We would like to introduce the new Associate Editors for the Journal of Ecology blog. Rhosanna Jenkins and Rich Shefferson will be helping to manage the blog and secure new and interesting content. We very much look forward to seeing more posts from them in the future! Rhosanna Jenkins @RhosannaLMJ Rhosanna is a Scientific Modeller…
The cover image for our new issue shows a native New Zealand bee, visiting the flowers of an alien creeping thistle. Author and photographer, Carine Emer shares her insight into the ecology of New Zealand, this captivating photograph and her related research paper: Alien plants and flower visitors disrupt the seasonal dynamics of mutualistic networks by Arroyo‐Correa, Burkle…
Author Joseph Hawes discusses recently published Journal of Ecology article: A large-scale assessment of plant dispersal mode and seed traits across human-modified Amazonian forests by Hawes et al. Find out more about the effects of disturbance on functional traits related to seed dispersal in a tropical forest and the implications of this for the future.…
Author Hao Ran Lai discusses recently published Journal of Ecology article: “Functional traits that moderate tropical tree recruitment during post-windstorm secondary succession” by Ran Lai et al. Find out more about their study on what causes differences in tree recruitment in a tropical lowland forest in Singapore. Understanding how species respond to environmental changes is becoming…
“We are nothing if we do not deal with our roots.” Author Mauro Brum offers an insight into his paper “Hydrological niche segregation defines forest structure and drought tolerance strategies in a seasonal Amazon forest“, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Harper Prize. Mauro also discusses his further research and what (and who!) inspired him to…
The Journal of Ecology article “Can novel pest outbreaks drive ecosystem transitions in northern‐boreal birch forest?” was shortlisted for the Harper Prize early researcher award earlier this spring. In this blog post, first author Ole Petter Laksforsmo Vindstad explains how the emergence of novel climate-driven outbreaks by phytophagous insects came to define the trajectory of…
In this post author Katie Baer, offers an insight into her paper Declining demographic performance and dispersal limitation influence the geographic distribution of the perennial forb Astragalus utahensis (Fabaceae), which was shortlisted for the 2019 Harper Prize. Katie also discusses her wider research and ecological career. You can see a full list of all shortlisted papers in the Harper…
In this post, Eric Griffin, Assistant Professor at New Mexico Highlands University, discusses his paper Plant host identity and soil macronutrients explain little variation in sapling endophyte community composition: Is disturbance an alternative explanation?, which was shortlisted for the 2019 Harper Prize. You can see a full list of all shortlisted papers in the Harper…
Volume 108 Issue 4 of Journal of Ecology is now available online! Our latest issue features a variety of fascinating articles, including research on the rapid evolution of a legume–rhizobium mutualism in restored prairies, evidence that changing precipitation patterns adversely affect floral resources and pollinator attraction in agricultural grasslands and insights into the seasonal succession of functional traits in…
“Multiple trait dimensions mediate stress gradient effects on plant biomass allocation, with implications for coastal ecosystem services” by De Battisti et al. is a new research article published in Journal of Ecology. In this blog post, author Davide De Battisti summarises the recent advances in understanding how coastal plants respond to stress. Salt marshes are highly appreciated ecosystems…
“Fire as a fundamental ecological process: Research advances and frontiers” by McLauchlan et al. is the newest essay review to be published in Journal of Ecology. In this blog post, authors S. Yoshi Maezumi, Jessica R. Miesel, Philip E. Higuera and Leda Kobziar summarise the recent advances and frontiers in fire ecology research, within the…
Author Kenny Helsen discusses recently published Journal of Ecology article: Optical traits perform equally well as directly‐measured functional traits in explaining the impact of an invasive plant on litter decomposition by Helsen et al. Discover whether the optical traits of an invasive plant species can be used to explain their ecosystem impacts. Is the data…
We have been lamenting with ecological colleagues (while sheltering in place and communicating remotely) how we used to feel important as plant ecologists studying global climate change. Currently, however, we feel much less important than the human epidemiologists, health care and other front-line workers who are the heroes during the COVID-19 global pandemic. “I measure…
The cover image for our new issue shows an ancient bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California. Author and photographer, Connie Millar shares her insight into this unique landscape, her stunning cover image and her related research paper “Symbiotic interactions above treeline of long‐lived pines: Mycorrhizal advantage of limber pine (Pinus flexilis) over Great…
The Editor’s Choice article for Journal of Ecology’s latest issue Volume 108 Issue 3 is “Seagrass ecosystem metabolic carbon capture in response to green turtle grazing across Caribbean meadows” by Johnson et al. Associate Editor Randall Hughes explores this paper in more detail and explains what makes this paper so novel and valuable. Vegetated marine ecosystems such…
