A rich body of knowledge links biodiversity to ecosystem functioning (BEF), but it is primarily
focused on small scales. We review the current theory and identify six expectations for scale …

This paper describes a path integral formulation of the free energy principle. The ensuing
account expresses the paths or trajectories that a particle takes as it evolves over time. The …

Variability in the environment defines the structure and dynamics of all living systems, from
organisms to ecosystems. Species have evolved traits and strategies that allow them to …

How the coexistence of many species is maintained is a fundamental and unresolved
question in ecology. Coexistence is a puzzle because we lack a mechanistic understanding …

To understand the effects of temperature on biological systems, we compile, organize, and
analyze a database of 1,072 thermal responses for microbes, plants, and animals. The …

Stochasticity is a core component of ecology, as it underlies key processes that structure and
create variability in nature. Despite its fundamental importance in ecological systems, the …

Forage fish support the largest fisheries in the world but also play key roles in marine food
webs by transferring energy from plankton to upper trophic-level predators, such as large …

Over the past decade, there is increasing interest in the ways in which environmental
unpredictability shapes human life history development. However, progress is hindered by …

The acute thermal tolerance of ectotherms has been measured in a variety of ways; these
include assays where organisms are shifted abruptly to stressful temperatures and assays …

The scientific study of networks-computer, social, and biological-has received an enormous
amount of interest in recent years. However, the network approach has been applied to the …