News and Opinion - British Ecological Society

Losing the cover of darkness

Study shows advances in street lighting are reducing the efficacy of coastal species’ camouflage.

Rewilding apex predators can limit the seed dispersal by frugivorous carnivores

New research finds the reintroduction of the Iberian lynx in Southern Spain could be limiting fruit dispersal from smaller carnivores

Protecting our most threatened and vulnerable: What does the future hold for the Wildlife and Countryside Act?

Changes to the Act have raised concerns that some threatened British species may lose important protection.

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 and conservation action must be better linked to protect seabirds in the face of climate change

New ZSL-led study shows how latest knowledge of climate change threats could be better connected with conservation action to protect seabirds and other at-risk species.

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.

Climate change: Are mountain plants too inflexible?

Alpine plants display little variation within their species. This could put them at a disadvantage when it comes to climate change.

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 conservation tool calculates the optimal time to spend researching a habitat before protecting it

Deciding when to stop learning and take action is a common, but difficult decision in conservation. Using a new method, this trade-off can be managed by determining the amount of time to spend on research at the outset.

Ecological trade off? Utility-scale solar energy impedes endangered florida panthers

New study first to document effects of utility-scale Solar energy installations on a large carnivore.

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.