On January 11, 2017, members of Mordecai, Peay, and Fukami Labs met to talk about the papers published in 2016 that each of us liked the most. These papers, the best papers of 2016 according to us, are listed below. (If you are curious about the papers we picked before, check out our 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 lists.)

Best papers of 2016


Barabas et al. 2016 The effect of intra- and interspecific competition on coexistence in multispecies communities. American Naturalist Link

Bik et al. 2016 Marine mammals harbor unique microbiotas shaped by and yet distinct from the sea. Nature Communications Link

Bruns and Taylor 2016 Comment on "Global assessment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus diversity reveals very low endemism." Science Link

Carini et al. 2016 Relic DNA is abundant in soil and obscures estimates of soil microbial diversity. Nature Microbiology Link

Deyle et al. 2016 Global environmental drivers of influenza. PNAS Link

Ellner et al. 2016 How to quantify the temporal storage effect using simulations instead of math. Ecology Letters Link

Gallone et al. 2016 Domestication and divergence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae beer yeasts. Cell Link

Gonzalez et al. 2016 Estimating local biodiversity change: a critique of papers claiming no net loss of local diversity. Ecology Link

Liang et al. 2016 Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests. Science Link

Locey and Lennon 2016 Scaling laws predict global microbial diversity. PNAS Link

Peters et al. 2016 Predictors of elevational biodiversity gradients change from single taxa to the multi-taxa community level. Nature Commmunications Link

Spribille et al. 2016 Basidiomycete yeasts in the cortex of ascomycete macrolichens. Science Link

Stephens et al. 2016 The macroecology of infectious diseases: a new perspective on global-scale drivers of pathogen distributions and impacts. Ecology Letters Link

Sugihara et al. 2012 Detecting causality in complex ecosystems. Science Link

Terrer et al. 2016 Mycorrhizal association as a primary control of the CO2 fertilization effect. Science Link

Vellend 2016 Theory of Ecological Communities. Princeton University Press Link

Wen et al. 2016 Explaining the geographical origins of seasonal influenza A (H3N2). Proceedings of the Royal Society B Link

Yackulic 2016 Competitive exclusion over broad spatial extents is a slow process: evidence and implications for species distribution modeling. Ecography Link