Research Topic

Reviews & Synthesis

I have directed or collaborated in several literature review and conceptual synthesis projects. The work of literature review always precedes the scientific work, but organizing it beyond a simple compilation of the literature is an approach that implies a global vision and an intellectual projection that has strongly contributed to feed and renew my scientific creativity.

The work of conceptual synthesis goes further than the work of review because it organizes the state of knowledge in a general framework and proposes new avenues of research; they were often the starting point of my research projects. These works have also always been human experiences where the path taken collectively was more enriching than its outcome through scientific publication.

This willingness to contribute to collective effort on synthesis was my principal motivation in taking the lead of the Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB) in Montpellier between 2019 and 2025.

  1. Beck M., Annasawmy P., Birre D., Busana M., Casajus N., Coux C., Marino C., Mouquet N., Nicvert L., Oliveira B.F., Petit-Cailleux C., Tortosa A., Unkule M., Vagnon C., Veytia D. (2026). Citation self-awareness for a fairer academic publishing landscape. BioScience, doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biag028

  2. Munoz F., Klausmeier C.A., Gauzere P., Kandlikar G.S., Litchman E., Mouquet N., Ostling A., Thuiller W., Algar A.C., Auber A., Cadotte M.W., Delalandre L., Denelle P., Enquist B.J., Fortunel C., Grenie M., Loiseau N., Mahaut L., Maire A., Mouillot D., Pimiento C., Violle C., Kraft N.J.B. (2023). The ecological causes of functional distinctiveness in communities. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.14265

  3. Machicao J., Abbes A.B., Meneguzzi L., Correa P.L.P., Specht A., David R., Subsol G., Vellenich D.F., Devillers R., Stall S., Mouquet N., Chaumont M., Berti-Equille L., Mouillot D. (2022). Mitigation Strategies to Improve Reproducibility of Poverty Estimations From Remote Sensing Images Using Deep Learning. Earth and Space Science, doi.org/10.1029/2022EA002379

  4. Srivastava D.S., Winter M., Gross L.J., Metzger J.P., Baron J.S., Mouquet N., Meagher T.R., Halpern B.S., Pillar V.D. (2021). Maintaining momentum for collaborative working groups in a post-pandemic world. Nature Ecology & Evolution, doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01521-0

  5. Mouillot D., Loiseau N., Grenie M., Algar A.C., Allegra M., Cadotte M.W., Casajus N., Denelle P., Gueguen M., Maire A., Maitner B., McGill B.J., McLean M., Mouquet N., Munoz F., Thuiller W., Villeger S., Violle C., Auber A. (2021). The dimensionality and structure of species trait spaces. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.13778

  6. Warren B.H., Ricklefs R.E., Thebaud C., Gravel D., Mouquet N. (2019). How Consideration of Islands Has Inspired Mainstream Ecology: Links Between the Theory of Island Biogeography and Some Other Key Theories. Elsevier eBooks, doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11788-9

  7. Tribot A., Deter J., Mouquet N. (2018). Integrating the aesthetic value of landscapes and biological diversity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0971

  8. Violle C., Thuiller W., Mouquet N., Munoz F., Kraft N.J.B., Cadotte M.W., Livingstone S.W., Grenie M., Mouillot D. (2017). A Common Toolbox to Understand, Monitor or Manage Rarity? A Response to Carmona et al.. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2017.10.001

  9. Violle C., Thuiller W., Mouquet N., Munoz F., Kraft N.J.B., Cadotte M.W., Livingstone S.W., Mouillot D. (2017). Functional Rarity: The Ecology of Outliers. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2017.02.002

  10. Massol F., Altermatt F., Gounand I., Gravel D., Leibold M.A., Mouquet N. (2016). How life-history traits affect ecosystem properties: effects of dispersal in meta-ecosystems. Oikos, doi.org/10.1111/oik.03893

  11. Mouquet N., Lagadeuc Y., Devictor V., Doyen L., Duputie A., Eveillard D., Faure D., Garnier E., Gimenez O., Huneman P., Jabot F., Jarne P., Joly D., Julliard R., Kefi S., Kergoat G.J., Lavorel S., Gall L.L., Meslin L., Morand S., Morin X., Morlon H., Pinay G., Pradel R., Schurr F.M., Thuiller W., Loreau M. (2015). Predictive ecology in a changing world. Journal of Applied Ecology, doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12482

  12. Hubert N., Calcagno V., Etienne R.S., Mouquet N. (2015). Metacommunity speciation models and their implications for diversification theory. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.12458

  13. Warren B.H., Simberloff D., Ricklefs R.E., Aguilee R., Condamine F.L., Gravel D., Morlon H., Mouquet N., Rosindell J., Casquet J., Conti E., Cornuault J., Fernandez-Palacios J.M., Hengl T., Norder S.J., Rijsdijk K.F., Sanmartin I., Strasberg D., Triantis K.A., Valente L., Whittaker R.J., Gillespie R.G., Emerson B.C., Thebaud C. (2015). Islands as model systems in ecology and evolution: prospects fifty years after MacArthur-Wilson. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.12398

  14. Thuiller W., Munkemuller T., Lavergne S., Mouillot D., Mouquet N., Schiffers K., Gravel D. (2013). A road map for integrating eco-evolutionary processes into biodiversity models. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.12104

  15. Loreau M., Daufresne T., Gonzalez A., Gravel D., Guichard F., Leroux S., Loeuille N., Massol F., Mouquet N. (2012). Unifying sources and sinks in ecology and <scp>E</scp>arth sciences. Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, doi.org/10.1111/brv.12003

  16. Mouquet N., Gravel D., Massol F., Calcagno V. (2012). Extending the concept of keystone species to communities and ecosystems. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.12014

  17. Poisot T., Canard E., Mouillot D., Mouquet N., Gravel D. (2012). The dissimilarity of species interaction networks. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/ele.12002

  18. Mouquet N., Devictor V., Meynard C.N., Munoz F., Bersier L., Chave J., Couteron P., Dalecky A., Fontaine C., Gravel D., Hardy O.J., Jabot F., Lavergne S., Leibold M.A., Mouillot D., Munkemuller T., Pavoine S., Prinzing A., Rodrigues A.S.L., Rohr R.P., Thebault E., Thuiller W. (2012). Ecophylogenetics: advances and perspectives. Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2012.00224.x

  19. Poisot T., Canard E., Mouquet N., Hochberg M. (2012). A comparative study of ecological specialization estimators. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, doi.org/10.1111/j.2041-210X.2011.00174.x

  20. Rolland J., Cadotte M.W., Davies J., Devictor V., Lavergne S., Mouquet N., Pavoine S., Rodrigues A.S.L., Thuiller W., Turcati L., Winter M., Zupan L., Jabot F., Morlon H. (2011). Using phylogenies in conservation: new perspectives. Biology Letters, doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2011.1024

  21. Gravel D., Massol F., Canard E., Mouillot D., Mouquet N. (2011). Trophic theory of island biogeography. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01667.x

  22. Logue J.B., Mouquet N., Peter H., Hillebrand H. (2011). Empirical approaches to metacommunities: a review and comparison with theory. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2011.04.009

  23. Massol F., Gravel D., Mouquet N., Cadotte M.W., Fukami T., Leibold M.A. (2011). Linking community and ecosystem dynamics through spatial ecology. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01588.x

  24. Lavergne S., Mouquet N., Thuiller W., Ronce O. (2010). Biodiversity and Climate Change: Integrating Evolutionary and Ecological Responses of Species and Communities. Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102209-144628

  25. Devictor V., Clavel J., Julliard R., Lavergne S., Mouillot D., Thuiller W., Venail P., Vill'eger S., Mouquet N. (2009). Defining and measuring ecological specialization. Journal of Applied Ecology, doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01744.x

  26. Gonzalez A., Mouquet N. and Loreau M. (2009). Biodiversity as spatial insurance: the effects of habitat fragmentation and dispersal on ecosystem functioning. In: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning and Ecosystem Services (eds. Naeem S., Bunker D., Hector A., Loreau M. & Perrings C.). Oxford University Press, Oxford.

  27. Mouquet N., Hoopes M.F. and Amarasekare P. (2005). The world is patchy and heterogeneous! Trade-off and source sink dynamics in competitive metacommunities. In: Metacommunities: Spatial dynamics and ecological communities. Eds M. Holyoak, M.A. Leibold and R. Holt. Chicago University Press.

  28. Holyoak M., Leibold M.A., Mouquet N. and Holt R.D. (2005). Metacommunities: A framework for large-scale community ecology. In: Metacommunities: Spatial dynamics and ecological communities. Eds M. Holyoak, M.A. Leibold and R.D. Holt. Chicago University Press.

  29. Loreau M., Mouquet N. and Holt R.D. (2005). From metacommunities to meta-ecosystems. In: Metacommunities: Spatial dynamics and ecological communities. Eds M. Holyoak, M.A. Leibold and R.D. Holt. Chicago University Press.

  30. Chase J., Amarasekare P., Cottenie K., Gonzalez A., Holt R., Holyoak M., Hoopes M.F., Law R., Leibold M.A., Loreau M., Mouquet N., Shurin J. and Tilman D. (2005). Competing theories for competitive metacommunities. In: Metacommunities: Spatial dynamics and ecological communities. Eds M. Holyoak, M.A. Leibold and R.D. Holt. Chicago University Press.

  31. Miller T.E., Burns J.H., Munguia P., Walters E.L., Kneitel J.M., Richards P.M., Mouquet N., Buckley H.L. (2005). A Critical Review of Twenty Years' Use of the Resource-Ratio Theory. The American Naturalist, doi.org/10.1086/428681

  32. Leibold M.A., Holyoak M., Mouquet N., Amarasekare P., Chase J.M., Hoopes M.F., Holt R.D., Shurin J.B., Law R., Tilman D., Loreau M., Gonzalez A. (2004). The metacommunity concept: a framework for multi-scale community ecology. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00608.x

  33. Loreau M., Mouquet N., Holt R.D. (2003). Meta-ecosystems: a theoretical framework for a spatial ecosystem ecology. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00483.x

  34. Mouquet N., Moore J.L., Loreau M. (2002). Plant species richness and community productivity: why the mechanism that promotes coexistence matters. Ecology Letters, doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2002.00281.x

Other topic pages

Aesthetics iconAesthetics Value of Biodiversity Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning iconBiodiversity & Ecosystem Functioning Biogeography iconBiogeography, Macroecology & Ecophylogenetics Experimental evolution iconExperimental Evolution Functional biogeography iconFunctional Biogeography Functional rarity iconFunctional Rarity Metacommunities iconMetacommunities Metaecosystems iconMetaecosystems Nature for Future iconNature for Future Reviews and synthesis iconReviews and Synthesis Trophic biogeography and metaweb iconTrophic Biogeography & Metaweb Biodiful iconBiodiful OutreachOutreach CollaboratorsCollaborators