Researchers have found that these factors interacting can influence the relationship between native species and their environment. Alex Baecher, lead author and University of Florida PhD student explained “Climate change is rapidly expanding the range of suitable conditions for invasive species.” Invasive species thrive in unstable or altered conditions – these are becoming more common due to climate change. “Invasive species can also degrade the ecosystems they inhabit, which results in a collapse of biodiversity,” continues Baecher. How do climate change and invasive species interact? Resear ..read more

This 18-month British Ecological Society project saw green transformations delivered in 72 schools in disadvantaged and isolated areas of the North-East of England, while upskilling teachers, volunteers and staff with the skills they need to spark ecological inspiration in the next generation. The celebration event, hosted at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle, brought together teachers, volunteers, children and representatives of the project’s team and partners to share the impact of the project and highlight some of the inspiring stories from the past year. The event featured opportunities ..read more

The feeling of disgust is an important protective mechanism that has evolved to protect us from diseases risks. Triggered by sensory cues, we feel disgust surrounding things such as the sight of infected wounds. This releases a set of behavioural, cognitive and/or physiological responses that enable animals to avoid pathogens and toxins. An international team, led by Dr Cecile Sarabian from the University of Hong Kong, has turned their attention to the emotion’s role in animal disease avoidance – an area of study typically neglected. The team developed a framework to test disgust and its assoc ..read more

The symposium, organised by the British Ecological Society in collaboration with the Woodland Trust and the University of Kent’s Positive Environmental Futures Signature Research Theme, will take place on the 28-29 June 2023 at the University of Kent. It aims to move beyond research communication towards transforming policy decisions and implementing applied conservation by using science and evidence.  Plenary talks will be delivered by: Forrest Fleischman, Associate Professor of Environmental Policy in the Department of Forest Resources at the University of Minnesota Yadvinder Malhi, Pr ..read more

A recent paper published by Earlham College in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) investigates how people of marginalized gender and sexual identities (LGBTQIA+) can safely participate in ecological fieldwork. Lead author Jaime Coon, an Earlham college assistant professor explained “Institutions of higher education want to make progress on LGBTQIA+ inclusion, but they don’t often know where to begin.” The paper, featured in the British Ecological Society Journal of Applied Ecology, details best practices for LGBTQIA+ inclusion during ecology fieldwork. Their ..read more

The House of Lords’ Environmental and Climate Change Committee has launched an inquiry into protected areas to explore the current state of protected areas and how effective the various designations are at helping to protect nature. In the first evidence session yesterday, BES Policy Committee Chair Professor Rick Stafford and BES Trustee Professor Jane Hill were brilliant at summarising the key points made in our report on protected areas. In 2019 the UK Government pledged to protect 30% of it sea, and in 2020 it made the same commitment, known as 30×30, for its land. 30×30 is also one of the ..read more

On Saturday, the UN High Seas Treaty was agreed by delegates at the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, providing a legal basis for protection of international waters after two decades of talks. This is a hugely important moment for the protection of marine life. The high seas constitute around two thirds of the global ocean, but until now, only ~1.2% has been under some form of protection, meaning species have been subject to overexploitation and pollution without regulation. The treaty provides a legal framework for designating 30% of th ..read more

Published in People and Nature, a new study has highlighted the impact of human behaviour on urban predators by examining the diets of the peregrine falcon during COVID-19 lockdowns. Researchers from King’s College London and the University of Bristol determined that falcons were forced to change their diet away from pigeons. During the study, citizen scientists used online live streams to monitor 31 peregrine falcon nests in 27 UK cities over three breeding seasons – one of which took place during pandemic restrictions. Peregrine's rely on pigeons as their main source of prey Due to fewe ..read more

We watched with horror the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. All BES staff took part in the one-minute silence in the UK at 11:00 today (24 February) to mark the one-year anniversary of the war. The Russian invasion was an outright violation of international law. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost and the destruction on the ground is there for all to see. Moreover, Russia’s actions lay waste to the international values of human rights and freedom that are crucial to science. The tragedy that continues to unfold in Ukraine is one of many conflict zones around the world, wi ..read more

A new study from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences has shown that a common method of plants preserving seeds in ‘seed banks’ – which involves storing them in soil until more favourable conditions for their survival arrive – is unlikely to save flora during ongoing global heating. Producing seeds is an important way for plants to spread to new places. Being stored in soil allows seeds to survive temporary environmental changes or persist in an area following a deterioration of local conditions. Mountain everlasting Antennaria dioica is a species with a northerly distribution in Eu ..read more