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? […]
Category Archives: Guest post
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Making the most of #BES2018 – Highlights of events to make you a teaching pro!
It can be tricky being an academic, managing so many competing demands can mean that we might struggle to find time to be a great teacher as well as carrying […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Understanding ecosystem function (and each other)
Proponents of interdisciplinary work can range from grant reviewers to department chairs, but what goes into this type of collaboration? Alva Curtsdotter (ecologist) and Amanda Laubmeier (mathematician) talk about the […]
Streamlining Biologging Technology
The understanding of the interplay of movement, behaviour and physiology that biologging offers has applied relevance for a range of fields, including evolutionary ecology, wildlife conservation and behavioural ecology. In […]
Stopovers for sickly songbirds
The understanding of the interplay of movement, behaviour and physiology that biologging offers has applied relevance for a range of fields, including evolutionary ecology, wildlife conservation and behavioural ecology. In […]
I Set Out To Track Birds, but Ended Up Tracking Predators
The understanding of the interplay of movement, behaviour and physiology that biologging offers has applied relevance for a range of fields, including evolutionary ecology, wildlife conservation and behavioural ecology. In […]
