Conceptualising ecology to support more theory-driven research

Abstract

Concepts are abstract ideas that describe processes of interest. As such, concepts are the backbone to theories in any science. Concepts and theories are related in that novel theories cannot emerge without the existence of the solid concepts that underpin them. Indeed, Einstein and Darwin would not have been able to put forward their respective theories of relativity (Einstein, 1918) and evolution (Darwin, 1859) without the concepts of ‘gravity’ and ‘natural selection’. Concepts are not necessarily empirically testable, while theories must be.

Concepts are particularly useful to investigate and understand ecological systems because nature is complex. The development of concepts has historically enabled ecologists to better understand the interactions between organisms and their environments, as well as their underlying mechanisms. Indeed, ecological concepts encapsulate key processes such as energy transfer (e.g. ‘energy flows’, Lindeman, 1942), self-regulation (e.g. ‘density dependence’, Nicholson & Bailey, 1935), species interactions (e.g. ‘competition’, Volterra, 1927; ‘facilitation’, Clements, 1916), or evolutionary dynamics (e.g. ‘fast evolution’, Reznick et al., 1990; ‘eco-evolutionary dynamics’, Pelletier et al., 2009). By providing a consistent structure to study ecological systems, ecological concepts allow researchers to classify life history strategies (Stearns, 1983; Stott et al., 2024), predict behaviours (Hamilton, 1964), quantify the stability and resilience of systems (Van Meerbeek et al., 2021), or identify key drivers of biodiversity (Mac Arthur & Wilson, 1970). These foundational concepts integrate biology, evolution, environmental sciences, and conservation, enabling us to address global challenges such as resource depletion, climate change and biodiversity loss.

To further fuel the development and implementation of concepts in ecology, in 2020 Journal of Animal Ecology added a seventh Article Type to its publishing portfolio: ‘Concepts’. The goal of Concept articles is to challenge existing paradigms or to introduce novel ideas that may guide the field of animal ecology in fresh directions and ultimately support more theory-driven research. Here, we provide some key examples of concepts that have helped advance ecology. In doing so, we also highlight contributions published in Journal of Animal Ecology, and provide suggestions to authors interested in submitting Concept articles to the Journal.

Other key concepts in ecology published by the Journals of the British Ecological Society can be found in this link: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/learning-and-resources/career-development/key-concepts-in-ecology/.

Authors wishing to submit a Concepts in Animal Ecology article are encouraged to contact the commissioning editor of Journal of Animal Ecology ([email protected]) to discuss the idea prior to submission.

As the field of animal ecology continues to evolve, several emerging areas offer exciting opportunities for conceptual development. We are particularly keen to continue to receive concepts that help our discipline overcome said challenges.

One of the most promising areas is Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ecology. AI has already drastically transformed how ecologists collect and analyse data, from enhanced field monitoring (Shermeister et al., 2024), to automating species identification (Jarret et al., 2024), to bridging lab and field pipelines (Harrison et al., 2023), and expediting predictive analytics (Windsor, 2023). AI applications allow ecologists to handle vast datasets more efficiently (Smith & Pinter-Wollman, 2021), offering unprecedented opportunities to monitor ecosystems in real time. However, with the potential to access and analyse more data, new challenges too are starting to emerge, including the choice of approach and the reproducibility of the research.

Another promising area in ecological research is the refinement of methodological pipelines. New tools, such as remote sensing (Davison et al., 2023), genetic techniques (Li et al., 2021) and integrative modelling (Zhao et al., 2019), provide ecologists with more accurate and scalable approaches for studying ecosystems. We are also keen to receive submissions in these areas, as the further development of pipelines requires the formalisation of concepts therein.

Ecological concepts are also key in applied contexts such as wildlife management, environmental policy and sustainability efforts. The frameworks that ecological concepts sustain inform ecological restoration projects (Noe et al., 2022), guide rewilding strategies (Burgos et al., 2022), and help assess the effectiveness of protected areas (Wood et al., 2013). Ultimately, the ability to accurately model ecosystems and predict responses to environmental pressures underpins conservation efforts globally. We welcome more concepts and theoretical frameworks in this area.

We are excited to receive submissions that revisit ecological concepts that have evolved over time. Ideas such as niche theory (Dussault, 2022; Grinnell, 1917), metapopulation dynamics (Hanski et al., 2006; Levins, 1969), and trophic cascades (Hairston et al., 1960; Katano et al., 2006) have transformed as new technologies and data sources have expanded our understanding of ecosystems (Koger et al., 2023; Leach et al., 2023). Revisiting these concepts can provide fresh perspectives, especially in the context of climate change, habitat fragmentation and rapid species loss (Layton & Bradbury, 2022; Lustenhouwer et al., 2023; Reed et al., 2023; Sánchez-Hernández, 2023).

As the future of ecology is shaped by these and other emerging areas, the Journal of Animal Ecology will continue to welcome contributions that push the boundaries of our knowledge. By embracing technological advances, refining methodologies, rethinking established concepts, testing old theories, and proposing new ones, we will deepen our understanding of the natural world and address the pressing environmental challenges of our time.

In this piece, we have highlighted some key concepts published in Journal of Animal Ecology and other journals that, with time, have become staples of our ecological thinking. While some of the on-going Concept submissions will no doubt reach those heights, we encourage our authors to not let that thought be their ultimate goal. Rather than receiving only Concepts that have the potential to become heavily cited, we are more interested in receiving a wide diversity of concepts, with a special emphasis on ECRs and under-represented groups and sub-disciplines of ecology. Researchers are welcome to approach us to obtain initial feedback on their ideas for concepts and to receive suggestions on further development. We look forward to your Concepts!

Roberto Salguero-Gómez wrote the manuscript. All coauthors provided input, ideas, and feedback to the final draft.

The authors are Editors of Journal of Animal Ecology but took no part in the peer review or decision-making process for this paper.