Abstract Ecological novelty is emerging rapidly due to global change drivers such as climate shifts, species introductions, defaunation, and land‐use transformation. These changes challenge how we assess, understand and manage ecosystems in the Anthropocene. We present an interdisciplinary framework for analysing the processes that generate novel ecosystems—across biotic and abiotic dimensions, and within their broader social context—rather than focusing solely on identifying novel communities or states. Through this framework, we gain an opportunity to identify ecosystems likely to develop novel properties in the future. The framework distinguishes among four key dimensions of novelty: compositional (species identity and community structure), functional (traits and ecosystem processes), abiotic (environmental conditions) and social (human interactions with, and perceptions of, nature). It accommodates variation in spatial and temporal scale, reference baselines and driver interactions. Our framework emphasises a multi‐process approach, covering different pathways for analysing and understanding many processes measured in a particular location. Designed to be both conceptually robust and operationalisable, the framework supports the development of metrics for monitoring, modelling and conservation decision‐making, applicable to both research and large‐scale ecosystem planning. We integrate perspectives from ecology, conservation biology, paleoecology, archaeology, global change science and the social sciences to guide the development of novel ecosystem research and philosophy. We finally illustrate its application in contexts such as refaunation, assisted migration and adaptive conservation planning. By focusing on novelty‐generating processes, our framework provides a shared foundation for researchers and practitioners to assess, anticipate and manage the emergence of novel ecosystems in an increasingly transformed biosphere.
Kerr et al. (2026) studied this question.