SEI – Stockholm Environment Institute’s Post

Succession has been central to ecological concepts since the inception of ecology as a recognized science over 120 years ago. Four major opportunities to better understand succession in our current environment are related to biodiversity/biodiversity loss, restoration ecology, climate change, and invasive species. In this pre-print, we examine how biodiversity responds to ecological reclamation on natural gas well pads which are 5-12-years-old in the Pinedale Anticline natural gas field. As natural gas operators have the ability to select seed mixes, reclamation can be viewed as a form of 'assisted #succession'. Previous work has shown 1-3-year-old well pads host significantly more #biodiversity in the form of #insects which are known to be good indicators of ecosystem functionality. Here, we show that well pads within the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem outside of Pinedale, WY continue to host more insects and insect diversity for at least 12 years post initial seeding. Here's to careful soil management and successful reestablishment of native vegetation!

Here's a pre-print to a recent study where we examined insect response to ecological reclamation on natural gas well pads which are 5-12-years-old. We found greater insect abundance and diversity on reclamation sites across the study with statistical significance in most years. Insects are sound indicators of #ecosystem functionality because they provide a plethora of #ecosystemservices including pollination, biodiversity, nutrient cycling, soil decompaction and they are the primary source of protein for 96% of terrestrial birds. https://lnkd.in/epQEDTWU Research on earlier successional #reclamation sites can be found at https://lnkd.in/ereBWYVk

Future conservation planning and natural resource management will depend on our ability to improve understanding, attribution, and prediction of species on the move https://lnkd.in/e4YmqZwK

Love this feel-good story about making a difference with invasive phragmites! My favorite quote from the article: "I think people look at large invasive species problems and feel like they're completely futile. But really, we just need to find solutions to a lot of the challenges and then work together in a strategic long-term plan to restore these ecosystems." #nativeplants #pollinators #climatechange #environment #sustainability

Progress in forest conservation and management - new definitions can improve and support the use of modern data sources from satellites.

Critical Conservation Work at The Ridges Sanctuary 🌱 Using cutting-edge technology like the CI-110 Plant Canopy Imager, researchers at The Ridges Sanctuary are protecting some of the most vulnerable plant species in the Midwest. 🌲 This tool measures light levels under the forest canopy, providing critical data on how plants like the Dwarf Lake Iris (listed as threatened) and Lady’s Slipper orchids thrive in different environments. By adjusting canopy conditions, Tony Kiszonas and his team are pioneering efforts to restore and preserve these species for future generations. 🌿 The research not only aids plant conservation but also offers broader insights into ecosystem resilience under changing environmental conditions. 📊 Data-driven research like this is essential in the fight against climate change and habitat loss. 🔬 #PlantResearch #Biodiversity #ConservationScience #Ecology #Sustainability #AgricultureInnovation

Understanding #Ecological #Threats: A Crucial Step for Biodiversity Conservation To protect biodiversity effectively 🌍, we must first understand the threats it faces: habitat loss, urban expansion, human activities, climate change and more. This is where #Ecological #Threats #Analysis plays a vital role. By analyzing these threats, we can prioritize the areas that need protection the most or focus our efforts on reducing the propagation of these threats. Tools and technologies like #GIS and #RemoteSensing make this process smarter and faster by: 💻 Visualizing and analyzing #spatial #patterns of #habitat loss and #fragmentation. 🗺 Mapping #critical habitats and tracking changes in #land, #vegetation, #biomass #productivity and #water. ⏭️ #Modeling future #scenarios and simulate potential impacts. 🎯 Identifying #hotspots and #predicting future #risks to #ecosystems. 📑 Supporting better planning and management of #conservation efforts. With these tools, we can make data-driven decisions to safeguard biodiversity and create a sustainable future for our planet. 🌍 #ConservationPlanning #Biodiversity #GIS #RemoteSensing #Sustainability #Ecology

Trees are amongst nature's great survivors, but can they withstand the threat posed by humans? It's a question Flinders University microbial ecologist Jake M. Robinson tackles in 'Tree Wilding', which has featured in a Nature Magazine briefing. Consider this: over the past 300 years since agriculture really industrialised, 1.5 billion hectares of forest have been lost — equivalent to around 37% of today’s total forest cover. This has resulted in biodiversity loss, desertification, increased flooding risk and heighten risk of disease. Bit it's not all doom and gloom - Jake examines how a strategic re-wilding of forests can undo some of the damage and restore balance to delicate ecosystems. Plus Jake's recent research into soil acoustics gets a mention, with re-wilded lands developing a funky underground orchestra or microbes and critters going about their business. It's inspiring stuff and if you don't have the time to read the book, this 6 minute read in Nature will give you the gist. Go on, you know you want to! #research #trees #ecosystems #Nature https://lnkd.in/gBFRNjaN

This one has been a looong time in the works! #Restoration isn't just about putting the primary vegetation in place; for long term #resilience and delivery of #ecosystemservices it's the whole complex web of life that needs to recover. We're using changes in the soil's biological community 🪱🦠🍄 to quantify progress towards #restoration goals, yielding simple top-line reporting metrics 📈 that can be disaggregated to inform #adaptivemanagement and restoration strategy on the ground🔧🚜🌳. So much work has gone into this by our ecologists (principally Bastian Egeter, James Whiting & George Muscatt, PhD) to incorporate ecological & statistical rigour at the same time as aligning with emerging principles and frameworks for corporate #biodiversity disclosures. Get in touch with the team if you're interested to try it out!! #ecology #nature #soilbiodiversity #ecosystem #habitat #forest #peatland #agriculture #grassland #restorationtracker NatureMetrics

If plants are considered the lungs of the Earth, cycling CO2 into oxygen for animals to breathe, then animals act as the heart and arteries, spreading nutrients across the Earth to where it’s needed most. This is the metaphor that today’s guest, conservation biologist Joe Roman, uses when describing his work studying how animals such as whales, otters, salmon, and midges provide vital ecosystem services, and how destruction of their populations – caused by modern industrial systems – affects the livability of the entire planet. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/gFyd8c-3 How has human activity drastically altered the balance and mass of species, and subsequently their ability to spread nutrients across the biosphere? What consequences must we face when biodiversity is diminished and nutrients are no longer dispersed as equally, leaving ecosystems with either extreme concentrations or scarcity of essential minerals, such as nitrogen and phosphorus? If we could “re-wild” diminishing species into their native habitats and aim for zero human-caused extinctions, how would this support a more resilient Earth for future generations of humans and animals alike? Joe Roman is a conservation biologist, marine ecologist, and “editor ’n’ chef” of eattheinvaders.org. Winner of the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award for Listed: Dispatches from America’s Endangered Species Act, Roman has written for The New York Times, Science, Slate, and other publications. Coverage of his research has appeared in the New Yorker, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, and many other outlets. He is a fellow and writer in residence at the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. His latest book is Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World.