Category: Plain language summaries

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How does Stellera chamaejasme recruit soil bacteria to fuel its expansion?

Under the dual pressures of climate change and overgrazing, poisonous weeds are spreading rapidly across grasslands, gradually displacing grasses and sedges that livestock prefer. While soil microbes are widely recognized as “hidden allies” that help plants grow, how underground microbial communities change during the rapid spread of poisonous weeds remains poorly known. We focused on Stellera chamaejasme, one of China’s most destructive poisonous weeds, and … Continue reading How does Stellera chamaejasme recruit soil bacteria to fuel its expansion?

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Short-term forecasts for better river flows

Rivers around the world are under pressure because we extract water and change river flows. To help protect wildlife, managers release “environmental flows” to support ecosystems. But decisions about how to release environmental flows are often based on long-term predictions, which can be uncertain and hard to test. In this study, we took a different approach: using short-term forecasts to guide decisions. Instead of asking … Continue reading Short-term forecasts for better river flows

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Is hunting of migratory birds in Europe sustainable? A science-based assessment

Hunting can affect bird populations both by reducing their numbers and by changing how they behave. In Europe, many bird species that can legally be hunted are already in poor conservation status. Under the EU Birds Directive, hunting these species should only take place as part of a management plan that supports their recovery. To do this, it is important to know whether current hunting … Continue reading Is hunting of migratory birds in Europe sustainable? A science-based assessment

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What Happens When a Harbour Porpoise Encounters a Fishing Net?

Fishing nets set on the seafloor accidentally catch and kill thousands of small whales and dolphins every year. This accidental capture, known as bycatch, is one of the biggest human-caused threats to these animals. In the Baltic Sea, harbour porpoises are particularly affected by bycatch in fishing nets. Although many studies have investigated how well porpoises can detect nets, we still know surprisingly little about … Continue reading What Happens When a Harbour Porpoise Encounters a Fishing Net?

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Au-delà des pollinisateurs: la tonte partielle des pelouses a plusieurs bienfaits pour les sols urbains

Au cours des dernières années, la relation entre la biodiversité des pollinisateurs urbains et notre gestion des pelouses a reçu beaucoup d’attention, notamment à cause des campagnes « Défi Pissenlit » (ou « Mai sans tondeuse »). Conséquemment, la tonte partielle des pelouses (c.-à-d. la réduction de la fréquence de tonte dans certains secteurs d’un espace vert) est de plus en plus pratiquée par les municipalités, comme il s’agit … Continue reading Au-delà des pollinisateurs: la tonte partielle des pelouses a plusieurs bienfaits pour les sols urbains

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Beyond pollinators: partial lawn mowing increases soil biodiversity while reducing soil compaction in cities

Partial lawn mowing, that consists of reduced mowing frequency in dedicated sectors of a greenspace, is gaining in popularity in cities driven largely by interest in increasing pollinator diversity and conservation campaigns such as “No mow May”. Despite the astounding proportion of biodiversity living in our soils, studies into reduced lawn mowing practices have generally focused on aboveground indicators. Consequences for belowground diversity and urban … Continue reading Beyond pollinators: partial lawn mowing increases soil biodiversity while reducing soil compaction in cities

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Climate-Driven Changes in Habitat Suitability of two keystone species in Dry Afromontane forests of Ethiopia

Mountain forests provide many benefits, including storing carbon, protecting water supplies, reducing soil erosion, and supporting biodiversity. In Ethiopia’s Dry Evergreen Afromontane forests, two tree species – African pencil cedar (Juniperus procera) and African wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) – play particularly important ecological and cultural roles. However, rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns can alter where these species can survive in the future. … Continue reading Climate-Driven Changes in Habitat Suitability of two keystone species in Dry Afromontane forests of Ethiopia

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稳定的鸟类总数可能掩盖正在变化的保护需求

当保护管理者统计鸟类数量时，总数稳定看起来可能是一个好消息。但在多个物种共同利用的区域，总数量可能会掩盖重要变化。一些物种可能正在下降，而另一些物种正在增加，因此总体数量看起来差不多，但不同物种的保护需求已经发生了变化。 我们利用中国江苏沿海（黄海南部）六个重要迁徙停歇地连续九年的春季鸻鹬类计数数据来研究这一问题。该区域是东亚—澳大利西亚迁飞区上一个关键的能量补给区域。每年春季，大量鸻鹬类会在这里停歇、觅食，然后继续向北迁徙。 乍看之下，这个系统似乎是稳定的。六个地点的鸟类总数没有明显变化，整体分布中心和平均迁徙时间也看起来较为稳定。但当我们进一步观察单个物种时，却发现了另一种模式。数量下降的物种倾向于更加集中到北部，并且在春季更早通过；数量增加的物种则倾向于向南部扩展，并且更晚通过。 这意味着，稳定的总数可能具有误导性。它可能掩盖了这样一个事实：下降物种正在越来越依赖少数几个高质量地点。在江苏海岸，这些北部地点拥有丰富的食物资源，可能已经成为受压物种特别重要的核心区域。 我们的研究表明，长期鸟类计数不仅可以用来判断数量是增加还是下降，还可以帮助识别哪些物种正在受到更强限制、哪些地点正在成为瓶颈，以及哪些时间段最需要保护。因此，保护规划不应只依赖鸟类总数，还应考虑不同物种在空间和时间上的变化，从而在正确的地点、正确的时间采取保护行动。 This is a Plain Language Summary discussing a recently-published article in Journal of Applied Ecology. Find the full article here. Continue reading 稳定的鸟类总数可能掩盖正在变化的保护需求

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Stable bird totals can hide changing conservation needs

When conservation managers count birds, a stable total can look like good news. But in places used by many species, the total number can hide important changes. Some species may be declining while others are increasing, so the overall number stays similar even though the needs of individual species are changing. We studied this problem using nine years of spring shorebird counts from six important … Continue reading Stable bird totals can hide changing conservation needs

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Leaving trees behind during forest harvesting protects soil fungi and helps forests retain stored carbon

Boreal forest soils are home to diverse fungal communities that break down dead material from plants and fungi. Two key groups drive this process: ectomycorrhizal fungi, which partner with tree roots and receive carbon from trees in exchange for nutrients, and saprotrophic fungi, which break down dead material to acquire both carbon and nutrients. When forests are harvested, ectomycorrhizal fungal communities are disrupted by the … Continue reading Leaving trees behind during forest harvesting protects soil fungi and helps forests retain stored carbon

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