The inherent complexity of high‐diversity systems can make them particularly difficult to
understand. The relatively recent introduction of functional approaches, which seek to infer …

Determining diet is a key prerequisite for understanding species interactions, food web
structure and ecological dynamics. In recent years, there has been considerable …

The sprawl of marine construction is one of the most extreme human modifications to global
seascapes. Nevertheless, its global extent remains largely unquantified compared to that on …

Far more species of organisms are found in the tropics than in temperate and polar regions,
but the evolutionary and ecological causes of this pattern remain controversial 1, 2. Tropical …

The distributions of amphibians, birds and mammals have underpinned global and local
conservation priorities, and have been fundamental to our understanding of the …

Traits are measurable features of organisms. Functional traits aspire to more. They quantify
an organism's ecology and, ultimately, predict ecosystem functions based on local …

As human activities increasingly threaten biodiversity [1, 2], areas devoid of intense human
impacts are vital refugia [3]. These wilderness areas contain high genetic diversity, unique …

Global warming is markedly changing diverse coral reef ecosystems through an increasing
frequency and magnitude of mass bleaching events,–. How local impacts scale up across …

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has emerged as a potentially powerful tool to
assess aquatic community structures. However, the method has hitherto lacked field tests …

In line with global targets agreed under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the number
of marine protected areas (MPAs) is increasing rapidly, yet socio-economic benefits …