Restoring Landscapes: Knowledge Exchange Visit in the Cairngorms

In this series, we are promoting knowledge exchange in restoration around the world: from success to failures and anything in between! In this post Taylor Shaw from the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme shares their experience attending a Knowledge Exchange Visit hosted by Cairngorms Connect in Scotland, where restoration practitioners from across Europe met to discuss how science can support their work. The knowledge exchange … Continue reading Restoring Landscapes: Knowledge Exchange Visit in the Cairngorms

Natashi Pilon: Challenges and directions for open ecosystems biodiversity restoration: An overview of the techniques applied for Cerrado

Shortlisted for the 2023 Southwood Prize In this blog post, Natashi Pilon discusses their team’s analysis of 82 data sets from the literature and primary data collection, with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of passive and active restoration techniques applied in Cerrado open ecosystems. Restoration We are in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and the consensus is stronger than ever that conservation is … Continue reading Natashi Pilon: Challenges and directions for open ecosystems biodiversity restoration: An overview of the techniques applied for Cerrado

Working hard or hardly working? Modelling success of current grassland agri-environment schemes

Shortlisted for the Georgina Mace Prize 2023 In this blog post, author Bede West describe his team’s study analysing the potential for agri-environment schemes to achieve positive changes in plant biodiversity. Plants and soils are the trophic foundations of most temperate terrestrial ecosystems but they are being progressively impacted by climate change, biodiversity loss and a plethora of other environmental impacts. These issues must be … Continue reading Working hard or hardly working? Modelling success of current grassland agri-environment schemes

Restoring Landscapes: Cairngorms Connect – a wild landscape in the making

In this new series, we hope to promote knowledge exchange in restoration and invite restoration practitioners to share their stories: successes, failures, implementation of learnings from other places and anything in between! To kick off the series, Sydney Henderson and Dr Pip Gullett share their story from Cairngorms Connect. Cairngorms Connect is a partnership of neighbouring land managers, committed to a bold and ambitious 200-year … Continue reading Restoring Landscapes: Cairngorms Connect – a wild landscape in the making

Rewilding boosts Carbon Storage: How trees channel more Carbon into their roots

Author Nancy Burrell highlights the importance of accurate carbon accounting and describes her team’s latest research into the accuracy of current methods for measuring carbon in scrublands. Traditional methods like the i-Tree Eco model, effective in urban and forestry settings for estimating carbon storage in trees, are based on the growth patterns of plantation trees (trees grown in herbivore-free landscapes). But how does browsing at … Continue reading Rewilding boosts Carbon Storage: How trees channel more Carbon into their roots

Strengthening skills for sustainability: Implications for ecology and ecologists

The Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES) and the Institute for Sustainability at the University of Surrey were delighted that this years’ Annual Roland Clift Lecture was given by Gary Kass. In this special post, Gary Kass shares his insights on the capacities and competencies needed for environment and sustainability. Until October 2023, Gary Kass was Deputy Director for Foresight and Innovation at Natural England… Continue reading Strengthening skills for sustainability: Implications for ecology and ecologists

Enhancing riparian protection: A call for clear objectives and measurable targets

Lenka Kuglerová, John S. Richardson, Timo Muotka, Darshanaa Chellaiah and Jussi Jyväsjärvi talk to us about their latest perspective article which suggests that locally developed and adjusted targets for riparian buffers must move away from vague objectives. A switch towards quantifiable goals that specify what is supposed to be achieved and protected will help to implement, monitor and evaluate targets. Small streams in a forestry … Continue reading Enhancing riparian protection: A call for clear objectives and measurable targets

Landscape heterogeneity as a management tool to offset negative effects of habitat loss in agroecosystems

Marcella do Carmo Pônzio and Nielson Pasqualotto summarise their latest research in which they and colleagues investigated the effects of landscape heterogeneity and native vegetation cover on richness and composition of native and invasive mammals, across 55 landscapes in the Brazilian Savanna, Cerrado. A global process and a knowledge gap Intensive agriculture has significantly transformed landscapes by replacing native habitats and diversified small-scale farming into … Continue reading Landscape heterogeneity as a management tool to offset negative effects of habitat loss in agroecosystems

Editor’s Choice 60:11 Woodland Expansion in the Presence of Deer

Pip Gullet, Mark Hancock and Sydney Henderson summarise the Journal of Applied Ecology’s November’s Editor’s Choice research article. This study presents 30 years of regeneration monitoring to show a consistent, large-scale expansion of native woodland, largely through natural regeneration alongside deer culling, without the use of fences. Continue reading Editor’s Choice 60:11 Woodland Expansion in the Presence of Deer

Our invaded world: India’s quest for ecosystem restoration

Ninad Mungi shares recent work, conducted with colleagues, which involved monitoring India’s levels of invasive plant species. This has knock-on effects for apex predators, such as tigers, who rely on their prey being able to access native species. Introduction In a world grappling with drastic ecological challenges, biological invasions have emerged as a pernicious threat to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and global health. While the impacts … Continue reading Our invaded world: India’s quest for ecosystem restoration