Tuesday taster: 26/09/2017
This week’s favourite in Functional Ecology is a newly accepted paper by Martijn Vandegehuchte and colleagues who studied how mammals –large and small – affected grazing by insects. In their study they also tested if these interactions were moderated by plant functional type identity. An interesting paper in Nature Ecology & Evolution shows how Cuckoo females produce ‘hawk-like’ calls to mislead host parents and increase … Continue reading Tuesday taster: 26/09/2017
Ecologist’s Diary with the TeaComposition H2O Initiative: 3
It’s been a while since I’ve touched base about the TeaComposition H2O initiative. To recap, this global initiative aims to understand long-term aquatic decomposition and carbon cycling in seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, tidal marshes, all types of freshwater wetlands as well as lakes, ponds and streams. In using household tea as pseudo-plant litter, we can standardised the starting material, which gives us the power to tease apart the larger-scale drivers that influence decomposition, like climate, inundation and habitat type. Continue reading “Ecologist’s Diary with the TeaComposition H2O Initiative: 3”
Insights: Anamarija Žagar
In Insights we discover the story behind a recent publication in Functional Ecology. What inspired the authors to do the research and how did the project develop before the publication? and what wider impact might their work have?
This week, Anamarija Žagar talks to Bjorn about her paper on the performance of two co-existing lizards in Slovenia and the role of functional and morphological traits. Anamarija currently works at the National institute of Biology in Slovenia, and is also affiliated as a research associate to the CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources at the University of Porto in Portugal.
Tuesday taster: 19/09/2017
With the new academic year starting, an interesting study shows that small group seminars are most effective in preventing students to drop out of university. A runner myself, I liked this BBC coverage on running in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands, where (perhaps this week) the oldest snow patch may disappear. Following up on my blog for Peer Review Week 2017, researchers from Imperial … Continue reading Tuesday taster: 19/09/2017
Peer Review Week: Thoughts from a researcher
It is peer review week, a week in which we celebrate the review process and acknowledge the work of reviewers, and celebrate the review process that is the beating heart of science communication. There are many arguments why reviewing is necessary to do, but can it also benefit you as a reviewer? And if you review, what are your responsibilities? Below I give my vision on these aspects.
Bjorn
Continue reading “Peer Review Week: Thoughts from a researcher”
Peer review and publishing workshops from the BES
For Peer Review week, the BES Publications Team are discussing about various aspects of peer review, and how we make the process more transparent. Yesterday, methods.blog launched their new Peer Reviewer Mentoring Scheme, but the Publications Team have a number of other ways of opening up peer review and helping people get the most out of their published paper. Continue reading “Peer review and publishing workshops from the BES”
Insights: Florian Altermatt
In Insights we discover the story behind and beyond a recent publication in Functional Ecology. What inspired the authors to do the research, how did the project develop and what implications might their results have on the scientific community and on society?
This week, we talk to Florian Altermatt from Eawag (the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) in Dübendorf, Switzerland, and the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and corresponding author on Leaf litter diversity and structure of microbial decomposer communities modulate litter decomposition in aquatic systems (plain language summary here.)
31.09 – Behind the cover
Tuesday taster: 05/09/2017
Featured in Functional Ecology this week is a paper by Yunhai Zhang and his colleagues, which describes how mowing reduces the stability of temperate grassland primary production under nitrogen addition. Very interesting read! If you are following the debate on gender equality and woman in STEM, here are some good recent reads: Why Men Don’t Believe the Data on Gender Bias in Science If there … Continue reading Tuesday taster: 05/09/2017
