Grace Hirzel | Up to their eyes: seasonal changes in vision, behaviour, and wing colour in a temperate butterfly

In this week’s blog post, we’re gearing up for a shift in seasons with author Grace Hirzel as we explore the behavioural changes in a temperate butterfly. Based on their paper: “Synchronous seasonal plasticity in colouration, behaviour, and visual gene expression in a wild butterfly population”, Grace shares with us how seasonal conditions impact behaviour and how animals perceive their environment. Through the use of … Continue reading Grace Hirzel | Up to their eyes: seasonal changes in vision, behaviour, and wing colour in a temperate butterfly

Functional Ecology30 Apr 2026Leave a comment

Behind the paper

Anina Coetzee | Colourful defenses against bees

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Anina Coetzee – a lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, George campus, South Africa – shares the ‘buzz’ about bee avoidance in bird-pollinated flowers! Discussing the research article ‘Is bee-avoidance by bird-pollinated flowers driven by nectar robbing in Erica?‘, Anina delves into the bee-avoidance hypothesis, the beauty of Erica as a study species, and where sci-fi books and … Continue reading Anina Coetzee | Colourful defenses against bees

Functional Ecology29 Apr 202629 Apr 2026Leave a comment

Journal content, Meet the Editor

Meet the (Senior) Editor: Sandra Varga

In this blog post, we hear from our newest Senior Editor, Sandra Varga! Sandra – an Associate Professor at the University of Lincoln, UK – is an evolutionary ecologist interested in understanding how plants interact with their environment. She is particularly fascinated by how plants and soil microbes interact, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. What’s the best thing about your particular area of research? The best … Continue reading Meet the (Senior) Editor: Sandra Varga

Functional Ecology17 Apr 202617 Apr 2026Leave a comment

Behind the paper, Uncategorized

Soumen Mallick | No one-size-fits-all forest management: what elevation reveals about herbivory and plant stress

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Soumen Mallick – a Postdoctoral researcher at Field Station Fabrikschleichach, University of Würzburg – discusses the paper “Elevation reverses the effects of forest structure on folivory and leaf asymmetry“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Soumen shares how the team conducted large-scale forest experiments across Germany, the influence of climate on the impacts forest management actions, and the importance … Continue reading Soumen Mallick | No one-size-fits-all forest management: what elevation reveals about herbivory and plant stress

Functional Ecology15 Apr 202617 Apr 20261 Comment

Uncategorized

Elizabeth Telford | What 10,000 Nodules Taught Me About Savanna Trees…. and Myself

In this Behind the Paper blog post, author Elizabeth Telford – a postdoc at the the University of Sheffield – explores her research article N2 fixation is linked to the ability to encroach in African savanna trees. Elizabeth discusses the role of nitrogen fixation in how some trees respond to rising CO₂, how this research supported her get back into research, and her advice to … Continue reading Elizabeth Telford | What 10,000 Nodules Taught Me About Savanna Trees…. and Myself

Functional Ecology9 Apr 20269 Apr 2026Leave a comment

Functional Ecologists

Official blog of Functional Ecology, a British Ecological Society journal

Month: April 2026