- Title
- A framework for the Eltonian niche of humans
- Creator
- Moll, Remington J.; Killion, Alexander K.; Hayward, Matt W.; Montgomery, Robert A.
- Relation
- BioScience Vol. 71, Issue 9, p. 928-941
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab055
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Recent research has highlighted several influential roles that humans play in ecosystems, including that of a superpredator, hyperkeystone species, and niche constructor. This work has begun to describe the Eltonian niche of humans, which encompasses humanity's cumulative ecological and evolutionary roles in trophic systems. However, we lack a unifying framework that brings together these strands of research, links them to ecoevolutionary and sociocultural theory, and identifies current research needs. In this article, we present such a framework in hope of facilitating a more holistic approach to operationalizing human roles in trophic systems across an increasingly anthropogenic biosphere. The framework underscores how humans play numerous nuanced roles in trophic systems, from top-down to bottom-up, that entail not only pernicious effects but also benefits for many nonhuman species. Such a nuanced view of the Eltonian niche of humans is important for understanding complex social–ecological system functioning and enacting effective policies and conservation measures.
- Subject
- anthropocene; anthrome; community ecology; homo sapiens; social-ecological systems
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1475561
- Identifier
- uon:49591
- Identifier
- ISSN:0006-3568
- Language
- eng
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