In honour of "Postdoc Appreciation Week", a plug for a paper I was involved in 5 years ago (w/ @bjmjarrett.bsky.social, @muriellealund.bsky.social and others) in which we highlighted how academia could better support postdocs. There is much here that remains relevant! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Academic ecosystems must evolve to support a sustainable postdoc workforce - Nature Ecology & Evolution

The postdoctoral experience is in need of reform. Here the authors outline concrete steps that institutions, postdocs and mentors can take to improve the landscape.

nature.com

Come join us at the Conservation Biogeography Lab @biogeoberlin.bsky.social @humboldtuni.bsky.social and carry out work on megafauna in Europe pages.cms.hu-berlin.de/biogeo/websi...

New PhD position on large mammals and land-use change in Europe | Conservation Biogeography Lab

We are excited to invite applications for a new PhD position on large mammals and land-use change in Europe. Join us at the Conservation and Biogeography Lab at Humboldt University Berlin!

pages.cms.hu-berlin.de

Rat-tailed maggots at a garden centre! These are aquatic larvae of hover flies 🐝 They breath through their tail snorkels 🤿 They break down organic waste 🌿 Their adult forms are important pollinating insects 🍎 They're so mesmerizing to watch! Info from @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social

Here's a link to the full review, published open access.

A scoping review of evidence for the effects of seven global deer species on woody vegetation

This scoping review summarises the current evidence for ecological effects of seven global deer species on woody vegetation, with a focus on the evenness of study across deer species, global distribu....

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

High deer densities are one of the main challenges in temperate forest restoration and management. But not all deer are the same! In this review we consider the evidence for their impacts on woody vegetation ->

I would be very interested to see the feasibility studies behind this, particularly habitat suitability assessments. You can't tell me the UK is a more suitable place for elk now than it was 3000 years ago..?! www.countryfile.com/wildlife/elk...

Are you a female deer stalker based in the UK? The British Deer Society want to hear from you 🦌🎯 www.surveymonkey.com/r/NK77K3S?fb...

Quercus robur flowers ~ tiny pink female flowers nestled next to the pendulous male catkins 🩷

Online map of non-woodland trees in England published by @forestresearchuk.bsky.social

England’s non-woodland trees mapped and available freely for the first time - Forest Research

forestresearch.gov.uk

2025. Healthy forests require combined deer and invasive shrub control [USA data] phys.org/news/2025-04...

Healthy forests require combined deer and invasive shrub control

If left unchecked, both overabundant white-tailed deer populations and invasive shrubs like Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) can devastate deciduous native tree regeneration. Yet, a management stra...

phys.org

"Plastics recycling" is essentially a con. Instead we are choking the planet (and our own bodies) with #PlasticWaste and #PlasticPollution www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Just 9.5% of plastic made in 2022 used recycled material, study shows

Global research reveals most of 400m tonnes produced using fossil fuels, predominantly coal or oil

theguardian.com

It is truly an honour to be shortlisted for the Elton Prize! Reflecting on this paper for the blog was really nice - we had such a great time writing it and it's driving so much of what we're doing in @foragingecology.bsky.social! Check out the paper here: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Networking nutrients: How nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks

Nutrients influence the structure and complexity of ecological networks by driving interactions but remain poorly integrated into networks. Integrating nutritional data into networks may significantl...

doi.org

Journal of Animal Ecology@animalecology.bsky.social · last yr.

Jordan Cuff provides the story behind his paper, “Networking nutrients: How nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks“, which was shortlisted for this year’s Elton Prize 🕷️ animalecologyinfocus.com/jordan-cuff-... @JordanCuff.bsky.social

Had a blast this weekend at my first @mammalsociety.bsky.social conference with this lovely lot 🦌 🐿️ the talks were all superb, and it was great to be back in Bangor 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Our @ukceh.bsky.social Kestrels lost their nest site at UKCEH Wallingford when it blew down in winter storms, so we've just provided them with a new nestbox on the office buildings. Kestrels are UK amber-listed after a 40% decline since the 1990s, so we didn't want to lose this pair. #ukbirding

Very nice commentary on our study - "Ecological novelty is the new norm on our planet" ♨️🌍🍃🦌🌐

Walter Andriuzzi@walterandriuzzi.bsky.social · last yr.

Also check out linked commentary by Anna Walentowitz www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Large wild fauna are a natural part of, and crucial to, most ecosystems, performing all sorts of key roles. Early humans killed off most planetary megafauna, and that artificial absence has many enduring negative effects. Follow @jcsvenning.bsky.social for more on this. (3) bsky.app/profile/jcsv...

Jens-Christian Svenning@jcsvenning.bsky.social · 2y ago

The evidence for Homo sapiens playing the dominant role in the global #megafauna #extinctions constitutes one of the clearest, well-supported patterns in #ecology. See our 2024 review www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #paleobiology #archeology #hunting #ecosystem #Pleistocene #defaunation #rewilding

New from us: Lantau, Hong Kong, water buffalo ⬇️⬇️🐃🐃🐃 #Preprint ⬇️

bioRxivpreprint@biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · last yr.

Adaptive behavioural strategies to seasonal challenges by a semi-urban feral ungulate https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.12.642745v1

Thousands of people are ditching Tesla. Here’s one of them with a message you can see from space. Location: Black Rock Sands, Wales, UK Led By Donkeys is 100% funded by small donations.

PhD opportunity with me (RSPB) at Sheffield Hallam combining ecology (building-nesting birds esp. Swift) + building design & planning (Net Zero goals & retrofit). We need a strong student interested in both! Is that you? url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/cNyjCR636C... Please repost.

Brilliant case study of #CitizenScience “The thing with gulls is, because they’re very smart these behaviours spread culturally" www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

From profiteroles to moles: project uncovers gulls’ surprising diet

Salford University findings show gulls are predators – not just opportunists snatching people’s snacks

theguardian.com

Hot off the press: a Conservation article on our recent work exploring patterns in the seasonal diet of fallow #deer in North Wales @graemeshannon.bsky.social @markuseichhorn.bsky.social @bangoruniversity.bsky.social 🌳🦌💩 theconversation.com/what-deer-po...

What deer poo can tell us about the future of Britain’s woodlands

Research reveals that fallow deer have an unexpected appetite for brambles, a plant often seen as a woodland nuisance.

theconversation.com

NEW PhD OPPORTUNITY 🌳🌲 "Biodiversity for woodland resilience: the long-term functional ecology of tree diversity" www.envision-dtp.org/2025/biodive... Closing date 17:00 on Wednesday 12th March 2025. @bangoruniversity.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social

Biodiversity for woodland resilience: the long-term functional ecology of tree diversity

The benefits of biodiversity for forest resilience and delivery of many ecosystem services underpin “nature-based solutions”. However, there are major gaps in knowledge of the ecological mechanisms, l...

envision-dtp.org

1 week left to apply to do a PhD with me & APHA on the Virome of British #bats 🦇🧬🦠 ⚠️⚠️⚠️ #OneHealth

Dr Orly Razgour@orlyrazgour.bsky.social · 2y ago

PhD Alert! ⚠️⚠️ Come to do a PhD with me @universityofexeter.bsky.social and Animal and Plant Health Agency on 'Virome of British bats: A One Health approach to understanding disease emergence and environmental health'. Application deadline 28 Feb. #bats #zoonoses 🦇🦠 www.surrey.ac.uk/bbsrc-wessex...

Fallow deer diet in North Wales is dominated by bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.) across seasons 🦌 Learn more here 👇

buff.ly

A PhD position has opened up in my old lab group in Uppsala with Anna Qvarnström! I can't recommend Uppsala and the group highly enough. This is a really great opportunity! If anyone wants to learn more about life in Uppsala or in the department, I'm very happy to talk.

EvolDir@evoldir.bsky.social · last yr.

Uppsala University seeks a PhD student for climate-change adaptation and speciation research on flycatchers. Applicants must hold a Master's degree in biology. More info: https://www.uu.se/en/department/ecology-and-genetics/research/animal-ecology/qvarnstrom-lab. Apply by March 18, 2025. #phd

Coverage of our recent paper from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research 🦌

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)@ninanatureresearch.bsky.social · last yr.

A study of deer poo in North Wales could shed light on the conservation of woodlands in the UK.

Our new paper on the diets of wild deer in woodlands was the lead item on BBC Farming Today! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Farming Today - 12/02/25 Farm minister at Norfolk Show, rural foodbanks, deer and woodland. - BBC Sounds

Farm Minister holds the government's line on tax at a conference for Norfolk farmers.

bbc.co.uk

On International Day of Women in Science let's celebrate the life of Prof. Georgina Mace (1953–2020) who was instrumental in creating the Red List of endangered species which now underpins conservation around the world. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgin...

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🧪 To celebrate at my work, I asked some of the brilliant researchers I work with about their experiences in science - and their passion for it really shines through #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience

Celebrating the work of women in science

To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February), we’re highlighting some of the many women doing amazing work with TropWATER across freshwater and marine sciences. Read ...

tropwater.com

What do deer eat in the winter? In the UK a common assumption is that they subsist on over-wintering crops or grazing land. In our new paper led by Amy Gresham we overturn that story. 1/7 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....