Our short, anonymous survey will take around 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will help to shape the future of the BES. Take the survey  Prize draw: All those who complete the survey can enter a prize draw to win either a £50 voucher for the Natural History Book Service or one year’s free BES membership.  The deadline […] The post BES membership survey: We want to hear from you! appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

What is a novel ecosystem? The definition of novel, sometimes also called ‘emerging’, ecosystems has evolved over the last two decades, but there are a number of characteristics that are helpful in identifying them. Novel ecosystems: Comprise new species assemblages Have a suite of interactions and processes consistent with a self-organized, functioning ecosystem Are difficult […] The post Novel ecosystems: the new normal? appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

Honorary membership, the highest honour given by the society, has been awarded to two eminent ecologists whose illustrious careers continue to advance our understanding of the natural world: Professor Tim Clutton-Brock and Professor Josephine Pemberton. Dr Tatsuya Amano is this year’s Equality and Diversity Champion for his work on the translatE project, a world leading […] The post BES awards 2024 – meet the winners appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

The public discourse on the impacts and rights of what can be included under the umbrella term ‘access to nature’ is rumbling on in newspapers and across social media. Kate Humble commented recently in The Times about the importance of being able to manage access to certain parts of the countryside at certain times in […] The post Access to nature: what to do when both sides are right? appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

In a recent blog for Green Alliance, Lord Debden, Chair of the Climate Change Committee, argues that climate and nature have not had the prominent position or detailed exploration they need in this election campaign. At the BES we agree. Unsurprisingly, much of the public debate surrounding the General Election over recent weeks has focused […] The post Where are climate and nature in this election campaign? appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

Could you help us understand what synthesis research is? Sure! Synthesis research combines separate, often disparate, components into a coherent whole to gain new insights. These components could be different datasets, methods from different research fields, or different conceptual frameworks. Combining disparate elements means that synthesis research often involves teams that span a wide range […] The post BES synthesis grant funds research into forest restoration biases appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

A new study by researchers at The University of Edinburgh and Yale University quantified annual nutrient losses from the removal of deer carcasses by utilising nationwide Scottish cull reports. The researchers estimate that 251,188 kg of calcium, 195,652 kg of nitrogen and 152,834 kg of phosphorus are lost across Scotland each year. Kristy Ferraro, Ph.D […] The post Removing culled deer carcasses in Scotland may be draining environments of nutrients appeared first on British Ecological Society ..read more

How would you characterise pedagogical research? Pedagogical research refers to the study of education, that being, research which aims to develop understanding of the learning or teaching experience. This could include new insights or improvements to educational theory and practices, assessment and inclusion. Pedagogical research may involve a range of methodological approaches including quantitative and qualitative analyses (or a combination of both) contributing to a remarkably diverse and extensive body of literature. What led you to study pedagogical research? After graduating from the E ..read more

Read on to find out more about the research and lives of ecologist from across the LGBTQIA+ community. Numair Masud “This article is a call to action. For this Pride series, we must learn to see beyond our labels and individual experiences” Read more           Jill Love “For queer field researchers far from home, Pride means so much more than its symbolism – it is a chance to belong.” Read more           Kelsey Byers “At the end it is up to society, up to my fellow scientists and researchers and other colleagues to stop assuming, to stop era ..read more

Reorganising land use in the UK to secure a sustainable future that works for both people and nature will require coordinated action and systems level changes with profound ramifications for food, energy production and housing development. This is according to the new report: Prioritising Land Use in the Midst of a Climate and Nature Emergency, published today by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the British Ecological society (BES). The report, which sets out both the benefits of a coordinated approach to land use and how this can be achieved at scale, is the result of discussions at ..read more