Fieldwork Diary #7: Straniger Alm Join us as John Smout recounts his journey to Straniger Alm in the Austrian Alps, where alpine pastures and boggy slopes provide a backdrop for an extraordinary encounter with lizards at the edge of evolution: where egg layers and live-bearers meet. Please describe your field site. Our fieldwork takes place in Austria, around 1.5 km […]
https://naturallyspeaking.blog..../2025/07/10/fieldwor

Meet the Editor: Ji Chen In this blog post, we hear from Senior Editor Ji Chen, Professor at the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences! Ji’s research focuses on uncovering the mechanisms that regulate carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in ecosystems in response to global change drivers and anthropogenic disturbances. During his Ph.D., he examined how ecosystem CO₂ exchange responds to experimental warming, herbivory grazing, and prescribed fire, …
https://functionalecologists.c....om/2025/07/10/meet-t

No training needed: How humans instinctively read nature’s signals People can intuitively sense how biodiverse a forest is just by looking at photos or listening to sounds, and their gut feelings surprisingly line up with what scientists measure.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/07/2507

Honey bees remove 80% of pollen—leaving native bees with nothing Feral honey bees, once celebrated for their agricultural value, are now threatening native ecosystems in Southern California by monopolizing pollen sources and overwhelming native pollinators. A new study reveals they remove up to 80% of pollen in a single day, severely disrupting food sources for over 700 species of native bees. Despite their benefits to agriculture, these invasive bees dominate nearly all bee biomass in the region and even produce lower-quality offspring when pollinating native plants. The findings urge conservationists to rethink beekeeping practices, especially near threatened bee populations and natural preserves.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/07/2507

Rainforest deaths are surging and scientists just found the shocking cause Tropical trees are dying faster than ever, and it's not just heat or drought to blame. Scientists have uncovered a surprising culprit: ordinary thunderstorms. These quick, fierce storms, powered by climate change, are toppling trees with intense winds and lightning, sometimes causing more damage than drought itself. The discovery is reshaping how we understand rainforest health and carbon storage, as storms may be responsible for up to 60% of tree deaths in some regions. Researchers now warn that failing to account for this hidden force could undermine forest conservation and climate models alike.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/07/2507