Can we tackle climate change impacts with local habitat manipulation?

In this post Associate Editor Ayesha Tulloch discusses a paper she recently handled from Owen Greenwood and colleagues ‘Using in situ management to conserve biodiversity under climate change’ There is little doubt that over the next 100 years, climate change is likely to become one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. The recent 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, laid down … Continue reading Can we tackle climate change impacts with local habitat manipulation?

Restoration of the tallgrass prairie in the face of global changes

In this post Nick Smith and Mike Schuster discuss their recent paper with Jeffrey Dukes ‘Rainfall variability and nitrogen addition synergistically reduce plant diversity in a restored tallgrass prairie‘ Prairies once covered great swathes of North America, from Texas to Canada and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the hardwood forests of the Eastern United States. These grasslands were home to a diverse array … Continue reading Restoration of the tallgrass prairie in the face of global changes

PODCAST: Managing for climate change

In this podcast Andrew Suggitt interviews Owen Greenwood about their paper ‘Using in situ management to conserve biodiversity under climate change’ published today in Journal of Applied Ecology. Find out what inspired Greenwood et al. to write the paper, why in situ management is important in the 21st century, recommendations for conservation managers and more in the podcast, which you can listen to here:   Continue reading PODCAST: Managing for climate change

A simple recipe for regenerating floodplain forests: add water and exclude browsers

In this post Gillis Horner, Shaun Cunningham, James Thomson, Patrick Baker and Ralph Mac Nally discuss their recent paper ‘Recruitment of a keystone tree species must concurrently manage flooding and browsing’ Floodplain forests are threatened by the three-pronged attack of land-use change, river regulation and climate change. Establishing new seedlings – a fundamental component of any strategy to sustain these vital forests – depends mainly … Continue reading A simple recipe for regenerating floodplain forests: add water and exclude browsers

Can we make ski slopes less damaging to the environment?

In this post, Associate Editor Nathalie Butt discusses a recent paper by Jennifer Burt and Jeffrey Clary Initial disturbance intensity affects recovery rates and successional divergence on abandoned ski slopes Fragile habitats Montane or alpine ecosystems are among the most fragile we have, and they are therefore places where human impact can be very damaging. Of course we are attracted to these beautiful snow-covered mountains … Continue reading Can we make ski slopes less damaging to the environment?

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

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

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

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

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