https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/25433 Mon, 17 Aug 2026 23:22:21 GMT 2026-08-17T23:22:21Z https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33571 Title: Food web complexity underlies biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning Authors: Barnes, AD; Brose, U; Eisenhauer, N; Berti, E; Brauns, M; Eggert, SL; Garcia-Callejas, D; Giling, DP; Hall, RO; Hines, J; Jochum, M; Korobushkin, DI; Kortsch, S; Kratina, P; Manca, M; Mor, J-R; Nordström, MC; O’Gorman, EJ; Ott, D; Perkins, DM; Rosenbaum, B; Saifutdinov, RA; Saito, VS; Tanentzap, AJ; Vinagre, C; Gauzens, B Abstract: Biodiversity change has elicited widespread concern over the consequences for functions and services provided by ecosystems¹ ² ³. Despite extensive evidence for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning within a single trophic level⁴ ⁵, how this biodiversity effect varies with multi-trophic food web structure remains unresolved⁶ even though most ecosystems contain two to six trophic levels⁷. We investigate how food web complexity modulates biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in nature by quantifying energy fluxes as proxies for two principal ecosystem functions⁸ —primary consumption and predation—in 318 highly resolved, complex food webs from marine, lake, stream and soil ecosystems. Ecosystem functioning increased consistently with taxon richness across all trophic levels and ecosystems, which arose from greater vertical diversity (that is, maximum trophic level⁹) and trophic complementarity of predators in more taxonomically diverse food webs. Furthermore, predator trophic complementarity¹⁰ ¹¹ increased predation fluxes in all freshwater ecosystem types. These findings highlight the threat of trophic downgrading to critical ecosystem functions (for example, biological control and maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem stability) provided by predators¹² ¹³, which are typically most vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances¹⁴ ¹⁵. Our study demonstrates that the consequences of biodiversity change are deeply entangled within the web of life, emphasizing the need to conserve the trophic complexity underlying biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships. Description: Data availability: All data used in this study are available at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20130985). Source data (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10710-5#Sec12) are provided with this paper.; Code availability: Code for computing food web properties, energy fluxes, stability, NPP and statistical analyses is available at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20130985).; Supplementary information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10710-5#Sec15 .; Acknowledgements: This work was initiated from the Food web Structure, Ecosystem functioning and Diversity across ecosystems (FuSED) workshop at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle–Jena–Leipzig, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG–FZT 118, 202548816). Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33571 2026-07-01T00:00:00Z https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33476 Title: Enhancing out-of-plane seismic resistance of masonry walls with fiber-reinforced overlays: tests, modeling, and fragility analysis Authors: Wen, T-H; Yuen, TYP; Zhou, X Abstract: This study investigates the out-of-plane seismic performance and fragility of masonry walls retrofitted with basalt fiber grid (BFG), carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP), glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP), and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Large-scale masonry wall specimens were tested under lateral loading to examine strength, deformation capacity, and failure mechanisms. This study focuses on the pure out-of-plane response of masonry walls, without considering in-plane forces or deformations. All retrofitted walls significantly outperformed the unreinforced masonry (URM) wall, which failed at 11.34 kN. Peak strengths reached 40.79 kN (GFRP), 30.92 kN (UHPC), 24.88 kN (BFG), and 21.39 kN (CFRP), with varying ductility and crack patterns. Discrete finite element models, calibrated against experimental results, were employed to perform incremental dynamic analysis and derive seismic fragility curves. Results show that retrofitting markedly reduced failure probabilities, raising median spectral acceleration thresholds by factors of 3–7 compared with URM. Among the methods, GFRP achieved the most favorable fragility performance, exhibiting both high capacity and low drift exceedance. These findings demonstrate that retrofit material choice and configuration are critical for improving seismic resilience and reducing collapse risk in masonry structures. Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33476 2026-01-13T00:00:00Z https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33280 Title: Impact of loading rate and elevated temperatures on the pull-out behaviour of inclined hooked-end steel fibres embedded in normal and high-strength concrete Authors: Abdallah, S; Rees, DWA; Fan, M Abstract: The coupled effects of loading rate, fibre inclination, and post-fire exposure on the pull-out behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) remain insufficiently quantified. This study experimentally investigates the pull-out response of hooked-end steel fibres embedded in normal and high-strength concretes under quasi-static, intermediate (seismic), and impact loading, before and after thermal exposure up to 600°C. Single-fibre tests were conducted over inclination angles from 0° to 60° and slip rates from 0.018 to 1800 mm/s, generating a comprehensive dataset of 120 tests. Results show pronounced rate sensitivity, progressive bond degradation beyond 400°C, and strong inclination effects, with high angles inducing severe spalling and strength loss, particularly in high-strength concrete. Based on these findings, a unified analytical model is proposed incorporating snubbing, rate-dependent amplification, thermal degradation, and high-angle damage. The model accurately predicts peak pull-out loads across all loading regimes, providing a robust framework for SFRC assessment under combined impact and post-fire loading. Description: Highlights: • Rate sensitivity observed across quasi-static, seismic, and impact loading. • Bond degradation beyond 400 °C, severe spalling in high-strength concrete. • Novel interaction of fibre inclination with temperature and loading rate, compounding effects on pull‑out capacity. • Unified model predicts pull-out loads under combined impact and post-fire.; Data availability: The data that has been used is confidential. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33280 2026-04-20T00:00:00Z https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33069 Title: A new paradigm for resilient and equitable post-war recovery of cities Authors: Kopiika, N; Argyroudis, S; Ouyang, M; Mitoulis, S-A Abstract: Rebuilding cities after conflict often prioritizes political or economic interests at the expense of long-term resilience, equity and inclusion. Post-war recovery must break away from traditional, interest-driven patterns. Instead, reconstruction should be redefined through a science-driven, multidisciplinary lens that has people and communities, social justice, and sustainability at its heart. Description: Comment.; Supplementary information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-026-00424-0#Sec6 . Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33069 2026-03-30T00:00:00Z