369 papers
Ecology explores the intricate relationships between living organisms and their environments, revealing how life adapts, interacts, and sustains itself across the planet. From microscopic soil communities to vast migratory patterns, this field examines the delicate balance that keeps ecosystems functioning and resilient. Understanding these connections is vital for addressing urgent challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
At Gist.Science, we make the latest research from bioRxiv accessible to everyone. We process every new preprint in this category as it appears, offering both clear plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries to suit every reader. This approach ensures that groundbreaking findings in ecological science are not locked behind complex terminology but are available for immediate understanding and discussion.
Below are the latest papers in ecology, curated to help you stay informed about the evolving story of life on Earth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This study demonstrates that integrating species-specific female call playback into monitoring schemes significantly increases the detectability of the cryptic Common quail by 72% compared to standard passive surveys, particularly in low-density populations, thereby providing more reliable data for conservation and management.
This study demonstrates that the dispersal of released ring-necked pheasants is significantly further, more directional, and more persistent than current assumptions suggest, with a substantial proportion of birds traveling well beyond 500m and potentially encroaching on sensitive conservation sites.
This paper describes the development of the UKCEH AMI-system, an open-source, second-generation automated light trap that utilizes a single-board computer, USB camera, and AI to provide a scalable, non-lethal solution for long-term nocturnal insect monitoring.
A community-led vermicomposting initiative in Khayelitsha, South Africa, significantly increased Swiss chard yields by approximately 51–59% through the application of worm-based compost and liquid extracts, demonstrating the potential of low-cost, grassroots innovations to enhance urban food security and economic benefits in marginalized areas.