Behind the paper

Julia Bebout | Competing annual plants shift traits in parallel

In this Behind the Paper blog post, author Julia Bebout – a PhD student at UC San Diego – delves into the article “Trait responses to competition are mostly parallel among competitor plants but can cause convergence or divergence in key traits”, which was recently published in Functional Ecology! Julia shares how competing annual plants shift traits in parallel, dealing with rattlesnakes, feral honeybees and … Continue reading Julia Bebout | Competing annual plants shift traits in parallel

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Behind the paper

Rosa Jolma | Season matters for parasite heatwave tolerance,  as do species and life stage

In this Behind the Paper blog post, author Rosa Jolma – a PhD candidate at Utrecht University – discusses the paper “Acute heat tolerance (CTmax) of two invasive parasitic copepods differs across species, life cycle stages and acclimation temperatures“, which was published in Functional Ecology in August 2026. Rosa discusses how parasites tolerate heatwaves, working with these parasites in very small volumes of water, and how an interest … Continue reading Rosa Jolma | Season matters for parasite heatwave tolerance,  as do species and life stage

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Behind the paper

Evan Perkowski | Sabotage in the understory: garlic mustard’s late-season havoc on native plant photosynthesis

In this blog post, author Evan Perkowski – a postdoctoral research associate at Texas Tech University – delves into his research article “The negative effects of an allelopathic invader on native plant photosynthesis are amplified after tree canopy closure“, which was published in Functional Ecology in July 2026. Evan shares how garlic mustard “sows the seeds” of havoc on native plant photosynthesis, the challenges of … Continue reading Evan Perkowski | Sabotage in the understory: garlic mustard’s late-season havoc on native plant photosynthesis

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Behind the paper

Libin Zhou | Nutrient enrichment destabilizes aquatic food webs through synchronization within and across trophic levels

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Libin Zhou – an Associate Professor at the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology – discusses the paper “Nutrient enrichment destabilizes aquatic food webs through synchronization within and across trophic levels“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Libin Zhou explains how nutrient enrichment destabilises aquatic communities, working with data from Lake Taihu, and the ups-and-downs of … Continue reading Libin Zhou | Nutrient enrichment destabilizes aquatic food webs through synchronization within and across trophic levels

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Behind the paper

Thayara S. Carrasco | What do fossils teach us about conservation and ecological restoration?

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post author Thayara S. Carrasco – a a postdoc at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, explores the paper “Long-term changes in functional diversity and its implications for mammalian conservation and ecological restoration in a grassland ecosystem”, published in Functional Ecology. Thayara discusses the ecological characteristics and functions of species across different time periods in the Brazilian Pampa, the challenges of working … Continue reading Thayara S. Carrasco | What do fossils teach us about conservation and ecological restoration?

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Behind the paper

Meixu Han | Aridity-dependent regulation of water-use efficiency by leaf vein traits across grassland communities

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Meixu Han – a PhD student at Northwest A&F University – shares insights into the paper “Aridity-dependent regulation of water-use efficiency by leaf vein traits across grassland communities“. Meixu Han discusses how grassland ecosystems respond to aridity, the hours of intricate work spent behind a microscope, and the power of persistence in both research and life. About … Continue reading Meixu Han | Aridity-dependent regulation of water-use efficiency by leaf vein traits across grassland communities

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Behind the paper

Miki Jahn | Allocation trade-off: increased energetic cost of movement reduces reproductive output in zebrafish

In this blog post, author Miki Jahn – an Associate Lecturer in Biology and Ecology at the University of Sydney – discusses the article “Increased energetic cost of movement reduces reproductive output in zebrafish at different temperatures and water flow rates“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Miki shares the implications of warming on reproductive investment in zebrafish, unexpected outcomes, and the importance of … Continue reading Miki Jahn | Allocation trade-off: increased energetic cost of movement reduces reproductive output in zebrafish

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Behind the paper

Erick González-Medina | When heatwaves keep coming: the hidden physiological cost for small birds

In this week’s blog post, we’re trying (and failing) to escape the heat this summer! Read about the fascinating findings from Erick González-Medina’s paper “Cumulative heatwave stress disrupts thermal homeostasis and plumage structure in a Mediterranean passerine”. In his blog post, Erick shares insights into the delicate physiological balance that birds must maintain to stay cool, and the oxidative and morphological costs thermal regulations can have on our feathered friends. Outside of research, Erick also shares his … Continue reading Erick González-Medina | When heatwaves keep coming: the hidden physiological cost for small birds

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Behind the paper, Translation

Erick González-Medina | Cuando el calor no da tregua: el coste oculto para las aves pequeñas

En la entrada de blog de esta semana, ¡intentamos, sin mucho éxito, escapar del calor veraniego! Descubre los fascinantes hallazgos del artículo de Erick González-Medina: «El estrés acumulado por las olas de calor altera la homeostasis térmica y la estructura del plumaje en un ave paseriforme mediterránea». En esta entrada, Erick explica el delicado equilibrio fisiológico que las aves deben mantener para evitar el sobrecalentamiento. Además, muestra los costes oxidativos y estructurales que la termorregulación puede imponer a nuestros amigos emplumados. Más allá de la investigación, Erick comparte su … Continue reading Erick González-Medina | Cuando el calor no da tregua: el coste oculto para las aves pequeñas

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Behind the paper

Quentin Willot | Endogenous colony dormancy shapes seasonal cold tolerance in temperate ants

In this week’s blog post, we’re working together to beat the cold! Discussing their paper: “Endogenous colony dormancy shapes seasonal cold tolerance in temperate ants” author Quentin Willot – a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc at Namur University, Belgium – guides us through how these social insects anticipate and adapt to the cold season. Quentin explains how two biological levels of organisation, the individual and the colony, interact to shape the seasonal acquisition of cold-tolerance in temperate ants based on an internal colonial time. Outside … Continue reading Quentin Willot | Endogenous colony dormancy shapes seasonal cold tolerance in temperate ants

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