Editor’s Choice 59:5: Rolling composite wildflower blocks as an alternative to wildflower strips to improve farmland biodiversity

Associate Editor, Erik Öckinger, introduces this month’s Editor’s Choice paper by Jana Eccard, which suggests that rotational wildflower blocks, where successional stages exist in parallel, could represent a novel improvement to the commonly used wildflower strips. Strips with sown wildflowers along the margins of crop fields have become a common measure to counteract the ongoing loss of farmland biodiversity in many European countries. These wildflower … Continue reading Editor’s Choice 59:5: Rolling composite wildflower blocks as an alternative to wildflower strips to improve farmland biodiversity

Tracking data can provide a data-driven approach for high seas conservation

A new Policy Direction by Davies and colleagues showcases a candidate high seas marine protected area (MPA) in the Northeast Atlantic, identified primarily from seabird tracking data, that is being taken forward under a regional process: the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Seamount (NACES) MPA, under the OSPAR Commission.  The high seas are international waters beyond any country’s jurisdiction. Although out-of-sight, beyond 200 nautical miles … Continue reading Tracking data can provide a data-driven approach for high seas conservation

Spontaneous forest expansion in the Mediterranean basin: Which policy mix maximizes ecosystem service provision and resilience at the landscape level?

In their latest Policy Direction, Varela and colleagues examine ecosystem services and ecosystem disservices of forests in the Mediterranean Basin and the policies influencing forest expansion. This post is also available in Spanish here Forests in the Mediterranean basin have been managed for millennia. They provide key ecosystem services (ES) to society and host within them high levels of biodiversity. Some of them depend on … Continue reading Spontaneous forest expansion in the Mediterranean basin: Which policy mix maximizes ecosystem service provision and resilience at the landscape level?

Cover stories: escapes from aquaculture

Using the example of sturgeons in the Yangtze River and impacts on the critically endangered Chinese sturgeon, work by Rui-Ting Ju et al. looks into policies around escaping non-native species from aquaculture. The corresponding cover image for issue 57:01 was taken by Ping Zhuang. Sturgeon farming is expanding worldwide due to the overexploitation of wild stocks. In China, the main farmed species are non-native species … Continue reading Cover stories: escapes from aquaculture

Defining and delivering resilient ecological networks in England

Nick Isaac et al.’s new Policy Direction, Defining and delivering resilient ecological networks: nature conservation in England is available as an Accepted Article from today (Thursday 21st June). Read Nick’s comments on the development of this adaptive management framework in this post and watch a video here. The UK Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (henceforth 25YEP) for England is an exciting opportunity to reframe the direction of nature conservation … Continue reading Defining and delivering resilient ecological networks in England

Bumblebees are frequent flyers – what are the impacts?

Addressing pollinator introduction policy and the effects introduced species can have on local ecosystems, Romina Rader, Manu Saunders and Tobias Smith discuss the recent Policy Direction, Coordinated species importation policies are needed to reduce serious invasions globally: The case of alien bumblebees in South America by Aizen et al. Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are large, iconic pollinators of many wild flowers and crops.  Their ability to … Continue reading Bumblebees are frequent flyers – what are the impacts?

How could the EU’s LIFE funds enhance conservation in Natura 2000?

Virgilio Hermoso et al. identify prioritisation exercises that could better-distribute conservation funds in the EU in their recent Policy Direction, Spatial prioritisation of EU’s LIFE‐Nature programme to strengthen the conservation impact of Natura 2000. The EU has made significant conservation efforts in the last two decades. Guided by the Birds and Habitats Directives, member States have designated the world´s largest network of protected areas, the Natura … Continue reading How could the EU’s LIFE funds enhance conservation in Natura 2000?

First steps towards active fire management on the Brazilian Cerrado – Primeiros passos em direção ao manejo ativo de fogo no Cerrado

Moving away from zero-fire policy in the Brazilian Cerrado. Associate Editor, Rafael D. Zenni comments on the recent Policy Direction, Fire management in the Brazilian savanna: First steps and the way forward by Schmidt et al. Rafael also provided a Portuguese version  of this post. The journal welcomes blog posts and abstracts in different languages. English version The Brazilian Cerrado is recognised by many as the most … Continue reading First steps towards active fire management on the Brazilian Cerrado – Primeiros passos em direção ao manejo ativo de fogo no Cerrado

Issue 55:2

Issue 55:2 includes a Spotlight on Decision making under uncertainty. Other topics include urban ecology, population monitoring, tropical forest restoration and more. Here we take a look at some of the articles published in this issue. Decision making under uncertainty Senior Editor, Michael Bode on this issue’s selection of Spotlight papers How does grazing by wild ungulates and livestock affect plant richness? This issue’s Editor’s Choice Jaguar … Continue reading Issue 55:2

A prioritised list of invasive alien species of EU concern

Focusing on invasive species management, Carles Carboneras comments on the recent Policy Direction, A prioritised list of invasive alien species to assist the effective implementation of EU legislation, published in Journal of Applied Ecology and recently featured by BBC News. Alien organisms can cause significant disruption when introduced into a new environment and, for that reason, effective policies on invasive species aim at preventing their … Continue reading A prioritised list of invasive alien species of EU concern