Forestry raises the predation risk to caribou – we found ways to reduce it

Tracy McKay and Laura Finnegan share their latest research investigating what affects ungulate occurrence  in forest harvest blocks in west-central Alberta, Canada. Five years ago, our research group developed an idea with forest companies to help conserve woodland caribou – Rangifer tarandus, the same species as the Eurasian reindeer – in western Canada. Summer after summer, our crews drove the mud and gravel roads spiderwebbing … Continue reading Forestry raises the predation risk to caribou – we found ways to reduce it

Does harvest dampen or amplify the effects of climate change on natural populations?

Gamelon et al. aim to answer this question in their recently published Commentary. The harvest-interaction hypothesis Natural populations in marine to terrestrial ecosystems are experiencing a climate that is rapidly changing. These changes can induce marked fluctuations in population size over years and lead to higher extinction risk. In addition to human-induced changes in climate, many natural populations are affected by harvest, with removal of … Continue reading Does harvest dampen or amplify the effects of climate change on natural populations?

Tracking restoration of population diversity via the portfolio effect

In this week’s blog, Associate Editor, Andre Punt comments on the recent paper by Yamane et al. Tracking restoration of population diversity via the portfolio effect. Many fisheries are managed to avoid populations dropping below threshold levels, and closing them to harvest when this happens. The implications of closures can be substantial for those who gain commercial or recreational benefits from harvest, as well as … Continue reading Tracking restoration of population diversity via the portfolio effect

What happens to honeybees and beekeepers when farmlands lack flowers?

In this post Fabrice Requier discusses his recent article, The carry-over effects of pollen shortage decrease the survival of honeybee colonies in farmlands, available in issue 54:4 of the Journal of Applied Ecology. Over the past 50 years, landscapes have been profoundly modified to meet growing food requirements. Current human-dominated landscapes result in a loss of habitats and associated biodiversity. These often-simplified landscapes limit the … Continue reading What happens to honeybees and beekeepers when farmlands lack flowers?