Macrosystems ecology: A new engine and frontier in contemporary ecosystem science

Abstract

Ecosystems are complex systems shaped by both self-organization and anthropogenic regulation, emerging from the dynamic interplay among water, land, climate, biota, and human activities. As the foundational habitat for human well-being, they provide essential services including ecological goods, natural resources, cultural value, and livable environments. Amid accelerating global change, intensifying environmental pressures, and deepening disciplinary integration, ecosystem science is entering a period of transformative development. This study identifies macrosystems ecology, grounded in the principles of large-scale ecological processes, as a pivotal framework for driving the future of ecosystem science. We propose an integrated theoretical, epistemological, engineering and technological system to support this evolution, and retrospectively examine the origins and scientific mission of macrosystems ecology. Core questions, practical applications, research subjects, paradigms, and methodological systems are systematically outlined. In addition, we articulate the multidisciplinary principles, epistemological framework, and axiomatic system that underpin a coherent structure for macrosystems ecology. Together, these components offer strategic guidance for advancing both theoretical understanding and practical innovation in sustainable ecosystem management.

Keywords

Ecosystem science / Macro-ecosystems / Ecological principles / Ecological theory / Engineering and technological system

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Guirui Yu: Writing – original draft, Supervision, Methodology, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Zongxu Yu: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Investigation. Zhi Chen: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Funding acquisition. Qiufeng Wang: Supervision, Project administration.

Declaration of competing interests

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 32588202, 32222052 and 42261144688).

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