Gulls as evil and allies to detect antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments

Víctor Martín and Joan Navarro talk us through how gulls tagged with GPS and tested for pathogens can be used as tools to detect early pathogen circulation and pollution sources in the environment. This is explored further in their new research article. Antimicrobial resistance is a global health challenge, exacerbated by the overuse of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine. The emergence and spread of … Continue reading Gulls as evil and allies to detect antibiotic resistance in agricultural environments

Ecological Associations of Lantana camara in an East African Savanna Park

Fredrick Ssali, Robert Baluku, Gilbert Drileyo and Moses Muhumuza recount their experience investigating the invasive flowering plant Lantana camara and its impact on common native species in western Uganda. Researchers at the Uganda Wildlife Research and Training Institute (UWRTI) teamed up with scientists from two Ugandan Universities and explored associations between Lantana camara and common native species in Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda. … Continue reading Ecological Associations of Lantana camara in an East African Savanna Park

Restoring Landscapes: measuring six years of progress

As part of the ‘Restoring Landscapes’ blog series, Iona Haines shares the launch of a new tool that provides an invaluable resource for anyone interested in restoration, including practitioners, donors and policymakers, and explores why data and transparency are so critical to restoration. The Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme has released in-depth monitoring data from six years of large-scale restoration across Europe, now accessible through … Continue reading Restoring Landscapes: measuring six years of progress

Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps: African mammal life-history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes

Alice Bernard and co-authors describe how they have jointly used local ecological knowledge and camera trap data. With hindsight, they discuss how involving local people in research projects can enhance conservation efforts in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve (GRBR), South Africa. The Garden Route National Park (GRNP), in the eponym Biosphere Reserve, is one of the only truly unfenced National Parks in South Africa. The … Continue reading Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps: African mammal life-history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes

Early Career Researcher Reviewer Prize: Journal of Applied Ecology

As part of our celebration of Peer Review Week 2024, Journal of Applied Ecology is reflecting on the launch of the Early Career Researcher Reviewer Prize. How did the idea come about? The act of peer review (academic work being evaluated by others in the same field) is crucial to the research process. It is integral in helping to ensure diligence, determine originality, and improve … Continue reading Early Career Researcher Reviewer Prize: Journal of Applied Ecology

ECR Journeys: remote sensing in forest restoration

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, Fellice Catelo, a PhD student at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia shares her story. My background I’m pretty easy and chill! In my free time, I watch horror/thriller films and … Continue reading ECR Journeys: remote sensing in forest restoration

Naturschutzgebiete mit einem hohen Anteil an Grünland sichern einen hohen Artenreichtum und eine hohe Biomasse von Heuschrecken

Dieser Beitrag ist hier auch auf Englisch verfügbar. Dominik Poniatowski und Kollegen beschreiben, wie sie die Umweltfaktoren des Artenreichtums und der Biomasse von Heuschrecken im Grünland bewertet und dabei zwischen Naturschutzgebieten und intensiv genutzter Agrarlandschaft verglichen haben. Das extensiv genutzte Grünland gilt als Hotspot der Biodiversität in Mitteleuropa. Allerdings wurde insbesondere seit Mitte des letzten Jahrhunderts die Nutzung auf vielen dieser Flächen intensiviert oder das … Continue reading Naturschutzgebiete mit einem hohen Anteil an Grünland sichern einen hohen Artenreichtum und eine hohe Biomasse von Heuschrecken

Grassland nature reserves safeguard a high species richness and biomass of grasshoppers

This blog post is also available in German here. Dominik Poniatowski and colleagues describe how they evaluated the environmental drivers of species richness and biomass of grasshoppers in grasslands, comparing this between nature reserves and intensively-used agriculture landscape. Grassland exhibiting low land-use intensity is considered a hotspot of biodiversity in Central Europe. However, particularly since the mid-20th century, grassland land use has often been intensified, … Continue reading Grassland nature reserves safeguard a high species richness and biomass of grasshoppers

Centre for Environment and Sustainability: Meet Walter Wehrmeyer

In this new series, The Applied Ecologist is amplifying the staff and student voices from the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability to showcase their diverse, interdisciplinary body of work and to help inspire the next generation. In this final post of the series, we share below Walter’s speech as he transitioned to Emeritus Professor this summer. Sustainability, CES and me: This is … Continue reading Centre for Environment and Sustainability: Meet Walter Wehrmeyer

Elephant expressways: Examining multi-scalar elephant connectivity in KAZA

Callie Cho and Robin Naidoo talk us through how, using observed animal movements rather than conventional resistance surface models, a connectivity conservation blueprint for African elephants in the Kavango-Zambezi transfrontier conservation area (KAZA) in southern Africa was produced. This is explored further in the new research article. A key aspect of effective conservation management is understanding landscape connectivity—how easily animals can move between vital resource … Continue reading Elephant expressways: Examining multi-scalar elephant connectivity in KAZA