Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Natural microcosms (NMs) have been proposed as model systems for ecology based on their ubiquity, ease of study and natural context. We assess whether this potential has been met by examining 824 studies of six NMs (bromeliads, moss patches, nectar microbiomes, pitcher plants, rockpools, treeholes). Of these, we judged 314 studies to use NMs as model systems, testing a broad range of ecological theories. Although these theories spanned large biological, spatial and temporal scales, most studies concentrated on community-level niche processes occurring at local scales and within a generation-especially trophic control theories. However, metacommunity theory, which integrates over spatial and temporal scales, was also commonly studied. NMs were particularly effective in studying environmental stressors, often in combination with multitrophic effects or responses. While NMs have many advantages as model systems, there are limits to which theories can be tested due to specific life-histories of their inhabitants, uniqueness of certain ecosystem processes and frequency of disturbance. Particularly under-represented were tests of behavioural and ecosystem theory, long-term processes and impacts of invasive species. Greater use of molecular methods, community science and collaborative research networks could enable NMs to reach their full potential as model systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life in natural microcosms'.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Published
2026-06-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0394
Primary Topic
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Vinicius F. Farjalla, M. Kurtis Trzcinski, Aliny P. F. Pires, Pavel Kratina et al.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
article

Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Vinicius F. Farjalla, M. Kurtis Trzcinski, Aliny P. F. Pires, Pavel Kratina, Diane S. Srivastava, Angélica L. González, Jana S. Petermann, Paula M. de Omena, Régis Céréghino, Nicholas J. Gotelli
article en

Abstract

Natural microcosms (NMs) have been proposed as model systems for ecology based on their ubiquity, ease of study and natural context. We assess whether this potential has been met by examining 824 studies of six NMs (bromeliads, moss patches, nectar microbiomes, pitcher plants, rockpools, treeholes). Of these, we judged 314 studies to use NMs as model systems, testing a broad range of ecological theories. Although these theories spanned large biological, spatial and temporal scales, most studies concentrated on community-level niche processes occurring at local scales and within a generation-especially trophic control theories. However, metacommunity theory, which integrates over spatial and temporal scales, was also commonly studied. NMs were particularly effective in studying environmental stressors, often in combination with multitrophic effects or responses. While NMs have many advantages as model systems, there are limits to which theories can be tested due to specific life-histories of their inhabitants, uniqueness of certain ecosystem processes and frequency of disturbance. Particularly under-represented were tests of behavioural and ecosystem theory, long-term processes and impacts of invasive species. Greater use of molecular methods, community science and collaborative research networks could enable NMs to reach their full potential as model systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life in natural microcosms'.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological SciencesVol. 381(1953)
University of Vermont (US), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA), University of British Columbia (CA), Queen Mary University of London (GB), Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées (FR), University of Salzburg (AT), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR), Fachhochschule Salzburg (AT), Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NL), Universidade Vila Velha (BR), Pädagogische Hochschule Salzburg (AT), Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Natural Environment Research Council, Division of Environmental Biology
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 7%
Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.