News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Rolling wildflower blocks: benefits for biodiversity

Rolling wildflower blocks could be the more effective compensation measurement against insect decline than flower strips.

Biodiversity loss has knock-on effects on global markets

Biodiversity losses in countries with smaller, less-developed economies, impact large, developed economies.

Restoring tropical peatlands supports bird diversity without impacting livelihoods

A new study has found that oil palm can be farmed more sustainably on peatlands by re-wetting the land.

Scientists estimate invasive insects will kill 1.4 million US street trees by 2050

A new study estimates that over the next 30 years, damage to US street trees from invasive insects could cost over 900 million dollars.

Research demonstrates value ‘injurious weeds’ can bring to both pollinators and biodiversity

A new study demonstrates that weeds are far more valuable in supporting biodiversity than we give them credit for.

Bringing out the best in wild birds on farms

Natural habitat maximizes the benefits of birds for farmers, food safety, and conservation.

Interactive map helps protect one of the UK’s most threatened mammals

Researchers develop new tool to map suitable habitats for threatened water voles in Glasgow.

Dog faeces and urine could be harming nature reserves, according to new study

New research finds that dogs in nature reserves contribute a significant amount of nutrients to the environment, which could harm biodiversity.

Study explores how temperate rainforests can aid the fight against climate change

Livestock browsing behaviour is a major determinant of the expansion of UK temperate rainforests.

Bird-friendly agriculture: finding the right balance to benefit birds and farmers

New research finds that whole-scale farm diversification can promote higher abundances of beneficial birds in farmland.

New research shows that current national red squirrel conservation strategies likely to undermine species survival in future

Red squirrel conservation strategies in the UK and Ireland, that favour non-native conifer plantations, are likely to negatively impact red squirrels.

Urban gardens are a dependable food source for pollinators through the year, study suggests

Gardens in cities provide a long and continuous supply of energy-rich nectar from March to October.

The sky’s the limit: Using airborne DNA to monitor insect biodiversity

Scientists at Lund University have discovered for the first time that it is possible to detect insect DNA in the air. This offers scope for exploring a whole new way to monitor terrestrial biodiversity.

Newly discovered fish songs demonstrate reef restoration success

Whoops, croaks, growls, raspberries and foghorns are among the sounds that demonstrate the success of a coral reef restoration project.

Ecological knowledge of local populations more accurate than 10 years of conventional scientific monitoring

The ecological knowledge of local populations proved to be more accurate than 10 years of conventional scientific monitoring for animal abundance in the Amazon