Una mayor cobertura forestal y matrices menos contrastantes mejoran el servicio de remoción de carroña por insectos carroñeros en paisajes tropicales

This post is also available in English (here) and Portuguese (here). Animales muertos es algo que mucha gente prefiere evitar: son visualmente desagradable, huelen realmente… simplemente son espantosos. Sin embargo, los animales involucrados en la descomposición de la carroña juegan un papel clave en la funcionalidad del ecosistema. Animales carroñeros (como buitres, algunos mamíferos o insectos) previene la acumulación de cadáveres, facilitan la distribución y … Continue reading Una mayor cobertura forestal y matrices menos contrastantes mejoran el servicio de remoción de carroña por insectos carroñeros en paisajes tropicales

Maior cobertura florestal e matrizes menos contrastantes melhoram o serviço de remoção de carniça por insetos necrófagos em paisagens tropicais

This post is also available in English (here) and Spanish (here). Carniça é algo que as pessoas evitam: é algo visualmente desagradável, cheira muito mal… é simplesmente horrível. Entretanto, os animais envolvidos na decomposição da carniça tem um papel chave na funcionalidade do ecossistema. Animais necrófagos (i.e., que se alimentam de carniça) como os urubús, alguns mamíferos e insetos, previnem a acumulação de carcaças, facilitam … Continue reading Maior cobertura florestal e matrizes menos contrastantes melhoram o serviço de remoção de carniça por insetos necrófagos em paisagens tropicais

Higher forest cover and less contrasting matrices improve carrion removal service by scavenger insects in tropical landscapes

This post is also available in Spanish (here) and Portuguese (here) In their latest research, Alvarado-Montero et al. assess the impact of landscape structure and matrix contrast on carrion removal by scavenger insects, an often overlooked but crucial ecosystem service which is important for nutrient cycling and disease control. Carrion is something that many people choose to avoid. However, animals involved in carrion decomposition play … Continue reading Higher forest cover and less contrasting matrices improve carrion removal service by scavenger insects in tropical landscapes

Bee abundance estimates vary by collection method and flowering richness

Monitoring bee populations is becoming increasingly important and commonplace, but do current methods produce reliable estimates of bee communities? Authors Marirose Kuhlman and Philip Hahn explore this question in their latest research. Wild bees are the main pollinators in nearly all terrestrial ecosystems and are essential to the reproductive cycles of many native plants, agricultural crops, and to the success of habitat restoration projects. Because … Continue reading Bee abundance estimates vary by collection method and flowering richness

A new method for predicting time to recovery during restoration

Associate Editor, Lars Brudvig looks at the recently published Review, Advancing restoration ecology: A new approach to predict time to recovery by Rydgren et al. Restoring degraded ecosystems is a global priority, hailed for its potential to recover biodiversity and promote ecosystem functioning and services. Yet successful restoration doesn’t happen overnight. It may take years, decades, or longer for restoration projects to meet their goals … Continue reading A new method for predicting time to recovery during restoration

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

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

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