. Uppsatsen försöker svara på frågan: Finns det en en bästa organisationsstruktur utifrån generalist och specialist perspektivet?

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and explore the subject of organizing generalists and specialists. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss different alternatives on organizational grouping from a generalists and specialists perspective. It will explore theories around organizational design, different organizational structures and give insight to the specialist and generalist function that can be found in most types of organizations. The aim is to be able to present different aspects of organizing generalists and specialists and to be able to answer the problem question: Is there a best organizational structure for specialist and generalist groups? The study is a qualitative study and the process of induction will be used. The epistemological standpoint is interprevistic and the ontological is more towards constructionism. The methods used are 1) the collection of and qualitative analysis of texts and documents and 2) qualitative semi-structured interviewing. The analysis is based on grounded theory method. The result and conclusions of the study is that generalists most likely do fit better in organizational forms such as simple structure, adhocracy and network organizations. Specialists tend to prefer bureaucracy or functional/unitary organizations. Keywords: generalists, specialists, organization, group structure, Här undersöks och diskuteras olika spekter på att organisera generalister och secialister i en organisations struktur. Teorier kring en organisations design och organisationsstruktur ger inblick i generalist och specialist funktioner. Dessa funktioner brukar man kunna hitta i alla typer av organisationer. Uppsatsen försöker svara på frågan: Finns det en en bästa organisationsstruktur utifrån generalist och specialist perspektivet?

A major current challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand how networks of interacting species shape the coevolutionary process. We combined a model for trait evolution with data for twenty plant-animal assemblages to explore coevolution in mutualistic networks. The results revealed three fundamental aspects of coevolution in species-rich mutualisms. First, coevolution shapes species traits throughout mutualistic networks by speeding up the overall rate of evolution. Second, coevolution results in higher trait complementarity in interacting partners and trait convergence in species in the same trophic level. Third, convergence is higher in the presence of super-generalists, which are species that interact with multiple groups of species. We predict that worldwide shifts in the occurrence of super-generalists will alter how coevolution shapes webs of interacting species. Introduced species such as honeybees will favour trait convergence in invaded communities, whereas the loss of large frugivores will lead to increased trait dissimilarity in tropical ecosystems

The aim of this thesis is to discuss and explore the subject of organizing generalists and specialists. The purpose of this thesis is to explore and discuss different alternatives on organizational grouping from a generalists and specialists perspective. It will explore theories around organizational design, different organizational structures and give insight to the specialist and generalist function that can be found in most types of organizations. The aim is to be able to present different aspects of organizing generalists and specialists and to be able to answer the problem question: Is there a best organizational structure for specialist and generalist groups? The study is a qualitative study and the process of induction will be used. The epistemological standpoint is interprevistic and the ontological is more towards constructionism. The methods used are 1) the collection of and qualitative analysis of texts and documents and 2) qualitative semi-structured interviewing. The analysis is based on grounded theory method. The result and conclusions of the study is that generalists most likely do fit better in organizational forms such as simple structure, adhocracy and network organizations. Specialists tend to prefer bureaucracy or functional/unitary organizations. Keywords: generalists, specialists, organization, group structure, Här undersöks och diskuteras olika spekter på att organisera generalister och secialister i en organisations struktur. Teorier kring en organisations design och organisationsstruktur ger inblick i generalist och specialist funktioner. Dessa funktioner brukar man kunna hitta i alla typer av organisationer. Uppsatsen försöker svara på frågan: Finns det en en bästa organisationsstruktur utifrån generalist och specialist perspektivet?

Microbial ecology has focused much on causes of between-site variation in community composition. By analysing five data-sets each of aquatic bacteria and phytoplankton, we demonstrated that microbial communities show a large degree of similarity in community composition and that abundant taxa were widespread, a typical pattern for many metazoan metacommunities. The regional abundance of taxa explained on average 85 and 41% of variation in detection frequency and 58 and 31% of variation in local abundances for bacteria and phytoplankton, respectively. However, regional abundance explained less variation in local abundances with increasing environmental variation between sites within data-sets. These findings indicate that the studies of microbial assemblages need to consider similarities between communities to better understand the processes underlying the assembly of microbial communities. Finally, we propose that the degree of regional invariance can be linked to the evolution of microbes and the variation in ecosystem functions performed by microbial communities.

A host of reports have been written over the 50 years of CIA history evaluating analytic performance and recommending changes in priorities and tradecraft. These "post-mortem reports" have been issued by Agency leaders and components as well as by Congressional committees and commissions and non-governmental organizations concerned about intelligence performance. Starting with the 1990s, post-mortem reports increased in number, generated both by charges of specific intelligence failures and by general recognition that the post-Cold War period presented new challenges to intelligence. The recent post-mortem reports have helped Directorate of Intelligence leaders to examine current doctrine and practice critically, and to address identified challenges in training programs. This Occasional Paper is one of a series of assessments of what recent critiques have said about the key challenges facing the DI in the new century. The present paper addresses the challenge of establishing priorities among competing uses of analytic resources (for example, current trend reporting vs. customized "action" analysis vs. in-depth studies). It reviews six post-mortem critiques: (1) Twentieth Century Fund Task Force on the Future of Intelligence, In from the Cold (1996); (2) Adm. David Jeremiah (R), Intelligence Community's Performance on the Indian Nuclear Tests (1998); (3) Report of the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States (1998); (4) Independent Task force of the Council on Foreign Relations, Making Intelligence Smarter: The Future of U.S. Intelligence (1996); (5) Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the United States Intelligence Community, Preparing for the 21st Century: An Appraisal of U.S. Intelligence (1996); (6) Staff Study, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, IC21: Intelligence Community in the 21st Century (1996)., Published in the Sherman Kent Center for Intelligence Analysis' Occasional Papers, v1 n3, 2002.

Today's Air Force logistician must be able to manage the operation and support of weapon systems from a total system perspective. Lt Gen Leo Marquez, Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics and Engineering, HQ USAF, has suggested senior logisticians may be unprepared to manage weapon systems due to a lack of general, total system skills. These senior logisticians may actually be specialists in only one of the core logistics functions, i.e., supply, maintenance, transportation, contracting, or logistic planning. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine whether senior civilian logisticians are specialists or generalists. A survey was sent to all GS-GM-15s and Senior Executive Service in the Logistics Management Specialist (-346) job series. The survey information was individually reviewed by a panel of five experts and each respondent was classified as either a specialist or generalist. Subsequent analysis of the panel's results yielded an empirical description of today's senior civilian Air Force logisticians. The panel's findings, a composite description of senior logistics managers, and suggested Air Force applications are presented.

To examine how genetic variation in a plant population affects arthropod community richness and composition, we quantified the arthropod communities on a synthetic population of Eucalyptus amygdalina, E. risdonii, and their F1 and advanced-generation hybrids. Five major patterns emerged. First, the pure species and hybrid populations supported significantly different communities. Second, species richness was significantly greatest on hybrids (F1 > F2 > E. amygdalina > E. risdonii). These results are similar to those from a wild population of the same species and represent the first case in which both synthetic and wild population studies confirm a genetic component to community structure. Hybrids also acted as centers of biodiversity by accumulating both the common and specialist taxa of both parental species (100% in the wild and 80% in the synthetic population). Third, species richness was significantly greater on F1s than the single F2 family, suggesting that the increased insect abundance on hybrids may not be caused by the breakup of coadapted gene complexes. Fourth, specialist arthropod taxa were most likely to show a dominance response to F1 hybrids, whereas generalist taxa exhibited a susceptible response. Fifth, in an analysis of 31 leaf terpenoids that are thought to play a role in plant defense, hybrids were generally intermediate to the parental chemotypes. Within the single F2 family, we found significant associations between the communities of individual trees and five individual oil components, including oil yield, demonstrating that there is a genetic effect on plant defensive chemistry that, in turn, may affect community structure. These studies argue that hybridization has important community-level consequences and that the genetic variation present in hybrid zones can be used to explore the genetic-based mechanisms that structure communities.