Moll, Remington J.Killion, Alexander K.Hayward, Matt W.Montgomery, Robert A.2022-03-302021-09Remington J. Moll, Alexander K. Killion, Matt W. Hayward, Robert A. Montgomery, A Framework for the Eltonian Niche of Humans, BioScience, Volume 71, Issue 9, September 2021, Pages 928–941, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab055.0006-3568 (print)1525-3244 (online)10.1093/biosci/biab055http://hdl.handle.net/2263/84694Recent research has highlighted several influential roles that humans play in ecosystems, including that of a superpredator, hyperkeystone species, and niche constructor. This work has begun to describe the Eltonian niche of humans, which encompasses humanity's cumulative ecological and evolutionary roles in trophic systems. However, we lack a unifying framework that brings together these strands of research, links them to ecoevolutionary and sociocultural theory, and identifies current research needs. In this article, we present such a framework in hope of facilitating a more holistic approach to operationalizing human roles in trophic systems across an increasingly anthropogenic biosphere. The framework underscores how humans play numerous nuanced roles in trophic systems, from top-down to bottom-up, that entail not only pernicious effects but also benefits for many nonhuman species. Such a nuanced view of the Eltonian niche of humans is important for understanding complex social–ecological system functioning and enacting effective policies and conservation measures.en© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences.AnthropoceneAnthromeCommunity ecologyHomo sapiensSocial-ecological systems (SES)Postprint Article