International Flora

The editors are delighted to announce that we are now considering International Biological Flora submissions. Building on the successful and popular Biological Flora of the British Isles series of papers, which has been published in Journal of Ecology since 1941, the journal Editors are pleased to announce the launch of a new associated paper type, the International Biological Flora species accounts.…

VOCs and conspecific adult-larva interactions

Read more about Xiao Sun and colleagues’ Journal of Ecology study on volatiles of compounds (VOCs) and the performance of herbivores… The interactions of aboveground and belowground herbivory can determine species populations and community composition. The outcome of the interactions can differ between conspecific and heterospecific aboveground and belowground herbivores, with conspecific herbivores enhancing their…

Fascination of Plants Day

Happy Fascination of Plants Day!  Today is the fifth international ‘Fascination of Plants Day‘ launched by plant scientists across the world under the umbrealla of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO). To celebrate plants, here is a collection of the beautiful plant pictures that we received from authors during the past year! You can also…

Interactive – not only additive – models predict trait-by-environment effects on fitness

Nuria Pistón and colleagues recently had their paper on functional traits and fitness published in Journal of Ecology. Nuria tells us more about the study below.  Trait-based approaches are extensively used in ecology to examine species interactions and species response to environmental change. However, although the link between traits and fitness is essential for the definition…

Press release: Seaweeds can attract friends and keep away enemies

GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Plymouth Marine Laboratory press release. Scientists from Kiel and Plymouth show for the first time health-promoting microbial manipulation in aquatic plants. The study was published today in Journal of Ecology.  The composition of the microbial community living in or on a larger organism plays an important role for…

Fieldwork in Hawai’i

In this new fieldwork post, Stephanie Yelenik, from the US Geological Survey (Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center), shares some pictures of her fieldwork on forest restoration in Hawai’i. Enjoy these beautiful pictures! More photo collections can be viewed in the fieldwork section of the blog.  Stephanie Yelenik, US Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai‘i…

UTE2019: Advancing our understanding of biogeochemical controls on forest productivity with nutrient addition experiments

Jim Dalling (University of Illinois, USA) attended the joint BES/gtö tropical ecology symposium in Edinburgh last month. UTE2019 (Unifying Tropical Ecology) celebrated collaboration across the entire tropics and promoted the work of a diverse range of topics and research groups. Jim reports back on one of the sessions. The productivity of tropical forests is affected…

Species invasions and climate change: can grasslands cope?

Jane Catford and Lizzie Jones contributed a chapter about grassland invasions to Grasslands and Climate Change, the latest volume of the Ecological Reviews series. The authors tells us more about their chapter below.  Imagine a typical grassland ecosystem. You might see American prairies, rangelands of Australia, or African savannah. Either way, you’re probably thinking of wide-open spaces, dominated by…

What determines large-scale forest biomass production: climate or tree species attributes?

Irena Šímová and colleagues recently had their paper on large-scale forest productivity published in Journal of Ecology. Lead author Irena provides some background on the study below… Climate is commonly considered the main driver of forest biomass production. Nevertheless, it has recently been suggested that climatic factors affect biomass production mostly indirectly via local adaptations,…

Where do the buffalo roam? Understanding drought impacts on grasses in an African savanna.

The African savannas are vast expanses of terrestrial ecosystems that host an array of plants and animals and their interactions that have continued to fascinate ecologists and the public alike. Many important conceptual advances regarding plant-herbivore interactions, and particularly the role of grazing animals, have come from studies in these ecosystems including: accelerating turnover of…