Author: AER | ESE

The Applied Ecologist community

Spider body coloration plays an important role in foraging and predator avoidance

This blog is part of our colourful countdown to the holiday season where we’re celebrating the diversity and beauty of the natural world. In this post, Shichang Zhang of Hubei University unravels the role of body coloration on prey capture and predator avoidance in spiders. Animals have evolved a variety of body colours during evolution. The body colour of spiders is best known for its … Continue reading Spider body coloration plays an important role in foraging and predator avoidance

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Grasslands, Invasive species, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

Protecting an iconic desert one pixel at a time

When dealing with highly invasive plants in fragile ecosystems, managers need effective management tools to prioritize their time and efforts. In their recently published Data Article, Gerst and colleagues describe a new tool by the USA National Phenology Network to help invasive buffelgrass managers efficiently schedule herbicide treatment efforts. The Sonoran Desert, which covers the southern half of the Arizona, southeastern California, and large portions … Continue reading Protecting an iconic desert one pixel at a time

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Human-wildlife interactions, Research summaries, Urban ecosystems

Mountain lions in LA moved more efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shutdowns in many regions around the world offered a new “human-less” environment for urban wildlife in 2020. In their latest research, Benson et al. share their findings from tracking mountain lion movements in greater Los Angeles, USA during spring 2020. Early on during the global pandemic, ecologists quickly realised that changes in human behaviour and activity brought on by … Continue reading Mountain lions in LA moved more efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Invasive species, Research summaries

A database of Indian alien vascular flora

Author Achyut Kumar Banerjee introduces his team’s latest Data Article describing ILORA: a database for alien vascular flora in India. India is a land of cultural, geological and biological diversity. Throughout its history, India has been invaded and occupied multiple times, and numerous plant species were introduced during this time. Botanical imperialism reached its zenith during British rule with the establishment of networks of botanical … Continue reading A database of Indian alien vascular flora

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Agriculture, Grasslands, Research summaries, Themed collections

Diversifying plant communities in vineyards to increase natural pest control services

Léa Beaumelle and Adrien Rusch introduce their team’s latest research exploring different landscape contexts to identify ways to best foster natural pest control on agricultural lands. Insects and arthropods play key roles in agricultural systems. Arthropods comprise pests, such as aphids or caterpillars, but also beneficial organisms: predators such as spiders and ground beetles (natural enemies) prey upon insect pests and limit pest populations. As … Continue reading Diversifying plant communities in vineyards to increase natural pest control services

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Grasslands, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries

A deep learning model for pollinator plant surveys

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) feeding on the nectar of Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) flowers © Damien Hicks Authors Damien Hicks and Christoph Kratz introduce their team’s latest research demonstrating the use of machine learning for quadrat surveys to improve accessibility and resource efficiency of current methods for floral vegetation monitoring. The nectar sugar contained in flowers is a key driver of pollinator abundance and diversity. … Continue reading A deep learning model for pollinator plant surveys

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Coastal and marine, Conferences and events, The Applied Ecologist community

Sundarbans in peril: interlinkages between science and society for addressing climate change

This year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) will be held in Glasgow in November. In the lead up to the conference, we’re asking our editors and authors to share their research at the interface of climate and ecology. In this post, Associate Editor Punyasloke Bhadury explains why protecting ecosystems is a priority not just for nature, but for society. Sundarbans, the world’s largest continuous mangrove … Continue reading Sundarbans in peril: interlinkages between science and society for addressing climate change

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Citizen science, Freshwater, Infographic, Monitoring and methods, Research summaries, Themed collections, Urban ecosystems

Research stories: The power of participatory research

Lead author Rachel Aronoff recalls her discovery of Hackuarium, a community laboratory, whose study on lake water quality demonstrates how meaningful environmental monitoring can be achieved with participatory research. It was late in 2015 when I first encountered Hackuarium and its ‘biohacker’ members while organising a biosensor course in collaboration with several of its members – I had never seen anything like it. Who were … Continue reading Research stories: The power of participatory research

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Grasslands, Research summaries, Restoration, Themed collections

Rewilding old fields: why additional effort is needed to restore wildflowers

Why has restoring old fields been a challenge for practitioners for decades? In their latest research, Tina Parkhurst, Suzanne Prober and Rachel Standish explore the efficacy of intervention efforts to understand limitations in current practices. Globally, there is a trend towards widespread abandonment of marginal agricultural land. Land abandonment is often associated with land degradation following long-term unsustainable agricultural practices, resulting in low productivity. Whilst … Continue reading Rewilding old fields: why additional effort is needed to restore wildflowers

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Research summaries, Urban ecosystems

Challenges and opportunities for evidence-based development mitigation

With increasing demand in housing and investment in infrastructure, are the guidance to protect and mitigate for biodiversity effectively implemented in practice? Hunter and colleagues evaluate the evidence supporting current development practices in their latest research. Originally posted and adapted from Conservation Evidence blog. What is ecological mitigation? In the UK, the legal protection of species means that, if an infrastructure development is set to … Continue reading Challenges and opportunities for evidence-based development mitigation

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