Scientific design of GM farm-scale evaluations made public
The 40th anniversary issue of the British Ecology Society's Journal of Applied Ecology this month leads with two major papers describing the background, methodology and experimental design of the farm-scale evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops. In laying out the statistical design and methods of data collection for the... view more... (2003-02-07)
Mean Population Size Increases with Diversity
A long-standing debate in ecology has been the effect of diversity on the temporal stability of biological systems. Ecological theory predicts that the stability of populations should decline as community diversity increases, in part, because population size is assumed to decline with community richness. In the February issue of Ecology Letters,... view more... (2003-01-28)
What are 3-D spider webs for?
The classic radial or "orb" spider web captures flying insects efficiently with a small amount of silk but such flat webs leave spiders exposed to their own predators. The derived "araneoid sheet web weavers" transformed the flat orb web into, usually, three-dimensional cobwebs and sheet webs. These webs surround spiders with tangles of silk that... view more... (2003-01-02)
The effect of transgenic nematode resistance on non-target organisms in the potato rhizosphere
A paper published today in the December Issue of Journal of Applied Ecology by Cowgill et al describes the results of small-scale field trials that were used to assess the effect of PI-expressing potatoes on non-target soil organisms. The impact of a currently used PCN management option, the nematicide, aldicarb, on soil organisms was also studied. view more (2002-11-26)
Great tits can reduce caterpillar damage in apple orchards
The potential contribution of vertebrate predators to biological control in orchards has been largely overlooked to date. A few studies have shown that birds reduce numbers of pests, but data are scarce on the effects on the pattern or timing of damage. Consequently, the practical value of birds as biocontrol agents remains unclear. view more (2002-11-26)
Press Invitation to the British Ecological Society`s Winter Meeting, University of York, 18-20 December 2002
You are invited to attend the UK's premier ecological event, the British Ecological Society's Winter Meeting, being held at the University of York on 18-20 December 2002. Thousands of ecologists from all four corners of the globe will be attending the meeting, which features more than 350 scientific papers and 150 posters, as well as the... view more... (2002-11-08)
West Nile virus antibodies sought in birds in England
Scientists at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Oxford are investigating live birds to see whether or not West Nile virus is present and being actively transmitted between resident and migratory birds. No infectious virus has as yet been detected. The birds sampled were healthy, implying that if present the virus is not virulent and may... view more... (2002-10-31)
Slowing insect resistance to genetically modified crops
Genetically modified Bt crops are now widely used in the USA. These crops contain genes from bacteria that make them toxic to some insect pests. A central concern in regulating these genetically modified crops is the risk of insects evolving resistance to the Bt toxins. To reduce this risk, the "high dose/refuge" strategy is now being used, in... view more... (2002-10-30)
Biodiversity hotspots, centres of endemicity, and the conservation of coral reefs
Coral reefs are renowned for their spectacularly high biodiversity, yet there is widespread concern for their future in the face of threats from land-clearing, over-fishing and global warming. A new study published in Ecology Letters by Australian scientists - Terry Hughes, David Bellwood and Sean Connolly has shown that biodiversity hotspots on... view more... (2002-10-30)
Biodiversity conservation - no guarantee for shortcuts
New research from scientists at the University of Sheffield published in the November issue of Ecology Letters has cast doubts on the widely held `rule of thumb` that the conservation of a country`s biodiversity can be guaranteed by focusing on protecting its threatened and endemic species. In a report published this week, Aletta Bonn, Ana... view more... (2002-10-30)
From parasitism to mutualism: Partner control in asymmetric interactions
What prevents an exploitative individual from taking advantage of a cooperative partner? Most attempts to answer this question focus on reciprocity - exploitation may not pay, if it triggers retaliation. But in many encounters, only one individual can exploit the other. For example, when coral reef fish approach a `cleaner` wrasse to have their... view more... (2002-09-09)
Ecological significance of tool-use in the woodpecker finch Cactospiza pallida
The Woodpecker finch, one of 14 Darwin`s finches of the Galapagos Islands, uses twigs or cactus spines to pry insects and spiders out of tree-holes. The advantage of using tools may seem evident, but empirical evidence is scarce. In a paper soon to appear in Ecology Letters, Tebbich and colleagues present the first study on the ecological... view more... (2002-09-09)
Exalted status for the humble earthworm
In the week following the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, international attention will be focused on Cardiff and the ecological importance of earthworms in temperate and tropical ecosystems. Considered sacred by Cleopatra, earthworms undoubtedly promote the sustainability of soils. The earthworm's status as one of the world's most crucial organisms... view more... (2002-08-28)
To deter a predator, kill its young!
Prey have evolved a suite of tricks to avoid falling victim to a predator. They may escape, hide, protect, become toxic/inedible or defend themselves. In principle, they could also scare the predator away, but this is risky when predators are big. Recent work led by a Dutch research team and published in the July issue of Ecology Letters revealed... view more... (2002-07-11)
Blue tits love the smell of perfumed nests!
French birds love the smell of perfumed nests. In an article published this month in Ecology Letters, scientists from the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique report that a small cavity-nesting bird on the island of Corsica, the blue tit, adorns its nests with fragments of strongly perfumed plants, including lavender and mint. The chemical... view more... (2002-07-11)
Ecological communities suffer dramatic changes when non-native species are introduced by humans!
Ecological communities suffer dramatic changes when non-native species are introduced by humans. Such introductions have been documented in hundreds of locations and appear to be common in marine and island habitats. One of the best-studied cases of a species that suddenly appeared in the New England intertidal, and subsequently spread rapidly... view more... (2002-07-11)
£25m University building open for business
Researchers were busy moving into the University of York`s new £25 million Biology Building today. The building, which will be dedicated to York`s cutting-edge biology research, gives researchers working in many different fields of biology access to the very latest scientific equipment and techniques. The investment will allow new research... view more... (2002-07-01)
Seeing the wood for the trees: research reveals the survival secrets of forest trees
Species extinction or `biodiversity loss` has accelerated at an alarming rate over the past century. Although much of the blame has been laid at the door of human activity, biologists are looking at the factors that influence how species-particularly similar species-co-exist, in their efforts to better understand how the balance of species can be... view more... (2002-05-30)
Marine Reserves Have Rapid and Lasting Effects - Benjamin S. Halpern & Robert R. Warner in ECOLOGY LETTERS
Marine reserves have rapid and lasting impacts on organisms inside reserves, according to scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In a paper published in the current issue of ECOLOGY LETTERS, the researchers reviewed 80 studies from `no-take` reserves, where it is illegal to extract organisms in any way. These showed that... view more... (2002-05-21)
Protecting fish nurseries
A University of Plymouth lecturer and his PhD student are putting Plymouth on the world map for research in a specialist field of marine biology: the importance of seagrass meadows. Seagrass can grow prolifically in outer estuarine areas and is the only flowering plant fully adapted for life in the marine environment. As well as being home to a... view more... (2002-03-21)
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