Alexi C. Besser
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View article: Photodegradation of lignocellulose in plant litter – reinterpreting data from Méndez <i>et al</i>. (2022)
Photodegradation of lignocellulose in plant litter – reinterpreting data from Méndez <i>et al</i>. (2022) Open
View article: Scaling from microsite to landscape to resolve litter decomposition dynamics in globally extensive drylands
Scaling from microsite to landscape to resolve litter decomposition dynamics in globally extensive drylands Open
Decomposition is the transformation of dead organic matter into its inorganic constituents. In most biomes, decomposition rates can be accurately predicted with simple mathematical models, but these models have long under‐predicted decompo…
View article: The atmosphere: a transport medium or an active microbial ecosystem?
The atmosphere: a transport medium or an active microbial ecosystem? Open
The atmosphere may be Earth’s largest microbial ecosystem. It is connected to all of Earth’s surface ecosystems and plays an important role in microbial dispersal on local to global scales. Despite this grand scale, surprisingly little is …
View article: Long-term ecological research in freshwaters enabled by regional biodiversity collections, stable isotope analysis, and environmental informatics
Long-term ecological research in freshwaters enabled by regional biodiversity collections, stable isotope analysis, and environmental informatics Open
Biodiversity collections are experiencing a renaissance fueled by the intersection of informatics, emerging technologies, and the extended use and interpretation of specimens and archived databases. In this article, we explore the potentia…
View article: Variation in gut microbial contribution of essential amino acids to host protein metabolism in a wild small mammal community
Variation in gut microbial contribution of essential amino acids to host protein metabolism in a wild small mammal community Open
Herbivory is a dominant feeding strategy among animals, yet herbivores are often protein limited. The gut microbiome is hypothesized to help maintain host protein balance by provisioning essential macromolecules, but this has never been te…
View article: Tissue-Specific Carbon Isotope Patterns of Amino Acids in Southern Sea Otters
Tissue-Specific Carbon Isotope Patterns of Amino Acids in Southern Sea Otters Open
The measurement of stable isotope values of individual compounds, such as amino acids (AAs), has quickly become a powerful tool in animal ecology and ecophysiology. As with any emerging technique, fundamental questions remain regarding the…
View article: Assessing the potential of amino acid δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N analysis in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems
Assessing the potential of amino acid δ <sup>13</sup> C and δ <sup>15</sup> N analysis in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems Open
Understanding the structure and dynamics of food webs requires accurate estimates of energy flow among organisms. Bulk tissue carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope analysis is often used to this end; however, the limitations of thi…
View article: Meta‐analysis of primary producer amino acid δ <sup>15</sup> N values and their influence on trophic position estimation
Meta‐analysis of primary producer amino acid δ <sup>15</sup> N values and their influence on trophic position estimation Open
Compound‐specific stable isotope analysis of individual amino acids (CSIA‐AA) has emerged as a transformative approach to estimate consumer trophic positions (TP CSIA ) that are internally indexed to primary producer nitrogen isotope basel…
View article: Author response for "Meta‐analysis of primary producer amino acid δ 15 N values and their influence on trophic position estimation"
Author response for "Meta‐analysis of primary producer amino acid δ 15 N values and their influence on trophic position estimation" Open
View article: A Guide to Using Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis to Study the Fates of Molecules in Organisms and Ecosystems
A Guide to Using Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis to Study the Fates of Molecules in Organisms and Ecosystems Open
The measurement of stable isotopes in ‘bulk’ animal and plant tissues (e.g., muscle or leaf) has become an important tool for studies of functional diversity from organismal to continental scales. In consumers, isotope values reflect their…