Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment is a benefit of membership of the Ecological Society of America. International in scope and interdisciplinary in approach, Frontiers focuses on current ecological issues and environmental challenges. Frontiers is aimed at professional ecologists and scientists working in related disciplines.
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Molecular detection techniques can be used in species monitoring, pathogen surveillance, dietary analysis, and a variety of other ecological applications. In the February 2020 issue of Frontiers, Mosher et al. present a communication framework that can help to guide collaborative partnerships between laboratory scientists, resource managers, and ecologists who employ these techniques.

The IUCN Red List relies on various criteria, including range and population size, to assess the imperilment status of species such as the crested ibis (Nipponia nippon). However, the IUCN methodology notably excludes considerations of genetic variability and dispersal capacity. In the April issue of Frontiers, Chen et al. share an alternative framework—the life strategy index—which incorporates these missing elements into its assessment of extinction risk, which is especially important in the context of the biodiversity crisis and anthropogenic climate change. By accounting for a species’ evolutionary, ecological, and colonization potential, this new index may help to complement the widely adopted Red List.