Azharul Alam
@azhar06.bsky.social
Plant ecology, Fire ecology, Plant invasion, iEcology, Cricket 🏏, football ⚽
Pinned
Azharul Alam
@azhar06.bsky.social
· Nov 27
Fuel architecture influences interspecific variation in shoot flammability, but not as much as leaf traits
This study addresses a key knowledge gap by demonstrating the influence of fuel architecture on shoot flammability and improves understanding of why species with certain architecture (e.g. highly bra...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Very excited to share our latest flammability paper published in @journalofecology.bsky.social that examined fuel architecture-flammability relationships and the relative influence of architectural and leaf traits on shoot flammability variation.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Azharul Alam
In 2009, the combination of a cyclone, atmospheric waves and warm moist air triggered a record-breaking heatwave. It’s happening again.
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/anatomy...
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/anatomy...
January 29, 2026 at 8:40 PM
In 2009, the combination of a cyclone, atmospheric waves and warm moist air triggered a record-breaking heatwave. It’s happening again.
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/anatomy...
👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/anatomy...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Fire buffers drought impacts on reproduction in a resprouting shrub
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Under drought, burned plants had ⬆️prob. of flowering, produced +flowers, set +seeds & heavier seeds, than unburned
Saiz-Blanco et al @oikosjournal.bsky.social
🧪🌍🔥🌿🪴🌾🌱 Anthyllis
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Under drought, burned plants had ⬆️prob. of flowering, produced +flowers, set +seeds & heavier seeds, than unburned
Saiz-Blanco et al @oikosjournal.bsky.social
🧪🌍🔥🌿🪴🌾🌱 Anthyllis
January 28, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Fire buffers drought impacts on reproduction in a resprouting shrub
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Under drought, burned plants had ⬆️prob. of flowering, produced +flowers, set +seeds & heavier seeds, than unburned
Saiz-Blanco et al @oikosjournal.bsky.social
🧪🌍🔥🌿🪴🌾🌱 Anthyllis
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Under drought, burned plants had ⬆️prob. of flowering, produced +flowers, set +seeds & heavier seeds, than unburned
Saiz-Blanco et al @oikosjournal.bsky.social
🧪🌍🔥🌿🪴🌾🌱 Anthyllis
Reposted by Azharul Alam
"If we design cities that make parenting easier, we design cities that make living easier for everyone." A great article by my colleague Mirjam Schindler, and Dr Eva Neely.
newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/20/w...
newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/20/w...
Call to redesign cities for families: 'Walking is what keeps me sane as a parent'
Opinion from Victoria University: When we plan with parents in mind, we build cities that are more compassionate, liveable, and healthy for all
newsroom.co.nz
January 19, 2026 at 8:38 PM
"If we design cities that make parenting easier, we design cities that make living easier for everyone." A great article by my colleague Mirjam Schindler, and Dr Eva Neely.
newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/20/w...
newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/20/w...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Mapped: how the world is losing its forests to wildfires
www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Wildfires now destroy twice as much tree cover per year as two decades ago – a crisis fuelled by climate change.
www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Wildfires now destroy twice as much tree cover per year as two decades ago – a crisis fuelled by climate change.
Mapped: how the world is losing its forests to wildfires
Wildfires now destroy twice as much tree cover per year as two decades ago – a crisis fuelled by climate change
www.theguardian.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Mapped: how the world is losing its forests to wildfires
www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Wildfires now destroy twice as much tree cover per year as two decades ago – a crisis fuelled by climate change.
www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Wildfires now destroy twice as much tree cover per year as two decades ago – a crisis fuelled by climate change.
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Meanwhile. This is the same global-heating-caused dessication seen in southern Australia: in south west WA, in south east SA, in Victoria.
apnews.com/article/arge...
apnews.com/article/arge...
Wildfires in south Argentina rip through nearly 12,000 hectares of forest, threatening communities
Wildfires in the Argentine Patagonia have burned nearly 12,000 hectares of land, threatening a power plant, a school and rural properties.
apnews.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:05 AM
Meanwhile. This is the same global-heating-caused dessication seen in southern Australia: in south west WA, in south east SA, in Victoria.
apnews.com/article/arge...
apnews.com/article/arge...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Where will the next megafire break out? Climate change is making it tougher to predict
by @rachaelnolan.bsky.social and @trentpenman.bsky.social
theconversation.com/where-will-t...
by @rachaelnolan.bsky.social and @trentpenman.bsky.social
theconversation.com/where-will-t...
Where will the next megafire break out? Climate change is making it tougher to predict
We know that heatwaves often trigger bushfires. But predicting when and where large fires will break out is getting more difficult with a warming climate.
theconversation.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:14 PM
Where will the next megafire break out? Climate change is making it tougher to predict
by @rachaelnolan.bsky.social and @trentpenman.bsky.social
theconversation.com/where-will-t...
by @rachaelnolan.bsky.social and @trentpenman.bsky.social
theconversation.com/where-will-t...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
The U.S. military action in Venezuela marks a turning point.
An international human rights scholar warns it reflects a shift toward unilateral, autocratic power, unconstrained by law and balance of power, and using force to impose the Trump administration’s will on other nations.
An international human rights scholar warns it reflects a shift toward unilateral, autocratic power, unconstrained by law and balance of power, and using force to impose the Trump administration’s will on other nations.
2026 begins with an increasingly autocratic United States rising on the global stage
The US attack on Venezuela highlights a shifting American foreign policy that dismisses a rules-based global order and focuses on economic interests and military might.
buff.ly
January 6, 2026 at 11:17 PM
The U.S. military action in Venezuela marks a turning point.
An international human rights scholar warns it reflects a shift toward unilateral, autocratic power, unconstrained by law and balance of power, and using force to impose the Trump administration’s will on other nations.
An international human rights scholar warns it reflects a shift toward unilateral, autocratic power, unconstrained by law and balance of power, and using force to impose the Trump administration’s will on other nations.
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Gazing into the flames: A guide to assessing the impacts of climate change on landscape fire
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Gazing into the flames: A guide to assessing the impacts of climate change on landscape fire
An understanding of fire and climate modeling must inform assessments of climate change impacts on landscape fire.
www.science.org
December 28, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Gazing into the flames: A guide to assessing the impacts of climate change on landscape fire
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Major fires are increasing in Aotearoa. "In the five decades from 1964 to 2015, there had been 19 such fires. In the past decade from 2015 to present day, there had already been 13."
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
A history of New Zealand's wildfires - and what's to come
Off the back of two devastating wildfires in Tongariro National Park, Kate Green takes a look back at some of the big ones, and a look forward at future risk.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 30, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Major fires are increasing in Aotearoa. "In the five decades from 1964 to 2015, there had been 19 such fires. In the past decade from 2015 to present day, there had already been 13."
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
👀Behind the paper!👀
🌳By climbing into the canopy and studying trait variation across species and forest layers, author Leonardo Ziccardi explains how the emergent trees of the Amazon are dynamic strategists💡
Read it here👇
buff.ly/PnMrVkX
🧪🌍
🌳By climbing into the canopy and studying trait variation across species and forest layers, author Leonardo Ziccardi explains how the emergent trees of the Amazon are dynamic strategists💡
Read it here👇
buff.ly/PnMrVkX
🧪🌍
Leonardo Ziccardi | Trait coordination reveals the fast-slow plant economics spectrum along the vertical canopy profile in central Amazonian forests
In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post we get into the roof of rainforests as the author Leonardo Ziccardi guides us through the unique world of ancient Amazonian trees from the article &…
functionalecologists.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
👀Behind the paper!👀
🌳By climbing into the canopy and studying trait variation across species and forest layers, author Leonardo Ziccardi explains how the emergent trees of the Amazon are dynamic strategists💡
Read it here👇
buff.ly/PnMrVkX
🧪🌍
🌳By climbing into the canopy and studying trait variation across species and forest layers, author Leonardo Ziccardi explains how the emergent trees of the Amazon are dynamic strategists💡
Read it here👇
buff.ly/PnMrVkX
🧪🌍
Reposted by Azharul Alam
In our new Biological Conservation paper, we show the potential of social media in improving #invasive species #distribution.
Incorporating social media data
🔍 identified new locality records,
🔍 expanded range size for 67% of species
Link: doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
(1/6) @monashbiol.bsky.social
Incorporating social media data
🔍 identified new locality records,
🔍 expanded range size for 67% of species
Link: doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
(1/6) @monashbiol.bsky.social
December 14, 2025 at 10:53 PM
In our new Biological Conservation paper, we show the potential of social media in improving #invasive species #distribution.
Incorporating social media data
🔍 identified new locality records,
🔍 expanded range size for 67% of species
Link: doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
(1/6) @monashbiol.bsky.social
Incorporating social media data
🔍 identified new locality records,
🔍 expanded range size for 67% of species
Link: doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
(1/6) @monashbiol.bsky.social
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Should ecologists be worried about the carbon footprint of their own use of “AI” and LLMs?
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
The role of AI in ecology’s computational carbon footprint
Click on the article title to read more.
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Should ecologists be worried about the carbon footprint of their own use of “AI” and LLMs?
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
🌲🌡️How do forests stay cool despite #heatwaves? Charlotte Grossiord (WSL/EPFL) receives an ERC #grant of just under 2 million Swiss francs to research how European #forests cope with “atmospheric drought” and which tree species are especially resistant to heat and #drought. www.wsl.ch/en/news/how-...
How do forests keep their cool? A 1.89 million Swiss Francs question.
WSL forest ecologist Charlotte Grossiord receives an ERC Consolidator Grant to understand forest resilience to climate change.
www.wsl.ch
December 9, 2025 at 3:44 PM
🌲🌡️How do forests stay cool despite #heatwaves? Charlotte Grossiord (WSL/EPFL) receives an ERC #grant of just under 2 million Swiss francs to research how European #forests cope with “atmospheric drought” and which tree species are especially resistant to heat and #drought. www.wsl.ch/en/news/how-...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
When global temperatures shot up by ~6°C about 56 million years ago, plants were unable to thrive
The reduced ability of vegetation & soils to capture & store carbon may have kept temperatures elevated for >100,000 years
Today Earth is warming ~10 times faster than it did 56 million years ago
The reduced ability of vegetation & soils to capture & store carbon may have kept temperatures elevated for >100,000 years
Today Earth is warming ~10 times faster than it did 56 million years ago
56 million years ago, the Earth suddenly heated up – and many plants stopped working properly
It could be a sign of what’s to come.
theconversation.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:06 AM
When global temperatures shot up by ~6°C about 56 million years ago, plants were unable to thrive
The reduced ability of vegetation & soils to capture & store carbon may have kept temperatures elevated for >100,000 years
Today Earth is warming ~10 times faster than it did 56 million years ago
The reduced ability of vegetation & soils to capture & store carbon may have kept temperatures elevated for >100,000 years
Today Earth is warming ~10 times faster than it did 56 million years ago
Reposted by Azharul Alam
How social–ecological #networks can improve our understanding and management of #biologicalinvasions – new paper by Fiona Rickowski et al. now published in #BioScience doi.org/10.1093/bios... #InvasiveSpecies #nonnative #pests #conservation #alienspecies
December 4, 2025 at 9:48 PM
How social–ecological #networks can improve our understanding and management of #biologicalinvasions – new paper by Fiona Rickowski et al. now published in #BioScience doi.org/10.1093/bios... #InvasiveSpecies #nonnative #pests #conservation #alienspecies
Reposted by Azharul Alam
I'm very sad to say William Bond, of the University of Cape Town & Fellow of the Royal Society (@royalsociety.org ), has passed away. It is a great loss. He was an enthusiastic ecologist and a critical thinker. I learned a lot, and I still had a lot to learn from him. RIP. 😢
🧪🌎🔥🌿🌳🪴🌐 #PlantScience
🧪🌎🔥🌿🌳🪴🌐 #PlantScience
December 4, 2025 at 10:06 PM
I'm very sad to say William Bond, of the University of Cape Town & Fellow of the Royal Society (@royalsociety.org ), has passed away. It is a great loss. He was an enthusiastic ecologist and a critical thinker. I learned a lot, and I still had a lot to learn from him. RIP. 😢
🧪🌎🔥🌿🌳🪴🌐 #PlantScience
🧪🌎🔥🌿🌳🪴🌐 #PlantScience
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Garden ponds often serve as potential sources of plant invasions share.google/RmS1UyGblH8c...
Garden ponds often serve as potential sources of plant invasions
As small aquatic habitats disappear at an alarming rate, private garden ponds may help compensate for the loss of natural habitats and support biodiversity in urban areas. However, as these ponds beco...
share.google
December 4, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Garden ponds often serve as potential sources of plant invasions share.google/RmS1UyGblH8c...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Plants for space exploration and Earth applications
Fountain et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#plantscience
Fountain et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#plantscience
November 26, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Plants for space exploration and Earth applications
Fountain et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#plantscience
Fountain et al.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
#plantscience
Reposted by Azharul Alam
www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/i... Grim but very good story by @kiwifarah.bsky.social on how absolutely awful introduced predators are. More trapping needed.
They're 'killing machines', wiping out native species. So why is it so hard to fight back against feral cats?
Feral: How millions of feral cats are creating a 'bloodbath' across our native heartland.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 16, 2025 at 7:57 PM
www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/i... Grim but very good story by @kiwifarah.bsky.social on how absolutely awful introduced predators are. More trapping needed.
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Increased nitrogen deposition may facilitate an invasive plant species through interfering plant–pathogen interactions - Lin - 2025 - Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Increased nitrogen deposition may facilitate an invasive plant species through interfering plant–pathogen interactions
These findings imply that elevated nitrogen deposition may enhance the invasiveness of A. philoxeroides by influencing the interactions between the plant and its pathogens.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Increased nitrogen deposition may facilitate an invasive plant species through interfering plant–pathogen interactions - Lin - 2025 - Journal of Ecology - Wiley Online Library besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The path toward a unified trait space: synthesizing plant functional diversity - Carmona - 2025 - New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The path toward a unified trait space: synthesizing plant functional diversity
Plant traits capture the remarkable diversity of ecological strategies, yet synthesizing this complexity into coherent frameworks remains challenging. Trait spaces have significantly advanced this ef....
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:10 AM
The path toward a unified trait space: synthesizing plant functional diversity - Carmona - 2025 - New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
A new study says only 3% of Earth’s land remains “untouched.” We’ve been editing the planet for millennia as a result of pushing animals/plants to extinction….reshaping entire continents.
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/h...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/h...
Humans Have Altered 97 Percent of Earth's Land Through Habitat and Species Loss
The study, which did not include Antarctica, also identified opportunities to restore up to 20 percent of land ecosystems
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:48 PM
A new study says only 3% of Earth’s land remains “untouched.” We’ve been editing the planet for millennia as a result of pushing animals/plants to extinction….reshaping entire continents.
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/h...
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/h...
Reposted by Azharul Alam
Reposted by Azharul Alam
When invasive species become part of our culture – our study on the process of cultural integration of #invasivespecies and its implications, now published in #npjBiodiversity www.nature.com/articles/s44... #biologicalinvasions #alienspecies #nonnative #invasive #pests #conservation
June 26, 2025 at 10:39 AM
When invasive species become part of our culture – our study on the process of cultural integration of #invasivespecies and its implications, now published in #npjBiodiversity www.nature.com/articles/s44... #biologicalinvasions #alienspecies #nonnative #invasive #pests #conservation