National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

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2031-2040 of 6248
  1. Publication

    Combined innovations in public policy, the private sector and culture can drive sustainability transitions in food systems

    Global food system analyses call for an urgent transition to sustainable human diets but how this might be achieved within the current global food regime is poorly explored. Here we examine the factors that have fostered major dietary shifts across eight countries in the past 70 years. Guided by transition and food-regime theories, we draw on data from diverse disciplines, reviewing post-World War 2 shifts in consumption of three food commodities: farmed tilapia, milk and chicken.

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  2. Publication

    At-risk marine biodiversity faces extensive, expanding, and intensifying human impacts

    Human activities and climate change threaten marine biodiversity worldwide, though sensitivity to these stressors varies considerably by species and taxonomic group. Mapping the spatial distribution of 14 anthropogenic stressors from 2003 to 2013 onto the ranges of 1271 at-risk marine species sensitive to them, we found that, on average, species faced potential impacts across 57% of their ranges, that this footprint expanded over time, and that the impacts intensified across 37% of their ranges.

  3. Publication

    Integrating Ecological Impacts: Perspectives on Drought in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States

    Drought is a complex challenge experienced in specific locations through diverse impacts, including ecological impacts. Different professionals involved in drought preparedness and response approach the problem from different points of view, which means they may or may not recognize ecological impacts. This study examines the extent to which interviewees perceive ecological drought in the Upper Missouri Headwaters basin in southwestern Montana.

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  4. Publication

    A synthesis of local adaptation to climate through reciprocal common gardens

    Contrasts of differences within plant species and ecotypes are often best examined in ecology, evolution, and genetics through provenance and biogeographical comparisons.

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  5. Publication

    Soil organic matter protects US maize yields and lowers crop insurance payouts under drought

    Higher levels of soil organic matter improve soil water retention, meaning they could mitigate agricultural yield losses from drought. Yet evidence to support such claims is mixed and incomplete. Using data from 12,376 county-years in the United States of America, we show that counties with higher soil organic matter are associated with greater yields, lower yield losses, and lower rates of crop insurance payouts under drought.

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  6. Publication

    Emerging COVID-19 impacts, responses, and lessons for building resilience in the seafood system

    The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns are creating health and economic crises that threaten food and nutrition security. The seafood sector provides important sources of nutrition and employment, especially in low-income countries, and is highly globalized allowing shocks to propagate. We studied COVID-19-related disruptions, impacts, and responses to the seafood sector from January through May 2020, using a food system resilience ‘action cycle’ framework as a guide.

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  7. Publication

    Sewage pollution, declining ecosystem health, and cross-sector collaboration

    It is well established that a global sanitation crisis threatens humans. By comparison, much less attention has been given to address the effects of this crisis on the health of ecosystems. We provide examples of how sewage can affect natural ecosystems and where hotspots in sewage contamination commonly overlap with these habitats. We highlight these issues for some of the major ecosystems spanning across terrestrial, aquatic, and coastal realms.

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  8. Publication

    Exploring the future of fishery conflict through narrative scenarios

    Recent studies suggest that the pervasive impacts on global fishery resources caused by stressors such as overfishing and climate change could dramatically increase the likelihood of fishery conflict. However, existing projections do not consider wider economic, social, or political trends when assessing the likelihood of, and influences on, future conflict trajectories.

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  9. Publication

    The long and narrow path for novel cell-based seafood to reduce fishing pressure for marine ecosystem recovery

    Cell-based seafood is an emerging novel food, with many start-p companies aspiring for ocean conservation benefits through expanded market share that displaces wild-caught seafood. However, the ability for cell-based seafood to achieve this conservation outcome is often oversimplified and will rely on an extensive, and we find somewhat tenuous, chain of events.

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  10. Publication

    Mismatch Between Risk and Response May Amplify Lethal and Non-lethal Effects of Humans on Wild Animal Populations

    Human activity has rapidly transformed the planet, leading to declines of animal populations around the world through a range of direct and indirect pathways. Humans have strong numerical effects on wild animal populations, as highly efficient hunters and through unintentional impacts of human activity and development. Human disturbance also induces costly non-lethal effects by changing the behavior of risk-averse animals.

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