Journal of Applied Ecology publishes novel, broad-reaching papers on the interface between ecological science and the management of the natural environment.

We cover all ecological realms and themes in applied ecology, with a focus on addressing the acute global challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change, conserving biodiversity, and promoting nature's multifaceted contributions to people. Journal of Applied Ecology is part of the prestigious British Ecological Society portfolio.

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Cover Picture and Issue Information

  •  2573-2575
  •  5 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Cover Picture and Issue Information Issue 11, 2024

Cover image: A spearfisher chasing fish in shallow water in the Mediterranean Sea. New research advances our understanding of spearfisher-fish behavioral interactions by presenting a new model integrating three different ecological indicators (flight-initiation distance, post-flight responses, and efficiency of spearfishers) and providing simulations on fishing mortality and implications for management (pp. 2594–2604).

Photo: Photo by Alberto Balbi. © Cressi España.

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Not all maps are equal: Evaluating approaches for mapping vessel collision risk to large baleen whales

  •  2576-2593
  •  16 October 2024

Graphical Abstract

Not all maps are equal: Evaluating approaches for mapping vessel collision risk to large baleen whales Issue 11, 2024

The approach used to map risk (here, vessel collision to whales), affected the location, and total area, identified as ‘high risk’. The variation in outputs, depending on approach used, underscores the importance of methodological transparency, informed data selection and careful interpretation when predicting collision risk. We provide practical recommendations for enhancing transparency when predicting risk, and discuss choice of approach suitable for different situations or management applications. It is critical that managers and policy makers are aware of the implications of applying different approaches when interpreting risk evaluation outputs.

Open access

Modelling agricultural landscape complementation for natural pest control

  •  2701-2716
  •  15 October 2024

Graphical Abstract

Modelling agricultural landscape complementation for natural pest control Issue 11, 2024

Our modelling study provides insights in the role of landscape complementation for natural pest control in arable crops by revealing where resource discontinuities can become bottlenecks. Effective natural pest control relies on a variety of different habitats that provide floral and prey resources during different times of the year, for example a woody habitat, an early crop such as winter wheat, a late crop such as potato and flowering field margins next to these crops. If any of these (or similarly functioning) habitats are absent from the landscape we can expect higher pest densities in the crops and larger fluctuations in pest densities over the years.

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Urban bird commensals maintain coexistence under extreme food shortages

  •  2822-2836
  •  14 October 2024

Graphical Abstract

Urban bird commensals maintain coexistence under extreme food shortages Issue 11, 2024

Our study underscores the importance of controlling human-provided food to collectively manage dominant urban bird commensals. Beyond the two social restriction phases, curbing the availability of anthropogenic food through enforcement also kept nuisance birds away, validating a cost-effective approach in reducing their counts.

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Koalas, friends and foes—The application of airborne eDNA for the biomonitoring of threatened species

  •  2837-2847
  •  13 October 2024

Graphical Abstract

Koalas, friends and foes—The application of airborne eDNA for the biomonitoring of threatened species Issue 11, 2024

We demonstrate the potential of airborne eDNA for the detection of threatened terrestrial wildlife and their surrounding ecological community under natural conditions. With achievable optimisations we detail how airborne eDNA may be applied for the management and monitoring of threated species for enhanced conservation efforts.

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Remote sensing and GPS tracking reveal temporal shifts in habitat use in nonbreeding Black-tailed Godwits

  •  13 November 2024

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Remote sensing and GPS tracking reveal temporal shifts in habitat use in nonbreeding Black-tailed Godwits Issue ,

Our findings illustrate the shifting importance of natural and agricultural wetlands for godwits at different stages of the nonbreeding season. Protected areas in the Senegal Delta, particularly the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary (Senegal) and Diawling National Park (Mauritania), are crucial habitats during the dry season as godwits prepare for their northward migration, whilst rice fields take a key role during the wet season. Conservation efforts should prioritize eradicating invasive plants from the Djoudj and Diawling, as well as promote agroecological management in specific rice production complexes indicated in this study.

Landscape metrics predict habitat redundancy of restored oyster reefs for recruitment enhancement of dominant estuarine fish

  •  12 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Landscape metrics predict habitat redundancy of restored oyster reefs for recruitment enhancement of dominant estuarine fish Issue ,

Landscape metrics offer some predictive capacity to help restoration practitioners avoid habitat redundancy for recruitment enhancement and extend beyond considering individual habitats toward integrating landscape scale processes into predictions and restoration practice. We demonstrated a straightforward process for restoration practitioners to identify where habitats may be redundant and incorporate the landscape into restoration siting decisions: delineate co-occurring structured habitat with publicly accessible orthoimagery and model juvenile nekton relationships with proximal percent structure and near distance to other structured habitats.

Widespread resilience of animal species, functional diversity, and predator–prey networks to an unprecedented gigafire

  •  12 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Widespread resilience of animal species, functional diversity, and predator–prey networks to an unprecedented gigafire Issue ,

Despite the unprecedented 2019–20 Australian wildfires, our landscape-scale analysis found most native terrestrial fauna exhibited widespread resilience. Using 192 wildlife cameras across 24 landscapes varying in the extent of high fire severity, unburnt vegetation, and fire severity diversity (‘pyrodiversity’), we observed few relationships between fire-induced landscape properties and species activity or diversity measures. However, landscapes with greater extents of high severity fire had higher activity and richness of introduced species. These findings suggest management efforts may not need to focus on aiding native species recovery but could prioritise invasive species control in severely burnt areas.

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Organic farming and semi‐natural habitats for multifunctional agriculture: A case study in hedgerow landscapes of Brittany

  •  12 November 2024

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Organic farming and semi-natural habitats for multifunctional agriculture: A case study in hedgerow landscapes of Brittany Issue ,

Our study suggests that field-scale organic farming is necessary to promote biodiversity conservation and associated ecological functioning in crop fields, whereas landscape-scale preservation of semi-natural habitats alone is likely insufficient. Preservation of hedgerows in the landscape brings additional ecological and socio-economic benefits for organic systems without compromising agricultural production. More broadly, our results call for more ambitious research into the myriad possible combinations of farming practices and agri-environmental measures at both field and landscape scales, to improve both below-ground and above-ground functioning.

Efficacy of Bd metabolite prophylaxis dose and duration on host defence against the deadly chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

  •  11 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Efficacy of Bd metabolite prophylaxis dose and duration on host defence against the deadly chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Issue ,

The efficacy of short-term exposures of relatively low concentrations of Bd metabolites at reducing Bd infections suggests that this approach has the potential to be scaled up to field use to aid in disease mitigation and conservation. Our results, combined with additional research on Bd metabolite prophylaxis for other amphibian species, suggest that this strategy may represent a broadly useful tool to protect at-risk amphibian populations.

Open access

Disentangling direct and indirect effects of forest structure on biodiversity: Bottom‐up and top‐down effects between forestry, bats and their insect prey

  •  11 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Disentangling direct and indirect effects of forest structure on biodiversity: Bottom-up and top-down effects between forestry, bats and their insect prey Issue ,

Using structural equation modeling, our research uncovers the complex impacts of forest management on bats and insects, revealing both top-down and bottom-up effects. We found that forest management practices and structural characteristics shape bat guild activity both directly and indirectly by altering insect prey abundance and diversity. Short-range echolocating (SRE) bats responded positively to moth abundance, while long-range echolocating (LRE) bats were associated with ground beetle availability. Notably, mid-range echolocating (MRE) bats exhibited a top-down influence on moth populations, suggesting predation or moth avoidance behavior. While forest management increased prey insect abundance and site accessibility for foraging bats, it simultaneously reduced roost availability.

Native trees are responsible for the high carbon density in urban natural area forests across eight United States cities

  •  11 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Native trees are responsible for the high carbon density in urban natural area forests across eight United States cities Issue ,

Together these results demonstrate the importance of urban natural area forests as carbon-dense ecosystems and havens for native tree species. However, because of the greater number of non-native species in smaller size classes, these forests may also be at risk of transitioning away from native-dominated systems. Therefore, greater monitoring efforts and increased management activities such as non-native species removal will be crucial to maintaining the high carbon storage and health of these ecosystems.

The context‐dependent benefits of organic farming on pollinator biodiversity: A meta‐analysis

  •  11 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

The context-dependent benefits of organic farming on pollinator biodiversity: A meta-analysis Issue ,

Our results affirm that organic farming has positive effects for pollinator species richness and abundance, but benefits are variable and not guaranteed. We recommend that future studies adopt a standard sampling protocol and cover a larger geographic range to understand the global potential of organic farming to promote pollinator biodiversity. Efforts to increase pollinator abundance and diversity through organic farming should focus on organic systems involving cereal phases, especially within simple landscapes, for the most positive outcomes. However, due to high variability in pollinator responses alongside the challenges to achieve economic profitability from organic farming, crafting organic farming systems to specific farm-scale opportunities and needs may be necessary.

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Landscape diversity, habitat connectivity, age and size determine the conservation value of limestone quarries for diverse wild bee communities

  •  10 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Landscape diversity, habitat connectivity, age and size determine the conservation value of limestone quarries for diverse wild bee communities Issue ,

Observed negative effects of high woody vegetation cover on bee communities highlight the importance of local management to reduce shrub encroachment and reset successional processes in limestone quarries. Local management is particularly important in old quarries of great ecological value, where the adverse impact of high woody vegetation cover on wild bees appears to be most severe. Large and old quarries with high connectivity to neighbouring dry grasslands are especially valuable for endangered bee species. Therefore, landscape-scale restoration and conservation of dry grasslands is the most promising approach to promote endangered bee species through enhanced habitat connectivity.

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Nutrients, isolation and lack of grazing limit plant diversity in restored wetlands

  •  8 November 2024

Graphical Abstract

Nutrients, isolation and lack of grazing limit plant diversity in restored wetlands Issue ,

Restoration of plant diversity in wetlands is challenging, but our results point to potential remedies: plan restoration areas near colonisation sources of the target biota, restore hydrology to near-natural conditions, discontinue nutrient loads from surrounding arable land and restore near-natural grazing regimes. Bryophytes may be particularly useful as indicators for successful restoration of wetlands.

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REVIEW: An overview of the environmental risks posed by neonicotinoid insecticides

Abstract

Major knowledge gaps remain, but current use of neonicotinoids is likely to be impacting on a broad range of non-target taxa including pollinators and soil and aquatic invertebrates and hence threatens a range of ecosystem services.

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REVIEW: Wildlife camera trapping: a review and recommendations for linking surveys to ecological processes

Abstract

The rapid adoption of camera traps represents an exciting transition in wildlife survey methodology. We remain optimistic about the technology's promise, but call for more explicit consideration of underlying processes of animal abundance, movement and detection by cameras, including more thorough reporting of methodological details and assumptions. Such transparency will facilitate efforts to evaluate and improve the reliability of camera trap surveys, ultimately leading to stronger inferences and helping to meet modern needs for effective ecological inquiry and biodiversity monitoring.

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Guidance for successful tree planting initiatives

Graphical Abstract

Guidance for successful tree planting initiatives Issue 12, 2020

Tree planting, along with other strategies to increase tree cover in appropriate locations and contexts, can make a valuable contribution to ensuring the ecological and social well-being of our planet in coming decades, but only if these efforts are considered as one component of multifaceted solutions to complex environmental problems and are carefully planned, implemented and monitored over a sufficiently long time-scale with stakeholder engagement and broader consideration of socio-ecological complexities.

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Insectivorous bats alter their flight and feeding behaviour at ground‐mounted solar farms

Graphical Abstract

Insectivorous bats alter their flight and feeding behaviour at ground-mounted solar farms Issue 2, 2024

The negative effects of solar farms on bat flight and feeding behaviour should be considered when solar energy projects are planned. Research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the effects; for example, shading underneath solar panels may reduce plant biomass and therefore insect prey availability. Until exact mechanisms are identified, efforts should be made, first to avoid building solar farms on sites with great feeding potential for bats, and second to offset residual effects by improving the surrounding land and/or solar farms to provide better foraging opportunities. In this way, populations of bats can be supported alongside the generation of renewable energy.

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Controlling invasive plant species in ecological restoration: A global review

Graphical Abstract

Controlling invasive plant species in ecological restoration: A global review Issue 9, 2020

Decisions about which control method to use depend heavily on the invasive plant species' growth forms, the local economic situation where the restoration sites are located and resources available for control. More developed countries tend to use more chemical control, whereas less developed ones use mainly non-chemical methods. Since most of the reviewed studies were performed in countries with very high Human Development Index, we lack information from developing countries, which concentrates global hotspots for biodiversity conservation and global commitments of forest and landscape restoration.

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Increasing biodiversity in urban green spaces through simple vegetation interventions

Abstract

We found the probability of occupancy of most species examined was substantially reduced in urban green spaces with sparse understorey vegetation and few native plants. Our findings provide evidence that increasing understorey cover and native plantings in urban green spaces can improve biodiversity outcomes. Redressing the dominance of simplified and exotic vegetation present in urban landscapes with an increase in understorey vegetation volume and percentage of native vegetation will benefit a broad array of biodiversity.