Tag: climate change

Research summaries

Managing invasive species in a warming Arctic

In this post Associate Editor Joseph Bennett discusses a paper he recently handled by Chris Ware and colleagues ‘Biological introduction risks from shipping in a warming Arctic’ It is well known that the Arctic is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change (IPCC 2014). Climate change will not only have direct impacts, it will also magnify the effects of existing … Continue reading Managing invasive species in a warming Arctic

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Research summaries

Extreme rainfall will pose a challenge for management of endangered burrowing owls in Canada

In this post Ryan Fisher discusses his paper ‘Extreme precipitation reduces reproductive output of an endangered raptor‘ in the latest Issue of Journal of Applied Ecology When we think of threats to species around the globe, we typically think of the usual, and very important, culprits of habitat loss and fragmentation. Unfortunately, the large and sometimes catastrophic effects of extreme weather on wildlife often get … Continue reading Extreme rainfall will pose a challenge for management of endangered burrowing owls in Canada

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Bird communities in a land of droughts and flooding rains: riparian tree cover as climate refugia

In this post Dale Nimmo, Angie Haslem and Andrew Bennett discuss their recent paper ‘Riparian tree cover enhances the resistance and stability of woodland bird communities during an extreme climatic event’ You can also watch a slide cast about this research and related papers, in the form of an Australian bush poem. Something alarming happened in the woodlands of southern Australia last decade. The birds … Continue reading Bird communities in a land of droughts and flooding rains: riparian tree cover as climate refugia

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The role of subordinate plant species in supporting soil food web stability

In this post Associate Editor Paul Kardol discusses a paper he recently handled by Yuanhu Shao and colleagues ‘Subordinate plants sustain the complexity and stability of soil micro-food webs in natural bamboo forest ecosystems’ Is it the dominant plant species that rule the system? Some theories suggest so. But, the idea that only the dominants are important is too simplistic and there is increasing evidence … Continue reading The role of subordinate plant species in supporting soil food web stability

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Forest management adaptation to climate change alters soil macro-detritivore functional diversity and soil functioning

In this post Ludovic Henneron discusses his recent paper ‘Forest management adaptation to climate change: a Cornelian dilemma between drought resistance and soil macro-detritivore functional diversity‘ Climate change is a major threat for world’s forests. Hence, an increasing number of climate-induced forest die-offs are expected to occur in the future as a result of more frequent and intense droughts. This could greatly alter ecosystem services … Continue reading Forest management adaptation to climate change alters soil macro-detritivore functional diversity and soil functioning

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What is the future of soil carbon stocks?

In this post Peter Manning discusses his recent paper ‘Simple measures of climate, soil properties and plant traits predict national-scale grassland soil carbon stocks‘ Soils contain more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, but the future of this reserve is uncertain – will it remain in the ground or be released into the atmosphere, potentially amplifying climate warming by several degrees in a worst … Continue reading What is the future of soil carbon stocks?

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ExStream study assesses stream ecosystem functioning: the effects of climate warming & multiple agricultural stressors

In this post Jeremy Piggott discusses his recent paper with colleagues Dev K. Niyogi, Colin R. Townsend and Christoph D. Matthaei ‘Multiple stressors and stream ecosystem functioning: climate warming and agricultural stressors interact to affect processing of organic matter’ Measures of organic matter processing have been proposed as indices of stream ecosystem function. However, to be meaningful for ecosystem management, functional responses must be informed … Continue reading ExStream study assesses stream ecosystem functioning: the effects of climate warming & multiple agricultural stressors

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Research summaries

Sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island iconic species dying out

In this post, Dana Bergstrom writes about her recent paper “Rapid collapse of a sub-Antarctic alpine ecosystem: the role of climate and pathogens”, which shows that the cushion plants, Azorella macquariensis, estimated to be hundreds of years old, are dying due to windier and drier conditions. Early in the austral summer of 2008/09, I was beginning my field season on remote sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island, a … Continue reading Sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island iconic species dying out

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What does it take to save a hihi?

This post was written by Alienor Chauvenet (alienor.chauvenet@ioz.ac.uk, @AChauvenet) on her paper “Saving the hihi under climate change: a case for assisted colonization“, which was selected as Editor’s Choice and was a highly commended entry for the Journal of Applied Ecology‘s Southwood Prize 2013. I can imagine that your first reaction might be “what’s a hihi?!”. The hihi –or stitchbird- is an endemic passerine bird … Continue reading What does it take to save a hihi?

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