The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed an interconnected and tightly coupled globalized
world in rapid change. This article sets the scientific stage for understanding and responding …

Many natural disturbances have a strong climate forcing, and concern is rising about how
ecosystems will respond to disturbance regimes to which they are not adapted. Novelty can …

Three decades of research have demonstrated that biodiversity can promote the functioning
of ecosystems. Yet, it is unclear whether the positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem …

Plants influence the atmosphere through fluxes of carbon, water and energy, and can
intensify drought through land–atmosphere feedback effects,–. The diversity of plant …

Evidence is increasing for positive effects of α-diversity on ecosystem functioning. We
highlight here the crucial role of β-diversity–a hitherto underexplored facet of biodiversity–for …

Losses and gains in species diversity affect ecological stability,,,,,–and the sustainability of
ecosystem functions and services,,,,–. Experiments and models have revealed positive …

Tree mortality rates appear to be increasing in moist tropical forests (MTF s) with significant
carbon cycle consequences. Here, we review the state of knowledge regarding MTF tree …

One of ecology's grand challenges is develo** general rules to explain and predict highly
complex systems. Understanding and predicting ecological processes from species' traits …

There is growing concern over tip** points arising in ecosystems because of the crossing
of environmental thresholds. Tip** points lead to abrupt and possibly irreversible shifts …

The accelerating rate of global change has focused attention on the cumulative impacts of
novel and extreme environmental changes (ie stressors), especially in marine ecosystems …