Planktic foraminifera are microscopic marine organisms whose calcium carbonate shells provide valuable insights into past ocean conditions. A promising means of understanding foraminiferal ecology and their environmental interactions is to constrain their key functional traits relating to feeding, symbioses, motility, calcification, and reproduction. Here we review what we know of their functional traits, key gaps in our understanding, and suggestions on how to fill them.

Key parameters representing the gravity flux in global models are sinking speed and vertical attenuation of exported material. We calculate, for the first time, these parameters in situ in the ocean for six intermittent blooms followed by export events using high-resolution (3 d) time series of 0–1000 m depth profiles from imaging sensors mounted on an Argo float. We show that sinking speed depends not only on size but also on the morphology of the particles, with density being an important property.

We examine how change in a species' geographic range size over time influences that species' extinction risk. We analyze instantaneous range size and range size change and how these terms relate to extinction risk in marine microplankton. We find that both the instantaneous range size and the change in range size are informative predictors of extinction. Using predictive models, we also assess extinction probability in four extant groups.

This work provides a 2-year record of marine organic gel concentrations from an open-ocean site in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii. These microscopic gels are investigated to understand their importance as an understudied component of organic matter cycling by marine microbes. We find an important role of gel cycling during the summer months, helping explain previously contradictory estimates of nutrient supply and demand for the subtropical ocean.

We present the first coupled record of radiolarian silicon isotopes (δ³⁰Si_rad) from paired water column and surface sediment samples, along with the fractionation factor for δ³⁰Si_rad in the South China Sea. No significant discrepancies in δ³⁰Si_rad values were observed between plankton and sediment samples, implying minimal dissolution impact on δ³⁰Si_rad during sinking. This indicates faithful preservation of the δ³⁰Si_rad signature and its potential for studying past marine silicon cycle changes.

Indonesia is the world's third-highest carbon emitter from land use change. However, there are uncertainties in the carbon emissions of Indonesia. Our best estimate of carbon emissions from land use change in Indonesia is 0.12 ± 0.02 PgC/yr with a steady trend. Despite many uncertainties created by drivers, models, and products, we  also found robust agreements between these models and products. All agree that Indonesian carbon emissions from LULCC (land use and land cover change) have had no decreasing trend for the last 2 decades.

Stomatal ozone uptake and the negative impacts on forest growth rates were estimated for European forests. This was translated to annual increments in the forest living biomass carbon stocks, with and without ozone exposure. In the absence of O₃ exposure, on average, European forest growth rates would increase by 9%, but the sequestration to the living-biomass carbon stocks would increase by 31% since the sequestration depends on the difference between growth and harvest rates.

Rewetted peatlands exhibit natural spatiotemporal biogeochemical heterogeneity, influenced by water level and vegetation. This study investigated the variability of greenhouse gas distribution in a peatland rewetted with brackish water. Two innovative sensor-equipped platforms were used to measure a wide range of marine physicochemical variables at high temporal resolution. The measurements revealed strong fluctuations in CO₂ and CH₄, expressed as multi-day, diurnal, and event-based variability.

Tropical montane forests (TMFs) are crucial for carbon sequestration and climate regulation. This study assessed carbon stocks in a Panamanian TMF across an elevation gradient (880–2920 m). Aboveground biomass, coarse wood debris, and soil C increased with elevation, with exceptionally high values at upper elevations. Elevation, rather than nutrient availability or ectomycorrhizal-tree dominance, drove C storage. Findings suggest prior lidar estimates may vastly underestimate regional C stocks.

Disturbances, such as fire, can change which vegetation grows in a forest, affecting water and carbon flows and, thus, the climate. Disturbances are expected to increase with climate change, but it is uncertain by how much. Using a simulation model, we studied how future climate, disturbances, and their combined effect impact northern (high-latitude) forest ecosystems. Our findings highlight the importance of considering these factors and the need to better understand how disturbances will change in the future.

Soil emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) play a significant role in ecosystems, yet the impact of litter accumulation on these emissions is often overlooked, particularly in Mediterranean deciduous forests. A study in downy oak forest identified over 135 BVOCs, with many being absorbed by the soil, while others were emitted and increased with litter biomass. This underscores the critical role of litter and microbial activity in shaping soil BVOC dynamics under a changing climate.

Our results suggest coccolithophore calcite accounts for a major fraction of PIC (particulate inorganic carbon) standing stocks in the western North Pacific, with a markedly higher contribution in the oligotrophic subtropical gyre than in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition region, which highlights the importance of coccolithophores for PIC production in the pelagic ocean, particularly in oligotrophic ocean waters.

Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) boosts oceanic CO₂ absorption, offering a climate solution. Using a regional model, we examined OAE in the North Sea, revealing that shallow coastal areas achieve higher CO₂ uptake than offshore where alkalinity is more susceptible to deep-ocean loss. Long-term carbon storage is limited, and pH shifts vary by location. Our findings guide OAE deployment to optimize carbon removal while minimizing ecological effects, supporting global climate mitigation efforts.

This study compares established evapotranspiration products in central Europe and evaluates their multi-seasonal performance during wet and drought phases in 2017–2020 together with important soil–plant–atmosphere drivers. Results show that SEVIRI, ERA5-land, and GLEAM perform best compared to ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) measurements. During moisture-limited drought years, ET (evapotranspiration) decreases due to decreasing soil moisture and increasing vapor pressure deficit, while in other years ET is mainly controlled by VPD (vapor pressure deficit).