Investigating cumulative effects across ecological scales

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Ecosystems face increasing anthropogenic stressors, necessitating research into cumulative impacts.
• Methods for cumulative effects assessment (CEA) have evolved in both applied and academic fields since the 1970s.
• Previous reviews primarily focused on practitioner-based CEA methods, overlooking academic advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize existing CEA methods.
• To evaluate the capacity of different methods to address ecological complexities and foci.
• To identify research gaps and emerging priorities in CEA.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed six categories of CEA methods: experimental, meta-analysis, single-species modeling, mapping, qualitative modeling, and multispecies modeling.
• Assessed methods against four ecological foci (physiological, population, ecosystem) and six ecological complexities (synergistic effects, spatial/temporal impacts).

Main Results:

• No single reviewed method could address all ecological foci and complexities.
• Each method category demonstrated strengths in addressing specific aspects of ecological impacts.
• Significant gaps exist in current CEA methodologies for holistic impact assessment.

Conclusions:

• A combination of CEA methods is essential for a comprehensive understanding of cumulative impacts.
• Integrating approaches, such as multimodel inference and mapping, can enhance ecological assessments.
• Future research should strategically pair experimental designs with modeling efforts to address identified gaps.