Above-ground Disturbances and Below-ground Litter Decomposition

Meijie Xi and Weile Chen from Zhejiang University, China, discuss their article: Soil moisture mediates the effect of plant below-ground carbon allocation on the decomposition of root litter in a subtropical forest Forests are critical allies in the fight against climate change because they are major carbon sinks. Yet, the carbon stored in forests is…

Cover stories (112:12): Selection favours high spread & asymmetry of flower opening dates within plant individuals

Johan EhrlĂ©n tell us the story behind the cover image for our December issue: This photo, taken in southern Sweden early May, shows inflorescences of Lathyrus vernus. Flowers at the bottom of the inflorescences have already started to wilt and changed colour from purple to light blue, while the uppermost flowers have just opened. This…

Reproductive phenology mediated the sexual reproduction of alpine plants under future climate change

Miaojun Ma, Lanzhou University, discusses his article: Indirect effects of warming via phenology on reproductive success of alpine plants Background More and more empirical evidence shows that climate change has altered the reproductive performance of alpine plants, including reproductive phenology and reproductive output. Altered plant phenology can expose species to novel abiotic conditions during growth…

Nature-based solutions offer a win-win for nature, climate, & society in Hong Kong

Ashley Bang, from the University of Oxford, won the Journal of Ecology Best Poster Award at the 2024 European Congress of Conservation Biology. In this blog post, Ashley, discusses her thesis: Opportunities to balance urbanization, climate change, and nature conservation policy agendas via nature-based solutions: A case study of Hong Kong. In light of the…

Hidden in plain sight: flower imitates leaf litter trapped on trees to deceive a beetle pollinator

Ming-Fai Liu and Richard Saunders, from the University of Hong Kong’s Division of Ecology & Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, discuss their research article: Aerial litter mimicry: a novel form of floral deception mediated by a monoterpene synthase Mutualism is more of a rule than an exception when it comes to pollination—although a few plants…

🏆Eminent Ecologist 2024: Fernando T. Maestre (part V: epilogue)

The Journal of Ecology Editors are delighted to announce that Fernando Maestre is our Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2024! In recognition of his work, we asked Fernando to put together a virtual issue of some of his favourite contributions to the journal. Fernando has also written this blog series, and was interviewed by Richard Bardgett about about how he started his career in ecology,…

🏆Eminent Ecologist 2024: Fernando T. Maestre (part IV: observational studies & scientific collaboration)

The Journal of Ecology Editors are delighted to announce that Fernando Maestre is our Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2024! In recognition of his work, we asked Fernando to put together a virtual issue of some of his favourite contributions to the journal. Fernando has also written this blog series, and was interviewed by Richard Bardgett about about how he started his career in ecology,…

🏆Eminent Ecologist 2024: Fernando T. Maestre (part III: biocrust ecology)

The Journal of Ecology Editors are delighted to announce that Fernando Maestre is our Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2024! In recognition of his work, we asked Fernando to put together a virtual issue of some of his favourite contributions to the journal. Fernando has also written this blog series, and was interviewed by Richard Bardgett about about how he started his career in ecology,…

🏆Eminent Ecologist 2024: Fernando T. Maestre (part II: biotic interactions)

The Journal of Ecology Editors are delighted to announce that Fernando Maestre is our Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2024! In recognition of his work, we asked Fernando to put together a virtual issue of some of his favourite contributions to the journal. Fernando has also written this blog series, and was interviewed by Richard Bardgett about about how he started his career in ecology,…