Ecologists have mused over the mechanisms that structure plant communities for centuries. One such mechanism is negative density dependence, which has been proposed as a an important promoter of tree species diversity across plant communities. However, most negative density-dependence studies to date have focused on the roles played by insects and fungal pathogens. Less attention ..read more

The cover image for our March issue shows twin seedlings of mistletoe (Viscum album) established on a branch of apple (Malus domestica), the parasite’s most frequent British host. This image relates to the Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: Viscum album, by Peter Thomas et al. Here, co-author Jonathan Briggs tells us the story behind the image: The germination ..read more

The Harper Prize is awarded annually by the British Ecological Society for the best paper in Journal of Ecology by an early career author. We are pleased to present the shortlisted papers for the 2022 award (published in Volume 110): ⭐️Heath Beckett: Pathways of savannization in a mesic African savanna–forest mosaic following an extreme fire⭐️Kerissa Fuccillo Battle: Citizen science across two centuries ..read more

The fourth series of Grime Reviews will address conceptual issues in species distribution modeling. SDMs are a critical tool for understanding the impacts of environmental change on plant communities, and recent statistical and computational advancements facilitate modeling of potential range shifts of many interacting species across large spatial extents. Moreover, researchers are transcending the limitations ..read more

For anyone who missed it, here’s a summary of our latest Journal Club discussion, held earlier this week on Twitter! The featured paper was ‘The shape of trees: Reimagining forest ecology in three dimensions with remote sensing‘ by Emily Lines and Tommaso Jucker et al., which is part of the Grime Reviews series ‘What can ..read more

The editor’s choice for our March issue is “Sandy seeds: Armour or invisibility cloak? Mucilage-bound sand physically protects seeds from rodents and invertebrates“ by Eric LoPresti et al. Here, Associate Editor Michał Bogdziewicz discusses the importance of this research:  Seeds are the fundamental units of plant reproduction, critical to the persistence and distribution of plant populations ..read more

The cover image for our February issue shows a digitized herbarium specimen of flowering yellow trout lily plants (Erythronium americanum). This image relates to the article, Warmer temperatures are linked to widespread phenological mismatch among native and non-native forest plants, by Tara Miller et al., which is part of a special feature on Leveraging natural history collections to understand ..read more

Welcome to JOURNAL CLUB! An initiative from Journal of Ecology, in which we present a discussion with the authors of a paper, allowing viewers to gain further insight into their research, and aiming to facilitate engagement between authors and readers. Watch the video below, and then join the authors online for a live Twitter discussion! In our ..read more

The editor’s choice for our February issue is “Loss of nitrogen fixing capacity in a montane lichen is linked to increased nitrogen deposition” by Peter Crittenden et al., which is part of a Special Feature on ‘Leveraging Natural History Collections to Understand the Impacts of Global Change‘. Here, Associate Editor Frank Gilliam discusses the importance ..read more

This blog post was written by Tommaso Jucker, Emily Lines and Jason Fridley to recap the second Grime Reviews series in Journal of Ecology, titled ‘What can remote sensing do for plant ecology?’. The series consists of nine review articles exploring different ways in which ecologists can enrich their research by embracing recent advances in ..read more