Category: Research summaries

Practitioners, Research summaries

Building better models for environmental decision-making: how can modellers & practitioners collaborate?

In this post, Kevin Wood describes a Practitioner’s Perspective article on the joint development of individual-based models between modellers and practitioners: “Co-creation of individual-based models by practitioners and modellers to inform environmental decision-making” by Wood, Stillman & Goss-Custard. We live in an age of environmental change unprecedented in human history. Such change is due to an array of factors including climate change, growing human population … Continue reading Building better models for environmental decision-making: how can modellers & practitioners collaborate?

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Research summaries

The costs and benefits of habitat selection

In this post, Jonathan Rhodes discusses a paper he recently handled by Chrystel Losier and colleagues “Adjustments in habitat selection to changing availability induce fitness costs for a threatened ungulate” Habitat selection is an important determinant of the distribution of individuals, but can also have important implications for the fitness of individuals (DeCesare et al. 2014). Although, methods for the empirical analysis of habitat selection … Continue reading The costs and benefits of habitat selection

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Research summaries

Bringing multifunctionality down to earth: Maximising soil functional capacity in African Smallholder Farms

In this post, Peter Manning discusses a paper he recently handled by Stephen Wood and colleagues “Agricultural intensification and the functional capacity of soil microbes on smallholder African farms” Around 900 million of the world’s poorest people are smallholder farmers in the tropics, and their lives are a tough reality of uncertain crop yields and worries about sustainability. Soils are often mismanaged and become rapidly … Continue reading Bringing multifunctionality down to earth: Maximising soil functional capacity in African Smallholder Farms

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Research summaries

How common birds and rainforests help cacao farmers in Indonesia

In this post, Bea Maas writes about her recent paper with Teja Tscharntke, Shahabuddin Saleh, Dadang Dwi Putra & Yann Clough “Avian species identity drives predation success in tropical cacao agroforestry“. Birds can make farmers happy. Due to their contribution to the suppression of pest insects in agriculture, their presence can increase the quality and quantity of crop yields. Especially in the tropics, insect eating birds … Continue reading How common birds and rainforests help cacao farmers in Indonesia

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Desert and semi-arid, Monitoring and methods, Perspectives, Research summaries

Managing uncertainties associated with global declines of apex predators

Over three days we have posted a collection of blog posts on a topical Forum discussion published in Issue 2 about the methods used in wildlife conservation and in particular the role of dingoes in conservation. Following acceptance of a peer-reviewed Forum critique of another article in the Journal it is the Journal’s process to invite the original authors to write a peer-reviewed response to … Continue reading Managing uncertainties associated with global declines of apex predators

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Research summaries

Scientists need to use robust methods – irrespective of their political affiliations

Over three days we have posted a collection of blog posts on a topical Forum discussion published in Issue 2 about the methods used in wildlife conservation and in particular the role of dingoes in conservation. Following acceptance of a peer-reviewed Forum critique of another article in the Journal it is the Journal’s process to invite the original authors to write a peer-reviewed response to … Continue reading Scientists need to use robust methods – irrespective of their political affiliations

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Research summaries

Dingoes, mesopredators and Australia’s wildlife

Over three days we have posted a collection of blog posts on a topical Forum discussion published in Issue 2 about the methods used in wildlife conservation and in particular the role of dingoes in conservation. Following acceptance of a peer-reviewed Forum critique of another article in the Journal it is the Journal’s process to invite the original authors to write a peer-reviewed response to … Continue reading Dingoes, mesopredators and Australia’s wildlife

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Research summaries

Liko Nā Pilina – The hybrid ecosystems project

In this post, Rebecca Ostertag, Laura Warman, Susan Cordell and Peter Vitousek write about their recent paper “Using plant functional traits to restore Hawaiian rainforest”. You can also watch them in action in the video about their project to see whether hybrid ecosystems could save native forests in Hawaii. Loosely translated, ‘liko nā pilina’ means “Budding (or growing) new partnerships (or relationships)” in the Hawaiian language. We … Continue reading Liko Nā Pilina – The hybrid ecosystems project

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Research summaries

Learning from doing – by design

In this post, Rhys Green describes a Practitioner’s Perspective article about a practical demonstration of how science can be more effective in informing policy: “On Formally Integrating Science and Policy: Walking the Walk” by Jim Nichols and colleagues. In the rare instances where applied ecology informs conservation and wildlife management at all, it usually happens by two steps that are only tenuously connected. Typically, scientists … Continue reading Learning from doing – by design

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Research summaries

A practical guide to prioritize efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species

In this post, Shelley Arnott discusses a paper she recently handled by Ben Stewart-Koster and colleagues “Integrating landscape connectivity and habitat suitability to guide offensive and defensive invasive species management” Also, see Ben Stewart-Koster’s post about his article “Lake Invaders! Can they get here and will they like it when they arrive?” Preventing the spread of invasive species to new habitats is critical for minimizing ecological … Continue reading A practical guide to prioritize efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species

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