Article Dans Une Revue Global Ecology and Biogeography Année : 2025

A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Ecological Novelty

Timothy Staples
Jessica Blois
Katie Cramer
Emer Cunningham
Maria Dornelas
Simon Haberle
Tina Heger
Wolfgang Kiessling
Anne Magurran
Aaron O'Dea
Amelia Penny
Volker Radeloff
Jansen Smith
John Williams
John Pandolfi

Résumé

ABSTRACT Background Human pressures are driving the emergence of unprecedented, ‘novel’, ecological and environmental systems. The concept of novel (eco)systems is well accepted by the scientific community, but the use and measurement of novelty has outgrown initial definitions and critiques. There are still unresolved methodological and conceptual differences in quantifying novelty that prevent a unified research approach. Framework Here we present a conceptual framework and guidelines to unify past and future measurement of ecological novelty. Under this framework, novelty is a property of an ecological or environmental entity of interest. Novelty is quantified as the comparison between the target entity and a reference set, measured as the summary of degrees of difference across one or more dimensions. Choices in these components, particularly the reference set, can change resulting novelty measurements and inferences. Showcase We provide a case‐study to showcase our framework, measuring pre‐ and post‐European novelty in 99 pollen assemblages in Midwest USA forests. We paired this quantitative exploration with a five‐step process designed to improve the utility and outcomes of novelty analyses. Conclusions Quantitative novelty has immense value in studies of abrupt ecological change, linking climatic and ecological change, biotic interactions and invasions, species range shifts and fundamental theories. Our framework offers a unified overview and is also primed for integration into management and restoration workflows, providing consistent and robust measurements of novelty to support decision making, priority setting and resource allocation.

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hal-04954361 , version 1 (13-03-2026)

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Timothy Staples, Jessica Blois, Katie Cramer, Emer Cunningham, Maria Dornelas, et al.. A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Ecological Novelty. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2025, 34 (2), ⟨10.1111/geb.70005⟩. ⟨hal-04954361⟩
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