Tag: ecosystem services

Research summaries

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

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied EcologyLeave a comment
Research summaries

Pastures new for pollinators?

In this post Associate Editor Peter Manning discusses the paper he recently handled from Katherine Orford and colleagues ‘Modest enhancements to conventional grassland diversity improve the provision of pollination services‘ You can also read a blog post from Katherine here: Managing ecosystem services: a grassland experiment Pollinator insects have undergone a global decline, and there is evidence that this may be placing both crop production … Continue reading Pastures new for pollinators?

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied Ecology5 Comments
Research summaries

Managing ecosystem services: a grassland experiment

In this post Katherine Orford discusses her recent paper ‘Modest enhancements to conventional grassland diversity improve the provision of pollination services‘ You can also read a blog post from the Associate Editor who handled this paper, Peter Manning here: Pastures new for pollinators? Grassland diversity Species-rich grasslands were once widespread across Western Europe. However, post-war agricultural intensification has resulted in wide-scale conversion of these diverse grasslands … Continue reading Managing ecosystem services: a grassland experiment

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied Ecology2 Comments
Research summaries

Lessons in how to restore a wetland ecosystem

In this post David Moreno Mateos discusses his paper ‘Ecosystem response to interventions: lessons from restored and created wetland ecosystems’ After over 30 years and billions of dollars (and euros, pounds, and yuans) of restoring wetlands globally, and especially in the USA, the time has come to evaluate the results, and particularly to find out how wetlands are responding to our efforts. The results found … Continue reading Lessons in how to restore a wetland ecosystem

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied Ecology1 Comment
Research summaries

Ecological considerations for an urban marine environment

In this post Filippo Ferrario discusses his recent paper ‘The overlooked role of biotic factors in controlling the ecological performance of artificial marine habitats’ Summer is going to be over soon and many of us have spent the vacation enjoying sea beaches, practising aquatic sports or looking for a pristine marine landscape, where to hike or a wonderful sunset to cherish. Did you realize how … Continue reading Ecological considerations for an urban marine environment

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied EcologyLeave a comment
Research summaries

Defining a successful river restoration project

In this post Associate Editor Tadeu Siqueira discusses a paper he recently handled by Daniel Hering and colleagues ‘Contrasting the roles of section length and instream habitat enhancement for river restoration success: a field study of 20 European restoration projects’ Streams and rivers are among the most degraded ecosystems in the world. In comparison to oceans, these ecosystems contain a tiny portion of the total … Continue reading Defining a successful river restoration project

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied EcologyLeave a comment
Research summaries

Making the most of pollinators to improve and predict crop yields

In this post Lucas Garibaldi discusses his recent Review article ‘Trait matching of flower visitors and crops predicts fruit set better than trait diversity‘ Sustainable management of agroecosystems is a global challenge, with more than 35 % of the Earth’s land area covered by farmland. It has been suggested that species diversity is critical for sustainability because it increases the level and stability of agroecosystem … Continue reading Making the most of pollinators to improve and predict crop yields

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied Ecology1 Comment
Research summaries

A more natural method of biocontrol

In this post Associate Editor Yann Clough discusses a paper he recently handled by Mattias Jonsson and colleagues ‘Experimental evidence that the effectiveness of conservation biological control depends on landscape complexity’ Brassica crops worldwide are attacked by a range of herbivorous insects, and frequent insecticide use is common. New research shows that the natural biological control of pests can be achieved by establishing strips of … Continue reading A more natural method of biocontrol

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied EcologyLeave a comment
Research summaries

Engineering soil complexity

In this post Kirsty Lees discusses the recent paper from Alice Johnston and colleagues ‘Effects of agricultural management practices on earthworm populations and crop yield: validation and application of a mechanistic modelling approach’ Healthy soils are essential to the provision of ecosystem services; however, increasing intensification has resulted in soil degradation in many arable systems threatening water quality, carbon storage and ultimately food security. Any … Continue reading Engineering soil complexity

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied Ecology1 Comment
Research summaries

Natural vegetation and biocontrol in southern Africa

In this post Dominic Henri discusses his recent paper ‘Natural vegetation benefits synergistic control of the three main insect and pathogen pests of a fruit crop in southern Africa‘ You can also find a poster ‘Distance-dependent natural vegetation benefits to the biocontrol of multiple pests and pathogens in South Africa mango farms’ associated with the paper here. It is a widely held view among the … Continue reading Natural vegetation and biocontrol in southern Africa

Unknown's avatarJournal of Applied Ecology1 Comment