09/08/2026
Editorial
PLOS Ecosystems: an interdisciplinary journal for ecosystem and biodiversity sciences
Read about the vision for PLOS Ecosystems from the founding Editor-in-Chief, Henrique M. Pereira.
Image credit: NEOM
November 2, 2026
Submit to PLOS Ecosystems
Calling all experts!
PLOS Ecosystems is seeking talented individuals to join our Editorial Board
Apply Now10/30/2026
Opinion
Understanding the Earth system through its biodiversity: Why and how
Earth is a living planet. Not simply a planet with life but a planet in which its biotic and abiotic constituents have coevolved for roughly 4 billion years, the vast majority of Earth’s history. This coevolution results in a planet in which we generally find life wherever we look.
Image credit: NASA
10/29/2026
Opinion
Vaccinating ecosystems against invasive plants
Invasive plant management is still largely practiced as emergency medicine: detection occurs late, control is costly, and restoration begins after ecological damage is obvious. Invasive species—species introduced by people outside their natural ranges that establish, spread, and negatively affect nature—are a major economic and environmental problem, and prevention, preparedness, and early detection are fundamental tools to minimize their impact
Image credit: Shannon Kunkle
10/12/2026
Research Article
Tightening the loose equilibrium concept: New seasonal insights with benthic insect data from National Ecological Observatory Network streams
Assemblages of living organisms are never truly static. They all change through time, though change is often gradual and centered about a stable baseline. To characterize this dynamic, ecologists have developed a theory of ‘loose equilibrium’ (LE).
Image credit: Ian Alexander
10/01/2026
Review
A review of ecological consequences of emerging counter-urbanisation
It is widely recognised that the world is becoming more urban, yet growing numbers of people are also moving from cities to rural and suburban areas, a trend commonly described as counter-urbanisation. While the ecological impacts of city growth are well documented, the ecological consequences of this outward...
Image credit: Duan et al.
10/06/2026
Research Article
Social-ecological portfolio effects in ecosystem service provision, the case of commercial Pacific salmon fisheries in Canada
Human societies depend on stable ecosystem services, which are often stabilized by the ecological portfolio effect arising from biodiversity. Yet, whether this ecological stability propagates to the socio-economic dimensions of an ecosystem...
Image credit: Affinito et al.
10/06/2026
Research Article
Revisiting how the euphotic depth is computed
The method of computing the layer of the ocean where photosynthesis takes place has been debated in the literature, yet the prevailing method is based on assuming it spans from the surface to a depth of a light-level that is a fixed percent of light at the surface. Here we argue based on observations and on phytoplankton physiology, that it should be determined on the basis of a depth of a constant...
Image credit: Boss et al.
10/06/2026
Research Article
Forest landscape planning with textural constraints: How to control the spatial pattern under competing management objectives
To protect forest ecosystem services in areas of commercial harvesting, land management agencies in Canada have implemented requirements that harvest...
Image credit: Yemshanov et al.
09/08/2026
Opinion
What science does biodiversity action still need? Lessons from a decade of IPBES
Reflecting on a decade of IPBES assessments, Anne Larigauderie, the outgoing Executive Secretary, identifies the scientific priorities—systems thinking, transformative change, and...
Image credit: Jay Mantri
09/08/2026
Research Article
Combining branching processes and Allee effects into an integral projection model to assess invasion risk
Invasive species can cause lasting ecological and economic damage, yet many introduced populations disappear before becoming established.
Image credit: James Peirce
09/08/2026
Research Article
A protocol for biodiversity-informed wildlife disease surveillance
The majority of infectious diseases that infect humans are zoonotic, meaning they circulate in wildlife populations and human infections arise from contact with wildlife, leading to transmission of...
Image credit: Michelle Gordon
Recent Opinions
-
What science does biodiversity action still need? Lessons from a decade of IPBES
-
Ambiguous data licences undermine global ecosystem mapping efforts
-
Climate change and planetary microbiome: Are we overlooking free-living amoebae in climate-microbiome dynamics?
-
Vaccinating ecosystems against invasive plants
-
Understanding the Earth system through its biodiversity: Why and how
Recent Editorials and Reviews
Publish with PLOS
Get new content from PLOS Ecosystems in your inbox
PLOS Ecosystems | ISSN: 3070-8141 (online)
Connect with Us