Surviving the Anthropocene: the 3 E’s under Pressing Planetary Issues

Starting with the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the Anthropocene is our current geological epoch. Marked by unprecedented human-made global disruption, the Anthropocene presents existential threats that might have never been encountered before. Global warming, biodiversity loss, rising sea levels, and climate-change-induced human displacement are just some of the many challenges we will continue to face. Guidelines for a sustainable future have been repeatedly proposed and the planetary boundaries for our safe existence have been established. Yet, more than 80% of the current global energy consumption still relies on unsustainable fossil fuels. To make things worse, the demand for oil and gas is expected to peak in the next two decades. Amidst this uncertain and tumultuous background, what are the future steps for Ecology, Ethology and Evolution? How can biologists contribute to the future of their disciplines while implementing best-practices that guarantee the long-term survival of our planet? These are some of the questions that will guide this Research Topic on “Surviving the Anthropocene: the 3 E’s under pressing planetary issues”.

“Surviving the Anthropocene: the 3 E’s under pressing planetary issues” is a collection of selected work presented at the 53rd Ontario Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution Colloquium, OE3C 2023 (https://oe3c2023.com/). For the past 52 years, OE3C has brought together ecologists, ethologists, evolutionary biologists and related professionals to discuss the most pressing issues. This collection covers any work that showcases what biologists are studying within the three E’s and how these studies can inform our future steps into the Anthropocene.

We welcome original Research Articles, Systematic Reviews, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Policy & Practice Reviews, Perspectives, and Opinions on the following topics (but not limited to):

- How the challenges of the Anthropocene can affect the ecology, ethology, and evolution of species?
- Are the disciplines of Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution prepared for the changes (both societal and planetary) that will be brought about during the Anthropocene?
- How can biologists apply their expertise to inform society (both the public at large and decision makers) amidst this uncertain future?

Keywords: Anthropocene, Anthropogenic effects, Climate-change ecology, biodiversity loss, planetary boundaries, habitat change, phenological change, science Policy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.