The Science-Rights of Nature Nexus: Bridging Ecology, Law, and Governance

The accelerating crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation have prompted growing recognition that existing environmental governance and legal institutions are insufficient to safeguard the ecological systems upon which human societies depend. In response, a rapidly expanding global movement is advancing Eco-Jurisprudence (Earth Jurisprudence) - a legal philosophy that calls for human legal, economic, and governance systems to be aligned with the principles and functioning of the natural world. One of the most prominent legal expressions of Eco-Jurisprudence is the Rights of Nature (RoN) framework, which recognizes ecosystems and species as legal subjects possessing inherent rights to exist, thrive, regenerate ecological cycles, and be restored when damaged. Over the past two decades, more than 500 Rights of Nature initiatives have emerged worldwide through constitutional provisions, national legislation, municipal ordinances, court decisions, and policy frameworks at local, national, and international levels.Despite the rapid expansion of RoN laws and policies, the role of ecological and interdisciplinary science in shaping, informing, and implementing these legal frameworks remains underexamined. Scientific knowledge plays a crucial role in defining ecosystem integrity, identifying ecological thresholds, documenting biodiversity, assessing environmental harms, and informing restoration efforts. Landmark cases such as Ecuador’s Los Cedros Constitutional Court decision (2021) illustrate how biodiversity science and ecological research can inform judicial reasoning in recognizing and enforcing the rights of ecosystems. Sea turtle research in Panama resulted in a national law to protect nature and secondary laws to protect sea turtles. Further, emerging approaches such as community-based para-ecology programs, where trained local residents collect biodiversity and ecosystem data, demonstrate how scientific monitoring can support the implementation and defense of ecological rights. This special issue invites interdisciplinary scholarship exploring the nexus between science and Eco-Jurisprudence, with a particular focus on how scientific knowledge informs the development, interpretation, and implementation of Rights of Nature laws, policies, and governance systems. We welcome contributions from scholars and practitioners in law, ecology, environmental science, economics, political science, geography, Indigenous studies, and sustainability governance.Topics welcomed include, but are not limited to:• The Science-Rights of Nature Nexus (e.g., how science is shaping RoN legal frameworks; informing policies, governance institutions, and judicial decision-making; and supporting implementation through monitoring and data collection); • Rights of Restoration (how scientific understandings of ecosystem recovery and regenerative capacity can inform implementation and enforcement of ecosystems’ right to restoration);• Artificial Intelligence and Rights of Nature (e.g., AI-assisted environmental governance and enforcement; ethical and governance implications of AI in ecological rights protection);• Science of the Economics of Rights of Nature (e.g., the role of ecological economics in supporting financing mechanisms to support RoN; economic implications of ecosystem rights recognition)• We welcome empirical case studies from ecology and/or traditional ecological knowledge, theoretical and conceptual contributions, and/or policy analyses. Interdisciplinary submissions that bridge science, law, and governance practice are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Craig Michael Kauffman, PAMELA MARTIN Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80002/the-science-rights-of-nature-nexus-bridging-ecology-law-and-governance