Project Forest’s Post

One of the first studies demonstrating the importance of Green Infrastructure for conserving functional pollination networks in semi-natural grasslands.

📑 [#NEW #ARTICLE] Last May, an article on the seasonal dynamics of the benthic food web in submarine sandbanks was published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series by Alexandre ROBERT and his co-authors 💡 To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the benthic food web in sandbank areas and its seasonal variations. By providing sound scientific knowledge, it helps to better understand the ecological functioning of these specific habitats, relatively frequent in the areas where future offshore farms are planned in the North Sea and the Channel. These habitats are found to be made up of a very simple food web composed mainly of deposit feeders and relatively stable from season to season. ➡ The results suggest that human activities in these areas of mobile sand are likely to have a limited impact on the functioning of the ecosystem. 🔎 Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eCuwFPSC   This work was carried out in the framework of #DUNES research project: https://lnkd.in/eZgTQbWh #sandbanks #marinedunes #benthos #benthic #foodweb #science #study #offshore 

I'm excited to announce that my first MSc paper has been published in Forest Ecology and Management! 🎉 Title: Rethinking lightning-induced fires: Spatial variability and implications for management policies: https://lnkd.in/dWwTbcA5 This study explores the spatial variability of lightning-induced wildfires and makes recommendations for policy changes. This is the first study to comprehensively present the geographical patterns of lightning fires in Türkiye. Lightning is primary natural cause of wildfires. Lightning-induced fires tends to occur more frequently in sparsely populated areas (such as boreal forests) and less so in densely populated regions like the Mediterranean. In Türkiye, 12.6% of wildfires are lightning-induced. Although this percentage may seem low, it reflects significant geographical variability, which could result in misguided policy decisions if overlooked. Our exploratory analysis underscores the need for fire management policies that consider this spatial variability. Current approaches underestimate the significance of lightning-induced wildfires, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all fire suppression strategy is inadequate for regions like Türkiye where lightning plays a major role. We advocate for a more selective approach in fire management that acknowledges the natural occurrence of wildfires, rather than focusing solely on suppression.

WEST Consulting Biologist Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar, PhD is a co-author of the recently published research article, "Successful pollinator seed mixes include low grass density and high forb richness across a range of total seeding densities," published in Restoration Ecology, The Journal of the Society for Ecological Restoration. Restoring pollinator habitats by planting wildflowers helps combat pollinator declines. While these plantings benefit pollinators, there’s little research on how different seed mix designs impact floral resources over time. This study tested how seed density, diversity, and flower-to-grass ratios affect bloom coverage across two U.S. regions. Results showed that beyond a certain seed density, adding more seeds didn’t increase flower quantity or bloom duration as long as flower diversity was maintained. Click here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g7szFdph

Lots happening in the ecology world whether this is PEA, BNG or FISC assessments (don't we just love an acronym!) or getting involved to look after our hedgehogs and bees. Have a read of our latest newsletter.

Just crossed the 800-subscriber mark on my substack newsletter! If you're interested in reading these weekly pieces of writing about ecology, the environment and the research process, feel free to subscribe, it's free! Some of these newsletters have in the past also turned into manuscripts that are published in the peer-review literature. So the newsletters are also understood as an invitation. #substack #newsletter #ecology #environment #creativity https://lnkd.in/epa3tqby

Tropical Tree Height and Seed Dispersal Strategies Our new publication, led by Dr Ferry Slik based in Brunei, explores the ecological implications of the height of tropical forest trees. There is huge diversity among tropical forest tree species in terms of their stature, with typical heights when fully grown ranging from those shorter than a person to record-holding giants that approach one hundred meters. We compiled and analysed data from over 5,300 tree species across three continents. We found a significant correlation between the reported (or estimated) maximum height of each species and its mode of seed dispersal. The emergent trees that tower over the rest of the forest are much more likely to disperse their seeds by wind (compared to species relying on animal dispersal) than are shorter stems. Not a major surprise, but such evidence paves the way for better understanding the diversity and ecology of tropical forest species. The article, "Wind dispersed tree species have greater maximum height", doesn’t appear to be open access, but should be accessible to many via the Global Ecology and Biogeography site here https://lnkd.in/ezAmTE3M. #tropicalforestry #seeddispersal #treeheight #globalecology #biogeography #wur #CIFOR #ecology #evolution

Snags are vital for #biodiversity, especially for endangered #beetles. Increasing standing #deadwood is crucial for #forest conservation! Authored by Ellen Desie, Bart Muys, Bart Nyssen, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Karen Vancampenhout from Division of Forest, Nature and Landscape (FNL), KU Leuven, Belgium Jan den Ouden (Forest Ecology and Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands) Rita Sousa-Silva (Young Academy for Sustainability Research, University of Freiburg, Germany) Leon van den Berg (Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Radboud University, the Netherlands) Arnold van den Burg (Biosphere / Zoological Museum Netherlands, the Netherlands) Gert-Jan van Duinen (Stichting Bargerveen, Toernooiveld 1, the Netherlands) Maaike Weijters (B-WARE Research Centre/Radboud University, Toernooiveld 1, the Netherlands) https://lnkd.in/gVqJDJTY Forest Ecosystems

UMD research being done by Water Resources Science faculty, Ted Ozersky and student, Alia Benedict, is advancing our understanding of lake ecology in the winter. https://lnkd.in/gEEi2iit Large Lakes Observatory #waterresources #womeninscience

New blog alert! In this latest Women in Ecology interview, we spoke with Dr. Nayani Ilangakoon, a research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder who is focused on the impact of wildfires on ecosystems, and pairs her childhood experiences in nature with remote sensing data from NEON to conduct her research. Read the latest NEON blog here: https://buff.ly/3OeSNuS #WomenInSTEM #WomenInScience