News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Parasite carried by grey squirrels negatively impacts red squirrel behaviour

Research reveals a new mechanism of how grey squirrels affect native red squirrels in Europe through parasite-mediated competition.

More taxpayers’ money for the environment and public benefit

3,647 researchers call for Common Agricultural Policy reform with science to be taken into consideration.

Smaller fields and diversified crops can help spontaneous plants to make a comeback, even in the middle of fields

Scientists from INRAE and the CNRS, working with colleagues from Germany, Spain, the UK and Canada, find that increasing field border lengths could be a highly effective measure to complement agri-environmental schemes, maintaining and restoring plant diversity right to the centre of fields.

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.

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.

Study finds that multi-species grassland mixtures increase yield stability, even under drought conditions

In a two-year experiment in Ireland and Switzerland, researchers found a positive relationship between plant diversity and yield stability in intensely managed grassland, even under experimental drought conditions. The results are presented today at the British Ecological Society’s annual meeting in Belfast.

Tiny woodlands are more important than previously thought

Small woodlands in farmland have more benefits for humans per area compared to large forests according to a new study.

Private boats in the Mediterranean have extremely high potential to spread alien species

A Mediterranean wide study has found that 71% of sampled recreational boats hosted alien marine species. Over half carried an alien species that was not yet present in the marina the boat was visiting.

Scientists and key figures develop vision for managing UK land and seas after Brexit

Researchers have outlined how fishing and farming policies could be created to protect employment opportunities and the environment after Brexit.

Connecting Shared and Spared Land in the Agricultural Landscape

Can land-sharing and land-sparing be combined to meet food demands whilst conserving biodiversity?

Wildfires disrupt important pollination processes by moths and increase extinction risks

Research shows the detrimental effect of wildfires on moths for the first time.

TV coverage of cycling races can help document the effects of climate change

Trees in Belgium have advanced the timing of leafing and flowering in response to recent temperature changes.

The presence of invasive grey squirrels causes increased chronic stress in native red squirrels

How grey squirrels compete with native red squirrels in Great Britain and Italy.

Securing the natural environment for future generations

A timely symposium organised by the British Ecological Society and the UK’s statutory nature conservation agencies.

Policy in the European Parliament

Sofia Cota-Franco's account of shadowing Julie Girling MEP in Brussels