News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Researchers quantify nutritional value of soil fungi to the Serengeti food web

Food web supporting wildlife would appear very different without the nutrients supplied by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Duck faeces shed light on plant seed dispersal

A new study in the Journal of Ecology reveals a number of plants that were not previously known to be part of the diet of waterbirds.

The long-term impacts of devil facial tumour are revealed

Density trends and demographic signals uncover the long-term impact of transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils.

Warming climate shrinks B.C. beetles

Beetles are shrinking as their habitats get warmer.

Scientists grapple with worms to improve co-existence with wildlife in Africa

Livestock grazing alongside wildlife may benefit farmers by reducing parasitic disease.

Native forest habitats promote pollinators and fruit production of Açaí palm in the Amazon river delta

Low impact farming methods benefit both pollinators and açaí fruit production.

Study reveals long-time scale of recovery for marine sea fans and other species

Pink seafans, Ross corals and white sea squirts could take up to 20 years to recover after an area of the seabed was closed to scallop dredging.

Protecting piping plovers

Without considering a growing predator population, counting methods may not accurately predict future plover population sizes.

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.

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.

The road to recovery: Closing roads counters effects of habitat loss for grizzly bears

It’s simple math, says scientist Clayton Lamb. The closer grizzly bears are to humans, the more ways there are for bears to die. Put more simply, more roads equals fewer grizzly bears.

Lake Michigan waterfowl botulism deaths linked to warm waters and algae

Warm waters and algae tend to precede bird deaths in the Great Lakes, likely because they promote the growth of botulism toxin-producing bacteria.