Author: Functional Ecology

Behind the paper

Tim Forrester: Weight loss in female birds – an adaptive strategy

In this blog post, Tim Forrester helps answer a weighty question: Does weight loss help or hurt nesting birds? Based on his recent paper with Tom Martin, “Observational and experimental evidence that rapid mass loss is consistent with the flight efficiency hypothesis and not caused by reproductive effort in three passerine bird species”, Tim shares the fascinating physiological adaptations undergone by songbirds in anticipation of … Continue reading Tim Forrester: Weight loss in female birds – an adaptive strategy

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Junghyuk Keum: Smart bird catches the worm

In this week’s blog post, we delve into the intelligent mechanisms behind how and why the smart bird catches the worm! Author Junghyuk Keum gives us a glimpse into the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis – a theory they used to explore seabird ecology in their recently published paper: “Does brain size matter? Linking cognitive and ecological traits to climate change vulnerability in seabirds.” Junghyuk expands on … Continue reading Junghyuk Keum: Smart bird catches the worm

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Haldane Prize Winner

Congratulations to Yuguo Yang, winner of the 2024 Haldane Prize!

Functional Ecology is delighted to announce that the winner of the 2024 Haldane Prize is Yuguo Yang! The Haldane Prize is awarded annually for the best paper published in the journal by an early career researcher. Winner: Yuguo Yang Research: Trade-offs in rooting strategy dimensions along an edaphic gradient in a grassland ecosystem Yuguo is a postdoctoral scholar at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory working with Dr. Romy … Continue reading Congratulations to Yuguo Yang, winner of the 2024 Haldane Prize!

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
Behind the paper

Angela Illuminati: A closer look to roots in drylands

In this new post Angela Illuminati, postdoc at University Rey Juan Carlos, Spain, presents her work ‘Functional differences between herbs and woody species in a semiarid Mediterranean plant community: a whole-plant perspective on growth, nutrient-use and size’. She talks about the many gaps existing in dryland plant ecology, shows the amazing distances that roots systems cover, and shares how science strengthens her family bonds.  About … Continue reading Angela Illuminati: A closer look to roots in drylands

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

Stephanie Chia: Mechanistic understanding of how temperature and its variability shape body size composition in moth assemblages

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Stephanie Chia discusses her paper “Mechanistic understanding of how temperature and its variability shape body size composition in moth assemblages“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: About the paper Have you ever watched a diverse array of moths gather around a glowing light in the mountains at night? And if you head up … Continue reading Stephanie Chia: Mechanistic understanding of how temperature and its variability shape body size composition in moth assemblages

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

Tomonari Matsuo: Herbaceous species and dry forest species have more acquisitive leaf traits than woody species and wet forest species

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Tomonari Matsuo discusses his paper “Herbaceous species and dry forest species have more acquisitive leaf traits than woody species and wet forest species“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: About the author Having grown up in the mountainous region of Saitama, Japan, I developed a deep appreciation for nature from an early age. … Continue reading Tomonari Matsuo: Herbaceous species and dry forest species have more acquisitive leaf traits than woody species and wet forest species

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

Pamela Medina-van Berkum: Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defences in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Pamela Medina-van Berkum discusses her paper “Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defences in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: About the paper Plants face many challenges when they spread to new places. Our research focused on a plant called ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata), which is common across … Continue reading Pamela Medina-van Berkum: Plant geographic distribution influences chemical defences in native and introduced Plantago lanceolata populations

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

Jahangir Vajedsamiei: Predicting key ectotherm population mortality in response to dynamic marine heatwaves

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Jahangir Vajedsamiei discusses his paper “Predicting key ectotherm population mortality in response to dynamic marine heatwaves: A Bayesian-enhanced thermal tolerance landscape approach“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: 👋 About the author I am honored to be nominated for the Haldane Prize for my recent work published in Functional Ecology. My journey as … Continue reading Jahangir Vajedsamiei: Predicting key ectotherm population mortality in response to dynamic marine heatwaves

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

Yuguo Yang: Trade-offs in rooting strategy dimensions along an edaphic gradient in a grassland ecosystem

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Yuguo Yang discusses his paper “Trade-offs in rooting strategy dimensions along an edaphic gradient in a grassland ecosystem“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: 🌱 About the paper Roots are essential to plant community function, serving as the gateway for interactions with the belowground world. Unlike leaves, which primarily absorb light and carbon … Continue reading Yuguo Yang: Trade-offs in rooting strategy dimensions along an edaphic gradient in a grassland ecosystem

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment
haldane prize

Jihyun Kim: Heatwave-mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity

2024 HALDANE PRIZE SHORTLIST: Jihyun Olivia Kim discusses her paper “Heatwave-mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity“, which has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology’s 2024 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers: 👋 About the Author Broadly, my research interests lie in understanding how human impacts affect freshwater ecosystems. From a young age, I was fascinated by nature and was unwaveringly determined to study … Continue reading Jihyun Kim: Heatwave-mediated decreases in phytoplankton quality negatively affect zooplankton productivity

Unknown's avatarFunctional EcologyLeave a comment