News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Ant cravings for sugar and salt vary across the U.S.

A U.S wide study finds that ants' cravings for salt and sugar can be predicted by how liberally plants in their ecosystem gives these away.

Diana Wall awarded President’s Medal by the British Ecological Society

The British Ecological Society (BES) announced today that Diana Wall, Colorado State University Distinguished Professor, has been awarded the 2019 President’s Medal.

New generation insecticide reduces bumblebee egg laying

Research shows for the first time that bumblebees exposed to field realistic concentrations of the insecticide sulfoxaflor laid fewer eggs and produced fewer larvae.

Migratory birds are worse off in West Africa

Migratory sandpipers breeding in Greenland who choose to spend the winter in West Africa instead of elsewhere along the East Atlantic coast have a lower chance of survival, are more likely to skip their first breeding season and arrive later at their breeding grounds.

New study finds ants are darker in rainforest canopies

New research shows for the first time that ants in the rainforest canopy are on average twice as dark as ants found on or below the ground, an adaptation thought to protect them from UV-B rays and water loss.

Reflections on the State of Nature report 2019

Fiona Burns, BES member and Conservation Scientist at the RSPB. Fiona has been involved in all three State of Nature reports, and here she reflects on her personal highlights and challenges this time around.

Climate change is disrupting our critical progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

According to a paper by Gerald Singh and others, the far-reaching, multifaceted effects of climate change are slowing our critical progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Transformative Change – What does this approach to conservation mean for the UK?

The British Ecological Society's policy team, in partnership with the University of York, is hosting a Pie and a Pint (PAAP) night in York on Wednesday, 20 November from 4.30-7.15pm.

Badger behaviour inside the cull zone

ZSL study shows survivors of culls cover 61% greater areas potentially increasing risk of transmission to cattle.

A modelling tool to rapidly predict weed spread risk

A new statistical modelling tool will enable land management authorities to predict where invasive weed species are most likely to grow so they can find and eliminate plants before they have time to spread widely.

Our 16-18 Summer School 2019 from a teacher’s perspective

Find out what happened at the 2019 Summer School for students aged 16-18.

2019 Parliamentary Shadowing scheme in Scotland open for applications

A unique opportunity to spend two days in the Scottish Parliament.

Researchers use drones to weigh whales

Researchers have devised a way to accurately estimate the weight of free-living whales using only aerial images taken by drones.

Making Brexit Work for the Environment and Livelihoods: A Stakeholder Informed Vision

What are the long term priorities of farming and fisheries communities post-Brexit? Do they care about the environment?

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

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.