ecology papers | Gist.Science

Bridging the gaps between field-based ecology and remote sensing to estimate plant functional diversity: a systematic review

This systematic review evaluates the conceptual and methodological convergence between field-based ecology and remote sensing, highlighting their growing alignment on key functional traits while identifying persistent gaps in biome coverage and emphasizing the need for harmonized definitions and scaling assumptions to create a unified framework for monitoring plant functional diversity.

Cerda-Paredes, J. M., Pacheco-Labrador, J., Craven, D. + 1 more2026-02-19🌿 ecology

Temporal Trends: Phase-shifted time-series analysis reveals highly correlated reproductive behaviors in the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

This study utilizes phase-shifted time-series analysis to demonstrate that mating activity in black soldier flies is highly correlated with subsequent reproductive metrics, specifically peaking at a 2-day lag for trap oviposition and a 3-day lag for other fertility indicators, thereby revealing the predictable temporal dynamics of their reproductive cycle.

Lemke, N. B., Li, C., De Smet, J.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

2-decade Study of Barriers to the Adoption of Organic Farming in Arid Lands ofJordan

This two-decade longitudinal study identifies persistent technical, economic, and institutional barriers hindering the adoption of organic farming in Jordan's arid regions and recommends policy reforms, subsidies, and streamlined certification to overcome these challenges.

AL-OUN, M.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

Population-level, state-dependent response as a trait predicting species redistribution under climate change

This study introduces "dynamic response traits" derived from population-level, state-dependent environmental responses to demonstrate that species' local reactions to warming effectively predict their poleward range shift velocities, offering a novel framework for understanding and conserving biodiversity under climate change.

Ohigashi, T., Masuda, R., Ushio, M.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

Trait diversity enhances biomass gains via canopy packing in old-growth but not in disturbed Amazon forests.

Using airborne LiDAR and field data from French Guiana, this study demonstrates that while trait diversity enhances biomass gains through improved canopy packing in undisturbed Amazonian forests, this positive mechanism is disrupted and fails to recover even 40 years after logging.

Borges, E. R., Rejou-Mechain, M., Vincent, G. + 5 more2026-02-18🌿 ecology

Symbolic regression for empirically realistic population dynamic time series

This study evaluates the effectiveness of symbolic regression in recovering population dynamic models from realistic field-based time series, revealing that while high sampling density enables equation recovery, the method's success is limited by process noise and current evaluation workflows often fail to consistently identify the true model among candidates.

Jarman, C. N., Levi, T., Novak, M.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

A Lightweight, High-Throughput Classifier for North American Insects Using EfficientNet: Elytra 1.0

This paper introduces Elytra 1.0, a lightweight EfficientNet-based classifier capable of identifying over 3,000 North American insect species with high accuracy and speed on mobile devices, demonstrating robust generalization to novel ecological contexts without relying on background correlations.

Aflitto, N.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

Assessing Habitat Dynamics and Land-Use Patterns in the Amazon Forest Using Satellite Imagery

This study utilizes high-resolution satellite imagery from 2013 to 2023 to analyze land-use dynamics in Tailandia, Amazon, revealing a significant shift from forest to pasture and oil palm cultivation, and projecting a continued 13% decline in forest cover over the next five years to advocate for urgent, targeted conservation strategies.

Renteria, E.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

Stock assessment of the shorthead anchovy Encrasicholina heteroloba in Tanzania's coastal waters

Based on an analysis of over 32,000 specimens collected between 2023 and 2024, this study assesses the shorthead anchovy (*Encrasicholina heteroloba*) stock in Tanzania's coastal waters as currently underexploited, suggesting that fishing mortality could be moderately increased to sustainably enhance yield.

Fransis, C. M., Matsuishi, T. F.2026-02-18🌿 ecology

The evolution of host exploitation by parasitoid wasps: the timing of attack and consumption

This paper develops a stage-structured mathematical model demonstrating that the evolution of delayed emergence in parasitoid wasps (koinobionts) versus immediate consumption (idiobionts) is driven by a trade-off where the strategy is optimal when the future reproductive value of a growing host outweighs the immediate mortality costs of waiting.

Isshiki, R., Iritani, R.2026-02-17🌿 ecology

Seeing Above and Below the Canopy: Modeling and Interpreting Species Occupancy with Multimodal Habitat Representations

This paper introduces an interpretable, multimodal modeling framework that combines AI-derived satellite and ground-level imagery to create microhabitat-aware species occupancy models, significantly improving prediction accuracy and translating complex AI features into transparent, text-based ecological insights for conservation management.

Haucke, T., Harrell, L., Shen, Y. + 4 more2026-02-17🌿 ecology

Automated AI image recognition tools improve the efficiency of aerial wildlife counts: A multi-species case study on breeding seabirds and pinnipeds at the sub-Antarctic Bounty Islands.

This study demonstrates that combining piloted aircraft surveys with automated AI image recognition significantly improves the efficiency and accuracy of monitoring breeding seabird and pinniped populations at the remote Bounty Islands, reducing processing time from 66 hours to four minutes while maintaining high detection accuracy.

Muller, C. G., King, R., Baker, G. B. + 2 more2026-02-17🌿 ecology

Persistent declines in forest-dependent birds following active restoration of logged tropical forest in Borneo

Despite accelerating carbon recovery, active restoration techniques like liana cutting and enrichment planting in Borneo's selectively logged forests have led to persistent long-term declines in forest-dependent bird populations compared to naturally regenerating areas, challenging the assumption that carbon and biodiversity outcomes in nature-based solutions always align.

Cerullo, G., Balmford, A., Benedick, S. + 8 more2026-02-17🌿 ecology

Street light choice matters: impacts of presence and color on wild plants

This study demonstrates that artificial street lighting, particularly red and white wavelengths, significantly alters the morphology and physiological processes of wild plants, highlighting the need for balanced lighting strategies that consider species-specific ecological impacts.

Castrop, E., van Bodegom, P. M., Strange, E. F. + 1 more2026-02-17🌿 ecology

The macroecology of viral coinfection

Using the largest standardized wildlife disease surveillance dataset to date, this study reveals that while viral coinfection in wild animals is rare, it occurs more frequently than expected by chance and is significantly influenced by host age, species-specific differences, and the heightened risks associated with captive wildlife trade.

Sanchez, C. A., Carlson, C. J., Sweeny, A. R.2026-02-16🌿 ecology

A conservation planning assessment of basin wide Unionid mussel assemblages using environmental DNA

This study demonstrates that environmental DNA metabarcoding is a sensitive and efficient alternative to traditional visual surveys for assessing basin-wide unionid mussel assemblages, successfully detecting a higher number of species—including rare and federally protected ones—while offering valuable insights into occupancy patterns when detection repeatability is considered.

Marshall, N. T., Seymour, M., Herbert, N. + 2 more2026-02-16🌿 ecology

Ecological interactions mediate evolutionary responses to temperature in microbial communities

This study demonstrates that both intra- and interspecific ecological interactions mediate how rising temperatures shape the rapid evolutionary responses and genotypic diversity of microbial communities, highlighting the critical role of ecological context in predicting evolutionary outcomes under climate change.

Leitao, E., Liu, M., Yammine, A. + 3 more2026-02-16🌿 ecology

Phenology of 50 tree species across 9 years in a South Asian tropical rainforest indicates complex influence of climate, traits, and phylogeny

A nine-year study of 50 tree species in a South Asian tropical rainforest reveals that while leaf flushing and flowering are primarily driven by proximate climatic cues like daylength and precipitation, fruiting phenology is more strongly constrained by phylogenetic history and functional traits, suggesting lineage-specific vulnerabilities to climate change.

Madhavan, A. P., Kasinathan, S., Murali, A. + 6 more2026-02-16🌿 ecology

Quicklime-based eradication attempt of Xenopus laevis as a model for controlling pondscape invasions

This study demonstrates that quicklime application effectively induces large-scale mortality in invasive African clawed frog (*Xenopus laevis*) populations in small to medium-sized ponds, offering a sustainable, high-intensity chemical alternative for managing pondscape invasions despite challenges with partial recolonization.

Everts, T., van Doorn, L., Adriaens, T. + 8 more2026-02-16🌿 ecology

Spotted fever Rickettsia and relapsing fever Borrelia in rodents from southern India

This study reports the detection of pathogenic spotted fever group *Rickettsia* and relapsing fever group *Borrelia* in rodent populations from southern India, revealing distinct tissue-specific detection patterns and highlighting a potential zoonotic transmission risk to humans and livestock.

Ansil, B. R., Pawar, T., Majee, P. + 3 more2026-02-16🌿 ecology

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