Global change is altering forests worldwide, with multiple consequences for ecosystem functioning. Temporal changes in climate, and extreme, compounded weather events like hotter droughts are affecting the demography, composition and function of forests, leading to a highly uncertain future. To accurately predict future forest responses to hotter droughts, we highlight the need for considering a broad

Habitat heterogeneity and demographic processes create variability in the major taxonomic diversity trends: 1) biotic homogenization and 2) the emergence of novel community compositions. Nonetheless, little is known about how the imprints of environmental filtering and random demographic processes on community dissimilarity vary over 1) time or 2) space. Quantifying such variation is key to revealing

Patterns in functional and phylogenetic diversity reflect ecological and evolutionary relationships among taxa, and thus can offer key insights into the mechanisms underlying species distributions. However, disentangling the relative influence of proximate environmental drivers versus biogeographic evolutionary history can be a challenge. Moreover, human activities have enormously impacted the global

The rapid adoption of environmental DNA (eDNA) methods has drastically changed biodiversity monitoring efforts. It is often claimed that eDNA methods are more sensitive and efficient than conventional biodiversity monitoring methods, but it is often unclear what metrics support this claim. There have been many direct comparative studies between eDNA and conventional methods; several supporting the

Around the world, ecological communities are becoming more similar to one another in a process known as biotic homogenization – an increase in similarity among communities over time. While biotic homogenization has been widely studied among spatial communities, very little attention has been paid to beta diversity between seasonal communities, especially in terms of functional or phylogenetic diversity

Morphological changes concurrent with climate change are increasingly identified in birds, often through decreasing body size and increasing appendage size. Such changes could have thermoregulatory implications, through the improved surface area to body ratio they provide. Due to the role of bird wings in thermoregulation, wing length relative to body mass may be changing as another form of shape‐shifting

In shelf ecosystems, benthic invertebrates facilitate nutrient recycling and the transfer of energy to higher trophic levels. However, large‐scale monitoring through direct sampling (e.g. using benthic grabs or bottom trawls) can be costly in terms of time and labor. Here, we demonstrate a method for developing standardized abundance indices of forage groups (i.e. species or functional groups preyed

Risk assessments of invasive species present one of the most challenging applications of species distribution models (SDMs) due to the fundamental issues of distributional disequilibrium, niche changes, and truncation. Invasive species often occupy only a fraction of their potential environmental and geographic ranges, as their spatiotemporal dynamics are shaped by intraspecific variability, human‐mediated

Land‐use changes and climatic changes are two entwined stressors on ecosystems. Studies on such interactions often focus on species‐level or region‐specific responses, but fewer have examined differences in responses based on functional traits. Here we examine the influence of natural habitat cover and temperature change on the abundance of all arthropods and on the abundance of pollinator, pest and

A fundamental problem in ecology is understanding the changes in species composition among sites (i.e. beta‐diversity). It is unclear how spatial heterogeneity in species occupancy across sites shapes patterns of beta‐diversity. To address this question, we develop probabilistic models that consider two spatial or temporal sites, where presence probabilities vary both among species and between the

Understanding where and when pathogens occur in the environment has implications for reservoir population health and infection risk. In reservoir hosts, infection status and pathogen shedding are affected by processes interacting across different scales: from landscape features affecting host location and transmission to within‐host processes affecting host immunity and infectiousness. While uncommonly

Animals redistribute elements throughout their lives by depositing wastes and carcasses. Growing evidence shows that these zoogeochemical processes enhance landscape diversity and heterogeneity worldwide. We provide a descriptive framework for understanding how direct animal depositions (i.e. fecal matter, urine, carcasses, and other body materials) contribute to element heterogeneity across scales

Birds select habitat characteristics, such as variability in habitat structure, across multiple spatial scales (grain and extent). Measuring habitat variability at multiple scales can better capture factors that influence avifauna communities than focusing on one scale only. One valuable tool in assessing habitat heterogeneity is the cumulative dynamic habitat index (DHI), which is derived from satellite

Species distribution models (SDMs) analyse the relationships between species occurrences and environmental predictors. Their efficacy largely depends on the selection of ecologically relevant predictors, with remote sensing (RS) data being one of the most commonly used sources. The usability of multispectral predictors is influenced by temporal changes in vegetation and environmental conditions. However

The abundant‐center hypothesis (ACH) provides a conceptual model for predicting range‐wide distributions of species abundance, suggesting that abundance peaks in the center of the geographic range and declines towards range edges. Empirical studies testing the ACH and its subsequent derivations predominantly occurred in terrestrial systems and reported mixed support. Moreover, none of these models

Delayed greening, the phenomenon in which expanding leaves appear red, blue or pale green due to low chlorophyll content, has long intrigued ecologists. However, little is known about what type of species are most likely to delay greening or which environmental conditions are associated with delayed greening. We spectroscopically quantified leaf pigments in 105 species from 12 representative terrestrial

Temperature generally drives latitudinal patterns in the strength of trophic interactions, including consumption rates. However, local community and other environmental conditions might also affect consumption, disrupting latitudinal gradients, which results in complex large‐scale patterns. This study assessed the relative effect of environmental variables and local consumer communities on predation

Museum specimens offer a unique and powerful tool for understanding the impact of anthropogenic change on populations over time. Morphological traits can be impacted by many different environmental variables that are difficult to separate from one another as potential driving factors. Comparative analyses among similar species jointly experiencing change in the same environmental variables can help

Freshwater environments are intertwined with human activities and the consequence has been environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Fish provide key ecological and economic benefits, and fish abundance and diversity can be affected by human activities resulting in functional diversity (FD) changes that might scale up to ecosystem impacts. Changes in FD can be expressed by quantifying its three

The processes driving defense trait correlations may vary within and between species based on ecological or environmental contexts. However, most studies of plant defense theory fail to address this potential for shifts in trait correlations across scales. In this work, we tested for correlations between multiple defensive traits (secondary chemistry, carbon to nitrogen ratio, domatia, leaf toughness

Body size is a key functional trait that has declined in many biological communities, partly due to changes in individual growth rates in response to climate warming. However, our understanding of growth responses in natural populations is limited by relatively short time series without large temperature contrasts and unknown levels of adaptation to local temperatures across populations within species

Natural ecosystems are characterized by a specialization pattern where few species are common while many others are rare. In ecological networks involving biotic interactions, specialization operates as a continuum at individual, species, and community levels. Theory predicts that ecological and evolutionary factors can primarily explain specialization. However, we still do not understand how specialization

The global biodiversity loss is causing abrupt shifts in the structure and functioning of ecosystems with severe ecological and socio‐economic consequences. Therefore, improving our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and regime shifts, as well as the stabilizing role of biodiversity across multiple scales is needed. Here we investigate the temporal dynamics and stability of marine ecosystems using

The Arctic experiences rapid climate change, but our ability to predict how this will influence plant communities is hampered by a lack of data on the extent to which different species are associated with particular environmental conditions, how these conditions are interlinked, and how they will change in coming years. Increasing temperatures may negatively affect plants associated with cold areas

Prey species adjust their behavior along human‐use gradients by balancing risks from predators and humans. During hunting seasons, prey often exhibit strong antipredator responses to humans but may develop tolerance in suburban areas to exploit human‐mediated resources. Additionally, areas with high human activity may offer reduced predation risk if apex predators avoid such locations. This study examined

Global change threatens a vast number of species with severe population declines or even extinction. The threat status of an organism is often designated based on geographic range, population size, or declines in either. However, invertebrates, which comprise the bulk of animal diversity, are conspicuously absent from global frameworks that assess extinction risk. Many invertebrates are hard to study

Plant traits are important for understanding community assembly and ecosystem processes, yet our understanding of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is limited. This gap in our knowledge is partially because collecting trait data across a species' entire range is impractical, let alone across the ranges of multiple species within a plant family. Using machine learning techniques to predict spatial

Boreal forests, the largest terrestrial biome on Earth, are highly varied in local tree density. Despite previous attempts to estimate tree density in boreal forests, the accuracy of the estimation is unknown, leaving the question how many trees there are in boreal forests largely unanswered. Here, we compiled tree density data from 4367 plots in North American boreal forest and developed tree height‐based

The species–area relationship (SAR) on islands describes how the numbers of species increase with increasing island size (or island‐like habitat, such as lakes). Despite its conceptual importance, there is considerable uncertainty surrounding its shape in freshwater lakes, as well as the potential mechanisms that underlie the SAR. Here, we used standardized sampling data of benthic macroinvertebrates

Exploring the global patterns of phylogenetic and functional structure of assemblages is key to describe the distribution of biodiversity on Earth and to predict how communities and ecosystem functioning may be affected by anthropogenic pressures. Rodent communities have been studied in this regard in the past, but previous work largely focused on desert ecosystems. Here, we leveraged a large database

Invasive alien plant species can cause considerable ecological, economic, and social impacts, and the number of impactful species will likely increase with globalisation and anthropogenic climate change. Preventing potentially invasive alien plant species from becoming introduced is the most cost‐effective way to protect Norway's ecosystems from future invasions. We developed and applied a new method

The understory vegetation of boreal forests plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity by creating habitats, supplying food resources, and regulating microclimate and soil conditions. This essential layer is frequently affected by disturbances such as forest fires and clear‐cutting, which significantly alter understory communities and the ecosystem resource availability and heterogeneity. This

Populations at the edge of a species' distribution often encounter more challenging environmental conditions than those at the core, requiring unique adaptations and strategies. However, the demographic processes driving these populations remain poorly understood. This study aims to understand these processes and the population stability of the hibernating edible dormouse under challenging environmental

Knowledge about species abundance across broad spatial areas is crucial for unraveling ecological processes. Yet, abundance estimation often demands extensive sampling effort associated with logistical challenges. Using suitability values obtained from species distribution models (based on species' presence data) as a proxy for abundance has garnered interest during the last decades. Previous studies

Global biodiversity hotspots, including Mediterranean‐type ecosystems worldwide, are highly threatened by global change that alters biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services. Some restoration activities enhance ecosystem functions by reintroducing plant species based on known relationships between plant traits and ecosystem processes. Achieving multiple functions across different site conditions

The delineation of zoogeographic regions is essential for understanding the evolution of biodiversity. Madagascar, characterized by high levels of endemism and habitat diversity, presents unique challenges and opportunities for such studies. Traditional global zoogeographic classifications, largely based on vertebrates, may overlook finer‐scale patterns of diversity. This study employs comprehensive

Emerging vector‐borne pathogens (VBPs) pose significant global health threats, occasionally causing widespread outbreaks with high wildlife mortality. Understanding climatic and anthropogenic drivers behind transmission dynamics in wildlife populations is key to mitigate health risks. Citizen science data may allow us to investigate the spread of pathogen outbreaks as it can be collected over a wide

Functional diversity is increasingly used alongside taxonomic diversity to describe populations and communities in ecology. Indeed, functional diversity metrics allow researchers to summarise complex occupancy patterns in space and/or time across communities and/or populations in response to various stressors. In other words, investigating what, how, and why something is changing in an ecosystem by

According to Bergmann's and Allen's rules, climate change may drive morphological shifts in species, affecting body size and appendage length. These rules predict that species in colder climates tend to be larger and have shorter appendages to improve thermoregulation. Bats are thought to be sensitive to climate and are therefore expected to respond to climatic changes across space and time. We conducted

Comparing the functional traits of co‐occurring native and invasive plant species can offer insight regarding mechanisms of invasion. Previous studies have failed to reach a consensus, indicating that the extent of trait differences between native and invasives might depend on the environmental context and on the spatial grain of the analysis. Here we evaluate the scale‐dependency of native–invader

The mapping of plant biodiversity represents a fundamental stage in establishing conservation priorities, particularly in identifying groups of species that share ecological requirements or evolutionary histories. This is often achieved by assessing different spatial diversity patterns in plant population distributions. In this paper, we present two primary data sources crucial for biodiversity monitoring:

Community ecology has been described as a ‘mess' because ecological processes vary in space, time, and across species traits, resulting in myriads of ecological contingencies and low scientific predictability. Here, we aimed to identify and rank ecological contingencies and improve predictability using fully crossed high-order factorial mensurative and manipulative experiments across axes of spatiotemporal

Nearly all research has to rely on imprecise data. This poses a challenge of knowing which conclusions are reliable despite potential data quality issues. One field that has been fundamentally affected by this is macroecology. Can we understand drivers of biodiversity patterns without having fully reliable distributional data? In this paper, we investigated the reliability of biodiversity patterns

Understanding how historical versus contemporary processes shape population genetic structure and diversity is important to design effective management actions for threatened species. We genotyped 1834 SNPs in 1120 individuals from 110 Scandinavian populations of the declining orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, in three different habitat types, to examine whether genetic structure was related to wind speed

The analysis of macroecological patterns has necessitated the use of large, composite datasets recording local-scale species occurrences distributed across the globe. These datasets, however, have various spatial and temporal biases, including taxonomic under sampling, range gaps for many species, and geographic uncertainty. They have rarely been compared to data collected in the field across large

Advances in computational power and methods, and the widespread availability of remote sensing data have driven the development of machine learning models for estimating global carbon storage. Current models often rely on dozens of predictor variables to estimate aboveground biomass density (AGBD), resulting in accurate but complex models that are challenging to interpret from a biological and ecological

Trade-offs relating to resource acquisition and conservation, reproduction and longevity generate considerable trait variation among co-occurring tree species, yet little is known about how the nature and strength of these trade-offs shift along gradients of resource availability. For rainforest and dry forest tree communities distributed across a continuous gradient of moisture availability in Australia's

Variation in life histories influences demographic processes, from adaptive changes to population declines leading to extinction. Among life history traits, generation length offers a critical feature to forecast species' demographic trajectories such as population declines (widely used by the IUCN Red List) and adaptability to environmental change over time. Therefore, estimates of generation length

Time lags between initial introduction and subsequent naturalization of non‐native species are infrequently quantified but are pivotal to address the dynamics of plant invasions. Key outstanding questions are the magnitude of these time lags, how they reflect variation in introduction effort, and whether they tend to be shorter for species known to be invasive. Using ornamental plant nursery catalogues

While successful plant invasions often occur in novel environments, invasive species usually occupy broad niches within their native and introduced ranges. A better understanding of the process of invasion therefore requires a wide sampling of ranges, and a good knowledge of introduction history. We tested for differentiation in herbivore resistance among 128 introduced (European, North American) and

The latitudinal gradient in plant diversity is one of the most famous patterns in ecology. It is hypothesised that narrow niche breadths and restricted geographic ranges in the tropics allow more species to coexist with minimal overlap relative to high-latitude regions. Although a wealth of studies have investigated these questions across different regions and taxonomic groups, these have consistently

Communities of insects around the world consist of unique sets of species that have evolved under different historical processes of assembly and lineage diversification. Whole-community phylogenetics can partition the shared and uniquely derived evolutionary history across sites. We used mitochondrial genome sequences of > 1000 species each from two assemblages of Coleoptera (beetles) in distantly

Species' characteristics, such as their capacity to disperse great distances or to interact with many partners, may determine their ability to propagate impacts within and across communities. These spatial and interaction‐related processes may have synergistic or opposing influences on a species' ability to connect with others, but typical analyses of ecological networks may not be able to disentangle

Idiosyncratic decisions during the biodiversity trend assessment process may limit reproducibility, whilst ‘hidden' uncertainty due to collection bias, taxonomic incompleteness, and variable taxonomic resolution may limit the reliability of reported trends. We model alternative decisions made during assessment of taxon‐level abundance and distribution trends using an 18‐year time series covering freshwater

Forest bird abundance in Europe has remained stable overall, unlike farmland species which have declined dramatically in recent decades. However, this apparent stability may hide large variations among species and geographical regions. We aimed to determine if forest bird species with varying life histories and biome distributions show different population trends. We used functional traits and specialisation

Species distribution models (SDMs) are frequently data‐limited. In aquatic habitats, emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling methods can be quicker and more cost‐efficient than traditional count and capture surveys, but their utility for fitting SDMs is complicated by dilution, transport, and loss processes that modulate DNA concentrations and mix eDNA from different locations. Past models for estimating

Tropical rainforests are among the most emblematic ecosystems in terms of biodiversity. However, our understanding of the structure of tropical biodiversity is still incomplete, particularly for certain groups of soil organisms such as earthworms, whose importance for ecosystem functioning is widely recognised. This study aims at determining the relative contribution of alpha and beta components to

An ongoing quest in ecology is understanding how species commonness influences compositional change. While each species' contribution to beta diversity (SCBD) depends both on its abundance and how widespread it is (e.g. occupancy) a general expectation for these influences is lacking. Using published data for 9924 species across 177 metacommunities, we modelled relative SCBD as a function of abundance

The biogeographic affinity of a lineage leaves imprint on its niche, and influences its distribution under biotic interchange between landmasses. Since the beginning of the Quaternary, North America (a remnant of Laurasia) and South America (a remnant of Gondwana) have been united, and triggered the Great American Biotic Interchange. Based on existing knowledge, we expect more Laurasian lineages to

A primary prediction of climate change ecology is that species will track their climate niche poleward and upslope. However, studies have shown species responding in surprising ways. In this study, we aim to understand the impact of global change on species ranges by considering both climate and habitat changes. Using occupancy analysis of acoustic survey data in the mountains of the northeastern United