Functional Ecology
@funecology.bsky.social
A @britishecologicalsociety.org journal, publishing papers that significantly advance the field of ecology, including physiological, behavioural and evolutionary ecology.
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❄️December issue out now!❄️
📙On the cover: A female Weddell seal rests on the sea ice. Since she skipped having a pup this year, she doesn’t have to expend energy caring for offspring - leaving her with more time to enjoy a nice snow pillow! Credit: Amy Kirkham🦭
Read it here👇
buff.ly/b29bCGX
🧪🌍
📙On the cover: A female Weddell seal rests on the sea ice. Since she skipped having a pup this year, she doesn’t have to expend energy caring for offspring - leaving her with more time to enjoy a nice snow pillow! Credit: Amy Kirkham🦭
Read it here👇
buff.ly/b29bCGX
🧪🌍
👀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
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🌳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
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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
🧪🌍
📰Published📰Plant-plant nitrogen transfer is prevalent in a semi-arid shrubland and affects the foliar N content of recipient plants🏜️
buff.ly/GM1df6w
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Plant-plant nitrogen transfer is prevalent in a semi-arid shrubland and affects the foliar N content of recipient plants
Patricia González-Díaz, Alicia Montesinos-Navarro This is a plain language summary of Functional Ecology research article which can be found here. Find a YouTube video of the authors’ researc…
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December 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM
📰Published📰Plant-plant nitrogen transfer is prevalent in a semi-arid shrubland and affects the foliar N content of recipient plants🏜️
buff.ly/GM1df6w
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📰Published📰Primary metabolites in root exudates are not affected by long-term soil warming in a temperate forest🌳
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Primary metabolites in root exudates are not affected by long-term soil warming in a temperate forest
Xiaofei Liu, Jakob Heinzle, Ye Tian, Erika Salas, Werner Borken, Andreas Schindlbacher, Wolfgang Wanek This is a plain language summary of a Functional Ecology research article which can be found h…
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December 22, 2025 at 9:00 AM
📰Published📰Primary metabolites in root exudates are not affected by long-term soil warming in a temperate forest🌳
buff.ly/XJJyU2i
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📰Published📰N₂-fixation is linked to the ability to encroach in African savanna trees🌳
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N₂-fixation is linked to the ability to encroach in African savanna trees
Elizabeth M. Telford, Kimberley Simpson, Lorna Street, Emily Fletcher, Richard Carkeek, Russell B. Dixon, Katie J. Field, Emma Jones, Sarah L. Raubenheimer, Edith Singini, Brad Ripley, Colin P. Osb…
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December 18, 2025 at 5:01 PM
📰Published📰N₂-fixation is linked to the ability to encroach in African savanna trees🌳
buff.ly/UEJGGeN
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buff.ly/UEJGGeN
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📰Published📰Subsurface leaf and root litter enhance soil carbon formation compared to surface litter🍃
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December 18, 2025 at 3:22 PM
📰Published📰Subsurface leaf and root litter enhance soil carbon formation compared to surface litter🍃
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buff.ly/gsvSLTP
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🚨Happening today!🚨
📝If you're at the #BES2025 Annual Meeting and are thinking about becoming an editor, come along to our workshop!
💡@britishecologicalsociety.org editors Franciska de Vries, Rob Fish, Sandra Varga and Tim Higham will be sharing their experiences and top tips on the role
🧪🌍
📝If you're at the #BES2025 Annual Meeting and are thinking about becoming an editor, come along to our workshop!
💡@britishecologicalsociety.org editors Franciska de Vries, Rob Fish, Sandra Varga and Tim Higham will be sharing their experiences and top tips on the role
🧪🌍
🤔Sorting out your schedule for the #BES2025 Annual Meeting? Interested in becoming an Associate Editor?
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
December 16, 2025 at 10:47 AM
🚨Happening today!🚨
📝If you're at the #BES2025 Annual Meeting and are thinking about becoming an editor, come along to our workshop!
💡@britishecologicalsociety.org editors Franciska de Vries, Rob Fish, Sandra Varga and Tim Higham will be sharing their experiences and top tips on the role
🧪🌍
📝If you're at the #BES2025 Annual Meeting and are thinking about becoming an editor, come along to our workshop!
💡@britishecologicalsociety.org editors Franciska de Vries, Rob Fish, Sandra Varga and Tim Higham will be sharing their experiences and top tips on the role
🧪🌍
👀Behind the Paper!👀
🪺Author Valentina Alaasam discusses single parenting in the avian world, enjoying all the outdoors has to offer, and the importance of not fearing failure🐦
Read it here👇
buff.ly/EjX8SQO
🧪🌍
🪺Author Valentina Alaasam discusses single parenting in the avian world, enjoying all the outdoors has to offer, and the importance of not fearing failure🐦
Read it here👇
buff.ly/EjX8SQO
🧪🌍
Valentina Alaasam | What is the “hidden cost” of abandonment to rock sparrow offspring?
In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, we’re getting real about parenthood! From their recently published paper: “Mate desertion affects offspring survival, development and p…
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December 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
👀Behind the Paper!👀
🪺Author Valentina Alaasam discusses single parenting in the avian world, enjoying all the outdoors has to offer, and the importance of not fearing failure🐦
Read it here👇
buff.ly/EjX8SQO
🧪🌍
🪺Author Valentina Alaasam discusses single parenting in the avian world, enjoying all the outdoors has to offer, and the importance of not fearing failure🐦
Read it here👇
buff.ly/EjX8SQO
🧪🌍
Reposted by Functional Ecology
Come and join us! Such a rewarding way to give back to society and the BES and being on top of current science!
🤔Sorting out your schedule for the #BES2025 Annual Meeting? Interested in becoming an Associate Editor?
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
December 13, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Come and join us! Such a rewarding way to give back to society and the BES and being on top of current science!
Reposted by Functional Ecology
Starting to get in the festive mood? So are we!
Read our latest, where @gabriellasantini.bsky.social reflects on celebrating the festive season deep in Kenya’s Maasai rangelands, where the pulse of lion movements, community life, and holiday traditions come together🦁
buff.ly/ctKzFpn
Read our latest, where @gabriellasantini.bsky.social reflects on celebrating the festive season deep in Kenya’s Maasai rangelands, where the pulse of lion movements, community life, and holiday traditions come together🦁
buff.ly/ctKzFpn
December 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Starting to get in the festive mood? So are we!
Read our latest, where @gabriellasantini.bsky.social reflects on celebrating the festive season deep in Kenya’s Maasai rangelands, where the pulse of lion movements, community life, and holiday traditions come together🦁
buff.ly/ctKzFpn
Read our latest, where @gabriellasantini.bsky.social reflects on celebrating the festive season deep in Kenya’s Maasai rangelands, where the pulse of lion movements, community life, and holiday traditions come together🦁
buff.ly/ctKzFpn
Reposted by Functional Ecology
Attending the BES annual meeting? Come to our lunchtime workshop launching the new version of our better science guide on reproducible code! 🌍 🧪
December 11, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Attending the BES annual meeting? Come to our lunchtime workshop launching the new version of our better science guide on reproducible code! 🌍 🧪
🤔Sorting out your schedule for the #BES2025 Annual Meeting? Interested in becoming an Associate Editor?
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
December 11, 2025 at 5:00 PM
🤔Sorting out your schedule for the #BES2025 Annual Meeting? Interested in becoming an Associate Editor?
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
💡Join editors from across the @britishecologicalsociety.org journals for a workshop covering the ins-and-outs of peer review and what it takes to work effectively as an editor!
🧪🌍
📰Published📰Caterpillars and aphids leave different “soil memories” that change how plants resist attack🐛
buff.ly/46Asyj9
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Caterpillars and aphids leave different “soil memories” that change how plants resist attack
Carla Vázquez-González, Kristin M. Barbour, Beatriz Lago-Núñez , Beatriz Rodríguez-Garrido, Lydia S. Dean, Ignacio Vicente-Díez, Jennifer B. H. Martiny, Kailen A. Mooney This is a plain language su…
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December 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
📰Published📰Caterpillars and aphids leave different “soil memories” that change how plants resist attack🐛
buff.ly/46Asyj9
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buff.ly/46Asyj9
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👀Behind the Paper!👀
🌳Author Shudong Zhang points to the potential lasting influence of plant pathogens on forest carbon cycling, discusses deer disruptions in the field, and shares his love of photography📸
buff.ly/evx894Z
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🌳Author Shudong Zhang points to the potential lasting influence of plant pathogens on forest carbon cycling, discusses deer disruptions in the field, and shares his love of photography📸
buff.ly/evx894Z
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Shudong Zhang | Potential lasting effect of opportunistic parasitic fungi on coarse wood decomposition
In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Shudong Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher at Peking University, discusses his article ‘Potential lasting effect of opportunistic parasitic f…
buff.ly
December 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
👀Behind the Paper!👀
🌳Author Shudong Zhang points to the potential lasting influence of plant pathogens on forest carbon cycling, discusses deer disruptions in the field, and shares his love of photography📸
buff.ly/evx894Z
🧪🌍
🌳Author Shudong Zhang points to the potential lasting influence of plant pathogens on forest carbon cycling, discusses deer disruptions in the field, and shares his love of photography📸
buff.ly/evx894Z
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📰Published📰When one parent leaves: The consequences of mate desertion on offspring survival and physiology🪺
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When one parent leaves: The consequences of mate desertion on offspring survival and physiology
Valentina Alaasam, Alejandro Cantarero, Matteo Beccardi, Alejandro Corregidor-Castro, Manuel Fuertes-Recuero, Matteo Schiavinato, Lia Zampa, Alessandro Grapputo, Matteo Griggio, Jenny Q Ouyang, And…
buff.ly
December 9, 2025 at 10:01 AM
📰Published📰When one parent leaves: The consequences of mate desertion on offspring survival and physiology🪺
buff.ly/dURNn4V
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📰Published📰Adding beneficial root bacteria to densely planted maize fields improves soil health and boosts yields🦠
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Adding beneficial root bacteria to densely planted maize fields improves soil health and boosts yields
Ning Wang, Meng Hao, Rui Zhou, Bao-Zhong Wang, Peng-Yang Wang, Hong-Yan Tao, Ying Zhuc, Yan Hu, Hai-Ying Liu, Guang-Fu Huang, Fu-Yan Jiang, Qing-Yuan Huang, Xing-Ming Fan, You-Cai Xiong This is a p…
buff.ly
December 8, 2025 at 9:01 PM
📰Published📰Adding beneficial root bacteria to densely planted maize fields improves soil health and boosts yields🦠
buff.ly/GeU8dxJ
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Reposted by Functional Ecology
📰Published📰Does nocturnal light pollution impair immune function in a wild-living amphibian?🐸
buff.ly/RvRQMR8
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Does nocturnal light pollution impair immune function in a wild-living amphibian?
Louise Cheynel, Adeline Dumet, Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont, Corinne Régis,Eve Ramery, Vanessa Gardette, Benjamin Rey, Thierry Lengagne, Nathalie Mondy This is a plain language summary of a Functional …
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December 7, 2025 at 9:25 AM
👀Behind the Paper!👀
🔍Author @markklwong.bsky.social delves into the world of ant community assembly, and discusses overcoming unforeseen obstacles in the field and how his childhood interest has led to a career in insect ecology🐜
buff.ly/vjP5C8E
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🔍Author @markklwong.bsky.social delves into the world of ant community assembly, and discusses overcoming unforeseen obstacles in the field and how his childhood interest has led to a career in insect ecology🐜
buff.ly/vjP5C8E
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Mark Wong: Bonsaiing mangroves to uncover how traits shape – and flip – ant competition
In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Mark Wong, a Forrest Fellow at the University of Western Australia, discusses his new article ‘Functional trait dissimilarity drives arbore…
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December 5, 2025 at 2:02 PM
👀Behind the Paper!👀
🔍Author @markklwong.bsky.social delves into the world of ant community assembly, and discusses overcoming unforeseen obstacles in the field and how his childhood interest has led to a career in insect ecology🐜
buff.ly/vjP5C8E
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🔍Author @markklwong.bsky.social delves into the world of ant community assembly, and discusses overcoming unforeseen obstacles in the field and how his childhood interest has led to a career in insect ecology🐜
buff.ly/vjP5C8E
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📰Published📰Does nocturnal light pollution impair immune function in a wild-living amphibian?🐸
buff.ly/RvRQMR8
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buff.ly/RvRQMR8
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Does nocturnal light pollution impair immune function in a wild-living amphibian?
Louise Cheynel, Adeline Dumet, Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont, Corinne Régis,Eve Ramery, Vanessa Gardette, Benjamin Rey, Thierry Lengagne, Nathalie Mondy This is a plain language summary of a Functional …
buff.ly
December 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM
📰Published📰Does nocturnal light pollution impair immune function in a wild-living amphibian?🐸
buff.ly/RvRQMR8
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buff.ly/RvRQMR8
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You may be able to publish your paper in Functional Ecology and our other open access journals at no cost!
Find out more about resources like funding, waivers and agreements – including our own BES waivers – that cover processing and publishing fees
buff.ly/OsBvjdf
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Find out more about resources like funding, waivers and agreements – including our own BES waivers – that cover processing and publishing fees
buff.ly/OsBvjdf
🧪🌍
December 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
You may be able to publish your paper in Functional Ecology and our other open access journals at no cost!
Find out more about resources like funding, waivers and agreements – including our own BES waivers – that cover processing and publishing fees
buff.ly/OsBvjdf
🧪🌍
Find out more about resources like funding, waivers and agreements – including our own BES waivers – that cover processing and publishing fees
buff.ly/OsBvjdf
🧪🌍
Reposted by Functional Ecology
Learn more about the need for effective management of native and non-native deer species in Scotland in our latest blogpost 🦌🌲
Scotland’s iconic Red deer threatened by invasive ‘super Sika’
Calum Brown and his team share their findings on managing native and non-native deer species in Scotland and discuss potential solutions. Scotland’s deer numbers are thought to be at an all-time hi…
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December 3, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Learn more about the need for effective management of native and non-native deer species in Scotland in our latest blogpost 🦌🌲
Reposted by Functional Ecology
Check out our latest blogpost where ecologists explored how to restore degraded sites within the Galapagos National Park 🌱🌍🧪
Quarries and garbage dumps inside the Galapagos National Park: How can we restore them?
Velasco et al. share their experience assessing the survival of plant species in the Galapagos to inform decision-making amongst stakeholders. When you think of the Galapagos Islands, what comes to…
buff.ly
December 2, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Check out our latest blogpost where ecologists explored how to restore degraded sites within the Galapagos National Park 🌱🌍🧪
❄️December issue out now!❄️
📙On the cover: A female Weddell seal rests on the sea ice. Since she skipped having a pup this year, she doesn’t have to expend energy caring for offspring - leaving her with more time to enjoy a nice snow pillow! Credit: Amy Kirkham🦭
Read it here👇
buff.ly/b29bCGX
🧪🌍
📙On the cover: A female Weddell seal rests on the sea ice. Since she skipped having a pup this year, she doesn’t have to expend energy caring for offspring - leaving her with more time to enjoy a nice snow pillow! Credit: Amy Kirkham🦭
Read it here👇
buff.ly/b29bCGX
🧪🌍
December 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
❄️December issue out now!❄️
📙On the cover: A female Weddell seal rests on the sea ice. Since she skipped having a pup this year, she doesn’t have to expend energy caring for offspring - leaving her with more time to enjoy a nice snow pillow! Credit: Amy Kirkham🦭
Read it here👇
buff.ly/b29bCGX
🧪🌍
📙On the cover: A female Weddell seal rests on the sea ice. Since she skipped having a pup this year, she doesn’t have to expend energy caring for offspring - leaving her with more time to enjoy a nice snow pillow! Credit: Amy Kirkham🦭
Read it here👇
buff.ly/b29bCGX
🧪🌍