Tag: land management

Forests, Pathogens and disease, Research summaries

Habitat availability alters the relative risk of a bovine tuberculosis breakdown in the aftermath of a commercial forest clearfell disturbance

In their new study, Murphy et al. discuss the relationship between human modification of landscapes and zoonotic disease emergence and spread, through their case study of bovine tuberculosis in Ireland. The interconnectedness of ecosystems is one of the most endearing facets of landscape ecology. Yet, it presents the biggest challenge for applied ecologists seeking to understand the cause and effect of ecosystem modification. Changes to … Continue reading Habitat availability alters the relative risk of a bovine tuberculosis breakdown in the aftermath of a commercial forest clearfell disturbance

Journal of Applied EcologyLeave a comment
Grasslands, Monitoring and methods, Pollinators, Practitioners, Research summaries

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

AER | ESE1 Comment
Editor's Choice, Grasslands, Practitioners, Restoration, Themed collections

ESE Editor’s Choice 2:2 – Restoring ecosystems and our well-being

Associate Editor Elizabeth Bach introduces our latest Editor’s Choice article by Patrick Swanson who calls for a new paradigm in ecosystem restoration called ‘Restorative recreation’. Ecosystem restoration seeks to reunite native plants and animals in degraded ecosystem, improving biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Many people deeply involved in ecosystem restoration also recognize the process of learning and restoring an ecosystem deepens our understanding of the natural … Continue reading ESE Editor’s Choice 2:2 – Restoring ecosystems and our well-being

AER | ESELeave a comment
Grasslands, Invasive species, Perspectives, Practitioners, Research summaries, Restoration, Themed collections, Video

Restorative recreation: One landowner’s restoration experience in Iowa’s Loess Hills

In his latest From Practice article, author and landowner Patrick Swanson describes his experience restoring a native prairie remnant in Iowa’s Loess Hills and introduces a new paradigm that maximizes benefits to personal wellbeing while improving the landscape for other species. This article is part of the cross-journal, cross-society Special Feature on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystems worldwide are under mounting stress from … Continue reading Restorative recreation: One landowner’s restoration experience in Iowa’s Loess Hills

AER | ESE2 Comments
Forests, In Focus, Practitioners

Wildfires: Are we ready for the future?

In the past 18 months we’ve witnessed some of the worst wildfire seasons in our history. With insight from relevant experts, Dr Eric Kennedy and Luke Smith – let’s delve into some of the key logistical challenges we’re facing in wildfire response. With record breaking temperatures, less predictable rainfall and an increase in extreme weather events, it is not surprising that fire seasons are changing. … Continue reading Wildfires: Are we ready for the future?

The Applied EcologistLeave a comment
Citizen science, Monitoring and methods, Practitioners, Research summaries, Themed collections

Can ‘Citizen Scientists’ play a valid role in conservation management?

The emergence of citizen science in biodiversity monitoring has transformed the methods by which biodiversity surveys can be conducted. With the recent development of automatic visual identification tools, Pierre Bonnet and colleagues present two distinct case studies implementing citizen science and the use of Pl@ntNet, an automatic plant identification platform. This article is part of the BES cross-journal special feature on Citizen Science. Effective monitoring … Continue reading Can ‘Citizen Scientists’ play a valid role in conservation management?

AER | ESELeave a comment
Research summaries

Managing sites with ash dieback to conserve functional traits

Adopting a technique generally used in the social sciences but rarely in ecology, Louise Hill (University of Oxford) et al. provide a new summary for land managers looking to predict and manage the effects of ash dieback. Their work was recently published in Journal of Applied Ecology: Maintaining ecosystem properties after loss of ash in Great Britain. Ash dieback, an invasive disease of ash trees, is … Continue reading Managing sites with ash dieback to conserve functional traits

Journal of Applied Ecology1 Comment
Plant and soil ecology, Research summaries

Microclimate determines transplantation success

Associate Editor, Pieter De Frenne (Ghent University, Belgium) discusses assisted migration, climate change and the recent article by Brooker et al. Tiny niches and translocations: the challenge of identifying suitable recipient sites for small and immobile species. One of the key outstanding issues in applied ecology is to better inform land managers and policy makers how to adapt to climate change. Many species are currently shifting their … Continue reading Microclimate determines transplantation success

Journal of Applied Ecology5 Comments
Research summaries

For the love of trees: the benefits of vegetation and paddock management for reptiles in grazing landscapes

Following her recent paper in the Journal of Applied Ecology, ‘Remnant vegetation, plantings and fences are beneficial for reptiles in agricultural landscapes’, Stephanie Pulsford explores the balancing act of supporting both agriculture and biodiversity conservation. In a recent study of reptiles in grazing landscapes we demonstrated the importance of maintaining and promoting native vegetation within agricultural land for improved biodiversity conservation outcomes. We also showed that … Continue reading For the love of trees: the benefits of vegetation and paddock management for reptiles in grazing landscapes

Journal of Applied Ecology1 Comment