Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Here are all the interviews about Disability in E & E we have published so far - if you would like to say your piece in the November or December issues, please get in touch, tree@cell.com

www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Do rhizosphere microbiomes match root functional traits? Land plants and microorganisms have developed intricate partnerships during millions of years of coevolution. However, it remains largely unknown how rhizosphere microbiomes align with diverse root functional traits among and within species. We argue that deciphering the bidirectional interactions of root traits with microbial partners is pivotal for understanding rhizosphere processes and belowground ecosystem functioning. We review emerging evidence illustrating how root functional traits shape rhizosphere microbiomes and how rhizosphere microbiomes modulate root-trait expression. We conclude that rhizosphere microbiota and root traits comprise a holistic evolutionary unit that governs plant health and belowground resource acquisition. This knowledge provides valuable insights into the adaptive evolution of plant host–microbe associations and informs strategies to leverage their beneficial interactions for sustainably managed systems.

Online now: Do rhizosphere microbiomes match root functional traits?

Strategies and significance of self-assessing dynamic visual appearance Dynamic visual appearance, from the capacity of organisms to rapidly alter color or pattern of the body, is typically achieved through physiological color-change and/or bioluminescence. Since these processes often tune appearance to changing ecological conditions, even small errors in performance may impact fitness. Recent discoveries in the field of photobiology have led to an emerging hypothesis that photoreceptive systems associated with appearance-altering tissues function in the self-assessment of dynamic visual appearance. We outline the ecological significance of that self-assessment, the apparent convergence upon strategies to do so, and the implications of these strategies for: (i) the diversity of taxa that employ these strategies, and (ii) the evolution of visual pathways and optical structures previously only understood to serve ocular vision.

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Shifting baselines and ecological fieldwork We thank Cianciaruso and colleagues for their response [1] to our article on the extinction of experience among ecologists [2]. We support their advocacy for ‘flexpert ecologists’ who integrate diverse skill sets – including those developed through fieldwork. As noted in our original paper [2], we fully agree that field- and non-field-based approaches should not be seen as mutually exclusive, but rather as complementary methods that, when combined, enrich ecological research and conservation practice.

Online now: Shifting baselines and ecological fieldwork

The ecology of the oxyscape in coastal ecosystems Oxygen is vital for marine life. Despite global ocean deoxygenation, coastal oxygen dynamics are poorly understood. We synthesise the biological and m…

NEW PAPER: The ecology of the oxyscape in coastal ecosystems @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social led by Marco Fusi www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"Linking individual animal behavior to species range shifts under climate change" http://dlvr.it/TM7Znf

‪@kwasiscientific.bsky.social, Amy L. Angert, ‪@kaitlyngaynor.bsky.social‬
@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

The ecology of the oxyscape in coastal ecosystems Oxygen is vital for marine life. Despite global ocean deoxygenation, coastal oxygen dynamics are poorly understood. We synthesise the biological and mechanical processes that shape the coastal oxyscape and how organisms respond to it. Oxygen availability can determine species ecophysiology and affect population dynamics and ecological interactions. We propose a novel conceptual framework to reassess oxygen as a resource that is both density-independent and density-dependent, and identify spatial and temporal patterns of competition in coastal ecosystems. Our framework aims to (i) advance eco-evolutionary theory, (ii) improve species distribution models, (iii) inform effective conservation strategies, and (iv) enhance insight into coastal ecosystem-level responses to oxygen fluctuations, thereby advancing our understanding of environmental complexity under climate change, which in turn can guide management.

Online now: The ecology of the oxyscape in coastal ecosystems

"Aquatic biological invasions exacerbate nutritional and health inequities" http://dlvr.it/TM5XMT

@josiesouth.bsky.social ‪@jordancuff.bsky.social Luca Sabini, Zarah Pattison
@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

Aquatic biological invasions exacerbate nutritional and health inequities Fish are a critical source of accessible nutrition. However, when non-native species introduced through aquaculture establish in the wild, they inevitably alter the structure of ecological networks. This could have unprecedented outcomes for nutrient and toxin accumulation when aquatic food is consumed by humans, with socioeconomically variable impacts.

Online now: Aquatic biological invasions exacerbate nutritional and health inequities

Lithobates catesbeianus CREDIT Randy Dzenkiw

Philaeus chrysops CREDIT Anatoly Ozernoy

What does it cost an animal to fight? Researchers discuss why we need to consider cumulative and long term impacts of animal conflict. http://dlvr.it/TM3fY9

Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto, Glauco Machado
@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

Defining biodiversity data It is crucial to document biodiversity data and to take actions to halt the ongoing massive loss of biodiversity. Yet, these data are poorly defined. We propose a definition of biodiversity data and discuss its implications for data management, enabling enhanced data mobilization for integrated research and efficient conservation strategies.

Online now: Defining biodiversity data

How can China protect 30% of its land? The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to conserve 30% of land globally by 2030 using protected areas (PAs) and ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs). China plans to expand PAs to 18% of the land area. An additional 12% can be designated as OECMs within the ecological protection red lines.

Online now: How can China protect 30% of its land?

Recombination-aware phylogenomics Phylogenetic variation, recombination rate evolution, and comparative genome structure and organization have typically been explored in isolation. The chromosomal and genomic context of selected genetic markers in phylogenetic studies is usually unknown, given the fragmented nature of most genome assemblies. It is now established that the position of markers in the genome can strongly influence the inferred phylogeny, often not reflecting speciation patterns and subsequent bifurcating tree structure but rather post-speciation introgression. The recent availability of chromosome-level genome assemblies and advances in estimating genome-wide recombination rates have created opportunities to jointly understand the interplay of chromosome evolution, the landscape of recombination, and phylogenetic signal.

Online now: Recombination-aware phylogenomics

Extreme events drive rapid and dynamic range fluctuations Climate change is altering species’ distributions globally. Increasing frequency of extreme weather and climate events (EWCEs) is one of the hallmarks of climate change. Despite species redistribution being widely studied in response to long-term climatic trends, the contribution of EWCEs to range shifts is not well understood. We outline how EWCEs can trigger rapid and unexpected range boundary fluctuations by impacting dispersal, establishment, and survival. Whether these mechanisms cause temporary or persistent range shifts depends on the spatiotemporal context and exposure to EWCEs. Using the increasing availability of data and statistical tools to examine EWCE impacts at fine spatiotemporal resolutions on species redistribution will be critical for informing conservation management of ecologically, economically, and culturally important species.

Online now: Extreme events drive rapid and dynamic range fluctuations

Extreme events drive rapid and dynamic range fluctuations Climate change is altering species’ distributions globally. Increasing frequency of extreme weather and climate events (EWCEs) is one of the hallmarks…

Extreme weather & climate events #EWCEs 🌪🌀⚡️🔥 may matter for explaining the very large variation in species range shifts 🐋🦈🐙🦐🪸🦋🦉🦔🌳🌲

Read our opinion piece led by Lydia Soifer #SOTM ➡️ Species On the Move

@lysoifer.bsky.social

🌍🌐🧪

@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

shorturl.at/8BZ5e

Online now: Linking individual animal behavior to species range shifts under climate change

What we (don’t) know about costs in animal contests Animal contests are central to understanding the evolution of aggressive behaviors and the strategic decisions that shape survival and reproductive success across species. A key aspect of contests is the role of individual costs in determining the outcome. However, despite its obvious meaning, a clear definition of contest costs is lacking. We argue that contest costs have both short- and long-term effects that affect how aggressive behaviors evolve and show that empirical studies rarely connect these two types of cost. To address this gap, we propose methodological approaches that integrate both cost perspectives. As a result, new research integrating short- and long-term contest costs can substantially advance our understanding of strategic decision-making evolution in animal contests.

Online now: What we (don’t) know about costs in animal contests

Here's the latest in our series of interviews about how we can make ecology & evolution more inclusive to people with disabilities & chronic conditions.
If you would like to contribute, we are looking for people to contribute in October, November & December so please get in touch! tree@cell.com

The brains and social lives of animals shape predator-prey interactions. We explore the extent of this relationship in our 2024 @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social review.

www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

SCCS 2026 has opened for applications!

📣Spread the word!

It will be our 25th conference in Cambridge and will take place between 31 March – 2 April 2026. Check out the website for more info and to apply: www.sccs-cam.org.

Disability in ecology and evolution In this TrendsTalk series 'Disability in ecology and evolution' in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, we will be hearing from people about their experiences being disabled in ecology and evolution. We are asking ecologists and evolutionary biologists with disabilities what the community could do to make our field more inclusive – these changes can be very practical things (e.g., large fonts), they could be institutional, or involve people’s attitudes and beliefs. If you identify as disabled or have a chronic condition and would like to share your thoughts, please get in touch – tree@cell.com, we would love to hear from you.

Online now: Disability in ecology and evolution

Proponents of the Sixth Mass Extinction admit it is unsupported We respond here to the criticism of our recent paper in TREE [1] by Cowie et al. [2]. We start by noting our great appreciation for the work by those authors in documenting the current extinction crisis in snails. However, vehemently arguing for a Sixth Mass Extinction (6ME), without adequate scientific evidence, may damage the credibility of conservation biology and science in general.

Online now: Proponents of the Sixth Mass Extinction admit it is unsupported

@cvq.bsky.social, another colleague and I contributed to this great series by TREE. We talk about our experiences with neurological disorders, the effects on our careers, and give some suggestions on structural changes that would help researchers with invisible disabilities like ours in EcoEvo.

Sex chromosome evolution in action in fourspine sticklebacks The suppression of recombination between young X and Y chromosomes is a crucial step in their evolution, but why it occurs is not known. The detailed characterization of the polymorphic sex chromosomes of the fourspine stickleback by Liu et al. promises to shed new light on this longstanding question.

Online now: Sex chromosome evolution in action in fourspine sticklebacks

Overcoming the disconnect between species interaction networks and biodiversity conservation Decision-makers need to act now to halt biodiversity loss, and ecologists must provide them with relevant species interaction indicators to inform abo…

🧪 New paper: how can we turn decades of work to quantify the structure of species interaction networks into something relevant for biodiversity monitoring and management? @gabdans.bsky.social lays out the roadmap in a new paper in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Overcoming the disconnect between species interaction networks and biodiversity conservation Decision-makers need to act now to halt biodiversity loss, and ecologists must provide them with relevant species interaction indicators to inform about community- and ecosystem-level changes. Yet, the integration of ecological networks into conservation is still virtually nonexistent. Here, we argue that existing data and methodologies are sufficient to generate network information usable for conservation and to begin overcoming existing barriers to the integration of network information and biodiversity decision-making. Interaction network indicators must meet criteria important to decision-makers and be tied to specific conservation goals, which requires academics to better engage with practitioners. We use network robustness as an example of an already applicable indicator and showcase its potential with a reusable workflow to inform decision-making.

Online now: Overcoming the disconnect between species interaction networks and biodiversity conservation

Ecologically representative Marine Protected Area planning can think globally and act locally To date, Marine Protected Area (MPA) planning has been regional. Over half of the current MPA are outside the areas identified as a priority for the protection of global biodiversity in all global and High Seas studies. Using systematic planning, an MPA network could be representative of all marine biodiversity in half of the ocean area and could be representative of between 70% and 90% of biodiversity in 30% of the ocean area. We found that 1% of the ocean was overlapped by the global studies. This 1% should be prioritised internationally and nationally as fully protected MPA which prohibit people from killing wildlife and damaging habitats. Species range maps suggest this 1% may include up to half of some groups of marine species.

Online now: Ecologically representative Marine Protected Area planning can think globally and act locally

A call for flexpert ecologists Soga and Gaston [1,2] (hereafter S&G) express concern over the impacts of a purported progressive decline in fieldwork activities among ecology students and professionals. They list several interconnected impacts, including: (i) reduced personal knowledge and skills gained through direct field experience, (ii) difficulties in formulating novel and relevant hypotheses, and (iii) fewer opportunities for field data collection. While we agree with many points raised by S&G, we advocate for a broader perspective, encouraging ecologists to be ‘flexperts’ – versatile professionals who combine diverse skills, including those gained through fieldwork.

Online now: A call for flexpert ecologists

Why did cephalopods develop intelligence? And why, being so intelligent and cognitively complex, do they die so young? In this @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social ‪paper, the authors explore this paradox from an ecological and evolutionary perspective. www.cell.com/action/showP...

No species left behind: borrowing strength to map data-deficient species We lack the data needed to detect and understand biodiversity change for most species, despite some species having millions of observations. This unequal data coverage impedes conservation planning and our understanding of biodiversity patterns. The ‘borrowing strength’ approach leverages data-rich species to improve predictions for data-deficient species. We review multi- and joint-species distribution models that incorporate traits and phylogenies (termed ‘ancillary information’) and highlight how they could improve data-deficient spatial predictions. When ancillary information is informative of niche similarity, it has immense potential to improve estimates for data-deficient species distributions and address the Wallacean shortfall. While no statistical method can replace data-collection efforts, approaches discussed in this review offer an important contribution toward closing existing data gaps.

Online now: No species left behind: borrowing strength to map data-deficient species