Sapna Sharma Joshua A. Culpepper Ceara J Talbot Michael Frederick Meyer Stephanie E. Hampton Faith R Ferrato 2025 <p>Ecological disciplines, from forestry to soil sciences and ornithology, recognize the critical role of autumn in an array of physical and biological processes. Terrestrial studies categorize autumn as the end of the growing season. Autumn weather conditions can disrupt plant-soil interactions, affecting nutrient cycling and soil fertility [1]; determine dormancy and freezing tolerance of trees during winter [2]; and create phenological mismatches that affect diet quality and predator-prey relationships [3]. In many lakes, autumn is marked by an important period of flux within the water column, affecting nutrient cycling, phytoplankton, and fish productivity [4]. Despite their importance, autumnal limnological processes remain understudied.</p> application/pdf 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000648 en PLoS Autumn as an overlooked opportunity for limnology article