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Question: How does the diversity of successional forests evolve with stand age, and to what extent do permanent plots validate the previously studied successional patterns of tree diversity and composition observed through chronosequences? To evaluate the role of successional forests as reservoirs for many species, it is essential to examine how biodiversity recovers with the age of the stand. We studied patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as species composition during forest succession, by combining chronosequences and permanent plot monitoring. Location: Subtropical montane forests in NW Argentina. Methods: We used data from two chronosequences of plots monitored for 30 years in lower and upper montane forests dominated by native trees (LMF‐Native and UMF‐Native), and one chronosequence of plots dominated by the exotic tree Ligustrum lucidum, monitored for 10 years in low montane forests (LMF‐Invaded). We analyzed changes in taxonomic (species richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity) and functional diversity, as well as composition with forest age. Results: Taxonomic and functional diversity increased between 30 and 70 years of succession in LMF‐Native and UMF‐Native. Successional LMF‐Native forests reached the diversity of mature forests earlier than UMF‐Native. In LMF‐Invaded, taxonomic and functional diversity decreased in the same period because of the increasing dominance of the exotic species Ligustrum lucidum. In non‐invaded chronosequences (LMF‐Native and UMF‐Native) we observed a convergence towards the composition of mature forests; however, each successional forest kept its identity for 30 years. Conclusions: Diversity and composition followed different successional trajectories depending on the type of forest. We found that successional patterns, such as changes in taxonomic and functional diversity, predicted with the chronosequence approach, were confirmed with data from plot monitoring. The effects of pre‐abandonment conditions persist in the diversity and composition of successional forests monitored between 10 and 30 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic production has been increasing exponentially in the last 60 years, but plastic disposal is out of control, resulting in the pollution of all ecosystems on Earth. Finding alternative environmentally sustainable choices, such as biodegradation by insects and their associated gut microbiota, is crucial, however we have only begun to characterize these ecosystems. Some bacteria and one fungus have been previously identified in the gut of Greater Wax Moth larvae (Galleria mellonella L., Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) located mainly in the Northern hemisphere. The aim of this study was to describe changes in the gut microbiota associated with the consumption of polyethylene and polystyrene by the Greater Wax Moth in Argentina, considering both bacteria and fungi. Larvae were fed polyethylene, polystyrene and beeswax as control for 7 days. Next generation sequencing revealed changes in the bacterial gut microbiome of the wax moth larvae at the phyla and genus levels, with an increase in two Pseudomonas strains. The fungal communities showed no differences in composition between diets, only changing in relative abundance. This is the first report of both bacterial and fungal communities associated with a plastivore insect. The results are promising and call for more studies concerning a potential multi-kingdom synergy in the plastic biodegradation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]