Ecology and biodiversity science
Ecology studies the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment, from populations to ecosystems. It explains how biodiversity loss and ecosystem change alter services such as pollination, water regulation and disease control. Biodiversity Nexus stewards this page for the Nexus Consortium.
- Institution
- The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI)
- Service level
- R0: information and enquiries
Field sampling
GCRI · Ecology and biodiversity science · Run R-8882
Sampling sites
red: result above guideline
Latest results
| S-29 | Evidence | 4.6 | 7 | Above |
| S-47 | Methods | 8.9 | 8 | Above |
| S-44 | Reports | 11.4 | 8 | Near |
| S-41 | Corrections | 7.7 | 9 | Above |
Trend at selected site
GCRI · Field samplingField sampling, in outline: domain structure with placeholder names and illustrative values, not a record.
The short answer.
Ecology studies the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment, from populations to ecosystems. Ecological assessment identifies dependencies of agriculture, water and health on natural systems. In the Nexus Consortium, Biodiversity Nexus stewards its canonical page, and 4 other platforms apply it, including Food Nexus as well as Oceans and Coasts.
Landscapes and remoteness in Tanzania.
Mountain ranges, deserts, wetlands, glaciers and reefs, and how remote each division is from large cities, shown for Tanzania as an example geography for this subject.
What ecology and biodiversity science covers.
- 01
Core methods
species distribution modelling; population viability analysis; community and food-web analysis; ecosystem service assessment; field survey design; landscape connectivity analysis.
- 02
Data and instruments
field plots and transects; camera traps and acoustic sensors; environmental DNA sampling; satellite land cover products; biodiversity occurrence databases.
- 03
Validation
Predictions are compared with independent survey data and long-term monitoring sites. Experimental manipulations and natural experiments test causal mechanisms.
- 04
Limits
Ecosystems show nonlinear responses and thresholds that are hard to anticipate from past data. Sampling is uneven across regions and taxa.
- 05
Use in risk decisions
Ecological assessment identifies dependencies of agriculture, water and health on natural systems. It supports nature-related disclosure and the evaluation of tipping-point risks.
Ecological evidence is assessed through IPBES and recorded in open biodiversity data.
| Reference | What it sets |
|---|---|
| IPBES assessments | Assessed evidence on drivers of biodiversity change and their consequences |
| GBIF | Open species occurrence records |
| IUCN Red List and Global Ecosystem Typology | Extinction risk status and ecosystem classification |
| UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounting | Standard for ecosystem extent, condition and service accounts |
Ecological thresholds are where nature risk becomes systemic.
Ecosystems provide services that other systems price at zero until they fail. Ecology contributes the evidence on thresholds and regime shifts, the points where gradual pressure produces abrupt loss. Those thresholds are uncertain and site-specific, so a systemic analysis must carry the uncertainty rather than pick a single tipping value.
- Occurrence data are biased toward accessible places and charismatic species; correct for sampling effort.
- Ecosystem service estimates depend on the beneficiary; the same wetland matters differently upstream and downstream.
- Avoid transferring a threshold estimated in one ecosystem type to another.
- Applications on Biodiversity Nexus and Oceans and Coasts.
Platforms that apply this method.
Who maintains this page.
Biodiversity Nexus stewards ecology and biodiversity science: it keeps this description current and reviews how the method is applied across the platforms.
Terms used on this page.
Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ecosystem condition | The quality of an ecosystem measured by its biotic and abiotic characteristics. |
| Ecological threshold | A point at which a small change causes a large shift in ecosystem state. |
| Pollination service | The contribution of wild and managed pollinators to crop yield and quality. |
| Natural pest control | The suppression of crop pests by predators, parasitoids and pathogens living in and around fields. |
Where this page's references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Where this page leads across the Consortium.
- Ecology for food systemsGCRIApplied in Food Nexus.
- Ecology and biodiversity scienceGCRIApplied in Biodiversity Nexus.
- Marine ecologyGCRIApplied in Oceans and Coasts.
- Ecology and biodiversity science for climate and nature governanceGRFApplied in Climate and Nature Governance.
- Ecology and biodiversity science for climate and nature financial riskGRAApplied in Climate and Nature Financial Risk.
Questions and answers.
Why does one institution host every method page?
How do I suggest a correction to a method page?
Around GCRI.
Start with an enquiry.
The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.