Ecology in South America: Present state and future prospects

Abstract

South American ecological science has grown immensely in the past few decades, with flourishing graduate courses across the continent dedicated to the topic and an increasing number of researchers focused on understanding many aspects of the continent´s immense biodiversity. In Brazil, for instance, the number of graduate-level ecology courses almost doubled between 2008 and 2019, jumping from 35 to 68 graduate courses in Ecology. South American Ecologists are conducting world-class research, often with international collaborations, and are continuously looking for international venues to publish their studies. When looking for journals to publish their work, South American Ecologists often consider the access of the public for their published work, the existence of article processing charges, and fit of the research to the journals´ aims and scopes. In our experience as researchers, professors, reviewers, and editors, we came to understand that many studies being done in South America extend beyond local or national relevance and are important contributions to ecological knowledge in the Southern Hemisphere. Austral Ecology and Ecological Society of Australia, with their aim to publish innovative research to encourage the sharing of information and experiences that enrich the understanding of the ecology of the Southern Hemisphere, are an ideal venue for South American researchers looking to publish their work beyond the regional borders of South America. With that in mind, the goals of the special Issue “Ecology in South America: present state and future prospects” are to highlight South American Ecological Research internationally and to provide options to promote South American research published in Austral Ecology beyond the English-speaking scientific community.All articles included in the special issue are bilingual, with a published version in English and in the most relevant language for the region where the study was conducted (Portuguese or Spanish). Also, most articles have embedded video abstracts in Portuguese or Spanish with English subtitles to promote inclusion and accessibility to scientific knowledge. Authors recorded video abstracts in their first language and highlighted the great diversity of Ecologists conducting important ecological research in South America. Below is a brief description of the research selected for this special issue.