Author: Julie Sheard

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#StoryBehindThePaper

Fresh perspectives on the River Continuum Concept require trophic ecology approaches focussed on food web structure and energy mobilisation routes. 

This blog post is provided by Javier Sánchez-Hernández and tells the StoryBehindthePaper for the paper “Fresh perspectives on the River Continuum Concept require trophic ecology approaches focused on food web structure and energy mobilisation routes”, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This concept details several ways about how food web approaches can be accommodated within the River Continuum Concept (RCC) in order … Continue reading Fresh perspectives on the River Continuum Concept require trophic ecology approaches focussed on food web structure and energy mobilisation routes. 

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#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

The middle-out ecology movement

This blog post is provided by David Jachowski and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper “Support for the size-mediated sensitivity hypothesis within a diverse carnivore community”, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In their paper they explore the role of often overlooked meso-predators in ecosystems. Popularity of large carnivores has long infiltrated ecology. Open any ecology textbook and you will find a case … Continue reading The middle-out ecology movement

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#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Prophylactic antibiotic use and its consequences for snails’ ability to cope with predators

This blog post is provided by Denis Meuthen and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘On the use of antibiotics in plasticity research: gastropod shells unveil a tale of caution’, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In the study, they look at how antibiotic exposure affects shell-thickness responses in the snail Physella acuta, which is known to develop thicker shells in the … Continue reading Prophylactic antibiotic use and its consequences for snails’ ability to cope with predators

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Announcements, Diversity in Ecology

International Women’s Day 2023

It’s International Women’s Day and once again we look back over the blogs from the last year, and highlight five of our favourites written by women. At the same time, we also wanted to highlight the diversity of studies published in Journal of Animal Ecology. Celebrate women in science, and the awesome work they’ve done by checking out our favourites below, as well as a … Continue reading International Women’s Day 2023

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Determinants of community structure: parasites fight the environment, their hosts and each other

This blog post is provided by Joshua Brian and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘Factors at multiple scales drive parasite community structure’, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In the study, they look at how parasite communities differ depending on host species and spatial scale.   At the heart of ecology are a set of quite simple questions. One of the … Continue reading Determinants of community structure: parasites fight the environment, their hosts and each other

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Survival and dispersal drive population dynamics of UK breeding Pied flycatchers

This blog post is provided by Malcolm Burgess and Chloé Nater and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘Spatial consistency in drivers of population dynamics of a declining migratory bird‘, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In their study, they used long-running nest monitoring and individual mark-recapture data collected mainly by citizen scientists and shared through the SPI-Birds Network and Database. They … Continue reading Survival and dispersal drive population dynamics of UK breeding Pied flycatchers

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What do dung beetles actually do?

This blog post is provided by Joaquín Hortal and Indradatta deCastro-Arrazola and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘ A trait-based framework for dung beetle functional ecology’, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In this blog post you can read how a group of dung beetle ecologists came together to establish a framework for the study of the functional ecology of dung … Continue reading What do dung beetles actually do?

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Historical data show serious threats facing freshwater mussels in major UK river

This blog post is provided by Isobel Ollard and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘Declines in freshwater mussel density, size and productivity in the River Thames over the past half century‘, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. The authors replicated a survey of freshwater mussels in the River Thames from the 1960s and mussel populations had declined to less than 10% … Continue reading Historical data show serious threats facing freshwater mussels in major UK river

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#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Do birds build bigger nests when it’s cold?

This blog post is provided by Karina Vanadzina and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘Global drivers of variation in cup nest size in passerine birds‘, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. In their study they find that nest size in passerine bird species is closely linked to the conditions in their breeding habitat. A parent bird tending to their chicks in … Continue reading Do birds build bigger nests when it’s cold?

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To Breed or Not to Breed: Skipped Breeding Can Obscure True Population Dynamics in Colonially Breeding Seabirds

This blog post is provided by Emma J. Talis and tells the #StoryBehindthePaper for the paper ‘Variability, Skipped Breeding, and Heavy-tailed Dynamics in an Antarctic Seabird‘, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. The authors show that the presence of variable rates of skipped breeding in Adélie penguins can challenge our interpretation of abundance fluctuations and obscure relationships with key environmental drivers. Considered … Continue reading To Breed or Not to Breed: Skipped Breeding Can Obscure True Population Dynamics in Colonially Breeding Seabirds

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