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There is a contemporary trend in many major research institutions to de‐emphasize the importance of natural history education in favor of theoretical, laboratory, or simulation‐based research programs. This may take the form of removing biodiversity and field courses from the curriculum and the sometimes subtle maligning of natural history research as a "lesser" branch of science. Additional threats include massive funding cuts to natural history museums and the maintenance of their collections, the extirpation of taxonomists across disciplines, and a critical under‐appreciation of the role that natural history data (and other forms of observational data, including Indigenous knowledge) play in the scientific process. In this paper, we demonstrate that natural history knowledge is integral to any competitive science program through a comprehensive review of the ways in which they continue to shape modern theory and the public perception of science. We do so by reviewing how natural history research has guided the disciplines of ecology, evolution, and conservation and how natural history data are crucial for effective education programs and public policy. We underscore these insights with contemporary case studies, including: how understanding the dynamics of evolutionary radiation relies on natural history data; methods for extracting novel data from museum specimens; insights provided by multi‐decade natural history programs; and how natural history is the most logical venue for creating an informed and scientifically literate society. We conclude with recommendations aimed at students, university faculty, and administrators for integrating and supporting natural history in their mandates. Fundamentally, we are all interested in understanding the natural world, but we can often fall into the habit of abstracting our research away from its natural contexts and complexities. Doing so risks losing sight of entire vistas of new questions and insights in favor of an over‐emphasis on simulated or overly controlled studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Expert judgement informs a variety of important applications in conservation and natural resource management, including threatened species management, environmental impact assessment and structured decision‐making. However, expert judgements can be prone to contextual biases. Structured elicitation protocols mitigate these biases, and improve the accuracy and transparency of the resulting judgements. Despite this, the elicitation of expert judgement within conservation and natural resource management remains largely informal. We suggest this may be attributed to financial and practical constraints, which are not addressed by many existing structured elicitation protocols. In this paper, we advocate that structured elicitation protocols must be adopted when expert judgements are used to inform science. In order to motivate a wider adoption of structured elicitation protocols, we outline the IDEA protocol. The protocol improves the accuracy of expert judgements and includes several key steps which may be familiar to many conservation researchers, such as the four‐step elicitation, and a modified Delphi procedure (“Investigate,” “Discuss,” “Estimate” and “Aggregate”). It can also incorporate remote elicitation, making structured expert judgement accessible on a modest budget. The IDEA protocol has recently been outlined in the scientific literature; however, a detailed description has been missing. This paper fills that important gap by clearly outlining each of the steps required to prepare for and undertake an elicitation. While this paper focuses on the need for the IDEA protocol within conservation and natural resource management, the protocol (and the advice contained in this paper) is applicable to a broad range of scientific domains, as evidenced by its application to biosecurity, engineering and political forecasting. By clearly outlining the IDEA protocol, we hope that structured protocols will be more widely understood and adopted, resulting in improved judgements and increased transparency when expert judgement is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Biogeography Society's biennial conferences are renown for being highly interdisciplinary and inspiring meetings. Biogeography is by its nature a holistic and interdisciplinary field and the conferences bring together biologists from a broad range of fields, e.g. experimental ecologists, historical biogeographers, evolutionary biologists, ecological modelers, conservation biologists, and paleobiologists, and covering essentially all types of organisms and ecosystems. The different backgrounds and perspectives combined with shared interests in terms of the basic research questions offer fertile grounds for developing new ideas. This was also the case for the 6th International Conference of the International Biogeography Society took place in Miami, Florida in January 2013. Ecography provided economic support, acting as a sponsor. In addition, Ecography was the officially designated journal for publishing some of the many exciting talks and posters presented at the conference. All of the papers in this special issue of Ecography arose from the IBS conference and reflect its combined high diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and high congruence in research questions. The papers have all been subject to external peer review, subsequent revision, and final editorial decisions of acceptance or rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species distribution models ( SDMs) are used to inform a range of ecological, biogeographical and conservation applications. However, users often underestimate the strong links between data type, model output and suitability for end-use. We synthesize current knowledge and provide a simple framework that summarizes how interactions between data type and the sampling process (i.e. imperfect detection and sampling bias) determine the quantity that is estimated by a SDM. We then draw upon the published literature and simulations to illustrate and evaluate the information needs of the most common ecological, biogeographical and conservation applications of SDM outputs. We find that, while predictions of models fitted to the most commonly available observational data (presence records) suffice for some applications, others require estimates of occurrence probabilities, which are unattainable without reliable absence records. Our literature review and simulations reveal that, while converting continuous SDM outputs into categories of assumed presence or absence is common practice, it is seldom clearly justified by the application's objective and it usually degrades inference. Matching SDMs to the needs of particular applications is critical to avoid poor scientific inference and management outcomes. This paper aims to help modellers and users assess whether their intended SDM outputs are indeed fit for purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst lockdown policies in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, many used video games as a method to maintain a connection with others while ensuring social distancing. A new edition of the Animal Crossing series of games had been released in March 2020 and beat sales and downloads records. The game focuses on living in a natural environment, building a house and a village, as well as capturing, exhibiting, and selling species to progress. Here we examine whether players gain species identification skills and whether it is transferred to real‐life models. We used the results from a survey conducted from the end of March to early April 2020 on 200 people (72 players and 128 nonplayers of Animal Crossing). Participants were first asked to rank their personal interest in nature and then to identify species from photos. The photos displayed both organisms present in the game and organisms that were not. We expected players to obtain a slightly higher score than nonplayers for questions related to the species present in the game and a similar score in both groups for questions related to species not present in the game. Multivariate analyses (multiple linear regression and principal components analysis [PCA]) showed that players were better than nonplayers at identifying real‐life species that were present in the game. The role of the species in the game design impacts the ability to identify the species in real life, such as plants having mainly a role of ornamentation. Additionally, this study suggests that survey participants could correctly assess their naturalistic knowledge in general. This article shows that video games can help enhance ecological learning, improve organisms identification, and might be used as a tool for education in conservation biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of theory within ecology has changed dramatically in recent decades. Once primarily a source of qualitative conceptual framing, ecological theories and models are now often used to develop quantitative explanations of empirical patterns and to project future dynamics of specific ecological systems. In this essay, I recount my own experience of this transformation, in which accelerating computing power and the widespread incorporation of stochastic processes into ecological theory combined to create some novel integration of mathematical and statistical models. This stronger integration drives theory towards incorporating more biological realism, and I explore ways in which we can grapple with that realism to generate new general theoretical insights. This enhanced realism, in turn, may lead to frameworks for projecting ecological responses to anthropogenic change, which is, arguably, the central challenge for 21st-century ecology. In an era of big data and synthesis, ecologists are increasingly seeking to infer causality from observational data; but conventional biometry provides few tools for this project. This is a realm where theorists can and should play an important role, and I close by pointing towards some analytical and philosophical approaches developed in our sister discipline of economics that address this very problem. While I make no grand prognostications about the likely discoveries of ecological theory over the coming century, you will find in this essay a scattering of more or less far-fetched ideas that I, at least, think are interesting and (possibly) fruitful directions for our field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal colour patterns long have provided information about key processes that drive the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of biological diversity. Theory and empirical evidence indicate that variation in colour patterns and other traits among individuals generally improves the performance of populations and species, for example by reducing predation risk, increasing establishment success, improving resilience to environmental change, and decreasing risk of extinction. However, little is known about whether and how variation in colour pattern among species is associated with variation in other phenotypic dimensions. To address this issue, we analysed associations of colour pattern with morphological, behavioural and life‐history traits on the basis of data for nearly 400 species of noctuid moths. We found that moths with more variable colour patterns had longer flight activity periods, more diverse habitats and a greater number of host plant species than species with less variable colour patterns. Variable coloration in adult noctuid moths therefore can be considered as indicative of broader niches and generalist diets. Colour pattern variability was not significantly associated with overwintering stage or body size (wing span), and it was independent of whether the colour pattern of the larvae was non‐variable, variable or highly variable. Colour pattern variation during the larval stage tended to increase as the duration of the flight activity period increased, but was independent of the length of the larval period, diet breadth and habitat use. The realization that information on colour pattern variation in adult moths, and possibly other organisms, offers a proxy for niche breadth and dietary generalization can inform management and conservation biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protecting nature is a fundamental aspect of local and Indigenous cultures that has more recently become an urban sustainability goal. The benefits provided by nature to people and other species have sparked an upsurge in research exploring how best to manage existing nature in urban environments. Here we expand this focus by drawing attention to an emerging pathway of research and practice that is engaged with the idea of bringing nature back into cities (BNB).We argue that BNB could be a vital force of the 21st century urban‐sustainability agenda. However, the enthusiasm of practitioners and policymakers for incorporating BNB objectives into local and global strategies remains uneven. As interdisciplinary scholars involved with the theory and practice of caring for urban nature, we believe that the time is ripe to present a fresh perspective on seven key areas that can unlock the potential of actions to bring nature back into cities.Specifically, we: (a) argue that the sovereignty of local and Indigenous knowledge‐systems be acknowledged and respected; (b) contend that the choice of bringing nature back actions should be driven by inclusive decision‐making; (c) discuss advances in ecology that need to be addressed to facilitate the return of nature into cities; (d) outline how the diffusion of innovation theory may assist communication of BNB actions to stakeholders; (e) discuss how built‐environment professionals can demonstrate the value of urban infrastructure for BNB; (f) call for longitudinal research to understand, quantify and qualify the benefits of BNB actions and (g) consider solutions needed to address concerns about potential risks and disservices associated with actions to bring nature back into urban environments.Taken together, these perspectives, and the transdisciplinary framework that emerges from them, embody theoretical innovation regarding how to bring nature back into cities and a holistic view of how to make this happen in practice. Bringing nature back into cities has the potential to become an environmentally just and culturally inclusive dimension of the 21st urban sustainability agenda upon which future generations of city‐dwellers rely. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the factors that influence the trade‐off between flowering and clonal growth in angiosperms is of great interest to botanists, plant ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Being able, ultimately, to manipulate these factors has potentially wide‐ranging applications in conservation biology, horticulture and agriculture. A rare, native Australian species, Melaleuca deanei, displays a low frequency of flowering and failed seedling recruitment, with persistence and expansion in the field predominantly via clonal root suckering. A decade of studies into its reproductive biology and ecology reveal both genetic and environmental factors reducing sexual success within its populations. Five factors influencing the trade‐off from sexual reproduction to clonal propagation are distilled and discussed in this work: 1. environmental constraint on sexual success; 2. small population size/low mate availability; 3. an obligate outcrossing breeding system; 4. somatic mutations in older clones; and 5. phylogenetic constraint. The work is potentially informative to the life cycles and management of other clonal angiosperms, be they rare and endangered; highly fecund weedy species; or economically important species. Methods to test each factor in future studies are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The author discusses how the editors of "Conservation Biology" magazine decrease geographic bias when publishing manuscripts. Topics he covered include the comprehensive remedy to potential publication biases, examples of purposeful and acceptable biases and the biases that are unlikely ever to be acceptable, and the steps taken by the magazine's editors to alleviate geographical bias.

Abstract: Since the launch of Ecology Letters in 1998, the field of Pollination Ecology has changed considerably in its focus. In this review, we discuss the major discoveries across the past two decades. We quantitatively synthesise the frequency by which different concepts and topics appeared in the peer‐reviewed literature, as well as the connections between these topics. We then look forward to identify pressing research frontiers and opportunities for additional integration in the future. We find that there has been a shift towards viewing plant–pollinator interactions as networks and towards understanding how global drivers influence the plants, pollinators and the ecosystem service of pollination. Future frontiers include moving towards a macroecological view of plant–pollinator interactions, understanding how ecological intensification and urbanisation will influence pollination, considering other interactions, such as plant–microbe–pollinator networks, and understanding the causes and consequences of extinctions. Pollination Ecology is poised to advance our basic understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors that shape plant–animal interactions and to create applied knowledge that informs conservation decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses issues related to growing loss of global biodiversity. Topics discussed include productive conversation and self-reflection to galvanize individual and institutional change in the field of bioversity, rapid and needed growth in the dimensionality and reach of conservation science and positive effects of cross-fertilization by organizing cross-sector trainings.

An introduction to the journal is presented wherein the editor discusses various reports published in the issue that include the 4 core challenges with respect to the identification and assessment of conservation opportunity including identification and evaluation of conservation opportunity , identifying and managing uncertainty in spatially referenced socials (SRS) and biophysical data and understanding the costs and benefits of modeling against reporting on actual feasibility data.

The metapopulation concept initiated a paradigm shift in ecology and conservation biology, recognizing the eminent role of dispersal and colonization as fundamental processes contributing to species' long‐term persistence. Early models made ad hoc assumptions about a positive area dependency of dispersal (i.e., total number of emigrants), which persisted in the theoretical literature; however, numerous empirical examples of negative area dependencies of dispersal have been reported. Here, we first give a qualitative overview for different area dependencies of dispersal in empirical systems. Then, using a spatially realistic Levins model, we show that extending assumptions on the area dependence of dispersal (ADD) to include all empirically supported parameter space, specifically also negative ADD, alters predictions on several conservation‐relevant patterns. Importantly, we find that small patches could be of similar importance as large ones if dispersal decreases inversely with patch area, a result contrasting with previous findings based on a positive ADD. This leads to context‐dependent strategies to preserve metapopulations. If dispersal is positively correlated with patch area, efforts should be devoted to preserving large patches and the total habitat area. If dispersal is negatively correlated with patch area, the most efficient strategy is to preserve a high number of patches, including small ones. Our results have direct implications for management decisions in the context of destruction, deterioration, and protection of habitat patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]