The Umwelt Approach
Following our #DiversityInEcology theme, Ben Whittaker discusses mental health from the perspective of the umwelt. Cognitive philosophers use the term umwelt to describe the epicentre of being. Your umwelt is […]
Author Archives: Sarah Marley
Weak effects of geolocators on small birds
Biologging is a powerful tool and often utilised to study animal movement patterns. But how can researchers be sure that the tag itself does not negatively impact the study animal? […]
Hungry lizards catch the worms
Parasite transmission is dependent upon host diet and habitat use. A recent paper in the Journal of Animal Ecology examined over 350 species of lizard in search of a link […]
Parasitism and Host Diet Quality in Natural Populations
Parasite-host relationships can be amazingly complex. Parasites can even alter host diets. But how exactly does this work? Dr Charlotte Narr, a Research Scientist at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource […]
Live fast, don’t die young
Understanding the trade-offs between survival and reproduction is essential for the study of population dynamics. A recent paper in the Journal of Animal Ecology used a novel statistical framework to reveal previously […]
A high cost of infidelity for swift parrots
A recent paper published in the Journal of Animal Ecology has found that a chronic shortage of females in a critically endangered parrot species has led to love triangles, sneaky […]
Penguin niche-partitioning resilient to climate change
Competition for limited food resources can be particularly fierce where similarly-related species overlap. Harriet L. Clewlow is a PhD student based at the British Antarctic Survey and linked with University of […]
Explaining population variability in marine fishes
Populations are not stable. But despite decades of study, the drivers of population variability are yet to be fully understood. A new study in the Journal of Animal Ecology suggests that […]
Should I tell my colleagues I am gay?
Following our #DiversityInEcology theme, Conor Ryan discusses his experiences of judging whether to be ‘out’ to colleagues and crew members during boat-based fieldwork. A congenital ecologist, Conor’s career began in the […]
A Colourful Distribution
Skinks come in a variety of colours and patterns. But why and how are these colour polymorphisms maintained? Genevieve Matthews, a PhD student at Monash University, has been studying skinks […]
Soft-minded or suffering? The wellbeing taboo of PhD students
Sometimes asking for help feels like an impossible task. Especially if you fear being judged or dismissed as weak for needing help in the first place. Following our #DiversityInEcology theme, PhD student Chloe […]
Go Big or Go Home: Pitcher plant hosts and their crab spider tenants
The carnivorous traps of Nepenthes pitcher plants are sometimes inhabited by a species of crab spider which ambushes insects as they arrive at traps. Recently published work by Weng Ngai […]
Respuestas ecofisiológicas al cambio climático
La variación en la tolerancia térmica entre poblaciones modifica los periodos de actividad diurna determinados por el clima en las especies de sangre fría. Este fenómeno queda ilustrado para lagartijas […]
Being 100% of Yourself
Nobody should have to hide who they are. Unfortunately, many people in the LGBT+ community feel too shy or nervous to come out in the workplace. Following our #DiversityInEcology theme, in this […]
Is beta-diversity the elephant in the room?
Do you understand beta-diversity? If not, you are likely not alone. Here to explain this under-appreciated concept is Dr Ollie Wearn, an AXA Research Fellow at the Institute of Zoology, […]
Ecophysiological feedbacks under climate change
Variability in heat tolerance among populations modifies the climate-driven periods of diurnal activity expected for ectotherm species. This phenomenon is illustrated for Iberian lizards in a paper recently published in […]
How can you help Arctic skuas?
Continuing from last week’s post describing the challenges faced by Arctic skuas, Dr Allan Perkins (RSPB Centre for Conservation Science) is back with some advice on what you can to […]
Understanding what’s driving Arctic skua declines in Scotland
Dr Allan Perkins is a Senior Conservation Scientist at the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science. Here, he describes some of the challenges faced by Arctic skuas and his paper assessing […]
Looking for people like me
Following our #DiversityInEcology theme, this blog talks about diversity in role models and the challenges of finding ‘someone like me’ provide scientific mentoring from the perspective of Jordan Ellison, an undergraduate student […]
Guppies only avoid infected shoalmates when they pose the highest risk of transmission
Jess Stephenson is a new Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. She is interested in factors affecting the spread of infectious diseases through natural populations, and how these […]
