Human-wildlife coexistence: The need for evidence-based solutions

Chen Huang provides an overview of their investigation into human-wildlife conflict, and explains how research gaps can be turned into opportunities. Humans and wildlife share the planet, often in proximity. In many parts of the world, villagers see elephants, lions, dolphins, and seabirds as part of their daily lives—much like city dwellers spot starlings feeding in a park. While wildlife is culturally valuable and a … Continue reading Human-wildlife coexistence: The need for evidence-based solutions

Collision avoidance: Navigating ships through recovering whale populations

In this blog post, Emily Hague and team discuss their latest research into the importance of careful consideration of collision-mapping approach and data selection when it comes to predicting high-risk vessel collision areas for whales. For conservationists and those that care about nature and our planet, the news can feel incredibly bleak, with daily (deservedly) scary stories of extreme climate change related temperatures, species fighting … Continue reading Collision avoidance: Navigating ships through recovering whale populations

Evaluating songbird vulnerability to offshore wind turbine mortality

Leon Green-Tkacenko and co-authors share insight into their recent study that explores how existing vulnerability indices for seabirds can be applied to migrating songbirds, and potentially other migrating birds, in evaluating vulnerability to offshore wind turbine morality. What is the problem? Climate change is the most pressing threat to biodiversity in the 21st century andaddressing this threat will require substantial changes to how we generate … Continue reading Evaluating songbird vulnerability to offshore wind turbine mortality

Spearfishing-fish behavioural interactions as predator-prey systems to envision better management

Author Valerio Sbragaglia and his colleagues guide us through a recent study which advances the understanding of spearfisher-fish behavioural interaction by integrating ecological indicators (i.e., flight and post flight behaviour of fish) with spearfishers’ likelihood to catch a fish. Through modelling and simulating scenarios, their study sheds light on management implications in exploited fish populations. Exploring spearfishing and fish behaviour If you ask spearfishers, they … Continue reading Spearfishing-fish behavioural interactions as predator-prey systems to envision better management

Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps: African mammal life-history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes

Alice Bernard and co-authors describe how they have jointly used local ecological knowledge and camera trap data. With hindsight, they discuss how involving local people in research projects can enhance conservation efforts in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve (GRBR), South Africa. The Garden Route National Park (GRNP), in the eponym Biosphere Reserve, is one of the only truly unfenced National Parks in South Africa. The … Continue reading Combining local ecological knowledge with camera traps: African mammal life-history traits and their occurrence in anthropogenic landscapes

What butterflies tell us about greenspace management in urban developments

Dr Joseph Cooper, from the British Trust for Ornithology, shares recent research conducted alongside colleagues which saw the development of models. These models provide the foundation through which butterfly abundance could be integrated into an urban biodiversity assessment tool, providing species- and community-level statistics to non-specialists from the urban planning and design sector. The prevailing view on new housing is it is built at the … Continue reading What butterflies tell us about greenspace management in urban developments

Southwood Prize 2021: early career researcher winner announced

We’re excited to announce Chinmay Sonawane as the winner of this year’s Southwood Prize, celebrating the best paper by an early career researcher in the 2021 (58th) volume of Journal of Applied Ecology. Chinmay’s winning paper is Public health and economic benefits of spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta in a peri-urban system. About the research Research on interactions between people and wildlife has traditionally concentrated on the negative impacts on … Continue reading Southwood Prize 2021: early career researcher winner announced

Cameron Hodges: Using radio-telemetry to better understand how a highly venomous snake lives among people

In this Q&A, we ask author Cameron Hodges about his team’s research monitoring the behaviour of a Malayan krait near a university dormitory in Thailand, and find out a little bit more about the author himself. Go to: The research | The bigger picture | About the Author The research What’s your article about? Our article provides a detailed description of the observed movements, habitat … Continue reading Cameron Hodges: Using radio-telemetry to better understand how a highly venomous snake lives among people

The need for a code of practice for mosquito management in European wetlands

Bringing together multidisciplinary expertise, Martinou et al. build a framework that aims to balance the priorities of wetland conservation and mosquito control.  

Wetlands provide essential resources to human societies, and the associated biodiversity associated with wetlands has an estimated value ranging from US $44,597- ($)195,478 per hectare per year. Governments around the world have enacted legislation, policies and regulations including the Clean Water Act (United States) and the Water Act (Australia) to protect wetlands from a variety of human activities. Continue reading The need for a code of practice for mosquito management in European wetlands

Private boats in the Mediterranean have extremely high potential to spread alien species

British Ecological Society press release A Mediterranean-wide study has found that 71% of sampled recreational boats hosted alien marine species. Over half carried an alien species that was not yet present in the marina the boat was visiting. The research is published in the British Ecological Society Journal of Applied Ecology. This is the first study in the Mediterranean to combine boat and marina sampling data … Continue reading Private boats in the Mediterranean have extremely high potential to spread alien species