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Journals & Publications

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  Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

  Native to northeastern North America, black ash (Fraxinus nigra) serves as a cultural keystone species for many Indigenous peoples yet is on the brink of functional extirpation. Over centuries, the wood of this deciduous tree has been used by skilled artisans in crafts, including traditional baskets. However, within the next 25 years, the invasion front of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) – an invasive beetle native to Asia – will have pervaded the entirety of the black ash’s range. In the September issue of Frontiers, Siegert et al. explain how efforts to restrict or offset the beetle’s most severe impacts on remnant stands of black ash should be informed by both Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western scientific practices.

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  Ecology

  For keystone pollinators such as wild bees, body shrinking in response to warming can have significant effects on pollination processes. Comparison of body mass of solitary bees obtained in 1990–1997 and 2022–2023 in the Cazorla mountains in southeastern Spain supports the prediction of body size decline following current climatic warming, as shown by Herrera et al. in their study in the September issue of Ecology. Proportional size reduction was greatest among the largest-bodied species, such as the Anthophora canescens shown in the cover image.

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  Ecosphere

  The common crane (Grus grus) is one of the indicator animals of wetland ecology, overwintering in Jiangsu Yancheng Wetland Rare Birds National Nature Reserve in China. DNA metabarcoding of feces of wild cranes was used to profile their diets under supplementary feeding. In the August issue of Ecosphere, Zhao et al. show that common cranes favored plants of the families Poaceae and Cyperaceae, and they prioritized consuming agricultural crops such as barley; that the farmland with available agricultural crops has been an important foraging ground; and that foraging grounds and feeding preferences of common cranes may change with supplementary feeding. The authors recommend that the quantity of corn kernels and wheat grains be increased appropriately in supplementary feeding measures in the nature reserve and more supplementary feeding sites be set up in response to the shortage of wild bird food resources.

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  Ecological Applications

  Artocarpus altilis is featured in this canopy photo, surrounded by a mosaic of interlocking leaves of other non-native and native species planted in a recent restoration experiment. In their study published in the September issue of Ecological Applications, DiManno et al. show that using a functional trait-based restoration approach in Hawaii's lowland wet forest leads to the desired outcomes of reducing rates of nutrient cycling and invasion.

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  Ecological Monographs

  In their study in the August issue of Ecological Monographs, Wolfe et al. use hierarchical structuring theory to characterize hidden biodiversity on coral reefs from seascape to microhabitat perspectives. Through an in-depth assessment of community structure in coral rubble, the authors show broad environmental parameters, including wave exposure and water depth, shape coral rubble morphology, which shapes sessile communities, which shapes biodiversity of motile fauna. The cover image shows colonization of sessile taxa on coral rubble at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

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  Bulletin

  In the July issue of the ESA Bulletin, a commentary from Steward T. A. Pickett asks whether it is time to retire the term "non-academic" and explores the impacts of the label. Pickett suggests alternative approaches to foster inclusion between those in ecological careers in academia and other sectors. The piece is especially timely: ESA's 108th Annual Meeting in August 2023—"ESA for All Ecologists"—seeks to better engage private- and public-sector ecologists and promote collaboration across sectors.

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  Earth Stewardship

  The ESA has launched the new international journal, Earth Stewardship, with our publishing partner, John Wiley & Sons. This new international journal targets novel contributions arising from transdisciplinary collaborations between scientists and diverse social sectors to shape a sustainable future for nature and society on planet Earth. It will be the first publication of the Ecological Society of America to target the integration and convergence of the natural and social sciences and humanities, and the technical, environmental, cultural, and Indigenous knowledge held by local practitioners. This integrative approach aims to both advance sustainability and stewardship theory and practice, while creating transformative solutions for complex problems.

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