A survey of 16S rRNA sequences of the skin microbiomes of amphibians across the globe reveals links between climate and species richness as well as potential bacterial gene functions. The work paves the way for mechanistic studies of how the environment affects microbial community assembly.

In the Southern Ocean, climate-driven contraction of Antarctic krill from open ocean toward the frozen continent is a perilous journey. Research now shows that a poleward shift in distribution is accompanied by diminished spatial less habitat, lower densities and larger mean size of adults.

Characteristics shared by different plant species can be used to decipher where they are found in nature. A new global analysis indicates that using this code to understand what shapes plant communities must consider spatial scale.

An audit of recent research on the scales of data collection in ecology highlights the field’s data limitations, which may hinder progress in linking processes across scales.