A life of fragmentation
What do you say to a man whose list of conservation awards reads like a Star Wars film intro, who has introduced terms like the ‘hyperdynamism hypothesis’ to the field of ecology, and whose...
View ArticleBiodiversity is everyone’s responsibility
I’m not sure if many South Australians are aware of this, but the Parliamentary Inquiry into Biodiversity by the Environment, Resources and Development Committee presented a report to the 53rd...
View ArticleSome scary stats about agriculture and biodiversity
Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming the eminent sustainability scientist, Professor Andrew Balmford of the University of Cambridge, to our humble Ecology and Evolution Seminar Series here at...
View ArticleSex on the beach
Feminisation of a turtle population can be partitioned geographically when different reproductive colonies are exposed to contrasting temperatures
View ArticleInfluential conservation ecology papers of 2018
For the last five years I’ve published a retrospective list of the ‘top’ 20 influential papers of the year as assessed by experts in F1000 Prime — so, I’m doing so again for 2018 (interesting side...
View ArticleThirsty forests
Climate change is one ingredient of a cocktail of factors driving the ongoing destruction of pristine forests on Earth. We here highlight the main physiological challenges trees must face to deal with...
View ArticleAcademics and Indigenous groups unite to stand up for the natural world
More than 600 scientists from every country in the EU and 300 Brazilian Indigenous groups have come together for the first time. This is because we see a window of opportunity in the ongoing trade...
View ArticleIncreasing human population density drives environmental degradation in Africa
Almost a decade ago, I (co-) wrote a paper examining the socio-economic correlates of gross, national-scale indices of environmental performance among the world’s nations. It turned out to be rather...
View ArticleNothing like a good forest
Our history and culture are intimately tied to the planet’s forests and the services they provide to all living beings. In modern times, forests also help combat the impacts of anthropogenic climate...
View ArticleEnvironmental damage kills children
Yes, it’s a provocative title, I agree. But then again, it’s true. But I don’t just mean in the most obvious ways. We already have good data showing that lack of access to clean water and sanitation...
View ArticleThe politics of environmental destruction
You’d think I’d get tired of this, wouldn’t you? Alas, the fight does wear me down, but I must persist. My good friend and colleague, the legendary Professor Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, as...
View ArticleNot 100% renewable, but 0% carbon
Anyone familiar with this blog and our work on energy issues will not be surprised by my sincere support of nuclear power as the only realistic solution to climate change in the electricity (and...
View ArticleFuture of conservation
Last year I posted about a paper that attempted to gauge the opinions of modern-day conservationists about the perceived role of conservation biology today and in the near future. My main point was...
View ArticleFour decades of fragmentation
I’ve recently read perhaps the most comprehensive treatise of forest fragmentation research ever compiled, and I personally view this rather readable and succinct review by Bill Laurance and colleagues...
View ArticleYou know you’re screwed when the insects disappear
Last Friday, ABC 891 here in Adelaide asked me to comment on a conservation paper doing the news rounds last week. While it has been covered extensively in the media (e.g., The Guardian, CNN, and...
View ArticleInfluential conservation ecology papers of 2017
As I have done for the last four years (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013), here’s another retrospective list of the top 20 influential conservation papers of 2017 as assessed by experts in F1000 Prime. More than...
View ArticleA life of fragmentation
What do you say to a man whose list of conservation awards reads like a Star Wars film intro, who has introduced terms like the ‘hyperdynamism hypothesis’ to the field of ecology, and whose...
View ArticleAdult disguises
Skilled ornithologists can tell the age of a bird by the look of its feathers. But many species are advancing the moult of their first adult plumage in response to global warming, and the youngsters...
View ArticleInfluential conservation ecology papers of 2019
As I’ve done for the last six years, I am publishing a retrospective list of the ‘top’ 20 influential papers of 2109 as assessed by experts in F1000 Prime (in no particular order). See previous years’...
View ArticleThe state of global biodiversity — it’s worse than you probably think
I often find myself in a position explaining to non-professionals just how bad the state of global biodiversity really is. It turns out too that even quite a few ecologists seem to lack an appreciation...
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