Global change, through climate change, land use change, and introductions of invasive species, is reshaping how species interact in nature. These interactions are like the legs of a table holding up ecosystems and their functions. When too many legs break, the table wobbles, threatening the stability of nature's services that sustain biodiversity, regulate climate, and benefit people. This project explores how global change creates new combinations of interacting species, termed ecological network novelty, and whether such novelty helps or harms ecosystem functioning. Focusing on seed dispersal, a process vital for forest regeneration and carbon storage, the research identifies where and why plant-animal networks reorganize and what this means for the health of ecosystems. By revealing which forms of network novelty help maintaining the stability of the ecosystem table, this project provides new tools for conservation and for safeguarding the natural systems that people depend on.

2026

2030