TY - JOUR T1 - Towards an applied metaecology JO - Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation T2 - AU - Schiesari,Luis AU - Matias,Miguel G. AU - Prado,Paulo Inácio AU - Leibold,Mathew A. AU - Albert,Cecile H. AU - Howeth,Jennifer G. AU - Leroux,Shawn J. AU - Pardini,Renata AU - Siqueira,Tadeu AU - Brancalion,Pedro H.S. AU - Cabeza,Mar AU - Coutinho,Renato Mendes AU - Diniz-Filho,José Alexandre Felizola AU - Fournier,Bertrand AU - Lahr,Daniel J.G. AU - Lewinsohn,Thomas M. AU - Martins,Ayana AU - Morsello,Carla AU - Peres-Neto,Pedro R. AU - Pillar,Valério D. AU - Vázquez,Diego P. SN - 25300644 M3 - 10.1016/j.pecon.2019.11.001 DO - 10.1016/j.pecon.2019.11.001 UR - https://perspectecolconserv.com/en-towards-an-applied-metaecology-articulo-S2530064419301142 AB - The complexity of ecological systems is a major challenge for practitioners and decision-makers who work to avoid, mitigate and manage environmental change. Here, we illustrate how metaecology – the study of spatial interdependencies among ecological systems through fluxes of organisms, energy, and matter – can enhance understanding and improve managing environmental change at multiple spatial scales. We present several case studies illustrating how the framework has leveraged decision-making in conservation, restoration and risk management. Nevertheless, an explicit incorporation of metaecology is still uncommon in the applied ecology literature, and in action guidelines addressing environmental change. This is unfortunate because the many facets of environmental change can be framed as modifying spatial context, connectedness and dominant regulating processes - the defining features of metaecological systems. Narrowing the gap between theory and practice will require incorporating system-specific realism in otherwise predominantly conceptual studies, as well as deliberately studying scenarios of environmental change. ER -