Reducing bias in experimental ecology through directed acyclic graphs.

Ecologists often rely on randomized control trials (RCTs) to quantify causal relationships in nature. Many of our foundational insights of ecological phenomena can be traced back to well-designed experiments, and RCTs continue to provide valuable insights today. Although RCTs are often regarded as the "gold standard" for causal inference, it is important to recognize that they too rely on a set of causal assumptions that must be justified and met by the researcher to draw valid causal conclusions.

Ten simple rules for succeeding as an underrepresented STEM undergraduate.

Undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds (e.g., Black, Indigenous, and people of color [BIPOC], members of the Deaf community, people with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, from low-income backgrounds, or underrepresented genders) continue to face exclusion and marginalization in higher education.

Ecology and evolutionary biology must elevate BIPOC scholars.

Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) individuals are disproportionately impacted by the negative consequences of our ongoing environmental and climate crises, yet their valuable scientific voices are shockingly underrepresented within the fields of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). As early-career BIPOC EEB researchers, we recognise the key role that our fields play in understanding and mitigating the effects of our ongoing global crises, and are concerned about the lack of diversity we see among our own EEB cohorts and mentors. We present this piece as a call to action for the EEB Academy, drawing on our own experiences and the literature to suggest steps the Academy must take to increase representation of and equity for BIPOC graduate scholars in EEB.