The interest on the microbial ecosystems that inhabit leaves is rapidly increasing due to their participation in basic ecosystem functions. One of the aspects of plant dynamics which leaf fungi can most clearly affect is recruitment, since the success of newly germinated plants can be seriously compromised by pathogenic activity or by the absence of ..read more

Richard P. Shefferson, University of Tokyo, discussed his article: ‘Life history costs drive the evolution of mycoheterotrophs: increased sprouting and flowering in a strongly mycoheterotrophic Pyrola species’ Background When we think of plants, we think of trees and grasses, flowers, and ferns. The single most obvious and important characteristic of plants is that they are ..read more

We’re pleased to introduce our new Blog Editor! Curtis Lubbe joins the team to help manage the Journal of Ecology blog and publish author’s stories behind their research. Find out a bit about Curtis below: Name: F. Curtis LubbeLocation: Třeboň, Czech RepublicKeywords: belowground storage organs, drought, functional ecology, nonstructural carbohydrates, overwintering, storage Tell us a bit ..read more

Manuele Bazzichetto discusses his article: ‘Biodiversity promotes resistance but dominant species shape recovery of grasslands under extreme drought.’ Background A hot idea in ecology is that biodiversity helps ecosystems do better. For instance, high biodiversity should help ecosystems to maintain their functions (e.g., biomass production) over time. In other words, biodiversity should stabilise ecosystem functions ..read more

We’re delighted to announce that the winner of the 2023 Harper Prize is Tyler Coverdale! The Harper Prize is awarded annually for the best paper published in the journal by an early career researcher. Winner: Tyler Coverdale Paper: Unravelling the relationship between plant diversity and vegetation structural complexity: A review and theoretical framework “As Tyler´s succinct review points out, we ..read more

Nicola Kokkonen, Anna Laine-Petäjäkangas, and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila discuss their article: ‘A deepened water table increases the vulnerability of peat mosses to periodic drought.’ Background Around the world, we are witnessing warmer temperatures and extreme weather caused by climate change. However, these changes are not affecting all regions equally; northern regions are being hit hardest. While ..read more

Annise Dobson discusses her article: ‘Individual and combined effects of invasive earthworms and native white-tailed deer on understory plant survival, growth, and reproduction.’ Background In northeastern U.S. forests, understorey plant communities are undergoing sweeping transformations. Knowing what to do to achieve our conservation goals is complicated by the fact that many of these stressors co-occur ..read more

The cover image for our April issue shows insect herbivores feeding on a ragweed plant. The image relates to the article ‘Foliar herbivory-enhanced mycorrhization is associated with increased levels of lipids in root and root exudates’, by Zhenlong Xing et al. Here, Zhenlong tells us the story behind the image: Insect herbivores, terrestrial plants, and ..read more

Background The way that tree species develop and change over time is affected by the climate they live in. In the vast expanse of Canada’s terrestrial ecosystems, nearly 180 tree species have undergone selective processes since the last glaciation, sculpting their evolution and establishment. Climate emerges as the linchpin, steering the destiny of tree populations ..read more

2023 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: Throughout March, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2023 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Chenhui Chang’s article ‘Reciprocal bark exchange helps to disentangle tree species-dependent bark and wood trait effects on invertebrate diversity‘ is one of those shortlisted ..read more