Coral reefs are in global decline. Reversing this trend is a primary management objective
but doing so depends on understanding what keeps reefs in desirable states (ie …

Insects play a key role in the regulation and dynamics of many ecosystem services (ES).
However, this role is often assumed, with limited or no experimental quantification of its real …

In focusing on how organisms' generalizable functional properties (traits) interact
mechanistically with environments across spatial scales and levels of biological …

Tropical forests harbor a significant portion of global biodiversity and are a critical
component of the climate system. Reducing deforestation and forest degradation contributes …

Traits are key for understanding the environmental responses and ecological roles of
organisms. Trait approaches to functional ecology are well established for plants, whereas …

All animals on Earth compete for free energy, which is acquired, assimilated, and ultimately
allocated to growth and reproduction. Competition is strongest within communities of …

Ants are diverse and abundant, especially in tropical ecosystems. They are often cited as the
agents of key ecological processes, but their precise contributions compared with other …

Seed dispersal by animals is a complex phenomenon, characterized by multiple
mechanisms and variable outcomes. Most researchers approach this complexity by …

Effective assessment of the success of ecological restoration projects is critical in justifying
the use of restoration in natural resource management as well as improving best practice …

Mobile consumers are key vectors of cross-ecosystem nutrients, yet have experienced
population declines which threaten their ability to fill this role. Despite their importance and …