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Making robust projections of species distributions at fine resolution: Go spatially-nested |
Antoine Guisan, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, discusses his article: Spatially-nested species distribution models (N-SDM): An effective tool to overcome niche truncation for better inference and projections Setting the scene Species distribution models (SDMs) relate species observations to mapped environmental conditions to estimate the ecological niche (i.e., the ensemble of suitable conditions) and predict the spatial distribution…
Predicting the unpredictable: Modelling the distribution of plant-associated microbes with species distribution models |
Sarah Ishak, Université du Québec à Montréal, discusses their article: Modelling the distribution of plant-associated microbes with species distribution models The array of bacteria, fungi, protists, viruses, and archaea that live inside or outside of plant tissue, AKA plant-associated microbes, perform functions that vary from beneficial to parasitic to simply neutrally existing with the plant.…
Decoding the diversity of root exudate chemistry in plant belowground strategies |
Huajun Yin, Peipei Zhang, and Han Yang, Chengdu Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discuss their article: Shifts in root exudate composition coordinate with root resource conservation along an elevation gradient Root exudates: Small molecules, big influence Plant ecologists have long been fascinated by the diverse strategies plants use to acquire nutrients…
Grime Reviews, Series 4: How do species distribution models (SDMs) reflect and inform ecological processes? |
In this post our Reviews Editor, Jason Fridley, highlights papers from the 4th Grime Reviews series, “How do species distribution models (SDMs) reflect and inform ecological processes?”. The six papers include an array of methodological and conceptual issues at the vanguard of predicting range shifts in a changing environment. Sanczuk et al. (2024) describe a…
The humble broom |
Peter Thomas, Keele University, UK and Marion Giertych, University of Zielona Góra and Institute of Dendrology PAS, Poland, discuss their article: Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: Cytisus scoparius, in English and Polish Broom (Cytisus scoparius), a non-spiny relative of gorse (Ulex species), is a delightful shrub native across Europe in open areas. What makes…
How Do Dry Conditions Affect Carbon Movement in Bamboo Forests? |
Xiaogai Ge, from the Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, and Mai-He Li, from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research in Switzerland, discuss their article: Drought Decreases Carbon Flux but Not Transport Speed of Newly Fixed Carbon from Leaves to Sinks in a Giant Bamboo Forest…
Climate and mycorrhizal type shape global plant nitrogen dynamics |
Qiong Chen and Zuoqiang Yuan, Northwestern Polytechnical University in China, discuss their article: Global mycorrhizal status drives leaf δ15N patterns Global mycorrhizal status drives leaf δ15N patterns. Nitrogen: A Vital Nutrient for Plants Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plants. It plays a vital role in their growth, development, and overall productivity. The availability of…
Can Resilient Species Keep Up? Climate Change Threatens Even Tough Seaweeds |
Fernando Lima, CIBIO/BIOPOLIS, University of Porto, Portugal, discusses his article: Simulated intertidal heat stress on the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum demonstrates differential population sensitivity to future climate Ascophyllum nodosum from Sommarøy, Norway (69.65°N, 17.99°E), in 2024. Photo by Rui Seabra. Climate change is often thought to threaten only vulnerable species, but what about the tough…
Local native species with global naturalization success can be strong competitors for alien species |
Guan-Wen Wei and Mark van Kleunen, from the Ecology Lab at the University of Konstanz in Germany, discuss their article: Responses of naturalized alien plants to soil heterogeneity and competition vary with the global naturalization success of the native competitors Biological invasions are happening With the development of transportation and globalization, species have been introduced…
What shapes the traits of African trees? Insights from evolution and climate |
Anaïs Gorel, University of Liège, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech in Belgium, discusses their article: Leaf habit, maximum height, and wood density of tropical woody flora in Africa: phylogenetic constraints, covariation, and responses to seasonal drought How do African trees cope with drought? Tropical Africa is home to a remarkable diversity of trees, ranging from towering giants in…
Solving the loss of divarication debate on New Zealand’s outlying islands |
Riccardo Ciarle, Victoria University of Wellington in Aotearoa New Zealand, discusses his article: Ancestral state reconstruction sheds new light on the loss of divarication hypothesis on New Zealand’s outlying islands The background If you step into the New Zealand bush, the first thing you’ll see will be towering podocarps, lofty tree ferns, and a wide…
Shaded habitats drive higher rates of fern diversification |
Guilin Wu, Hainan Jianfengling Forest Ecosystem National Field Science Observation and Research Station, Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, discusses his article: Shaded habitats drive higher rates of fern diversification Ferns represent one of the three major lineages of vascular plants, having originated approximately 411–385 million years ago. In prehistoric times, they…
Tundra Fires: A Long-Lasting Legacy and Uncertain Future |
Ramona Heim, Institute of Landscape Ecology of the University of Münster in Germany, discusses her article: Arctic tundra ecosystems under fire – Alternative ecosystem states in a changing climate? One of the 4 tundra fires that burned at the Kougarok Fire Complex in western Alaska on the Seward Peninsula from 2000-2019. The Mingvk Lake fire (BLM…
Do trait-growth relationships change as plants age? An Australian heathland perspective |
Lily Dun, Western Sydney University in New South Wales, Australia, and The University of Queensland in Queensland, Australia, discusses her article: Do trait-growth relationships vary with plant age in fire-prone heathland shrubs? When we think about plant growth, we often assume that certain functional traits—such as wood density, leaf structure, or biomass allocation—determine how fast…
Vanishing diversity: Loss of rare plants erodes the flourishing of soil life |
Kechang Niu, Nanjing University in China, discusses his article: Plant species loss reduces rare soil microbes through diversity effects amplified by multitrophic interactions Background A key reason for the flourishing of life on Earth is that diverse groups of organisms mutually thrive in changing environments. However, increasing evidence shows that we are suffering the sixth…
Announcing the 2024 Harper Prize Winner: Karina Guo |
We’re delighted to announce that the winner of the 2024 Harper Prize is Karina Guo! The Harper Prize is awarded annually for the best paper published in the journal by an early career researcher. ‘Using machine learning to link climate, phylogeny and leaf area in eucalypts through a 50-fold expansion of leaf trait datasets’ Karina Guo, William K. Cornwell, Jason…
Plants with higher biomass accrual rates drive infectious disease outcomes in multi-host annual plant communities |
Margaret W. Simon, University of Kansas, USA, discusses her article: Fast-growing annual plants drive disease spillover in multi-host communities Infectious plant diseases affect hosts in natural, agricultural, and urban systems. Modeling studies can help predict these effects, but traditional disease models were developed for animal systems. These models are not well suited for plant disease…
Using leaf biomechanical traits to understand the leaf-litter decomposition process |
Hang Wang, Southwest Forestry University, discusses his article: Leaf biomechanical traits predict litter decomposability The cycle of a leaf from green to earth. Photo by Hang Wang and Jinfeng Qi. As ecologists, we often focus on how plants grow, reproduce, and interact with their environment. However, what happens after a plant has lived its life?…
Plant trait networks: Shifting of whole phenotypes with aridity and functional richness |
Camila Medeiros, University of California, Los Angeles, discusses her article: Simplification of woody plant trait networks among communities along a climatic aridity gradient Motivation Plants are enormously diverse across regions, even within specific ecosystems, and zooming in on individual plants, one finds great diversity among their traits. Variation of all kinds of traits can play…
Rémi Bardou: Effects of cold water and aridity on Baja California mangrove survival and ecophysiological traits |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Rémi Bardou’s ‘Effects of cold water and aridity on Baja California mangrove survival and ecophysiological traits’ is one of those shortlisted for the…
Lena Sachsenmaier: Forest growth resistance and resilience to the 2018–2020 drought depend on tree diversity and mycorrhizal type |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Lena Sachsenmaier’s ‘Forest growth resistance and resilience to the 2018–2020 drought depend on tree diversity and mycorrhizal type’ is one of those shortlisted…
Haben Blondeel: Tree diversity reduces variability in sapling survival under drought |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Haben Blondeel's ‘Tree diversity reduces variability in sapling survival under drought’ is one of those shortlisted for the award. About the paper: What…
Karl Andraczek: Weak reciprocal relationships between productivity and plant biodiversity in managed grasslands |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Karl Andraczek's ‘Weak reciprocal relationships between productivity and plant biodiversity in managed grasslands’ is one of those shortlisted for the award. Meadow…
Woody plant encroachment in forest-grassland mosaics: How do woody plant functional traits change above and below-ground? |
Raissa Jardim, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil, describes her article: Unveiling above- and below-ground ecological strategies that underlie woody plant encroachment in grasslands, in both English and Portuguese. Woody plant encroachment in forest-grassland mosaics Forests and grasslands aren’t always neatly separated ecosystems. In many places they coexist side by side, creating beautiful but complex mosaics…
Fiona Seaton: A diversity of diversities: Do complex environmental effects underpin associations between below- and above-ground taxa? |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Fiona Seaton’s ‘A diversity of diversities: Do complex environmental effects underpin associations between below- and above-ground taxa?’ is one of those shortlisted…
Daiki Takahashi: Deer grazing drove an assemblage-level evolution of plant dwarfism in an insular system |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Daiki Takahashi’s ‘Deer grazing drove an assemblage-level evolution of plant dwarfism in an insular system’ is one of those shortlisted for the…
How does camelid intensity influence the diversity and stability of Andean grasslands? |
Ana Patricia Sandoval-Calderon and Yann Hautier, Utrecht University, discuss their article: Andean grassland stability across spatial scales increases with camelid grazing intensity despite biotic homogenization A vicuña in the sunrise. Photo courtesy of Humber Alberto Alberto/ WCS-Bolivia. Nestled high in the Andes, a vibrant yet fragile ecosystem thrives under the watchful gaze of camelids. These…
Karina Guo: Using machine learning to link climate, phylogeny and leaf area in eucalypts through a 50-fold expansion of leaf trait datasets |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Karin Guo’s ‘Using machine learning to link climate, phylogeny and leaf area in eucalypts through a 50-fold expansion of leaf trait datasets’…
Joshua Brian: Release from aboveground enemies increases seedling survival in grasslands |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Joshua Brian’s ‘Release from aboveground enemies increases seedling survival in grasslands’ is one of those shortlisted for the award. About the paper:…
Eugénie Mas: Drought effects in Mediterranean forests are not alleviated by diversity-driven water source partitioning |
2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Eugénie Mas's ‘Drought effects in Mediterranean forests are not alleviated by diversity-driven water source partitioning’ is one of those shortlisted…
How beech trees fare under drought: Lessons from recent climate extremes |
Guangqi Zhang, UMR SILVA - INRAE, Grand-Est Nancy Research Center, discusses his article: Analyzing resilience of European beech tree to recurrent extreme drought events through ring growth, wood anatomy and stable isotopes As the climate warms, extreme weather events like droughts are expected to become more frequent and intense. A recent extreme and recurrent drought…
2024 Harper Prize Shortlist: Early Career Research Award |
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 2024 award, published in Volume 112: Daiki Takahashi: Deer grazing drove an assemblage-level evolution of plant dwarfism in an insular system Eugénie Mas: Drought effects in Mediterranean forests…
Wood trait-decay relationships depend on environmental context |
Donghao Wu, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, discusses his article: Wood trait-decay relationships vary with topography and rainfall seasonality in a subtropical forest in China Deadwood decomposed by termites. Photo by Donghao Wu. Wood trait-decay relationship Deadwood stores 8% of global forest carbon, and thus it is important to understand the…
Glucosinolates are probably not novel weapons that promote invasion by Alliaria petiolata |
Robert I. Colautti (@ColauttiLab), Queen’s University in Canada, discusses his article: Direct and indirect fitness effects of plant metabolites and genetic constraints limit evolution of allelopathy in an invading plant A storied history As a relatively young discipline, invasion ecology has developed through a proliferation of hypotheses that often fail to hold against careful experimentation.…
Legacies of fire influence how plant communities respond to the next burn |
Anita Simha, Louisiana State University, USA, discusses their article: Short-term prescribed fire frequency manipulation alters community response to subsequent fires in a Southeastern pine savanna Fire regimes are shifting globally Fire is a key disturbance that affects plant communities, but one challenge of studying the effects of fire is that the impacts of any one…
International Women’s Day 2025 – Yvonne Buckley |
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we are excited to share a collection of blog posts showcasing the work of some of the BES community. In each post, they discuss their experiences in ecology, as well as what this year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action’, means to them. What work do you do? I’m an ecologist working…
The mechanisms of the depletion of alpine meadow seed banks due to nitrogen enrichment |
Miaojun Ma, Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, discusses his article: Multiple mechanisms associated with loss of seed bank diversity under nitrogen enrichment Background Anthropogenic activities have caused an increase in atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, which threatens the…
How rhizomes shape whole-plant ontogeny and growth |
Jana Martínková (ExFuMo1), Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, discusses her article: The hidden half of ontogeny and seasonal dynamics in perennial herbs While flowers and leaves capture our attention, the unseen world beneath the soil is just as vital to plant survival and ecological balance. This truth applies not only to…
Citizen scientists from all over Europe helped to reveal the secrets of cowslips. |
Marianne Kivastik, University of Tartu, discusses her article: A pan-European citizen science study reveals factors related to biased morph ratios in the heterostylous plant Primula veris Human-induced environmental changes have many negative consequences for biodiversity on all levels. Among plants, insect-pollinated species can be especially affected by habitat loss and fragmentation because of the adverse…
Big Seeds Are Smarter Than They Look |
Si-Chong Chen (@SichongChen), Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discusses her article: Large seeds as a defensive strategy against partial granivory in the Fagaceae Imagine you are an acorn. You’re packed with nutrients and a perfect meal for animals like squirrels and birds. But you’re not just food; you’re also a seed…