Volume 108 Issue 5 of Journal of Ecology is now available online!
Our latest issue is packed with incredible articles, including research considering the landscape epidemiology of ash dieback, a review of fire as a fundamental ecological process and a study of dispersal strategies of alpine plant communities across the Andes.
You can also read our new Biological Flora of the British Isles account on Lathraea clandestina, which also features as this issue’s cover image! Purple toothwort is a parasitic herb, which lives underground for most of the year. Only the flowers and the tips of the shoots are visible, just above ground level for around 3 months.
The Editor’s Choice paper for this issue is “Palms and trees resist extreme drought in Amazon forests with shallow water tables” by Sousa et al.
The results of this research indicate that forests growing over shallow water tables (<5 m deep) are remarkably resistant to drought. The relative neglect of this vegetation group in previous studies is a significant concern for understanding of tropical drought impacts, especially as one‐third of Amazon forests grow on shallow water tables.
You can find out more about this paper in our Editor’s Choice blog post.
The cover image for this issue was taken by our Biological Flora Senior Editor, Tony Davy and relates to the new BFBI account for Lathraea clandestina by Atkinson & Atkinson.
This photograph shows Purple Toothwort (Lathraea clandestina) parasitizing the roots of a willow tree. The plant lacks chlorophyll and the flowers arise directly from a subterranean stem.
Read our new Cover Story post to discover more about this species.
We hope you also enjoy this gallery of striking images that were submitted to Journal of Ecology this issue:
Journal of Ecology Blog 