Special Issue: Ecology of information enters the Anthropocene

Over ten years ago, Oikos hosted an ‘Ecology of Information’ special section which focused on ecological significance of informed decision-making in organisms across taxa, time and space. This issue features the next special section on the emerging frontiers in the Ecology of Information. It aims to frame the synthesis of recent advances in this vibrant field and to consider information use within a changing world in order to prioritize the research agenda for the Ecology of Information in the Anthropocene.

Special Issue: The role of the nutritional quality of resources in ecosystem functioning

Articles in this special issue browse a range of individual and population-level approaches (embracing evolutionary questions) to community related questions, include methodological issues and ecosystem-wide approaches using trophic quality indicators as tracers of resources origin. Based on these studies and on the literature review, we identify a non-exhaustive list of challenges and perspectives of research that we consider of highest priority in the large topic of trophic ecology.

Special Issue: Root traits and functioning: from individual plants to ecosystems

Despite the overwhelming importance of fine root traits for plant and plant community functioning and biogeochemical cycles, basic information about their ecology is lacking. In the last 20 years, developments in the field of root ecology have been outstanding, in particular in the compilation of belowground trait datasets.  The papers in this Special Issue cover different climate regions, taxonomic and spatial scales, and a diversity of traits, and form perfect examples of this upward moment of the belowground component in plant ecology.

Oikos opens up for more speculation and debate in ecological science!

The journal is inviting all authors to contribute to Speculations and Alternative Viewpoints Sessions. Please see the Oikos blogpost here for more information.

Submit a paper to our Forum section
This section is the home for synthesis and review. The format can be short notes or more substantial reviews to bring fields together, to link existing boundaries by synthesizing larger fields or seemingly disparate areas, and to offer new ways of interpreting existing data. It is an arena for challenging current thinking on ecological issues by revising established concepts and insights from critical experiments or for developing new theory to promote novel research. Find out more.