Marneweck, Courtney J.Allen, Benjamin L.Butler, Andrew R.Do Linh San, EmmanuelHarris, Stephen N.Jensen, Alex J.Saldo, Elizabeth A.Somers, Michael J.Titus, KeiferMuthersbaugh, MichaelVanak, AbiJachowski, David S.2023-08-292023-08-292022-10Marneweck, C.J., Allen, B.L., Butler, A.R. et al. 2022,'Middle-out ecology: small carnivores as sentinels of global change', Mammal Review, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 471-479, doi : 10.1111/mam.12300.0305-1838 (print)1365-2907 (online)10.1111/mam.12300http://hdl.handle.net/2263/92094SUPPORTING INFORMATION : Appendix S1. All Carnivora species considered small by our review criteria (i.e. order Carnivora, <21.5 kg, fully and semi-terrestrial; weight as per Jones et al. 2009, or estimated from similar sized species if unavailable, denoted by ~).Species that respond to ecosystem change in a timely, measurable, and interpretable way can be used as sentinels of global change. Contrary to a pervasive view, we suggest that, among Carnivora, small carnivores are more appropriate sentinels than large carnivores. This reasoning is built around six key points: that, compared to large carnivores, small carnivores 1) are more species-rich and diverse, providing more potential sentinels in many systems; 2) occupy a wider range of ecological niches, exhibiting a greater variety of sensitivities to change; 3) hold an intermediate trophic position that is more directly affected by changes at the producer, primary consumer, and tertiary consumer levels; 4) have shorter life spans and higher reproductive rates, exhibiting more rapid responses to change; 5) have smaller home ranges and are more abundant, making it easier to investigate fine-scale management interventions; 6) are easier to monitor, manage, and manipulate. Therefore, we advocate for incorporating a middle-out approach, in addition to the established top-down and bottom-up approaches, to assessing the responses of ecosystems to global change.en© 2022 The Authors. Mammal Review published by Mammal Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License.CarnivoraChangeGlobalIndicatorsMesocarnivoreSentinelSmall carnivoresSDG-15: Life on landArticle