Charles Cunningham
@charles-cunningham.bsky.social
Spatial ecologist interested in conservation prioritisation.
R&D Fellow at UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Currently working on effects of pesticides on freshwater insects, and ecological resilience in environmental policy
R&D Fellow at UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Currently working on effects of pesticides on freshwater insects, and ecological resilience in environmental policy
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Great to see @charles-cunningham.bsky.social's paper out on the impacts of woodland connectivity on the presence of woodland species in the UK. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Although ecologists talk about connectivity being important to maintain, the evidence that this is true is weak. 1/
May 20, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Great to see @charles-cunningham.bsky.social's paper out on the impacts of woodland connectivity on the presence of woodland species in the UK. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Although ecologists talk about connectivity being important to maintain, the evidence that this is true is weak. 1/
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Our new work on the impact of #conservation and management actions on bird populations within European protected areas is out. 🦆🦅
One finding being that management actions targeting habitats might help species more adjusting to impacts of climate change.
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
One finding being that management actions targeting habitats might help species more adjusting to impacts of climate change.
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Interactions between climate warming and management actions determining bird community change in protected areas
Biodiversity is increasingly negatively affected by climate warming, making this issue a major conservation concern. Many bird species respond to warm…
www.sciencedirect.com
May 8, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Our new work on the impact of #conservation and management actions on bird populations within European protected areas is out. 🦆🦅
One finding being that management actions targeting habitats might help species more adjusting to impacts of climate change.
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
One finding being that management actions targeting habitats might help species more adjusting to impacts of climate change.
doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Soil property maps for Europe at 100 m resolution released by ISRIC - World Soil Information in the framework of the EU HoliSoils project to inform forest management and policies.
holisoils.eu/soil-propert...
🧪🌍👇🌲🌳
#soilscience #soilhealth #soilmapping #forestsoil
holisoils.eu/soil-propert...
🧪🌍👇🌲🌳
#soilscience #soilhealth #soilmapping #forestsoil
Soil property maps for Europe at 100 m resolution will inform forest management and policies - HoliSoils
Forest soils provide important ecosystem services, such as biodiversity support, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, water regulation and erosion control.
holisoils.eu
March 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Soil property maps for Europe at 100 m resolution released by ISRIC - World Soil Information in the framework of the EU HoliSoils project to inform forest management and policies.
holisoils.eu/soil-propert...
🧪🌍👇🌲🌳
#soilscience #soilhealth #soilmapping #forestsoil
holisoils.eu/soil-propert...
🧪🌍👇🌲🌳
#soilscience #soilhealth #soilmapping #forestsoil
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Our #interdisciplinary paper investigating the synergies and trade-offs of upland treescape expansion is now out in @peopleandnature.bsky.social which is part of the STAND @uktreescapes.bsky.social project led by the @rspb.bsky.social
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Using participatory scenario planning to explore the synergies and trade‐offs from upland treescape expansion
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
March 17, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Our #interdisciplinary paper investigating the synergies and trade-offs of upland treescape expansion is now out in @peopleandnature.bsky.social which is part of the STAND @uktreescapes.bsky.social project led by the @rspb.bsky.social
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
“Fragmented landscapes consistently have both lower α diversity and lower γ diversity [but higher β diversity]
Our findings refute claims that habitat fragmentation can increase biodiversity at landscape scales”
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our findings refute claims that habitat fragmentation can increase biodiversity at landscape scales”
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Species turnover does not rescue biodiversity in fragmented landscapes - Nature
An analysis of habitat fragmentation using a dataset of more than 4,000 species worldwide shows that fragmentation reduces biodiversity at all scales, and that increases in β diversity do not compensa...
www.nature.com
March 12, 2025 at 10:35 PM
“Fragmented landscapes consistently have both lower α diversity and lower γ diversity [but higher β diversity]
Our findings refute claims that habitat fragmentation can increase biodiversity at landscape scales”
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our findings refute claims that habitat fragmentation can increase biodiversity at landscape scales”
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
I looked some more at these biodiversity credits. It seems the best option for a biodiversity project is to mow the vegetation until it is a pefect lawn. With NDVI then homogeneous, the credit you earn tend to infinity. People are buying/selling these credits, right now. 🌿🌏
The more I look at this, the more I think Plan Vivo's nature credits are bonkers. Consider a project somewhere just 3 species live, 1 distantly related to the other 2. Abundances start at 40, 40 & 40, but after work you reach 80, 50 & 50. Unless the 80 is in the distant relative, this is negative 🌿🌏
#Biodiversity people: While studying biodiversity credits I've been looking in detail at Plan Vivo's metric www.planvivo.org/news/plan-vi.... This includes a relative phylogenetic diversity index based on besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/.... I think this is nonsense right? [more]🌿🌏
February 17, 2025 at 10:55 AM
I looked some more at these biodiversity credits. It seems the best option for a biodiversity project is to mow the vegetation until it is a pefect lawn. With NDVI then homogeneous, the credit you earn tend to infinity. People are buying/selling these credits, right now. 🌿🌏
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Come and work with me! Fab #postdoc role at University of Kent on the @greenme-project.bsky.social , collaborating with Mike Hardman, Penny Cook and myself at University of Salford, and 6 other countries!
Green care, GIS, data, surveys!
Deadline 24th Feb
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLV078/r...
Green care, GIS, data, surveys!
Deadline 24th Feb
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLV078/r...
Research Associate at University of Kent
An opportunity for an academic position as a Research Associate is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other academic job openings.
www.jobs.ac.uk
February 12, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Come and work with me! Fab #postdoc role at University of Kent on the @greenme-project.bsky.social , collaborating with Mike Hardman, Penny Cook and myself at University of Salford, and 6 other countries!
Green care, GIS, data, surveys!
Deadline 24th Feb
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLV078/r...
Green care, GIS, data, surveys!
Deadline 24th Feb
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLV078/r...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
There is an idea that we can simply step away from degraded ecosystems & they will recover
But truly biodiverse, resilient ecosystems are complex
So, in degraded landscapes, we will often need to intervene to guide systems towards complexity
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
But truly biodiverse, resilient ecosystems are complex
So, in degraded landscapes, we will often need to intervene to guide systems towards complexity
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Explore before you restore: Incorporating complex systems thinking in ecosystem restoration
By illustrating how key Complex Systems Science (CSS) concepts linked to non-linear threshold behaviour can impact restoration outcomes through influencing recovery trajectories, our framework Explor...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
January 22, 2025 at 8:38 AM
There is an idea that we can simply step away from degraded ecosystems & they will recover
But truly biodiverse, resilient ecosystems are complex
So, in degraded landscapes, we will often need to intervene to guide systems towards complexity
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
But truly biodiverse, resilient ecosystems are complex
So, in degraded landscapes, we will often need to intervene to guide systems towards complexity
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
I ended last year explaining how Robins taught us about #birds ability to see direction of magnetic fields, so I'll start this one with a story about bird's 2nd magnetic sense that allows them to navigate using a map of the local strength of magnetic fields. Garden Warblers illustrate this well.🌿🌏🧪🧵
January 8, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I ended last year explaining how Robins taught us about #birds ability to see direction of magnetic fields, so I'll start this one with a story about bird's 2nd magnetic sense that allows them to navigate using a map of the local strength of magnetic fields. Garden Warblers illustrate this well.🌿🌏🧪🧵
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Looking for a #PhDposition? Passionate about #pollinators and #citizenscience? Come do a PhD at @ukceh.bsky.social on developing indicators for pollinating insects using data from UK PoMS. The project includes a placement at JNCC. To apply tinyurl.com/3ve5szrh
@drnickisaac.bsky.social
@drnickisaac.bsky.social
CR2025_21: Developing metrics of change for pollinating insects in the UK at University of Reading on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - CR2025_21: Developing metrics of change for pollinating insects in the UK at University of Reading, listed on FindAPhD.com
tinyurl.com
December 10, 2024 at 10:01 AM
Looking for a #PhDposition? Passionate about #pollinators and #citizenscience? Come do a PhD at @ukceh.bsky.social on developing indicators for pollinating insects using data from UK PoMS. The project includes a placement at JNCC. To apply tinyurl.com/3ve5szrh
@drnickisaac.bsky.social
@drnickisaac.bsky.social
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Out today: my final paper from my postdoc at the @universityofhull.bsky.social, in which we explored the UK public's views on brownfield sites and biodiversity! So very excited to finally be publishing this paper - a labour of love.
*Please note: this is not BTO work.*
doi.org/10.3351/ppp....
*Please note: this is not BTO work.*
doi.org/10.3351/ppp....
Conservation priorities for development: survey of UK public’s views on brownfield sites and biodiversity - People, Place and Policy
People, Place and Policy is an online journal providing a forum for academic debate around issues of urban policy, social and economic regeneration, housing and the labour market. Articles deal with t...
doi.org
December 20, 2024 at 11:05 AM
Out today: my final paper from my postdoc at the @universityofhull.bsky.social, in which we explored the UK public's views on brownfield sites and biodiversity! So very excited to finally be publishing this paper - a labour of love.
*Please note: this is not BTO work.*
doi.org/10.3351/ppp....
*Please note: this is not BTO work.*
doi.org/10.3351/ppp....
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Excited to be at the British Ecological Society annual meeting for next few days. Hoping to catch up on loads of people! Today is action for me, then catch up later. Come meet @cascade-hei.bsky.social at lunch, then hear me talk about systematic conservation plan for the UK later! #BES2024
December 11, 2024 at 10:58 AM
Excited to be at the British Ecological Society annual meeting for next few days. Hoping to catch up on loads of people! Today is action for me, then catch up later. Come meet @cascade-hei.bsky.social at lunch, then hear me talk about systematic conservation plan for the UK later! #BES2024
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Great talk by @drnickisaac.bsky.social from UKCEH at #bes2024 about the development of the species abundance indicator for Defra. Honest perspective on the positive ambition and challenge of doing this week. @britishecolsoc.bsky.social
December 11, 2024 at 12:08 PM
Great talk by @drnickisaac.bsky.social from UKCEH at #bes2024 about the development of the species abundance indicator for Defra. Honest perspective on the positive ambition and challenge of doing this week. @britishecolsoc.bsky.social
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Great to see @charles-cunningham.bsky.social's work highlighted on the stage at DEFRA's #bes2024 event. I know he is enjoying his fellowship with defra, so would absolutely recomend that scheme. Actual measurement of impacts of pesticides on freshwater inverts is remarkably big knowledge gap.
December 11, 2024 at 11:17 AM
Great to see @charles-cunningham.bsky.social's work highlighted on the stage at DEFRA's #bes2024 event. I know he is enjoying his fellowship with defra, so would absolutely recomend that scheme. Actual measurement of impacts of pesticides on freshwater inverts is remarkably big knowledge gap.
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
🚨Fully-Funded UK PhD Opportunity!🚨
I’m hiring a #PhD exploring the complexities of #biodiversity change across space and time 🌐. Join @cmbeale.bsky.social and me at #York and for this exciting opportunity!
Please share and/or message me if interested. More info and how to apply: shorturl.at/Zu7ED
I’m hiring a #PhD exploring the complexities of #biodiversity change across space and time 🌐. Join @cmbeale.bsky.social and me at #York and for this exciting opportunity!
Please share and/or message me if interested. More info and how to apply: shorturl.at/Zu7ED
November 28, 2024 at 8:11 PM
🚨Fully-Funded UK PhD Opportunity!🚨
I’m hiring a #PhD exploring the complexities of #biodiversity change across space and time 🌐. Join @cmbeale.bsky.social and me at #York and for this exciting opportunity!
Please share and/or message me if interested. More info and how to apply: shorturl.at/Zu7ED
I’m hiring a #PhD exploring the complexities of #biodiversity change across space and time 🌐. Join @cmbeale.bsky.social and me at #York and for this exciting opportunity!
Please share and/or message me if interested. More info and how to apply: shorturl.at/Zu7ED
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
🚨NEW exciting PhD opportunity... 🚨
designing effective habitat networks for species conservation #biodiversity #conservation #restoration
A fab supervisory team from University of Liverpool, Natural England, Butterfly Conservation and @ukceh.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
designing effective habitat networks for species conservation #biodiversity #conservation #restoration
A fab supervisory team from University of Liverpool, Natural England, Butterfly Conservation and @ukceh.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
ACCE+ DLA programme: Habitat networks designed for all - ensuring climate-resilience for a wide diversity of species at University of Liverpool on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - ACCE+ DLA programme: Habitat networks designed for all - ensuring climate-resilience for a wide diversity of species at University of Liverpool, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
November 27, 2024 at 11:36 AM
🚨NEW exciting PhD opportunity... 🚨
designing effective habitat networks for species conservation #biodiversity #conservation #restoration
A fab supervisory team from University of Liverpool, Natural England, Butterfly Conservation and @ukceh.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
designing effective habitat networks for species conservation #biodiversity #conservation #restoration
A fab supervisory team from University of Liverpool, Natural England, Butterfly Conservation and @ukceh.bsky.social
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
There’s just 6 years left to protect 30% of land and sea for nature
But findings out today in Wildlife and and Countryside Link's progress report reveal the amount of protected land in England has fallen to just 2.93% while protected seas are at 9.92%
📗🔗https://buff.ly/4eoqMvW
🌍🧪
But findings out today in Wildlife and and Countryside Link's progress report reveal the amount of protected land in England has fallen to just 2.93% while protected seas are at 9.92%
📗🔗https://buff.ly/4eoqMvW
🌍🧪
October 3, 2024 at 10:10 AM
There’s just 6 years left to protect 30% of land and sea for nature
But findings out today in Wildlife and and Countryside Link's progress report reveal the amount of protected land in England has fallen to just 2.93% while protected seas are at 9.92%
📗🔗https://buff.ly/4eoqMvW
🌍🧪
But findings out today in Wildlife and and Countryside Link's progress report reveal the amount of protected land in England has fallen to just 2.93% while protected seas are at 9.92%
📗🔗https://buff.ly/4eoqMvW
🌍🧪
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
How applied ecology can support and enhance both biodiversity and food production.
Also, check out the abstract in four languages!
Also, check out the abstract in four languages!
Our new Editorial is here!
We highlight three key knowledge gaps concerning the role of biodiversity and the ecology of food production systems 🌱
And define Journal of Applied Ecology's role in closing these knowledge gaps 👇
doi.org/10.1111/1365...
We highlight three key knowledge gaps concerning the role of biodiversity and the ecology of food production systems 🌱
And define Journal of Applied Ecology's role in closing these knowledge gaps 👇
doi.org/10.1111/1365...
April 30, 2024 at 1:18 AM
How applied ecology can support and enhance both biodiversity and food production.
Also, check out the abstract in four languages!
Also, check out the abstract in four languages!
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Our new paper on the future of ecosystems is out today! We used climate and biome models to infer how anthropogenic CO2 emissions might shape the global distribution of different vegetation types over the next 500 years 🌎🌲🌴🌵
doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
Projected future climatic forcing on the global distribution of vegetation types | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Most emissions scenarios suggest temperature and precipitation regimes will change
dramatically across the globe over the next 500 years. These changes will have large
impacts on the biosphere, with s...
doi.org
April 8, 2024 at 10:13 AM
Our new paper on the future of ecosystems is out today! We used climate and biome models to infer how anthropogenic CO2 emissions might shape the global distribution of different vegetation types over the next 500 years 🌎🌲🌴🌵
doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
doi.org/10.1098/rstb...
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
Joris Wiethase's 2nd PhD paper is out 2day onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... exploring traits of savannah #birds in Tanzania associated with range changes. Confirming our earlier work, we see big individual changes, but fail to find obvious patterns explaining variation between species. 🌏 🧪1/n
February 26, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Joris Wiethase's 2nd PhD paper is out 2day onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... exploring traits of savannah #birds in Tanzania associated with range changes. Confirming our earlier work, we see big individual changes, but fail to find obvious patterns explaining variation between species. 🌏 🧪1/n
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
🚨New paper! Is homogenization really that more common than differentiation? - not really, our latest work shows that one pattern can be as common as the other.
Another great work and collaboration led by this amazing team👇
Another great work and collaboration led by this amazing team👇
The lack of evidence for declining local diversity through time must be because everything is homogenizing, leading to larger-scale losses.
Right?!
Nope, says our analysis of 500+ meta-communities through time just published in Science Advances
🧪🌎🐟🌳🦋 🐦🦌
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Right?!
Nope, says our analysis of 500+ meta-communities through time just published in Science Advances
🧪🌎🐟🌳🦋 🐦🦌
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Synthesis reveals approximately balanced biotic differentiation and homogenization
Homogenization is most common at large temporal and spatial scales but is balanced by differentiation at smaller scales.
www.science.org
February 22, 2024 at 9:58 AM
🚨New paper! Is homogenization really that more common than differentiation? - not really, our latest work shows that one pattern can be as common as the other.
Another great work and collaboration led by this amazing team👇
Another great work and collaboration led by this amazing team👇
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
🚨Still time to apply for one of these exciting opportunities! 8 fully funded PhD studentships!
▶️Deadline extended to 31st Jan!!!
Come and join us - projects across a range of departments - one wild card project up for grabs too! Apply here👇
▶️Deadline extended to 31st Jan!!!
Come and join us - projects across a range of departments - one wild card project up for grabs too! Apply here👇
🚨Call open in a range of departments!
Great opportunity to submit your own #PhD research proposal on the theme Biodiversity Gains & Resilience or apply to the other 8 Fully funded projects at the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (York, UK)
Apply here👇
www.york.ac.uk/professorial...
Great opportunity to submit your own #PhD research proposal on the theme Biodiversity Gains & Resilience or apply to the other 8 Fully funded projects at the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (York, UK)
Apply here👇
www.york.ac.uk/professorial...
January 10, 2024 at 9:20 AM
🚨Still time to apply for one of these exciting opportunities! 8 fully funded PhD studentships!
▶️Deadline extended to 31st Jan!!!
Come and join us - projects across a range of departments - one wild card project up for grabs too! Apply here👇
▶️Deadline extended to 31st Jan!!!
Come and join us - projects across a range of departments - one wild card project up for grabs too! Apply here👇
Reposted by Charles Cunningham
🚨Another important piece of the puzzle! - Roel and collegues expand on there 2020 analysis 🕷🐜🦋🐛🦗 to show us that being abundance doesn't necessary mean you are doing fine... 👇
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Disproportionate declines of formerly abundant species underlie insect loss - Nature
An analysis of more than 500 sites distributed worldwide finds that declines in the abundance of terrestrial insects are attributable mainly to decreases in species that were formerly abundant, r...
www.nature.com
December 21, 2023 at 1:12 PM
🚨Another important piece of the puzzle! - Roel and collegues expand on there 2020 analysis 🕷🐜🦋🐛🦗 to show us that being abundance doesn't necessary mean you are doing fine... 👇
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...