Fire suppression results in lower-than-expected soil carbon gains in savanna

In this blog post, Corli Coetsee discusses her team’s research ‘Soil organic carbon is buffered by grass inputs regardless of woody cover or fire frequency in an African savanna‘: We are consistently being bombarded with messages on social media that planting trees is good, good because it can help save the Earth from climate change […]

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Predicting dispersal and conflict risk for wolf recolonisation in Colorado – The Applied Ecologist

Mark Ditmer discusses his and colleagues’ new research which aims to predict wolf movement and potential conflict hotspots following the state of Colorado’s decision to reintroduce gray wolves. This data may be used to offer practical, actionable recommendations for decision-makers. Animal movement and conflict risk Species’ ranges are shifting – and accurately predicting the way […]

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Drought in Scotland? Projections affect specialist habitats and species – The Applied Ecologist

Fairlie Kirkpatrick Baird from NatureScot discusses their latest research that reveals the increasing risk of extreme drought in Scotland and how that may affect key habitats and their species. One of the first things that comes to mind when people think of Scotland, alongside the beautiful mountains and the Loch Ness Monster, is the terrible […]

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Re-analyzing studies on the impact of mechanical dredging on invertebrate communities and associated bird life in the Dutch Wadden Sea – The Applied Ecologist

Eelke Folmer and Jaap van der Meer talk about their recent Forum paper which comments on an earlier research article, and discuss the importance of evidence based decisions in policy. Background In the coming decades, the growth of the global human population will lead to an increase in food demands. This, in turn, is likely […]

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Shaping tropical montane orchid communities

Edicson Parra-Sanchez discusses his recent article, ‘Neutral-based processes overrule niche-based processes in shaping tropical montane orchid communities across spatial scales‘: Orchid species are among the richest and most popular horticultural plants on the planet. They have been featured in films, used as symbols of biodiversity in governmental institutions, and utilized in traditional medicine for centuries. […]

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Building partners in high altitudes through participatory action research – The Applied Ecologist

Lead author Munib Khanyari takes us through his team’s journey through the high altitudes of Changthang in trans-Himalayan India to co-design conservation interventions that benefit the communities who live alongside the wildlife. “We have solutions, but often we don’t have the ability to operationalise it”, whispered the Acho (Elder brother in Ladakhi) Starzi from Rupsho. […]

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Editor’s Choice 60:9 Bat activity falls by over half at solar farms – The Applied Ecologist

Author Elizabeth Tinsley summarises Journal of Applied Ecology’s September Editor’s Choice research article. This latest research, conducted alongside colleagues, aimed to assess the impact of solar panel farms on bat activity. The growing need for renewable energy As our planet continues to warm, the need for renewable energy is becoming increasingly urgent. Renewable technologies are important […]

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Rewild or Restore – how about doing both? – The Applied Ecologist

James Bullock and Nathalie Pettorelli summarise their Perspective piece that highlight the potential for integrating restoration and rewilding agendas into whole landscape approaches. As biodiversity continues to decline at an alarming pace, it is becoming more urgent to not only halt these losses but to reverse them. This reversal of losses, now commonly termed ‘nature […]

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