Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America最新文献

{"title":"Lessons from the World Congress of the Society for Ecological Restoration","authors":"Virginia H. Dale","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70070","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) seeks “to promote ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and reestablishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture” (Whisenant <span>2011</span>). SER envisions restoration as a way to both conserve biodiversity and advance human well-being (McDonald et al. <span>2016</span>). SER seeks to maintain biodiversity, resilience in a changing climate, and healthy relationships between nature and culture. This goal is accomplished by the Society providing opportunities for students in leadership and networking, fostering relationships with restoration specialists, engaging in local restoration efforts, and offering conferences and other events focused on restoration.</p><p>In early October of 2025, the World Congress of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER <span>2025a</span>) held their international meeting focused on moving from commitment to action in ecological restoration. Many examples of successful restorations were presented including removal of invasive species and dams to restore and protect the environment for future generations. The meeting featured field trips to many interesting locations in Colorado; plenary presentations by renowned practitioners; more than 20 symposia on topics such as stakeholder engagement, monitoring, scaling up, wildlife management, and landscape restoration; and contributed papers from scientists, students, and experts from around the world (SER <span>2025b</span>).</p><p>Several barriers to restoration were discussed. Securing adequate long-term financing for restoration may be the biggest challenge. However, inclusion of restoration in national and industrial plans is also important. Economic volatility is a barrier, for companies need to maintain profitability in order to invest in restoration. It is important to understand the perspective of diverse stakeholders. In particular, the understanding from Indigenous perspectives includes having empathy regarding dispossession of their lands and intergenerational trauma. Identifying champions for restoration who are active across many sectors is one way to address these barriers.</p><p>The 2027 World Congress of SER will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, with the theme of “Restoration in Motion: From Land to Sea, Knowledge to Action.” The film shown about that venue (SER <span>2025c</span>) suggests the 2027 meeting will be as engaging as the 2025 meeting in Denver.</p>","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70070","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Conservation Can Better Integrate Environmental Justice if We Consider People’s Needs","authors":"Beck M. Swab","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70059","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Environmental justice (EJ), which can be loosely defined as equal access to clean water, clean air, and green space, emerged in the sociological realm and thus has a large amount of research and consideration in the social sciences (Sze and London &lt;span&gt;2008&lt;/span&gt;, Mohai et al. &lt;span&gt;2009&lt;/span&gt;, Schlosberg et al. &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;), while conservationists less often incorporate EJ into research and planning, although there are some calls to do so (Montgomery et al. &lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;). However, at heart, these are equally social and environmental issues. The conservation community can tackle environmental justice with the same enthusiasm as our social-focused counterparts by consistently incorporating people’s needs into environmental planning and increasing the weight of sociological considerations in environmental decision making.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sociological concepts can help us better visualize how to integrate people’s needs into environmental justice. The hierarchy of needs, introduced in the format most known today by Maslow (&lt;span&gt;1943&lt;/span&gt;), focuses on explaining people’s needs. According to this construct, we first need to take care of our basic physiological needs, that is, food, water, shelter, before we can focus on safety, social, and esteem needs. Once we have addressed these “deficiency needs,” then we can begin to grow, pursuing knowledge, the arts, and self-actualization. The ultimate goal of this framework is self-transcendence, where we are in a place of self-certainty and can reach beyond ourselves to help others.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If we frame conservation decision-making and actions with this hierarchy in mind, we realize a large portion of our current conservation decision-making is based on aesthetic needs, for example, preserving scenic greenspaces or iconic species because of their intrinsic value. There is a much larger focus, for instance, on conserving adorable or awe-inspiring endangered species like pandas or butterflies than on the many small insects in equal need of conservation efforts. We are much more likely to preserve beautiful sweeping mountain views than flat uninspiring shrubland.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;However, rather than being a one-time achievement or linear progression, addressing our needs is a never-ending cycle (Fig. 1). Those with more privilege and wealth can spend much less of that cycle addressing their deficiency needs, with wealth, food, and shelter relatively easy to achieve, leaving more free time for growth such as learning, art, or spirituality. The less privileged are forced to spend more time addressing their basic needs, leaving less time for growth. Therefore, in order to make conservation relevant and beneficial to these communities, we can increase our focus on humans’ physiological needs in conservation projects. This could look like prioritizing wetland restorations in urban areas lacking clean water despite higher costs than wetlands in outlying areas. Or, we could incorporate food resources into restoration pla","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immunity by Infestation","authors":"Devon Markarian","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70061","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;It began with a bump on a maple leaf. A soft, round swelling, pinkish, and pinhead-sized. I would passed hundreds without pause, but one afternoon, curiosity led me to stop and look closer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That curiosity led to &lt;i&gt;Vasates quadripedes&lt;/i&gt;, the maple bladder gall mite. An eriophyid mite, invisible to the naked eye, &lt;i&gt;V. quadripedes&lt;/i&gt; is considered a minor cosmetic pest. Its presence on red and silver maple leaves produces bladder galls; unsightly to some, but widely deemed biologically insignificant. And yet, the more I read, the more that assumption seemed incomplete.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gall mites do not merely feed. Early in spring, when new leaves are soft and undifferentiated, the mite inserts a microscopic stylet and delivers a cocktail of bioactive compounds. These reprogram the fate of local plant cells, redirecting leaf development to produce a gall; a structure that serves as shelter, nursery, and microclimate (Desnitskiy &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;). The gall is not added onto the leaf; it is the leaf, shaped differently through altered gene expression.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This process requires precise biochemical signaling. The mite must manipulate plant hormone pathways, including those involved in cell division and identity. That realization raised a question I could not shake: if &lt;i&gt;V. quadripedes&lt;/i&gt; can interface with the host’s hormonal systems to induce structural changes, could it also be triggering systemic defense mechanisms?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Unlike animals, plants lack adaptive immune memory, but they can be primed for enhanced resistance via systemic acquired resistance (SAR). A mild or localized challenge, such as mechanical damage, insect feeding, or pathogen exposure, can lead to the accumulation of defensive signaling molecules such as salicylic acid and jasmonic acid (Klessig et al. &lt;span&gt;2018&lt;/span&gt;, Kolanchi et al. &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;). These, in turn, elevate baseline immune readiness across the plant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Could gall mite activity serve this priming function?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The hypothesis formed: that annual spring infestations of &lt;i&gt;V. quadripedes&lt;/i&gt; might act as a kind of ecological vaccination, subtly stimulating SAR-like responses that prepare &lt;i&gt;Acer&lt;/i&gt; species for later stressors, fungal, bacterial, or insect in nature (Anand et al. &lt;span&gt;2008&lt;/span&gt;, Rashid et al. &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). A small cost in localized tissue alteration might yield a net benefit in resilience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To my knowledge, this possibility remains untested. The mite’s lifecycle is well documented; it reproduces parthenogenetically throughout summer, with generations turning over every 10 days. Most individuals die by season’s end, but overwintering females, or deutogynes, retreat to bark crevices, ensuring reemergence each spring. While much is known about their development and gall induction, little has been explored regarding their impact on host immune readiness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A basic experimental design could begin with two groups of saplings, one exposed to mites, the other not. After gal","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70061","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mount St. Helens 2025 Science Pulse","authors":"Donald J. Brown,&nbsp;Virginia H. Dale,&nbsp;Katey Queen,&nbsp;Shannon Claeson,&nbsp;James E. Gawel,&nbsp;Tara Chestnut","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70068","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;In July 2025, 73 scientists, students, managers, and educators from 23 institutions gathered to “take the pulse” of ecological responses and change in the aftermath of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, was established in 1982 to support research, education, and recreation around the volcano while letting the blast zone recover with minimal human intervention (Public Law 97-243). Mount St. Helens is now the most well-studied volcano in the world for ecological research (Swanson and Crisafulli &lt;span&gt;2018&lt;/span&gt;). The idea of scientific pulses at Mount St. Helens was originated by Jerry Franklin in 1981 and has occurred at 5-year intervals since the 1990s (except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Pulses are organized by the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, with the most recent Pulse hosted by a nonprofit partner, the Mount St. Helens Institute.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The 2025 Pulse began with a welcome by Bald Eagle Woman, Suzanne Donaldson, a citizen of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. In 2023, Lawetlat'la (Mount St. Helens) was designated as a Traditional Cultural Property for its cultural significance to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and listed in the National Register of Historic Places (Property ID 13000748). Traditional cultural properties in the region are recognized by and based on government-to-government relationships and agreements to protect the lands and resources. Suzanne explained that Lawetlat'la has spiritual energy that provides guidance to the Cowlitz people, and the 1980 eruption was a way for the mountain to release that energy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Pulse included four field trips led by Mount St. Helens researchers, including hiking trips in the debris avalanche and pyroclastic flow disturbance zones, a roadside tour of the blowdown forest, standing dead forest, and tephra fall disturbance zones, and a tour of management areas in one of the lahar zones (North Fork Toutle River basin), with a focus on sediment retention efforts, anadromous fish management, and beaver reintroductions. Field trip attendees learned about investigations of primary and secondary plant succession, initial influences of the eruption and spatiotemporal changes in terrestrial and aquatic systems over the last 45 years, effects of secondary disturbances and biotic interactions, and outcomes of human management activities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The value of observational studies as well as experiments was made clear by several examples presented at the Pulse. Some key learnings from studies at the volcano to date are that (1) different types and intensities of disturbances that occurred with the 1980 eruption have influenced rates and trajectories of ecological responses, (2) conditions prior to the eruption affected ecological responses in areas experiencing secondary succession, (3) complex patterns of succession across","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70068","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Action in Uncertainty: Data-Driven Decisions That Acknowledge Emotional Responses and Transcendental Connections","authors":"Nicole K. Ward,&nbsp;Kelly G. Guilbeau,&nbsp;Amanda L. Sesser,&nbsp;Abigail J. Lynch","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70071","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;The increasing uncertainty with global change often stifles action and results in calls for more data before moving beyond status quo environmental decisions (Mahapatra and Ratha &lt;span&gt;2016&lt;/span&gt;, Ripple et al. &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;, Montefalcone et al. &lt;span&gt;2025&lt;/span&gt;). Advancing science and collecting more data are crucial; however, science &lt;i&gt;alone&lt;/i&gt; (i.e., “western” or “positivist” science, as described in Fuller &lt;span&gt;2001&lt;/span&gt;; Reid et al. &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;) may be insufficient to reduce uncertainty to a comfortable level for decision making. Therefore, increasing personal and collective capacity to make proactive decisions may require decision makers to recognize that their own understanding of the world, and therefore interpretation of scientific data, is influenced by all Four Realms of human perception: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Transcendental (Wolf &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;, Dukes et al. &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;, Clifford et al. &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Empirically trained “positivist” scientists are often skilled in Physical and Mental Realm understanding but may be less well-equipped in Emotional and Transcendental Realm understanding (Fuller &lt;span&gt;2001&lt;/span&gt;, Park et al. &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;, Tashakkori et al. &lt;span&gt;2020&lt;/span&gt;). A Four Realms understanding of uncertainty remains connected to scientific data while also acknowledging inherently human perception of uncertainty, including emotional responses and transcendental grounding. Here, pairing scientific knowledge from the Physical and Mental Realm with one's own Emotional and Transcendental Realm understanding may contribute to proactive data-driven decisions rooted in intra- and interpersonal connections (Wolf &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;, Wilson-Mendenhall and Dunne &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;, Gerber et al. &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this special session, participants and organizers collectively explored techniques to raise cognitive awareness of how the Four Realms affect their own perception (Table 1). To read and think about the Four Realms is a Mental Realm form of understanding. To better understand the role of the Emotional Realm in one's work requires &lt;i&gt;feeling&lt;/i&gt; and acknowledging emotions that come up. To better understand the role of the Transcendental Realm in one's work requires &lt;i&gt;connecting&lt;/i&gt; to something greater than oneself. But how? During our session, we invited participants to practice techniques in pairs, layering on complexities as the session progressed. We used multiple techniques to explore the Four Realms in our session (Table 1) and highlight two techniques in more detail below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Five Whys described here is adapted from previous applications in problem solving, goal setting, and decision making (Ohno &lt;span&gt;1988&lt;/span&gt;, Selmer &lt;span&gt;2004&lt;/span&gt;, Serrat &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). Asking &lt;i&gt;why&lt;/i&gt; is a way to uncover underlying factors, reveal hidden assumptions, and identify root causes (Ohno &lt;span&gt;1988&lt;/span&gt;, Serrat &lt;span&gt;2017&lt;/span&gt;). Asking &lt;i&gt;why&lt;/i&gt; may facil","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70071","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Symposium Review: Wild Animal Welfare is in Our Backyards","authors":"Bonnie Fairbanks Flint,&nbsp;David R. Daversa,&nbsp;M. Camille Hopkins,&nbsp;Jessica X. Wright-Lichter","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70072","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Ecology is everywhere—including our backyards, which are rich with wildlife. In our urban landscapes, we cohabitate with a multitude of species, including bats, birds, deer, and frogs. Despite their proximity, we have a limited understanding of these animals' subjective experiences and quality of life, as opposed to fitness. These understudied elements of wild animal welfare likely impact animal ecology and potentially broader ecological processes. We must integrate wild animal welfare science with ecological knowledge to ensure that wildlife management strategies and interventions have a positive impact, and that urban wildlife is well cared for.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The study of animal ecology has progressively probed deeper into the lives of wild animals, not just animals' environments and behaviors, but also delving into many aspects of their physiology, such as stress responses, epigenetics, and immunology. No longer are animals perceived as black boxes, with their internal workings remaining a mystery to us. However, there is one aspect of the internal functioning of animals that has remained nearly untouched by ecologists: their mental states. Although consciousness researchers have amassed strong evidence that at least all mammals and birds, and likely at least all vertebrates have conscious mental experiences, ecologists mostly ignore this aspect of animals' lives. Although many ecologists openly acknowledge that animals possess mental states, they have nonetheless seemed beyond the reach of scientific measurement to most ecologists. However, comparative psychology and animal welfare science have been assessing the mental states of animals for decades. Drawing on knowledge from captive animal welfare science and other relevant fields, the emerging field of wild animal welfare science seeks to integrate welfare research into animal ecology, conservation, and wildlife management.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Currently, ecologists largely engage with welfare science solely to inform the development of ethical research methods. Deeper synergies between the two fields are being neglected. To understand how ecology and animal welfare science intersect, it first helps to define “welfare.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Welfare is the valenced subjective mental experience of an individual over a given time period. Breaking down this definition shows that welfare research operates at the organism scale and considers how animals experience the world over time. It focuses on the subjective quality of the animal's mental experiences—in other words, whether a mental experience feels positive or negative to the individual. Examples of subjective mental states include pain, hunger, thirst, comfort, and pleasure. A researcher might define the time period over which an animal experiences the world as anything from a few minutes to the full lifetime of an individual. For example, one can visualize a timeline of experiences that occur over an individual's lifespan, each carrying a negative or positive valence, whic","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70072","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What Can K–12 Education Teach College Professors?","authors":"Michael P. Marchetti","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70062","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Pretend that you have been a frequent patient at a hospital over 10 years, and during those many hours you watched carefully as the doctors perform their job. Then, one day after a short ceremony you are told that tomorrow you will be expected to be the doctor. I can imagine that this would cause significant stress and discomfort, but this is essentially what happens to many science PhDs on the academic track. One day after watching instructors teach for decades, you are suddenly cast into the role of professor and are expected to flourish without receiving instruction specific to this part of the job. This is a common issue in our higher education system. We do a great job preparing scientists to be creative academic or professional thinkers, but we spend little if any time teaching them how to convey their knowledge and skills to others (Bok &lt;span&gt;2013&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This has changed quite a bit since I was in graduate school and many universities are strategically leaning into preparing academic instructors for higher education, which I applaud heartily. But the reality remains that many people finishing a scientific doctorate receive little formal training on how to teach effectively, or what educational research tells us about how students learn. In other words, Academia seems to assume that new professors already know how to create a lesson plan, deliver content and teach effectively, simply from the observational experience of being taught themselves, although academic search committees often look for evidence of teaching when hiring tenure track teaching positions. Fortunately, there is a wealth of educational knowledge on these subjects, but unfortunately it is locked away in teacher training courses designed exclusively for those who pursuing a career as a K–12 teacher.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After being a tenured professor for 25 years, I recently decided to get my single subject teaching credential to teach high school biology when I retire from Academia. The field of education has developed significantly as a discipline and currently produces verifiable, large sample-sized, rigorous, and statistically monitored scientific evaluation of educational methodologies. This means that there are well-supported educational ideas and concepts with demonstrable positive outcomes that we as college educators can draw from.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s encouraging that the field of learning sciences has advanced so significantly in the past decades. Unfortunately, the first thing I learned in studying to become a high school teacher is that the K–12 education system in the United States is fundamentally broken. Over the past century, we as a nation have underfunded educational structures for poor and disadvantaged communities, and our collective actions have created a system of outcomes where poor students (often of color) do not have the same opportunities as students in affluent communities (Duncan-Andrade &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;). The system is inherently unfair, and these dispari","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Research to Action: Communicating Science Effectively for Real-World Impact","authors":"Luis Y. Santiago-Rosario,&nbsp;Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez,&nbsp;Osmary A. Medina-Báez,&nbsp;Gina Errico,&nbsp;Terra Lubin,&nbsp;Coral del Mar Valle-Rodríguez,&nbsp;Laura Jiménez","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70066","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Ecological research is vital for addressing today's societal and environmental challenges. It provides insights and solutions for the management and conservation of ecosystems, the mitigation of climate change, and the well-being of society. However, appreciation for the impact of ecological advancements often remains confined within academic institutions, governmental agencies, and the scientific community. To broaden the impact of ecological research and amplify its benefits for people and nature, effective and inclusive communication across diverse audiences and platforms is paramount.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the 2025 ESA Annual Meeting, the workshop &lt;i&gt;From Research to Action: Communicating Science Effectively for Real-World Impact&lt;/i&gt; showcased the work of ecologists committed to making their research matter beyond the academic sphere. Sponsored by the ESA Latin America &amp; the Caribbean Chapter, the workshop embodied the meeting theme, &lt;i&gt;“Ecology is Everywhere&lt;/i&gt;,” by demonstrating how ecological knowledge can engage communities and prompt tangible change through the critical and inspiring lens of effective science communication. The Chapter gathered a panel of scientists who have successfully translated complex ecological concepts into formats that resonate with diverse audiences, including primary school students, museum visitors, local stakeholders, and their academic peers. Panelists provided participants with an overview of their approaches to communicating various topics in ecology, covering the creation of public-facing materials such as infographics, policy briefs, and short videos; fostering active engagement with journalists and media outlets; tailoring public talks to non-specialist audiences; and developing community-based outreach initiatives. Throughout the workshop, they emphasized principles widely recognized in the science communication literature as key to success: framing messages in ways that connect with audience values (Nisbet &lt;span&gt;2009&lt;/span&gt;), using visual storytelling to enhance comprehension and retention (Lazard and Atkinson &lt;span&gt;2015&lt;/span&gt;), and embracing multilingual communication to reach broader and more inclusive audiences (Proust &lt;span&gt;2022&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the latter part of the workshop, participants engaged in interactive group discussions to analyze real-world examples, exchange strategies, and brainstorm creative approaches to make their science more visible. These conversations reflected the growing recognition within ecology that effective communication is not simply the transfer of information, but a process of fostering dialogue and building trust across knowledge systems (Groffman et al. &lt;span&gt;2010&lt;/span&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Here, we present a summary of the insights and experiences shared by the workshop's panelists to promote critical reflection and encourage readers to consider how intentional communication strategies can strengthen the reach and impact of their research. We also highlight the main takeaways f","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nuestra Comunidad: The Role of Latin American Networks in Supporting Ecologists Throughout Their Careers","authors":"Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila,&nbsp;Angelique Rosa Marín,&nbsp;Rodrigo Felipe Rodrigues do Carmo,&nbsp;Sergio González-Mollinedo,&nbsp;Luis Y. Santiago-Rosario,&nbsp;Coral del Mar Valle Rodríguez","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70064","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;In an increasingly interconnected world, fostering inclusive and diverse scientific communities is essential for advancing ecological research. Networks that bring together scientists from different backgrounds enhance knowledge exchange and perspectives, ultimately driving innovation. However, ecologists from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) often face distinct barriers that hinder their full participation in the global scientific community. Barriers, including limited access to funding and computational resources, concerns regarding field safety, and systemic challenges for women and underrepresented scientists create significant hurdles (Martínez-Blancas et al. &lt;span&gt;2023&lt;/span&gt;, Provete et al. &lt;span&gt;2024&lt;/span&gt;). For these reasons, the LAC Chapter was founded at the centennial meeting of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) with the goal of promoting and advancing ecological research, education, and practical applications across Latin America, while also helping Latin American students and scientists engage in the official activities of the ESA (Cruz Maysonet et al. &lt;span&gt;2016&lt;/span&gt;, Mello et al. &lt;span&gt;2021&lt;/span&gt;). The symposium &lt;i&gt;“Nuestra Comunidad: The Role of Latin American Networks in Supporting Ecologists Throughout Their Careers,”&lt;/i&gt; organized by the Latin America and the Caribbean Chapter of the Ecological Society of America for the August 2024 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting in Long Beach, CA, provided a platform to discuss these challenges and highlight initiatives working to overcome them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This session sought to address the question: How can we empower ecologists in LAC to share their research, build professional networks, and collaborate effectively despite these obstacles? Through presentations from a range of key regional organizations, including GeoLatinas, Associação Brasileira de Ciência Ecológica e Conservação, the Sociedad Mesoamericana de Ecología y Evolución, and Club Eco Evo Latinoamérica, attendees gained insights into ongoing efforts to lower barriers and create opportunities for ecologists at different career stages. By sharing experiences, strategies, and lessons learned, ultimately, these discussions contribute to strengthening a global ecological community that values and incorporates the rich perspectives of scientists from LAC. The following sections provide summaries and guidance from each of the invited speakers and the efforts that they represent across Latin America.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Angelique Rosa Marín (Presenter), Sofía Barragán-Montilla, Nicole Hucke, Gisela A. Morán, Daniela Navarro-Pérez, Tamara Aranguiz, Mónica A. Gómez Correa, and Rocío Caballero-Gill; &lt;i&gt;Code to Communicate Program, Latinas in Earth and Planetary Sciences: GeoLatinas&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For many Latin American Geo-Ecologists, pursuing a scientific career abroad means navigating more than just academic rigor; it often means overcoming the invisible wall of a language barrier. These barriers bring consequences for Latin Am","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70064","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ESA Governing Board Fall 2025 Meeting Minutes Windsor Suites 1700 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy Philadelphia, PA 19103 and Zoom Meeting November 21, 2025","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/bes2.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.70067","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u0000 \u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;President Groffman presiding; meeting called to order at 9:00 AM EST.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I. Roll Call and Agenda (Groffman)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A. Adopt Agenda&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u0000 &lt;b&gt;Motion to Adop Meeting Agenda:&lt;/b&gt;\u0000 &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Governing Board moved to adopt the Fall 2025 meeting agenda. Motion moved by Kelly Ramirez and seconded by James Rattling Leaf. All ayes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;B. Conflicts/Dualities of Interest&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Executive Director (ED) Catherine O'Riordan provided an overview for new board members of the GB Member Duties and Conflict-of-Interest (COI) Policy. Board members were asked if any new conflicts need to be declared.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;C. Acknowledge Previous Governing Board Votes&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;II. Reports&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Motion to Approve Nominations Committee Appointments&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Governing Board moved to approve the appointments to the Nominations Committee, as nominated by Past-President Stephanie Hampton. Motion moved by Peter Groffman and seconded by Kelly Ramirez. All ayes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;B. Report of the President (Groffman).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;President Groffman provided a summary of the retreat held on November 20, focused on ESA's public affairs program. Retreat discussion emphasized support for ESA actions advocating for science and specific ecologically-relevant issues, such as climate and biodiversity. In the past year, ESA's public affairs program ensured U.S. ecologist participation in COP16, defended the National Nature Assessment, advocated for federal support of science, and actively maintained support for diverse representation in ecology and ESA.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;C. Report of the Executive Director and Staff (O'Riordan, et al.)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;ED O'Riordan highlighted program activities since the Annual Meeting in August. Highlights included the SEEDS Leadership Meeting in September, ESA participation in NASA Day of Action in October, and an encouraging fall fundraising appeal that has moved us to 75% of the target goal of $400 K for the EEE Endowment. The recent award nominations cycle saw the highest number of nominations in 5 years, thanks to the effort by the Awards Committee to ensure diversity of the candidate pool for 2026 awards. Current ESA membership is lower than average, at 6747. The staff is strategizing to better recruit and retain members during this uncertain period.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;D. Report from Council Speaker (Bowes)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Council Speaker Rachel Bowes provided a summary report of the August Council meeting and current activities. The Council speaker sits on the board ex-officio but has a role to be the voice of the Council, comprised of 43 sections and chapters. The Council Speaker shared that 21 of 43 sections/chapters are up-to-date with all governance requirements. Chapters and sections that are not in compliance may receive support and procedures have been established to allow for dormancy and facilitate pathways for ina","PeriodicalId":93418,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America","volume":"107 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bes2.70067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147686169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}