Fauna centinela: cómo el seguimiento GPS de especies necrófagas informa el cumplimiento de la normativa de gestión de carroñas

Patricia Mateo Tomás nos habla sobre el nuevo estudio de ella y sus colegas que tiene como objetivo evaluar cómo el seguimiento remoto de la vida silvestre puede contribuir a un mejor monitoreo de las leyes ambientales. A través del seguimiento experimental de lobos y buitres a través de GPS, los investigadores pudieron localizar un total de 489 cadáveres de ganado en España y Portugal. Continue reading Fauna centinela: cómo el seguimiento GPS de especies necrófagas informa el cumplimiento de la normativa de gestión de carroñas

Sentinel wildlife: GPS-tracking of scavengers to inform compliance with regulations on carcass disposal

Patricia Mateo Tomás talks us through her and colleagues’ new study which aims to assess how remotely tracking wildlife can contribute to the better monitoring of environmental laws. Through experimentally tracking wolves and vultures via GPS, researchers were able to locate a total of 489 livestock carcasses across Spain and Portugal. Continue reading Sentinel wildlife: GPS-tracking of scavengers to inform compliance with regulations on carcass disposal

Fieldwork Insights: Himalayan hill streams and data loggers

Aashna Sharma, Associate Editor mentee for Journal of Applied Ecology, recently embarked on a fieldtrip to the Himalayas. In this stand-alone blog post, she details hers and research colleagues’ full experience, told alongside videos and photographs from the field. Introduction Fieldwork is inherent for wildlife researchers, a daily delight! Working in immaculate landscapes such as the Himalaya comes as a blessing and research stipends become … Continue reading Fieldwork Insights: Himalayan hill streams and data loggers

Cheap microclimate sensor networks in the wild

Shortlisted for the Georgina Mace Prize 2023 Author Lina K. Mühlbauer summarises her team’s latest study exploring the use of Arduinos as a novel cost-effective method for microclimate monitoring in remote systems. Why measure microclimate? A great challenge of our times is to predict and mitigate the impacts of global climate change on the world’s ecosystems. To do so, a lot of information is needed … Continue reading Cheap microclimate sensor networks in the wild

The value of capturing diverse perspectives during threatened species decision-making

Mairi Hilton discusses new research in which she and colleagues developed and tested a structured approach to capture the expert knowledge of recovery teams when deciding if, when and how to act to manage a decline in a threatened species. Background When making decisions about threatened species, managers must often use incomplete data, because the urgency of decisions means that waiting for perfect information is … Continue reading The value of capturing diverse perspectives during threatened species decision-making

How can we efficiently create protected areas in inaccessible, yet threatened, areas?

Delphine Ducros discusses the latest research with colleagues which saw how a suite of modelling tools can be used to identify and protect remote, data-poor natural areas in regions that are in need of urgent conservation policy. The challenge of sampling remote areas Human footprint is increasing worldwide, reaching even the most remote places, with potential threats to biodiversity. In isolated places, assessing and anticipating … Continue reading How can we efficiently create protected areas in inaccessible, yet threatened, areas?

Resolving a heated debate: How useful is prescribed burning for lowland heaths?

Prescribed burning is a controversial management tool. Here, Barbara Smith discusses new research she and colleagues conducted into the impact of burning on lowland heaths at three trophic levels over a 20 year period. Its findings provide evidence for ecologists, land managers and policy makers to support decision making in protected area management. Background Lowland heathlands, with their unique assemblage of species, were created by … Continue reading Resolving a heated debate: How useful is prescribed burning for lowland heaths?

ECR Journeys: Treescapes for People and Nature 

This month, The Applied Ecologist is amplifying the voice of early career ecologists from around the world working in the field of applied ecology to help inspire the next generation. In this post, Melissa Minter, Conservation Scientist within the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, shares their story below.    My background In my spare time, I love to play board games, (the favourite is Wingspan, of … Continue reading ECR Journeys: Treescapes for People and Nature 

Drone-induced flight initiation distances for shorebirds in mixed-species flocks

Joshua Wilson discusses recent research at Moreton Bay, Australia which saw Wilson and colleagues conduct over 200 drone approaches of shorebird flocks to measure how the birds respond to drones. Particular attention is paid to the critically endangered Eastern Curlew. Stress responses Imagine you’re resting in your bed when, out of the corner of your eye, you see something scuttling along the roof towards you. … Continue reading Drone-induced flight initiation distances for shorebirds in mixed-species flocks

Let’s improve disease metrics in wildlife: an example with Darwin’s frogs infected by the deadly chytrid fungus

Hugo Sentenac discusses theirs and colleagues’ recent research article which uses data from a fungal pathogen and Darwin’s frogs to assess the magnitude of prevalence bias, as well as illustrate how it can impact disease risk assessment. Infectious diseases: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Certain infectious diseases have wrought havoc in nature. One dramatic example is the amphibian chytridiomycosis caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.  It has … Continue reading Let’s improve disease metrics in wildlife: an example with Darwin’s frogs infected by the deadly chytrid fungus