Protective multi-stressor interactions in the Anthropocene: Key considerations for investigating cross-tolerance in a conservation context

In the Anthropocene, species are increasingly faced with multiple stressors that are more severe and less predictable than before. While multiple stressors often interact to affect organisms negatively, sometimes these interactions can be beneficial, enhancing resilience through cross-protection. Cross-protection interactions occur when exposure to one stressor, such as elevated temperature, enhances an organism’s tolerance to a different stressor, like hypoxia, through shared protective mechanisms or signaling pathways. Understanding the potential for cross-protection to combat rapid and diverse environmental change is crucial for conservation, as it potentially alters the predicted consequences of such change. Here, we outline 10 key considerations for investigating cross-protection in a conservation context. These considerations include the importance of stressor intensity and timing, recognizing species-specific and sex-specific responses, and embracing temporal variability in environmental stressors. Additionally, predictions will depend upon uncovering the underlying mechanisms of cross-protection by integrating emerging approaches like omics and meta-analyses. By better understanding—and in some cases explicitly leveraging—cross-protective interactions, conservation practitioners may be able to develop more effective management plans to enhance species resilience, potentially mitigating the immediate effects of emerging stressors. These insights are vital for guiding future research directions and informing conservation policies and management practices to preserve biodiversity in the Anthropocene.