Behind the paper

Joanna Sudyka | Why do birds cheat?

In this week’s blog post, we find out how relationship woes are abundant in the bird community! Through her paper: “Avian extra-pair paternity in the last European primeval forest”, author Joanna Sudyka provides an explanation for the question: “why do birds cheat?”. Joanna explains the mating and parental behaviour in blue and great tits, building on decades of research in Poland’s Białowieża National Park. Joanna and team found that different paternal DNA in nestlings is the result of an evolutionary behaviour that can persist in both wilderness and … Continue reading Joanna Sudyka | Why do birds cheat?

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

2025 Haldane Prize shortlist: Functional Ecology’s Award for Early Career Researchers

The Haldane Prize is awarded annually by the British Ecological Society for the best paper in Functional Ecology by an early career author. We are pleased to present the shortlisted papers for the 2025 award (published in Volume 39): ⭐️ Carolina Olguín-Jacobson: Recovery mode: Marine protected areas enhance climate resilience of invertebrate species to marine heatwaves ⭐️June Shrestha: Marine protection and environmental forcing influence fish-derived nutrient cycling in kelp forests ⭐️Jiawei Zhang: … Continue reading 2025 Haldane Prize shortlist: Functional Ecology’s Award for Early Career Researchers

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Rosemary Glos | Trapped, Poked, and Poisoned: Evidence for Defence Synergisms in a Desert Plant 

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, Rosemary Glos (she/her, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mi, USA) discusses her research article ‘Separate and Synergistic Anti-Herbivore Effects of Non-Glandular Trichomes and Leaf Chemistry in a Desert Plant‘, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Rosemary discusses synergistic interactions between plant defence traits, the utility of a beard-trimmer in the field, and the joys of roller derby! … Continue reading Rosemary Glos | Trapped, Poked, and Poisoned: Evidence for Defence Synergisms in a Desert Plant 

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Dusanka Vujanovic | Landscapes that choose their butterflies

In this week’s ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Dusanka Vujanovic discusses their new research article “Larval diet breadth and wingspan mediate landscape–richness relationship in butterfly communities“. Dusanka, a Research Associate at BioSense Institute, Serbia, examines what best explains variation in butterfly species richness across semi-natural grasslands: landscape structure, community trait composition, or their interaction. Dusanka focuses on whether landscapes shape not only how many … Continue reading Dusanka Vujanovic | Landscapes that choose their butterflies

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Sylvie Martin-Eberhardt | Multiple signalling in carnivorous pitcher plant

In this week’s ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post Sylvie Martin-Eberhardt (they/them) discusses their new research article “Multiple signalling increases both prey response and diversity in a carnivorous pitcher plant“. Sylvie, a PhD candidate at Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station, discusses the logistics of engineering artificial pitcher plants, the perils of conducting fieldwork in a peat bog, and the value of cultivating multiple mentoring relationships. … Continue reading Sylvie Martin-Eberhardt | Multiple signalling in carnivorous pitcher plant

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Louise Cheynel | Toadally in the spotlight

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Louise Cheynel – a Postdoc at Lyon 1 University, France – shines a light on the impacts of nocturnal light pollution on toad health. Louise discusses the implications of her research, the logistics behind an intensive 9-night field campaign, and what she’s learned from her study species. About the paper  Nocturnal light pollution is the fastest-growing pollution … Continue reading Louise Cheynel | Toadally in the spotlight

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper, Translation

Chloé Chaubaud | Les Lézards assoiffés peuvent-ils encore percevoir le danger?

Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé si les lézards assoiffés pouvaient encore percevoir le danger ? Eh bien, dans l’article de blog de cette semaine, nous avons la réponse ! Dans son article intitulé  ”Percevoir le danger : coûts énergétiques et hydriques de la chimioréception chez un lézard” , l’auteure Chloé Chabaud partage ses travaux fascinants sur la chimioréception chez Zootoca vivipara. Elle a découvert que les mouvements de langue … Continue reading Chloé Chaubaud | Les Lézards assoiffés peuvent-ils encore percevoir le danger?

Unknown's avatarFunctional Ecology1 Comment
Behind the paper

Chloé Chabaud | Can thirsty lizards still sense danger?

Ever wondered if thirsty lizards can still sense danger? In this week’s Behind the Paper blog post, we’ve got an answer! From their paper: “Sensing danger: energetic and hydric costs of chemoreception in a lizard”, author Chloé Chabaud shares her fascinating work exploring chemoreception in Zootoca vivipara. She found that tongue flicking in lizards is dependent on hydration levels and the more dehydrated the lizard, … Continue reading Chloé Chabaud | Can thirsty lizards still sense danger?

Unknown's avatarFunctional Ecology1 Comment
Behind the paper

Wande Li | The night shift: how nocturnal arboreal mammals reshape seed dispersal networks in a fragmented forest

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post we uncover the hidden contributions of nocturnal foragers. Author Wande Li, a PostDoc at East China Normal University, guides us through the fascinating world of trees after dark, the setting for their recent research article ‘Temporal niche partitioning by nocturnal arboreal mammals increases the modularity of plant–frugivore networks in a fragmented subtropical landscape‘. Wande Li discusses the hidden … Continue reading Wande Li | The night shift: how nocturnal arboreal mammals reshape seed dispersal networks in a fragmented forest

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Leonardo Ziccardi | Trait coordination reveals the fast-slow plant economics spectrum along the vertical canopy profile in central Amazonian forests

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post we get into the roof of rainforests as the author Leonardo Ziccardi guides us through the unique world of ancient Amazonian trees from the article ‘Trait coordination reveals the fast-slow plant economics spectrum along the vertical canopy profile in central Amazonian forests‘. By climbing into the canopy and studying trait variation across species and forest layers, Leonardo, a … Continue reading Leonardo Ziccardi | Trait coordination reveals the fast-slow plant economics spectrum along the vertical canopy profile in central Amazonian forests

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment