Global change has complex eco-evolutionary consequences for organisms and ecosystems, but related concepts (e.g., novel ecosystems) do not cover their full range. Here we propose an umbrella concept of "ecological novelty" comprising (1) a site-specific and (2) an organism-centered, eco-evolutionary perspective. Under this umbrella, complementary options for studying and communicating effects of global change on organisms, ecosystems, and landscapes can be included in a toolbox. This allows researchers to address ecological novelty from different perspectives, e.g., by defining it based on (a) categorical or continuous measures, (b) reference conditions related to sites or organisms, and (c) types of human activities. We suggest striving for a descriptive, non-normative usage of the term "ecological novelty" in science. Normative evaluations and decisions about conservation policies or management are important, but require additional societal processes and engagement with multiple stakeholders.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829016 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz095 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Dynamic treeline and cryosphere response to pronounced mid-Holocene climatic variability in the US Rocky Mountains.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.
Climate-driven changes in high-elevation forest distribution and reductions in snow and ice cover have major implications for ecosystems and global water security. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of the Rocky Mountains (United States), recent melting of a high-elevation (3,091 m asl) ice patch exposed a mature stand of whitebark pine () trees, located ~180 m in elevation above modern treeline, that date to the mid-Holocene (c. 5,950 to 5,440 cal y BP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBoreal forests are heading for an open state.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Environmental Sciences Department, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands.
The boreal forest biome is warming four times faster than the global average. Changes so far are moderate, but time lags in responses may transiently maintain forest states which are no longer supported by current environmental conditions. Here, we explore whether tree cover dynamics hint at the state to which the biome may be shifting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntegrating climate and physical constraints into assessments of net capture from direct air capture facilities.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
Limiting climate change to targets enshrined in the Paris Agreement will require both deep decarbonization of the energy system and the deployment of carbon dioxide removal at potentially large scale (gigatons of annual removal). Nations are pursuing direct air capture to compensate for inertia in the expansion of low-carbon energy systems, decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, and address legacy emissions. Global assessments of this technology have failed to integrate factors that affect net capture and removal cost, including ambient conditions like temperature and humidity, as well as emission factors of electricity and natural gas systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHow and why funders support engaged research.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO 64110.
Research that better aligns policy, practice, and research communities is gaining momentum around the world. This includes engaged research strategies that bring partners, and their diverse perspectives and kinds of knowledge, together to shape research agendas with on-the-ground-needs and to create dynamic problem-solving processes. These approaches aim to generate more equitable and effective solutions to societal challenges.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Financial toxicity is the detrimental impact of health care costs that must be mitigated to achieve universal health coverage. Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) is widely used to measure financial toxicity but does not capture patient perspectives of unaffordable health care costs. Financial hardship (FH), a patient-reported outcome measure, is currently underutilized but may be an important adjunct metric.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!