Behind the paper

Valentina Alaasam | What is the “hidden cost” of abandonment to rock sparrow offspring?

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, we’re getting real about parenthood! From their recently published paper: “Mate desertion affects offspring survival, development and physiology in a songbird with multiple parental strategies“, author Valentina Alaasam explains the “hidden cost” of abandonment of rock sparrow offspring. In their research, Alaasam and team sought to understand the diversity of avian parental care by exploring rearing periods and … Continue reading Valentina Alaasam | What is the “hidden cost” of abandonment to rock sparrow offspring?

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Behind the paper

Shudong Zhang | Potential lasting effect of opportunistic parasitic fungi on coarse wood decomposition

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Shudong Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher at Peking University, discusses his article  ‘Potential lasting effect of opportunistic parasitic fungi on coarse wood decomposition’. He points to the potential lasting influence of plant pathogens on forest carbon cycling, discusses deer disruptions in the field, and shares his love of photography. 1. About the Paper Forests store enormous amounts of … Continue reading Shudong Zhang | Potential lasting effect of opportunistic parasitic fungi on coarse wood decomposition

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Behind the paper

Mark Wong: Bonsaiing mangroves to uncover how traits shape – and flip – ant competition

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Mark Wong, a Forrest Fellow at the University of Western Australia, discusses his new article  ‘Functional trait dissimilarity drives arboreal ant community assembly while competitive trait hierarchies shape colony performance in experimental mesocosms’. Mark delves into the world of ant community assembly, discusses how his team overcame unforeseen obstacles in the field, and how his childhood interest … Continue reading Mark Wong: Bonsaiing mangroves to uncover how traits shape – and flip – ant competition

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Behind the paper

Amy Kirkham: Hormones reflect the impacts of reproductive rest on subsequent pregnancy in a marine predator

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, we’re doing things the Weddell seal way! In her recently published paper: “Hormones reflect the impacts of reproductive rest on subsequent pregnancy in a marine predator“, author Amy Kirkham, a biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Marine Mammals Management program in Alaska, shares interesting perspectives on optimal birth timings for Weddell seals. Read about the trade-off … Continue reading Amy Kirkham: Hormones reflect the impacts of reproductive rest on subsequent pregnancy in a marine predator

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Behind the paper

Dana Liebke | How spiders respond to changes in the agricultural landscape

In this week’s ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, we’re making a web to catch some knowledge on spiders and their habitats. From their new paper “Landscape diversity can promote functional diversity of spider assemblages while habitat characteristics filter for specific traits“, Dana Liebke, a museum educator and public relations manager at the Museum of Natural History in Magdeburg, and co-authors explore an often hidden and … Continue reading Dana Liebke | How spiders respond to changes in the agricultural landscape

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cover stories

Cover Stories: Dr. Russell Bonduriansky

In this week’s blog post, Dr. Russell Bonduriansky, professor at University of New South Wales, discusses the story behind the cover for 2016’s Volume 30, Issue 10 of Functional Ecology. Russell has broad interests in evolutionary ecology, but is especially interested in the evolution of sexual reproduction and coevolution of the sexes, life history (especially ageing), and the role of nongenetic hereditary processes in evolution. … Continue reading Cover Stories: Dr. Russell Bonduriansky

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Behind the paper

Edith Singini | How rising CO2 reshapes savannas: Why some trees thrive while others struggle

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Dr. Edith Singini, a lecturer at Rhodes University, delves into her new paper ‘Savanna tree species show contrasting acclimation responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and drought’. Edith shares her team’s research into why some trees are winning the encroachment race and discusses the logistical demands of a year-long experiment. 1. About the Paper Across Africa’s grass-dominated … Continue reading Edith Singini | How rising CO2 reshapes savannas: Why some trees thrive while others struggle

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cover stories

Cover Stories: Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee

Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee, professor at Arkansas State University, discusses the story behind the cover for Volume 29, Issue 11 of Functional Ecology, published all the way back in 2015. Lori is a comparative physiologist. She mostly thinks about reptile ecophysiology at the intersection of endocrinology and immunology. This blog kicks off our brand new blog series – Cover Stories! Read on to learn about one … Continue reading Cover Stories: Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee

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Community+Ecology, Journal Update

Waiver Walk-Through: How to apply for a BES waiver

Although there are more transformative agreements than ever that cover the cost of article publication charges (APCs) in Gold Open Access (OA) journals, at the British Ecological Society (BES), we know that these are not available to all authors. That’s why we offer BES waivers (100% discounts) for authors without funding to publish open access. In this blog post, we discuss OA, explain what a … Continue reading Waiver Walk-Through: How to apply for a BES waiver

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Behind the paper

Qiwen Guo | Do trees adjust their underground schedule when living with different species?

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Qiwen Guo, a PhD student in the Institute of Forest Ecology at BOKU University in Vienna, discusses her new article  ‘Above- and below-ground phenology of four tree species in mixed forests and monospecific stands’. Qiwen Guo delves into the underground world of roots, asking “do trees adjust their underground schedule when living with different species?”. She also … Continue reading Qiwen Guo | Do trees adjust their underground schedule when living with different species?

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