News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Rethinking environmental legislation to include the conservation ideas of tomorrow

ZSL-led study argues for change in policy focus to capitalise on potential of rewilding to halt biodiversity loss.

A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment; the good, the bad, and the non-committal.

The long awaited 25 year plan for the environment was published in January 2018. Here we draw out the most important issues for BES membership.

Gran Chaco: Biodiversity at high risk

Immediate conservation activities could secure habitats in South America’s largest tropical dry forest

Habitat fragmentation a bigger threat to Chile’s güiña wildcat than persecution by humans

Research by conservationists at the University of Kent has found that habitat fragmentation, and the subdivision of large farms into smaller ones, are the biggest threats facing the güiña wildcat in Chile.

Scouting the eagles - Proof at last: protecting nests aids reproduction

Reproduction among bald eagles in a remote national park in Minnesota was aided when their nests were protected from human disturbance.

A new method to help recover ecological functions and foster the sustainable development of rural areas

Ecologists have developed a new method to prioritize natural sites for restoration actions aimed to improve the provision of ecosystem services.

Degrading coral reefs bad news for commercial fishing

The degradation of coral reef fisheries is bad for fisheries in the long term, a new study published in Journal of Applied Ecology reveals.

Dolphin and bear studies have paved the way to improved population forecasting

A new article challenges the validity of current methods for forecasting the persistence of slow-growing species for conservation purposes.

Listening in: Acoustic monitoring devices detect illegal hunting and logging

Newly developed acoustic loggers are able to record sounds of shotguns and chainsaws, shedding light on the frequency and patterns of illegal exploitation

Citizen scientists help capture wild mammals on camera

At the ‘Ecology Across Borders’ conference in Ghent, Belgium this week, researchers will share their experience of working with members of the public to create a network of motion-sensing camera traps for wildlife monitoring.

Show me your leaves - Health check for urban trees

This week at the ‘Ecology Across Borders’ conference in Ghent, Belgium researchers from KU Leuven will present a fast, cost-efficient and objective method to map, evaluate and monitor the health of urban trees.

Making ‘green Brexit’ work for agriculture and the environment

Post-Brexit policy should carry out a root-and-branch reform to better address the specific needs of the UK’s farming and food sectors whilst protecting the countryside.

Glimmers of hope for the oceans

Dr Sylvia Earle outlined her hopes for the future of the ocean at the NHM

Higher plant species richness may not be enough to protect ecosystems from the worst impacts of climate extremes

Higher plant species richness is not always sufficient to reduce ecosystem vulnerability to climate extremes.

Study finds ways to avoid hidden dangers of accumulated stresses on seagrass

A new study has found ways to detect hidden dangers of repeated stresses on seagrass using statistical modelling.