News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Lava flows tell 600-year story of biodiversity loss on tropical island

A natural experiment created by an active volcano gives new insight into the long-term negative impacts of human colonisation of tropical forest islands.

Watching TV helps birds make better food choices

By watching videos of each other eating, blue tits and great tits can learn to avoid foods that taste disgusting and are potentially toxic, finds new study. Seeing the ‘disgust response’ in others helps them recognise distasteful prey by their conspicuous markings without having to taste them, and this can potentially increase both the birds’ and their prey’s survival rate.

Amazon forest disturbance is changing how plants are dispersed

New research finds tropical forest disturbance goes beyond species loss and includes a shift towards smaller seeds and an increase in the proportion of trees dispersed by animals, impacting how the ecosystem functions.

Call for policy makers to protect pollinators

Pollinating insects could thrive if improvements are made to agri-environment schemes across Europe, new study led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) finds.

New software program could boost protections for animals on the move on land and at sea

An international team of conservation scientists has developed an innovative software program to improve protections for wildlife as they roam on land and at sea.

Orb-weaver spiders’ yellow and black pattern helps them lure prey

Being inconspicuous might seem the best strategy for spiders to catch potential prey in their webs, but many orb-web spiders, which hunt in this way, are brightly coloured. New research finds their distinct yellow and black pattern is actually essential in luring prey.

New study: are teen seabirds safe?

Seabirds have an exploratory adolescent phase, often looking for food in ocean areas quite different to breeding adults. A new collaborative BirdLife study warns that current seabird protection measures should not neglect such crucial stages of seabird development.

Feeding bluebirds helps fend off parasites

If you feed the birds in your backyard, you may be doing more than just making sure they have a source of food: you may be helping baby birds give parasites the boot

British Ecological Society launches new journal: <em>Ecological Solutions and Evidence</em>

British Ecological Society launches new journal: Ecological Solutions and Evidence

The British Ecological Society (BES), in partnership with its publisher John Wiley & Sons, is delighted to announce the launch of a new international journal.

Energy-saving modernisation of villages may reduce farmland bird numbers

New research suggests declines of farmland bird numbers in Europe are linked to renovations of farm and homesteads that make them more energy efficient but leave fewer nesting sites.

Closer scientific collaboration needed to save orangutan, say leading experts

Scientists studying animal and human populations in Borneo must work together more closely if they’re to save the orangutan, according to leading conservation and social science researchers .

Global study finds predators are most likely to be lost when habitats are converted for human use

A first of its kind, global study on the impacts of human land-use on different groups of animals has found that predators, especially small invertebrates like spiders and ladybirds, are the most likely to be lost when natural habitats are converted to agricultural land or towns and cities.

The temporal dimension of the ‘alien attack’ in plant-pollinator communities

A new study shows for the first time that both alien plants and alien pollinators influence the organisation of ecological networks over time; yet the causes and consequences for the local communities are widely dependent on the trophic level of the invasion.

Climate change unlikely to drive sugar maples north

Sugar maples won’t be heading north anytime soon, despite climate change, according to a new study.

First come, first bred

Arriving early in the breeding area is crucial for successful reproduction in non-migratory birds.