The ecology of electricity and electroreception

Electricity, the interaction between electrically charged objects, is widely known to be fundamental to the functioning of
living systems. However, this appreciation has largely been restricted to the scale of atoms, molecules, and cells. By contrast,
the role of electricity at the ecological scale has historically been largely neglected, characterised by punctuated
islands of research infrequently connected to one another. Recently, however, an understanding of the ubiquity of electrical
forces within the natural environment has begun to grow, along with a realisation of the multitude of ecological
interactions that these forces may influence. Herein, we provide the first comprehensive collation and synthesis of
research in this emerging field of electric ecology. This includes assessments of the role electricity plays in the natural ecology
of predator–prey interactions, pollination, and animal dispersal, among many others, as well as the impact of anthropogenic
activity on these systems. A detailed introduction to the ecology and physiology of electroreception – the
biological detection of ecologically relevant electric fields – is also provided. Further to this, we suggest avenues for future
research that show particular promise, most notably those investigating the recently discovered sense of aerial
electroreception.