Jon morant

cell.comQuantifying the gap from scientific evidence to environmental policy and implementation across scalesEffective environmental action depends on both scientific knowledge being translated into policy and policies being translated into practice. This study reveals persistent, scale-dependent disconnects...

New paper out in Cell Reports Sustainability 🧵 How long does it take for science to reach environmental policy, and does policy then work on the ground? We quantified both gaps. The answer: slow, and then only partly effective. www.cell.com/cell-reports...

Jon morant reposted

Wildlife Conservation Society

@wcs.org

From our New York zoos to the mountains of Mongolia, we are working to protect snow leopards. This #SnowLeopardDay, a glimpse of the “Ghost of the Mountains.” In the Gobi, our experts are tracking snow leopard movements to show the importance of a critical corridor. 🌏

Implementation works better the closer you get to the ground. Likely reasons are clearer accountability, more stakeholder engagement and fewer competing interests. However, these are case studies, not a universal rule.

We need shorter paths from evidence to action. That means formal science–policy channels, knowledge brokers, co-production with policymakers and stakeholders, and multi-scale implementation. Huge shout-out to all my co-authors who make this work possible! 🌍 @ua.es

Then the second gap: does policy work once adopted? We used biodiversity conservation across three scales. Global: under Aichi Target 12, 84% of assessed species worsened in conservation status (2010–2021). 203 moved into threatened categories and only 40 recovered. At least 160 went extinct.

Continental:Under Natura 2000, only 41% of Annex I bird species had stable or increasing breeding territories. 16% declined and 43% were unknown or uncertain Regional:In the Valencian Community vulnerable birds with a 2005 conservation plan showed positive trends, while those without plans declined

Older concepts get in faster. The longer a concept had been in the literature, the shorter the gap: CBD: rho = −0.54, p < 0.001 FCCC: rho = −0.51, p = 0.002 CCD: rho = −0.36, p = 0.062

Surprise:concept type explained little Positive vs negative valence made no difference. FCCC favoured atmospheric, abiotic and structural concepts, which fits its focus on mitigation. CBD and CCD showed no preference Uptake looks idiosyncratic, probably driven by how science and policy agendas align

By convention: CCD: 8.5 ± 1.5 yrs CBD: 6.7 ± 1.2 yrs FCCC: 6.0 ± 1.1 yrs The differences between conventions weren't statistically significant (p = 0.489). Gaps ranged from 0 to 28 years

Some concepts were adopted immediately, such as deforestation (CBD), land degradation neutrality (CCD) and methane (FCCC). Others waited decades: Phylogenetic diversity: 28 yrs (CBD) Ecosystem services: 27 yrs (FCCC) Extreme events and soil biodiversity: 22 yrs (CCD)

We tracked 46 ecological concepts across the 3 big UN conventions: climate (FCCC), biodiversity (CBD) and desertification (CCD). We measured the years between each convention's first COP and when a concept first appeared in COP documents. Average gap: ~7 years

Jon morant reposted

Jolyon Troscianko

@jtroscianko.bsky.social

🦋 Butterfly wing patterns create motion illusions that protect them from predators! Our new study (8 years in the making) is out in Nature today doi.org/10.1038/s415... @grahancock.bsky.social @esbriolat.bsky.social @scienceanna.bsky.social @lauraakelley.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social

I want to thank all the participants who attended the course and made it possible, as well as @umh.es for their support Special thanks to my colleague and course professor Juan Manuel Pérez, and all the members of the Department of Ecology for making me feel right at home. 🌿📚

21 Sept

Kick off to the third edition of our Introduction to Movement Ecology course at the @umh.es @eco-aeet.bsky.social @ecoinf-aeet.bsky.social @aeetmov.bsky.social

Jon morant reposted

Cath Hodsman

@cathhodsman.bsky.social

20 Aug

Did u know? Bees(& many other insects)sleep in flowers. There's lots of reasons for this: the centre of a flower is warmer than surrounding air temp; convenience of waking up on your breakfast; predator protection from the flower colour/pattern camouflage; protection against bad weather. 🌿🌱🇬🇧🌱🌍🪲🐝

doi.orgEmerging threat of avian influenza to the world's vulturesClick on the article title to read more.

20 Aug

🚨🦅 New paper out in Conservation Biology: we look at the emerging threat of H5N1 avian influenza to the world's vultures, and outline five action areas needed to address it. doi.org/10.1111/cobi... Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Jon morant reposted

Journal of Animal Ecology

@animalecology.bsky.social

20 Aug

📖 Relationship between spatial and social phenotypes in an avian scavenger This work demonstrates that the role of animal movements in shaping social interactions differs across social situations 🐈️ 🌍 🔎 buff.ly/qS8gKYu

Jon morant reposted

Society for Conservation Biology

@society4conbio.bsky.social

9 July

New Press Release from @scbnorthamerica.bsky.social SCB North America Develops New Definition of “Conservation” conbio.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT... Read about the definition: scbnorthamerica.org/index.php/sc... Stay tuned for more at #NACCR2026! 🌍🦑🦥

Jon morant reposted

ESA Journals

@esajournals.bsky.social

23 June

A new animal movement discovery from #TheScientificNaturalist, in our journal "Ecology"⤵️

Jon morant@morantjon.bsky.social

🧵 Have you ever wondered how far an animal can actually travel? We did, and the answer will blow your mind. 1/4 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comA 2100‐km jaguar journey redefines mobility and large‐scale conservation priorities during large carnivore dispersalClick on the article title to read more.

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comA 2100‐km jaguar journey redefines mobility and large‐scale conservation priorities during large carnivore dispersalClick on the article title to read more.

🧵 Have you ever wondered how far an animal can actually travel? We did, and the answer will blow your mind. 1/4 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Gaspar traversed 2,100 km in just 367 days — putting him among the record-holders for travelled distance in one of the world's largest carnivores. 🌎📍 3/4

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comA 2100‐km jaguar journey redefines mobility and large‐scale conservation priorities during large carnivore dispersalClick on the article title to read more.

Special shout-out to all the team and people involved in the fieldwork who make this and other discoveries possible. Read the full study here 👇 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #Jaguar #Wildlife #Conservation #Ecology #AnimalMovement

esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comA 2100‐km jaguar journey redefines mobility and large‐scale conservation priorities during large carnivore dispersalClick on the article title to read more.

🧵 Have you ever wondered how far an animal can actually travel? We did, and the answer will blow your mind. 1/4 esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Meet Gaspar 🐆 — an adult male jaguar, 7+ years old, and one of nature's most impressive long-distance travellers. As a territorial male, he's built to roam. But even we weren't ready for this. 2/4

@gomezserrano-ma.bsky.social

27 May

We are launching the 3rd edition of our Introduction to Movement Ecology course in R🚨 💻📶🦇🦅🦡. It's gonna take place at the University of Elche (Alicante, Spain)🇪🇸 next September. Primary language: Spanish Spreading is appreciated😊

Jon morant reposted

Miguel A Gómez Serrano

26 May

Pasear perros sueltos en las playas tiene un importante impacto sobre la reproducción de las aves litorales: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... En la 📷 hay un pollo de Chorlitejo chico (Thinornis dubius) que ha escapado del peligro gracias a su capacidad de camuflarse. 🧐 Lo ves? Nivel difícil.

Jon morant reposted

SORTEE

@sortee.bsky.social

27 May

Help us tackle financial barriers to participation in open science practices by spreading the word! 💚 Join us sortee.org/join/ #openscienceisforeveryone #SORTEE

Jon morant reposted

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology

@btobirds.bsky.social

12 May

Last chance to apply to be our Biological Data Manager! Visit www.bto.org/jobs to submit your application! 📆 Full time, Permanent 📝 £32,952 per annum 📍 HQ in Thetford, Norfolk (hybrid role) Deadline for applications: Sunday 17 May #Ornithology

bit.lyArchive pictures to celebrate zoology on David Attenborough's 100th birthdayTo celebrate the 100th birthday of David Attenborough we've found archive pictures of zoology.

8 May

Few voices have shaped our connection to the natural world like Sir David Attenborough's. His remarkable storytelling has inspired generations of zoologists, conservationists, ecologists, and nature lovers, reminding us why nature is worth protecting. #DavidAttenborough #Conservation #Wildlife

Jon morant reposted

Oxford Biology

@biology.ox.ac.uk

8 May

🎂Happy 100th birthday to Sir David Attenborough🌍 Great to see the Oxford Mail reflecting on Zoology in Oxford and the many people who’ve helped shape the field over the years bit.ly/4uBb2NM Sir David has inspired many conservationists here in Oxford and we are proud to have had him visit us.

Jon morant reposted

Colin Carlson

@colincarlson.bsky.social

9 Apr

New in @science.org ‼️ In the most comprehensive study to date, we show that wildlife trade is driving animal-to-human zoonotic spillover at a planetary scale, with +1 spillover per host every 10 years. Live animal markets and illegal trade pose even greater risks. 🔓 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Jon morant reposted

Miguel Clavero

@chikichanka.bsky.social

29 Mar

New, and sad, OA paper We describe how the European polecat has recently vanished from its last stronghold in Catalonia First chapter of Salvador Salvador's PhD, with Roger Puig-Gironés et al Short thread below @ebdonana.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.comExtinction Debt Paid Off: The Demise of the European Polecat (Mustela putorius) in NE IberiaWe studied a vanishing polecat population for a decade, until its ultimate demise, using camera trap and roadkill data, landscape descriptors and dietary and toxicological analyses.Polecat favoured f....

Jon morant reposted

Sociedad Ibérica para la Conservación y Estudio de los Mamíferos

@secem-sicem.bsky.social

10 Apr

1/ Domestic cats are among the most common pets but when allowed to roam freely, they can pose serious risks to biodiversity, especially in protected natural areas: predation, disease transmission, and even hybridization with closely related species like the European wildcat.

Jon morant reposted

Dr. Marta Jarzyna

@majarzyna.bsky.social

26 Feb

Thrilled to share our new paper out in @science.org, led by François Leroy and Petr Keil! Using the Breeding Bird Survey, we document not only a continent-wide decline in bird abundance since the 1980s — but, crucially, the acceleration of these declines over time. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

science.orgAcceleration hotspots of North American birds’ decline are associated with agricultureHuman activities might have accelerated declines of population abundance, but this acceleration remains underexplored. Using 1033 North American Breeding Bird Survey routes, we analyze abundance chang...

Jon morant reposted

Nature Portfolio

@natureportfolio.nature.com

18 Feb

Human‑induced climate change may have intensified the mechanisms behind the 2024 flash floods in Valencia, Spain, according to a modelling study published in Nature Communications. 🧪

go.nature.comHuman-induced climate change amplification on storm dynamics in Valencia’s 2024 catastrophic flash flood - Nature CommunicationsThis study reveals how climate change altered storm dynamics during the 2024 Valencia floods. Warmer seas fueled stronger updrafts, increasing rainfall intensity by 20% and significantly amplifying flood severity.

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.comGrazing and climate interact to regulate greening trends in Mediterranean grasslandsOur results show that traditional grazing systems can maintain grassland stability without causing degradation, but they can also increase the ecosystem's vulnerability to climate change. We provide ...

20 Jan

I am ecstatic to share our recently published paper and brilliantly led by Marina Rincón where we analysed the impacts of Grazing🐄 and climate🌀🌡️ on Mediterranean grasslands productivity 🌱🏞️⛰️ besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

New paper out!! 🚨🥳 We here evaluated for the first time, the impact of wind energy on birds and bats in Chile, which represents, to our knowledge the first assessment of wind energy infrastructures on these two vulnerable groups in South America🌎 sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

🔬 Critical gap we identified: no mitigation measures were tested on Chilean species. What works for European raptors may not work for Andean condors or Variable hawks. We urgently need species-specific, evidence-based solutions.

💡 Our recommendations: Standardize monitoring protocols NOW Mandate high-frequency surveys during migration Use trained detection dogs in forested areas Test mitigation effectiveness experimentally Create transboundary conservation strategies

📊 Our models showed mortality increased with distance from coast and turbine height. Chilean Matorral and Valdivian forests showed highest rates. But detection bias in dense vegetation means southern forests may have hidden, uncounted casualties.

🚫 Mitigation measures? 45% of wind farms had NONE. Of those with measures, 90% were passive (painted blades, lights)—which may lose effectiveness as birds habituate. Active measures like on-demand shutdowns were rare due to costs.

🦇 We found clear seasonal mortality peaks in spring and autumn, coinciding with increased bat activity and range expansion. The Brazilian free-tailed bat accounted for 58% of all bat fatalities—a major conservation concern.

❗ Major problem we found: monitoring is inconsistent and lacks standardization. 62% of facilities didn't report sampling schedules. Only 6.4% conducted carcass persistence trials. Without proper bias correction, true mortality is vastly underestimated.

📍 Chile leads Latin America in wind energy investment, with ~1,360 turbines generating 4.6 GW. But this rapid expansion is happening in biodiversity hotspots—home to threatened species like the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus).

🦅 The most concerning finding: 9 Andean condors (Vulnerable status) killed at 3 wind farms in north-central Chile. Even low mortality rates can devastate populations of these long-lived, slow-breeding species. Every individual counts.

onlinelibrary.wiley.comSequential Thresholds Shape Drylands' Multitrophic Response to AridificationWe analyzed biodiversity responses across 290 global dryland ecoregions and found that all taxonomic and trophic groups, from microbes to mammals, showed abrupt threshold declines with increasing ari...

3 Nov 2025

🚨New paper out!🚨 We here analysed how different organisms (from #microbes to #mammals🦠🐝🪱🦅🦎🐸🦒🐟) react to #aridity in #drylands #ecoregions🌡️🌄, and how #biodiversity, #humandisturbance, #climatechange and #landusechange modulate richness loss in drylands onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Jon morant reposted

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

@cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social

19 Sept 2025

Online now: Animal niches in the airspace

dlvr.itAnimal niches in the airspaceFor flying animals, including many birds, bats, and insects, the air is a crucial arena for a range of behaviors. Technological advances, such as year-round tracking of flight altitudes and expanded use of radar, increasingly show how flying animals use the aerial habitat. This enables us to answer questions about the environmental patterns and ecological processes that shape aerial niches, including energetics, biotic interactions, and risk due to growing anthropogenic conflicts. In this review, we identify environmental conditions and biological interactions influencing where animals occur in the airspace throughout their life cycles. We outline an ecological framework to advance understanding of how different properties of the airspace shape fundamental aerial habitat niches and how biotic interactions influence the realized niches.

Jon morant reposted

Leon Simons

@leonsimons.com

11 Sept 2025

The Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude heat keeps blowing my mind. The North Atlantic was not as extreme as the past two years, but the other oceans were even more extreme than the North Atlantic summers of both 2023 and 2024!

Zack Labe@zacklabe.com

The massive extreme marine heatwave continues to stretch across the entire northern Pacific Ocean. In fact, the magnitude of the sea surface temperature anomalies even grew in August 2025 compared to earlier in the summer. Yikes... 🫠 Data from OISSTv2.1 (psl.noaa.gov/data/gridded...). 🌊