{"title":"Diversity patterns are parsimoniously explained by equilibrium dynamics.","authors":"David Storch, Grace I Ridder, Jordan G Okie","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"576-577"},"PeriodicalIF":17.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148219844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guan-Long Cao, Xiao-Qian Li, Kun-Li Xiang, Andrey S Erst, Florian Jabbour, Rosa Del C Ortiz, Jian Yang, Wei Wang
{"title":"Formation of three great Asian plateaus, climate change, and biodiversity: (Trends Ecol. Evol. 40, 970-982; 2025).","authors":"Guan-Long Cao, Xiao-Qian Li, Kun-Li Xiang, Andrey S Erst, Florian Jabbour, Rosa Del C Ortiz, Jian Yang, Wei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2026.06.010","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":17.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148333021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Who finds the seeds? Personality matters.","authors":"Bo Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seed dispersal begins with animals finding seeds-a long-overlooked step. Merz et al. reveal that shy voles find fewer seeds more slowly and favour eating over dispersing. By integrating personality, they show that who you are, where you are, and who you are with jointly determine this hidden bottleneck.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"479-481"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147960363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanistic complexity underlies the apparent simplicity of Bergmann's rule.","authors":"Marketa Zimova, Charlotte M Probst, Brian C Weeks","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bergmann's rule predicts larger body size at higher latitudes, yet the mechanisms behind this pattern remain unclear. Ongman et al. show that body size in a widespread bird reflects both evolutionary and plastic responses to climate, highlighting the complexity of mechanisms giving rise to morphological variation across space and time.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"476-478"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147975733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating transformations from degraded to functional ecosystems.","authors":"Linda E Neaves, Iain J Gordon, Adrian D Manning","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Reversing ecosystem degradation is complex and presents uncertainties, even when recreating the properties and processes of historical ecosystems. Similar challenges are encountered in natural resource management. We propose that adapting management tools from this domain will improve management options, and the resist-accept-direct framework could be appropriate for restoring degraded ecosystems. However, in this context, we argue that separate pathways are needed for actions that actively revert the ecosystem towards a historical baseline and those that aim to resist current and future changes. This distinction allows our resist-accept-direct-revert framework to enhance clarity and transparency in planning, communication, and management, especially in restoration and rewilding contexts involving poorly understood or novel ecosystems, and where unforeseen detrimental consequences could occur.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"482-491"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147481612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sexual selection in plants and animals: toward a unified framework.","authors":"Jeanne Tonnabel, Patrice David, Tim Janicke","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sexual selection is a cornerstone of evolutionary biology in animals but remains underexplored in plants, where empirical work is often disconnected from sexual selection theory. A major barrier to crosstaxonomic synthesis is the inconsistent definition of core concepts, especially mating success. We advocate for a unified, taxon-neutral three-phase framework of sexual selection (premating, postmating, and postfertilization), grounded in traditional practice and applicable to both animals and plants. Parallels and differences across taxa are highlighted, capturing universal processes alongside biological diversity. Traits common in plants and historically seen as incompatible with sexual selection-such as modularity, pollen dispersal by third-party vectors, and lack of physical contact between mates-do not preclude its action and instead offer new biological processes to study.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"514-526"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147782096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ademir S F Araujo, Erika V de Medeiros, Diogo P da Costa, Lucas W Mendes, Maurício R Cherubin, Raphael M Beirigo, George R Lambais, Vania M M Melo, Rodrigo M Santana, Vanessa N Kavamura, Arthur P A Pereira
{"title":"Soil biodiversity first: reframing desertification and restoration governance in Brazil's semiarid region.","authors":"Ademir S F Araujo, Erika V de Medeiros, Diogo P da Costa, Lucas W Mendes, Maurício R Cherubin, Raphael M Beirigo, George R Lambais, Vania M M Melo, Rodrigo M Santana, Vanessa N Kavamura, Arthur P A Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.04.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Desertification in Brazil's Caatinga is driven by largely overlooked belowground degradation. Integrating whole-soil microbial indicators into policy enables earlier diagnosis, function-based restoration, and climate-resilient dryland management. We discuss how soil biodiversity can be positioned as an early indicator, a restoration target, and a governance tool within the Caatinga Microbiome Initiative.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"465-468"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147782113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Establishing transboundary protected areas to achieve sustainability.","authors":"Wenjie Li, Fang Han, Xuan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.04.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transboundary areas host unique ecosystems and deliver various nature's contributions to people; however, these areas face increasing threats from global change and geopolitical instability. We suggest that establishing transboundary protected areas will be promising for enhancing biodiversity conservation, promoting sustainable natural resource use, and facilitating peace between neighboring countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"469-473"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147782061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bradley D Ohlinger, Josep Call, Mathieu Charbonneau, Takao Sasaki
{"title":"Animal cumulative culture through changing environments.","authors":"Bradley D Ohlinger, Josep Call, Mathieu Charbonneau, Takao Sasaki","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Humanity's ecological success is often attributed to cumulative cultural evolution (CCE). While experimental and observational studies have generated increasing empirical support for the presence of CCE in animals, few have conclusively demonstrated it. One possible explanation for the dearth of direct evidence for animal CCE is that existing experiments might not provide the requisite conditions. Therefore, some animals could be capable of CCE, but new methods are needed to detect the process. We identify key experimental limitations in the animal CCE literature, offer new methodologies for addressing them, and illustrate our methods using Temnothorax ants as a model system. In doing so, we introduce a broadly generalizable experimental paradigm for testing animal CCE.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"527-540"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147594934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Torben Riehl, Monika Böhm, Simone N Brandão, Angelika Brandt, Chong Chen, Gregory D Edgecombe, Hosea J Ze Frank, Austin J Gallagher, Rebecca Goldburg, Pat Hutchings, Fabrizio M Machado, Volker Mosbrugger, Riley A Pollom, Jan Steger, Anne H Tandberg, Swati Thiyagarajan, Ekin Tilic, Alica Torkov, Miguel Vences, Ruth Wasmund, Julia D Sigwart
{"title":"Marine conservation: linking taxonomy, Red Listing, and public engagement.","authors":"Torben Riehl, Monika Böhm, Simone N Brandão, Angelika Brandt, Chong Chen, Gregory D Edgecombe, Hosea J Ze Frank, Austin J Gallagher, Rebecca Goldburg, Pat Hutchings, Fabrizio M Machado, Volker Mosbrugger, Riley A Pollom, Jan Steger, Anne H Tandberg, Swati Thiyagarajan, Ekin Tilic, Alica Torkov, Miguel Vences, Ruth Wasmund, Julia D Sigwart","doi":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.03.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tree.2026.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The majority of marine invertebrate species are undescribed and absent from biodiversity frameworks, leaving them beyond the reach of conservation mechanisms. We show that three disciplines-taxonomy, International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List assessment, and public engagement-achieve disproportionately greater impact when operated as a coupled system rather than in isolation. Each pillar feeds the others: taxonomic knowledge underpins assessments; assessments attract public and policy attention; and public engagement, in turn, drives commitment to new discovery, evaluation, and actions to recover threatened species. New tools for DNA sequencing, specimen imaging, and data sharing have made this integration achievable at speed and scale. Public engagement amplifies the reach of taxonomy and conservation, generating funding, contributors, and the policy traction needed to protect the ocean's overlooked life.</p>","PeriodicalId":23274,"journal":{"name":"Trends in ecology & evolution","volume":" ","pages":"541-555"},"PeriodicalIF":17.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147628664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}