Functional Ecologists

In this Behind the Paper blog post, author Rosa Jolma – a PhD candidate at Utrecht University – discusses the paper “Acute heat tolerance (CTmax) of two invasive parasitic copepods differs across species, life cycle stages and acclimation temperatures“, which was published in Functional Ecology in August 2026. Rosa discusses how parasites tolerate heatwaves, working with t…

In this blog post, author Evan Perkowski – a postdoctoral research associate at Texas Tech University – delves into his research article “The negative effects of an allelopathic invader on native plant photosynthesis are amplified after tree canopy closure“, which was published in Functional Ecology in July 2026. Evan shares how garlic mustard “sows the seeds” …

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Libin Zhou – an Associate Professor at the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology – discusses the paper “Nutrient enrichment destabilizes aquatic food webs through synchronization within and across trophic levels“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Libin Zhou explains how nutrient enrichment d…

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post author Thayara S. Carrasco – a a postdoc at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, explores the paper “Long-term changes in functional diversity and its implications for mammalian conservation and ecological restoration in a grassland ecosystem”, published in Functional Ecology. Thayara discusses the ecological characteristics and f…

In this blog post, author Miki Jahn – an Associate Lecturer in Biology and Ecology at the University of Sydney – discusses the article “Increased energetic cost of movement reduces reproductive output in zebrafish at different temperatures and water flow rates“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Miki shares the implications of warming on reproductive inve…

In this week’s blog post, we’re trying (and failing) to escape the heat this summer! Read about the fascinating findings from Erick González-Medina’s paper “Cumulative heatwave stress disrupts thermal homeostasis and plumage structure in a Mediterranean passerine”. In his blog post, Erick shares insights into the delicate physiological balance that birds must maintain to stay cool, and the oxidat…

In this week’s blog post, we’re working together to beat the cold! Discussing their paper: “Endogenous colony dormancy shapes seasonal cold tolerance in temperate ants” author Quentin Willot – a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc at Namur University, Belgium – guides us through how these social insects anticipate and adapt to the cold season. Quentin explains how two biological levels of …

In this ‘Behind the Paper blog post, author Elena Tello-García – a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Innsbruck – discusses “Shrub encroachment influences root traits and mycorrhization in subalpine grasslands“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Elena discusses how shrub encroachment reshapes root traits and mycorrhizal partnerships in mou…

Following or latest open call, we are excited to announce that we have welcomed 47 new Associate Editors to Functional Ecology’s editorial board! Our new editors join us from 18 different countries and bring with them an incredible range of expertise and experiences in functional ecology. Read on to find out more about them! Alexandre de Menezes (he/him/his) University of Galway, Ireland Al…

In this blog post, we’re getting stung with knowledge on the fascinating responses to temperature shifts in the Map butterfly (Araschnia levana). From their new paper: “High Nitrogen loading impacts the temperature-size rule and heat tolerance in a nettle-feeding butterfly”, author Berber Meulepas shares insights behind their project work with the Map butterfly and its associations with the commo…

In this behind the Paper blog post, author Jonas Trepel – a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University – delves into the world of ecosystems engineers and discusses his paper “Wild large herbivores promote plant diversity and functional redundancy by reducing dominance“, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Jonas shares the role of large herbivores as key …

In this week’s blog post, fall into a web of knowledge with Collins Ogbeide, as he discusses his research article: “Artificial light at night and invasive signal crayfish alter aquatic-terrestrial food webs”. Collins explores predator-prey dynamics within riparian streams in a clever and unique way: artificial light! Collins also reflects on a crucial piece of advice: Adaptability matters more th…

In this ‘Behind the paper’ blog post, author Rafael Cabral Borges – a postdoctoral fellow at the Vale Institute of Technology in Belém, Brazil – discusses his paper “Bee community assembly is regulated by functional traits in pristine tropical forest environments“. Rafael explores whether bee communities organise themselves differently in forests and in canga a…

In our latest ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, author Erliang Gao shares insights into the article “Anthropogenic nitrogen addition interrupts seasonal connectivity and structures of plant–pollinator networks“, which was published in Functional Ecology in April 2026. Erliang Gao discusses the impacts of anthropogenic nitrogen enrichment on plant-pollinator networks, the joys …

In this blog post, author Sofia Etzold – a researcher at the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape – discusses the research article Decreasing water availability reduces productivity in Swiss forests along an altitudinal gradient, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Sofia explores whether emerging trends in forest productivity can already be l…

In this week’s blog post, we’re discovering how common it is to be rare! Through his paper: “Functional divergence drives the prevalence of low-abundance species in bat assemblages”, author Andrés F. Ramírez-Mejía explores the commonness of rarity: why there are so many rare species and explains why every bat has a role in our ecosystem. In his blog, Andrés explores the complexities of morphologi…

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, we’re dealing with drought! Author Caitlin Terry – a PhD student at Cornell University – delves into their research article “Forest type and leaf habit mediate thermal and drought tolerance across a tropical elevational gradient“. Caitlin discusses drought and thermal tolerances in tropical tree species, freezing leaf…

In this ‘Behind the Paper’ blog post, we’re taking a trip to Svalbard with author Jiří Šubrt to investigate lichen bleaching! Jiří – a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh – shares insights into the paper ‘Lichen bleaching as a response to long-term experimental warming in the High Arctic‘, which was recently published in Functional Ecology. Jiří di…

In this week’s blog post, Dr. Suzana Alcantara – a researcher at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil – discusses the story behind the cover of Volume 29, Issue 12. Suzana is an evolutionary biologist interested in morphological evolution, plant diversification, and biogeography.  She is particularly interested in understanding the processes that contribute to…