Throughout April, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2021 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Jingyi Ding’s article ‘Ecosystem functions are related to tree diversity in forests but soil biodiversity in open woodlands and shrublands‘ was one of those shortlisted for the…
The cover image for our March issue features a white-spectacled bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos) feeding on the fruits of the desert plant Ochradenus baccatus near Eilat, Israel. This image relates to the research article: The survival contest of endozoochory: Conflicting interests in a frugivorous avian–plant mutualism, by Beny Trabelcy, Ido Izhaki, and Yoram Gerchman. Here the author Yoram…
The editor’s choice for our March issue is “The strength and direction of local (mal)adaptation depends on neighbor density and the environment” by Germain et al. Here, Associate Editor Chengjin Chu explains the importance of this research. Explicitly linking ecology and evolution to comprehensively reveal the interdependence structure of the entangled bank has been a long-standing…
The Harper Prize is awarded annually by the British Ecological Society for the best paper in Journal of Ecology by an early career author. We are pleased to present the shortlisted papers for the 2021 award (published in Volume 109): ⭐️ Christine Åkesson: Long-term ecological legacies in western Amazonia ⭐️ Paula Berenstecher: Worlds apart: Location above- or below-ground determines plant litter…
For anyone who missed it, we held our first Journal Club discussion last week, on Twitter! The featured paper was the Sprent Review article: Multi‐dimensionality as a path forward in plant‐soil feedback research, by Michael Gundale and Paul Kardol. To kick things off, the authors prepared a fantastic 12-minute video filmed around a campfire, in which…
The cover image for our February issue features a Female Asian elephant foraging in a dipterocarp forest of Peninsular Malaysia. This image relates to the research article: The ability to disperse large seeds, rather than body mass alone, defines the importance of animals in a hyper-diverse seed dispersal network, by Lisa Ong, Kim McConkey and Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz.…
The editor’s choice for our February issue is “Not all trees can make a forest: Tree species composition and competition control forest encroachment in a tropical savanna” by Flake et al. Here, Associate Editor María Natalia Umaña explains the importance of this research. As a tropical forest ecologist, I’ve been concerned about the increasing deforestation rates…
Soizig Le Stradic discusses her recent article: ‘Variation in biomass allocation and root functional parameters in response to fire history in Brazilian savannas‘. Find out more about their new research into how below-ground plant components respond to fire in the open savannas of the Cerrado. Fire is a major factor in the structure of plant…
Pat Milligan discusses his recent article ‘A soil-nesting invasive ant disrupts carbon dynamics in saplings of a foundational ant–plant‘. Find out more about how big-headed ants disrupt photosynthesis and plant growth. Human trade and travel across the planet often introduce species to new regions where they may have few or no natural competitors or threats.…
Introducing Journal Club! A new initiative from Journal of Ecology, in which we present a discussion between several authors of a paper, allowing viewers to gain further insight into the article, and aiming to facilitate engagement between authors and readers. Watch the video, and then join the authors online for a live Twitter Q&A! In…
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