Category: Guest post

#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

The art of doing as little as possible: What howler monkeys can teach us about energy and time

This blog post is provided by Pedro A. D. Dias and Ariadna Rangel-Negrín from the Primate Behavioral Ecology Lab, Universidad Veracruzana, México, and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Does energy minimisation constrain behavioural plasticity? Long-term activity budgets of a model folivore–frugivore“, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This study examined how activity budgets of mantled howler monkeys in Los Tuxtlas, México, … Continue reading The art of doing as little as possible: What howler monkeys can teach us about energy and time

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Digging into dirt: how rewilded mammals shape the hidden insect communities beneath our feet

This blog post is provided by Lucy Johanson and Heloise Gibb and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Digging into dirt: rewilding with threatened mammals shapes soil insect assemblages”, which was recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. In their study, Johanson, Gibb and colleagues explore the insect communities of the Australian desert and how they are impacted as ecosystem engineers are reintroduced. In Australia, … Continue reading Digging into dirt: how rewilded mammals shape the hidden insect communities beneath our feet

Unknown's avatarEdie AbrahamsLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

What happens when predators eat without hunting? A new look at food webs

This blog post is provided by Solange Alexandra Batista-Nunes and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Contrasting properties of predation and scavenging networks governed by megaherbivores in an African savannah”, which was recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. In their study, Batista-Nunes and colleagues conduct the first comparison of predation and scavenging networks within a Kenyan ecosystem, revealing the value of scavenging in … Continue reading What happens when predators eat without hunting? A new look at food webs

Unknown's avatarEdie AbrahamsLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

A tale of two forests

This blog post is provided by Felicia Keesing and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Climate warming, acorn masting, and the dynamics of rodent populations: Comparing long-term studies“, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This study takes advantage of the accidental similarity between two long-term studies of acorns, rodents, and climate, exploring the similarities and differences in their results. More than forty … Continue reading A tale of two forests

Unknown's avatarMarwa KavelaarsLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

When temperature is not the whole story: Seasonality and human influence shape energy use in wild trout populations

This blog post is provided by Meng Xu and Ignasi Arranz and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Season and human footprint weaken the negative effect of temperature on the intraspecific metabolic scaling exponent of wild brown trout populations“, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This study examined how temperature and other environmental variables affect metabolic scaling in wild brown trout. Brown trout … Continue reading When temperature is not the whole story: Seasonality and human influence shape energy use in wild trout populations

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment
Photo credit: Snæþór Adalsteinsson
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

When biological theory doesn’t capture reality

This blog post is provided by Thomas Haaland and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Eco-evolutionary dynamics of partially migratory metapopulations in spatially and seasonally varying environments”, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This study models how coexistence of seasonal migration and year-round residence arises and is maintained in a metapopulation context, and how such ‘partially migratory metapopulations’ respond to extreme climatic events. … Continue reading When biological theory doesn’t capture reality

Unknown's avatarMarwa KavelaarsLeave a comment
Guest post

Elton Prize 2025: Shortlist announced for early career researcher award

The Elton Prize, awarded by Journal of Animal Ecology, is an annual award given to the best paper by an author at the start of their research career. The following 9 papers were shortlisted by our Senior Editors and span the 94th volume of the journal. Marco Fioratti Junod with “Herbivory mediates the response of below-ground food-webs to invasive grasses“ Angus Mitchell with “Tropical fishes can benefit … Continue reading Elton Prize 2025: Shortlist announced for early career researcher award

Unknown's avatarJournal of Animal EcologyLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Why Some Wildcats Need More Space- and How Humans Limit It

This blog post is provided by Arthemis Moraru, Stefano Anile, and Sébastien Devillard and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article, “Global determinants of home range sizes in Felids: evidence of human disturbance impact”, which was recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. In their study, Moraru and colleagues conduct the first global meta-analysis of home range size across wild felids, identifying the factors that … Continue reading Why Some Wildcats Need More Space- and How Humans Limit It

Unknown's avatarEdie AbrahamsLeave a comment
Guest post

We’re looking for a new Associate Blog Editor

Join our Senior Assistant Editor and Associate Blog Editors in developing ‘Animal Ecology in Focus’, a dedicated blog for the Journal of Animal Ecology. The Animal Ecology in Focus blog supports the journal by acting as a platform to discuss the latest ecological research, debates in fields and general topics of interest to ecologists. It is the primary route the journal offers to authors and members of the animal … Continue reading We’re looking for a new Associate Blog Editor

Unknown's avatarJournal of Animal EcologyLeave a comment
#StoryBehindThePaper, Guest post

Environmental phenology drives spring migration timing 

This blog post is provided by Oleg Bourski and tells the #StoryBehindThePaper for the article “Environmental phenology drives spring migration timing“, which was recently published in Journal of Animal Ecology. This study utilises long-term bird arrival data in central Siberia to demonstrate the effectiveness of utilising the environmental phenology index to predict arrival dates. In the context of increasing global warming, it is important to … Continue reading Environmental phenology drives spring migration timing 

Unknown's avatarRowan KuminskiLeave a comment