Remote sensing: A key to monitoring tropical forest restoration

Laura Vedovato introduces readers to a range of remote sensing tools, explaining how they can be applied to topical forests to monitor the effectiveness of restoration efforts. Read more in the original Review article. Introduction In recent years, global commitments to forest restoration, like the UN Decade on Restoration and the Global Biodiversity Framework, have highlighted the need for scalable, effective ways to track progress. … Continue reading Remote sensing: A key to monitoring tropical forest restoration

Drone-induced flight initiation distances for shorebirds in mixed-species flocks

Joshua Wilson discusses recent research at Moreton Bay, Australia which saw Wilson and colleagues conduct over 200 drone approaches of shorebird flocks to measure how the birds respond to drones. Particular attention is paid to the critically endangered Eastern Curlew. Stress responses Imagine you’re resting in your bed when, out of the corner of your eye, you see something scuttling along the roof towards you. … Continue reading Drone-induced flight initiation distances for shorebirds in mixed-species flocks

Drones and Citizen Scientists – the future of ecology

Why are the United Nations advocating for citizen science and technology? Using an Australian case study, let’s see how drones and local communities may be the answer to large scale and ongoing ecological monitoring. In the past, research in inaccessible areas has been limited to either small samples sizes, due to high costs and safety issues, or lower resolution data from satellites. However, drones can … Continue reading Drones and Citizen Scientists – the future of ecology

Seeing in the dark: Detecting and protecting cryptic nesting species using UAV thermal cameras

Authors Mike Shewring and Jim Vafidis share a video summary of their latest From Practice article using UAV-mounted thermal imaging to detect cryptic nesting European Nightjars in Wales, UK. Confirming the presence and location of cryptic nesting species is a significant fieldwork challenge in ecological monitoring. Nest sites can be located through direct observation or capture and radio tracking of breeding individuals; however, such work … Continue reading Seeing in the dark: Detecting and protecting cryptic nesting species using UAV thermal cameras

Cross-journal Virtual Issue: Lianas and Global Environmental Change

Together with Functional Ecology and Journal of Ecology, we’re showcasing  some of the top research recently published in the journals on the topic of lianas and global environmental change. Here Ainhoa Magrach brings the papers together and highlights the important roles lianas play in tropical forests. Lianas are a common feature of tropical forests, contributing up to 25% of woody stems. However, these important tropical … Continue reading Cross-journal Virtual Issue: Lianas and Global Environmental Change