Poaching problems? More rangers, please…

Sharing his insights into on-the-ground conservation, Maarten Hofman (University of Goettingen, Germany & Bangor University, UK) discusses Moore et al.’s recent article, Are ranger patrols effective in reducing poaching-related threats within protected areas, and the wider implications for tackling illegal poaching. Rangers are the heavy duty machinery in every protected area management’s human resource arsenal. Their list of duties ranges from public outreach and environmental … Continue reading Poaching problems? More rangers, please…

Variation in soil microbial communities leads to variation in plant communities

In the latest in our series of blogs for the Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiveristy Special Feature, Jonathan Bauer discusses his article, Effects of between-site variation in soil microbial communities and plant-soil feedbacks on the productivity and composition of plant communities. All articles from the Special Feature are available in issue 54.4 of Journal of Applied Ecology. Microorganisms in the soil have strong effects on plant … Continue reading Variation in soil microbial communities leads to variation in plant communities

Video: Population density – a new method using remote cameras and radio collars

In this latest post, Jesse Whittington shares insights into new models for monitoring wildlife, including grizzly bears. Don’t forget to watch the video of some bears captured on camera! Whittington and colleagues’ Open Access article, Generalized spatial mark–resight models with an application to grizzly bears is available in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Wildlife managers around the world strive to estimate population abundance and the related … Continue reading Video: Population density – a new method using remote cameras and radio collars

Resilience: advancing a deceptively simple concept

The latest in our series of blogs to accompany the Special Feature, Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiveristy, is written by Loralee Larios. Loralee’s article, Where and how to restore in a changing world: a demographic-based assessment of resilience, is published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The unprecedented rates at which natural systems have been altered have prompted a parallel increase in restoration efforts to … Continue reading Resilience: advancing a deceptively simple concept

Effective management options for exotic fish species: round goby case study – with Portuguese translation

In this post, Marina Lopes Bueno, PhD Student in Applied Ecology at the University of Lavras, Brazil, discusses the recent  Journal of Applied Ecology article, A dynamical model for invasive round goby populations reveals efficient and effective management options by N’Guyen and colleagues. Marina has also included a Portuguese translation of this post. Journal of Applied Ecology is dedicated to making papers more accessible and increasing engagement with … Continue reading Effective management options for exotic fish species: round goby case study – with Portuguese translation

A common currency for connecting the goals of restoration: plant traits can help us understand how plant communities form and help ecosystems function

For the latest post in our Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiversity series, Chad Zirbel turns to tallgrass prairies to examine the role of plant traits in predicting restoration outcomes. Chad and colleagues’ paper, Plant functional traits and environmental conditions shape community assembly and ecosystem functioning during restoration, is available in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Two of the major goals of restoration are … Continue reading A common currency for connecting the goals of restoration: plant traits can help us understand how plant communities form and help ecosystems function

What happens to honeybees and beekeepers when farmlands lack flowers?

In this post Fabrice Requier discusses his recent article, The carry-over effects of pollen shortage decrease the survival of honeybee colonies in farmlands, available in issue 54:4 of the Journal of Applied Ecology. Over the past 50 years, landscapes have been profoundly modified to meet growing food requirements. Current human-dominated landscapes result in a loss of habitats and associated biodiversity. These often-simplified landscapes limit the … Continue reading What happens to honeybees and beekeepers when farmlands lack flowers?

Every restoration is unique

In the second of our series of blogs to accompany the recently-published Special Feature, Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiversity, Katharine Stuble describes her work in Every restoration is unique: testing year effects and site effects as drivers of initial restoration trajectories. Restoration practitioners are acutely aware that the outcomes of their efforts are strongly contingent on a slew of factors.  Some are well … Continue reading Every restoration is unique

Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiversity

Issue 54:4 of the Journal of Applied Ecology features a Special Feature, Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiversity. In the first of a series of blogs accompanying the feature, Guest Editor, Lars Brudvig introduces the work and the ecological ideas behind this collection of articles. By repairing ecosystems damaged through human activities, ecological restoration plays an important role in biodiversity conservation efforts. Furthermore, restoration … Continue reading Toward prediction in the restoration of biodiversity

Editor’s choice 54:4 – The identification of critical catchments for freshwater conservation

Issue 54:4’s Editor’s Choice post is written by Shelley Arnott. The article chosen is Critical catchments for freshwater biodiversity conservation in Europe: identification, prioritisation and gap-analysis by Savrina F. Carrizo and colleagues. Aquatic ecosystems around the world are threatened with environmental changes resulting in critical loss of biodiversity; 81% of freshwater populations monitored for the Living Planet Index have declined in abundance between 1970 and … Continue reading Editor’s choice 54:4 – The identification of critical catchments for freshwater conservation