Podcasts about british ecological society

For our ‘Editor Expertise' series, we will be meeting with each of our Senior Editors, who will share the reason they went into animal ecology, their current and future research focus, and their experience working as an editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology. Our aim is to spread awareness of their research area and give you a chance to get to know the editors behind the journal. This month's guest is Dr Darren Evans, Senior Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology. (0:00) – British Ecological Society intro (0:58) – Podcast introduction (1:30) – Darren's journey into animal ecology (15:30) – Darren's current and future research focus (34:30) – Shoutouts to past supervisors and colleagues (38:30) – Darren's experience as Senior Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology (47:00) – Advice for people who want to become journal editors / are thinking of a career in ecology (52:50) – British Ecological Society outro

For our ‘Editor Expertise' series, we will be meeting with each of our Senior Editors, who will share the reason they went into animal ecology, their current and future research focus, and their experience working as an editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology. Our aim is to spread awareness of their research area and give you a chance to get to know the editors behind the journal. This month's guest is Professor Jean-Michel Gaillard, Senior Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology. (0:00) – British Ecological Society intro (0:33) – Podcast introduction (01:15) – Jean-Michel's journey into animal ecology (02:58) – Jean-Michel's current and future research focus (07:20) – Shoutouts to past supervisors and colleagues (08:50) – Jean-Michel's experience as Senior Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology (12:40) – Jean-Michel's editorial highlights and challenges during his time with the journal (15:40) – Advice for people who want to become editors / are thinking of a career in ecology (17:32) – British Ecological Society outro

As part of our 'Community' series, we're launching a new series called the Emerging Leadership Management (ELM) Network, hosted by Professor Rob Brooker, Professor Thorunn Helgason, and Professor Pen Holland. The new BES ELM network is born out of a shared vision to help and celebrate researchers' transitions into management and leadership roles. In this episode, they interview Yadvinder Malhi, a former BES president and Professor of Ecosystem Science at the Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, and Senior Research Fellow at Oriel College. Tune in to hear Yadvinder discuss transitioning into a leadership role and the key aspects of managing and leading a team. ELM Network | What leadership looks like with Professor Yadvinder Malhi By British Ecological Society is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Host Rob Brooker, Head of Ecological Sciences at The James Hutton Institute and Honorary Secretary at the British Ecological Society. Host Thorunn Helgason, Chair in Ecology, School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and Board of Trustee at the British Ecological Society. Host Pen Holland, Deputy Head of Department (Education) at the University of York.

For our ‘Editor Expertise' series, we will be meeting with each of our Senior Editors, who will share the reason they went into animal ecology, their current and future research focus, and their experience working as an editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology. Our aim is to spread awareness of their research area and give you a chance to get to know the editors behind the journal. This month's guest is Dr Lesley Lancaster, Senior Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology. (0:00) – British Ecological Society intro (0:25) – Podcast introduction (1:03) – Lesley's journey into animal ecology (04:00) – Lesley's current and future research focus (16:50) – Shoutouts to past supervisors and colleagues (19:40) – Lesley's experience as Senior Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology (23:00) – Advice for people who want to become journal editors / are thinking of a career in ecology (27:59) – British Ecological Society outro

For Black History Month UK 2024, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Mthokozisi Moyo shares his experience in ecology and academia. Mthokozisi previously shared a blog post on The Applied Ecologist in 2022 detailing his background in African Ecosystems, Seasonality, and Functional Traits, and his thoughts on Black History Month (see link below). We are pleased to have the opportunity to catch up with him! Blog post: https://appliedecologistsblog.com/2022/10/19/mthokozisi-moyo-accidental-ecologist-to-seasonality-expert/ Mthokozisi's contact details: Twitter: https://x.com/mtho_moyo Email: mottomoyoza@gmail.com

For Black History Month 2024, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Dr Damilola Grace Olanipon speaks to Amelia Macho about her experiences in the field, working on plant-mycorrhizal relationships in forest ecosystems. Damilola discusses the importance of reclaiming narratives for Black ecologists in Africa, as well as the importance of equal opportunities. You can find Damilola on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilola-olanipon-86b9ab76/ Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2024 blog posts and podcasts here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membership-community/black-history-month/

Today Jack is joined by Toryn Whitehead, a PhD Researcher at Kings College London and a member of the British Ecological Society's Climate Change Special Interest Group! He is here to talk about his research into shifting baseline syndrome, rewilding and feral pigs/wild boar in Scotland!  Jack and Toryn also discuss the importance of respect and nuance in conservation, the dangers of twitter for communicating science, and how we can all get a little bit more into nature just by learning about it! Useful Links Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We are @PangolinPodcast

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - How should we live on a planet where the rate of extreme weather events seem to be increasing, and humanity is the cause?  
 “We're not doing well in terms of global temperatures at all. We're on a dangerous trajectory. We are not going to keep below the 1.5°C on average limit, that seems really clear.  We're actually over 1.5°C in terms of individual years already, but the target was stated in terms of multi-year averages. It's clear, with the inertia and the climate system, that we're going to exceed that. It also seems quite clear that we're going to exceed the 2.0°C limit the way things are going. We just don't have the kind of policy action that we need internationally,” explained Dr Kai Chan, a professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at University of British Columbia, Lead Editor of the new British Ecological Society journal 'People and Nature' and co-founder of CoSphere for a community of small planet heroes.  
“That all said, I personally am concerned more broadly than just with climate. I'm an ecological scientist, and we think about a wide range of different stressors to the natural world, including to the benefits that we receive from that natural world.” 
 “In that context, we're also doing poorly. We're not taking the kind of action that we need on the land use change that undermines ecosystems, threatened species, as well as crucial processes like water purification and flood mitigation, drought control. Unfortunately, these are hard times to be on the planet Earth.”   Some suggest we need to curtail our personal carbon footprints.  
According to Statistica, the average Canadian emitted 15.22 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2022. That's more than three times the global average. 
 A number of people on Cortes Island, and some other rural communities, have carbon footprints that are closer to those of the developing world. We have few electronic devices, do not use our cars often and our principal heating source is a heat pump.  
Lacking any other data, I (the author) used the carbon calculator at climate hero.org and calculated my personal carbon footprint. The answer was 3.4 metric tons. There are most likely people in rural areas like Cortes whose footprint is less than half of this.**  
 Yet I am also going on a trip abroad this year. This will add another 7.25 metric tons* to my tally, which I am going to divide by 10 as I have not flown since 2015 and do not expect to take another flight in the near future. That would bring my personal carbon footprint to a bit more than 4.12 metric tons, which is still less than the global average of 4.66 metric tones and far below that of most of my fellow Canadians. 
 Kai Chan: “It's an amazing effort and what you're doing is showing how far we can go as individuals. It also reveals that we can't go all the way to a sustainable society through those individual level efforts. I live in Vancouver because I am employed at the University of British Columbia, it's not feasible for me to do all of the things that you're doing, and I'm not the only one.”  
 “What we try to do is to pivot the conversation so that those folks who can't emulate that at this point in their lives can still feel like they're contributing meaningfully towards making this planet a more sustainable place.” 
 He also pointed out that we really can't measure our carbon footprint without taking into account the contribution of the society around us.

For Black History Month 2023, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Jeanelle Brisbane joins Amelia Macho. Jeanelle is an Assistant Forest Officer at Dominica's Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division, and the founder of WildDominique, a conservation organization. Here, she speaks about her early experiences of nature growing up in Dominica, her international studies, and the impact of Hurricane Maria on both Dominica's ecology and her career. You can read Jeanelle's 2022 blog post here: https://functionalecologists.com/2022/10/28/jeanelle-brisbane-building-on-island-capacity-as-the-foundation-for-conservation-success/ Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2023 blog posts and podcasts here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membership-community/black-history-month-2023/

For Black History Month 2023, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Jhan Salazar joins Frank Harris to discuss his early fascination with nature and the importance of representation in academia. Jhan is fifth-year graduate working on understanding patterns of evolution and adaptation of species to mountain environments in the Neotropics. Jhan is doing this research in Dr. Jonathan Losos' Lab in the Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Washington University, St. Louis, USA. Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2023 blog posts and podcasts here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membership-community/black-history-month-2023/

For Black History Month 2023, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Gideon Deme joins Frank Harris to discuss his journey towards becoming an ecologist, highlight barriers to accessing ecology for black ecologists, and inspiring figures that helped him along the way. Gideon is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Biology at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, USA. Gideon is also an Associate Editor for Ecological Solutions & Evidence Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2023 blog posts and podcasts here: www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membersh…th-2023/

For Black History Month 2023, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Reuben Fakoya-Brooks joins Amelia Macho. Having studied Zoology, Reuben worked as researcher for the NHS before starting a PhD in Human Behavioural Ecology at University College London. He has worked closely with the BES, founding the Racial & Ethnic Equality & Diversity (REED) ecological network here, which he also chaired. Reuben talks about his journey navigating work and academia, as well as his passion for photography, and discusses the importance of representation and support for under-represented communities. Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2023 blog posts and podcasts here: www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membersh…th-2023/

For Black History Month 2023, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this episode, Dr Perpetra Akite speaks to Amelia Macho about her experiences in academia, as a researcher and lecturer at the University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda. Perpetra discusses the importance of representation and role models for Black ecologists, as well as the need for more effective collaboration. You can read Perpetra's blog post, referenced in the podcast, here: https://relationalthinkingblog.com/2020/10/13/perpetra-akite-my-ugandan-ecological-journey-against-all-odds/ Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2023 blog posts and podcasts here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membership-community/black-history-month-2023/

For Black History Month 2023, the British Ecological Society is celebrating the work of Black ecologists around the world. In this first episode, Yoseph Araya joins Lydia Groves to discuss how we can encourage more people to experience nature, highlight role models and suggest what we can do to improve Black ecologists' experiences in academia. Yoseph is a Senior Lecturer at the Open University and Lydia is the Publishing Assistant for Journal of Applied Ecology. Check out all of the British Ecological Society's BHM 2023 blog posts and podcasts here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membership-community/black-history-month-2023/

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Umfrage: Politik sollte mehr gegen Falschmeldungen tun +++ Isometrische Übungen am besten gegen Bluthochdruck +++ Wasserqualität unserer Flüsse wird nicht besser**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Neue Studie: Einstellungen und Wahrnehmungen zu Desinformationen in Europa, Bertelsmann Stiftung, 10.08.2023Exercise training and resting blood pressure: a large-scale pairwise and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, British Journal od Sports Medicine, 25.07.2023The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt, Nature, 09.08.2023Solar parks as livestock enclosures can become key to linking energy, biodiversity and society, British Ecological Society, 01.08.2023The numerical stroop effect on consumer preference to order healthy food, International Journal of Hospitality Management, August 2023Stay close, but not too close: aerial image analysis reveals patterns of social distancing in seal colonies, Royal Society Open Science 9.8.2023**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.**********Weitere Wissensnachrichten zum Nachlesen: https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/nachrichten

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Frauen sind laut weltweiter Studie oft einfühlsamer +++ Mehr Daten-Übertragung im deutschen Handy-Netz +++ Zwischen 30 und 50 schlafen Menschen am wenigsten +++ **********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Sex and age differences in 'theory of mind' across 57 countries using the English version of 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test. PNAS, Dezember 2022Mehr Daten, kürzere Telefonate & früher online. Vodafone-Mobilfunk-Analyse 2022Reported sleep duration reveals segmentation of the adult life-course into three phases. Nature Communications, 13.12.2022.Fucoid brown algae inject fucoidan carbon into the ocean. PNAS, Dezember 2022Research reveals which animals perceive time the fastest. British Ecological Society, Dezember 2022**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.**********Weitere Wissensnachrichten zum Nachlesen: https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/nachrichten

Die Themen aus den Wissensnachrichten +++So viel Wasser braucht unser Körper+++ So verschlucken Frösche und Kröten ihre Beute+++ Mehrweg-Kisten aus Plastik sind besser als Einweg-Kisten aus Karton+++ **********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Variation in human water turnover associated with environmental and lifestyle factors, Science, 24.11.2022XROMM Analysis of Feeding Mechanics in Toads: Interactions of the Tongue, Hyoid, and Pectoral Girdle , Integrative Organismal Biology. 15.11.2022Mehwegsteige aus Kunststoff vs. Einwegkarton aus Pappe - zwei Verpackungssysteme im Wettbewerb, Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits- und Energietechnik UMSICHT, November 2022Can pasture-fed livestock farming practices improve the ecological condition of grassland in Great Britain?, British Ecological Society, 24.11.2022A new ornithopod dinosaur, Transylvanosaurus platycephalus gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Ornithischia), from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin, Romania, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 23.11.2022The lower Cambrian lobopodian Cardiodictyon resolves the origin of euarthropod brains,SCIENCE 24 Nov 2022**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.**********Weitere Wissensnachrichten zum Nachlesen: https://www.deutschlandfunknova.de/nachrichten

Today's episode is a collaboration with British Ecological Society .  Listen as Anne Chisa  hosts : Daniel Pauley, Mthokozisi Moyo and Nasiphi Bitani. They spoke of their journeys as black #ecologists & importance of action to impact real change + MORE.Support the show

With an undergraduate, two masters under her belt, Constance Shéré is currently working on her PhD studying MPAs. In this super wide ranging episode we chat about how Constance went from a history degree to studying marine science and then conservation, how growing up next to a marine protected area influences her work now, and how she's brought it full circle. We leap all over the pond, from Constance's native France to the US to Northern Ireland, and we also chat about the difference between the French, English, and American university systems (Constance has experienced all three), and when a university will actually kick you out.  Constance recently co-authored a publication with the British Ecological Society about 30 x 30, and she shares just what that means and how we're looking. Constance shares three pretty amazing field stories at the end of the episode, so be sure to stay tuned for that. show notes: marinebio.life/83Support the show

From the wonder of watching tiny, wild critters to the grand, complex world of international environmental research, this conversation spans worlds. It navigates the often-separate disciplines of science and stories, threading them together. Guest Kai Chan and host Alice Irene Whittaker discuss our responsibilities on Earth, heroic action, the value of nature, the connection between culture and conservation, what it is really like to work on those massive international climate reports, and rewilding a beautiful planet. Kai Chan is a scientist, professor, and cofounder of CoSphere, a Community of Small-Planet Heroes. He is the Canada Research Chair in Rewilding and Social-Ecological Transformation at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. He is an interdisciplinary, problem-oriented sustainability scientist, trained in ecology, policy, and ethics from Princeton and Stanford Universities. Kai led the pathways and solutions chapter of the recent ‘UN biodiversity report' and has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. As an interdisciplinary sustainability scientist, Kai leads CHANS lab (Connecting Human and Natural Systems) and is a Lead Editor of the new British Ecological Society journal People and Nature. Kai strives to understand how social-ecological systems can be transformed to be both better and wilder.Weaving threads between worlds, this episode of Reseed examines how the stories we tell can turn science into action, and takes a peek at the great lengths to which we will go for our one wild and wondrous home.  Listen at reseed.ca. 

If you are one of the many people who scream in fear when encountering a spider, hey! no judgement here, I've done that many times. so who can blame us for our fear? I'll tell you who DON'T judge us, SPIDERS! An study published in the British Ecological Society has shown that even spiders are afraid of other spiders.

Large wild herbivores reduce the fast biodiversity decline of plants in a tropical forestry hotspot by British Ecological Society. Read by Rendy Mulaudzi. To read the full story, go to https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/large-wild-herbivores-reduce-the-fast-biodiversity-decline-of-plants-in-a-tropical-forestry-hotspot/

Krishna Anujan is a community ecologist and nature enthusiast, and she's is studying the effect of biodiversity on tropical forest functioning in the Andaman Islands for her PhD at Columbia University. She regularly communicates science to the public through popular articles in English and Malayalam. Twitter: @KrishnaAnujan Popular Writing: What does the climate crisis mean for the Andaman Islands? Ecology and Natural History of the Andaman Islands (8-part series) Foraging Food: Eating Wild in the Andaman Islands Scent of a forest: Inhaling the Wonder of Blooms, Leaves and Fruits Un-Gorilla, Un-Adventure: The Realities of Fieldwork Other articles by Krishna, including her series in Mathraboomi (Malayalam) Publications: Trophic complexity alters the diversity–multifunctionality relationship in experimental grassland mesocosms Positive correlations in species functional contributions drive the response of multifunctionality to biodiversity loss Violet Cuckoo in the Andaman Islands Shownotes: IISER-Pune, Divya Vasudev, Ramana Athreya, Nandini Velho, Ajith Kumar Angela Saini's Superior and Inferior Island Biogeography Theory The left-brain & right-brain idea is a myth Productivity (ecology) Garjan (Dipterocarpus sp.), Kala Lakdi (Diospyros sp.) File Drawer Problem (Publication bias / negative results) Women in ecology mentoring scheme (British Ecological Society)

Dr. William Sutherland is the University of Cambridge's Professor of Conservation Biology. Previously, he was the President of the British Ecological Society, has written over 10 books on conservation, and this year actually received the Commander of the British Empire for Services to Evidence-Based Conservation Award.  He has invested decades into trying to promote conservation interventions that have actually been demonstrated to work based on evidence rather than assumption. We talked about everything from the dangers of investing tons of money in interventions with little evidence to back their efficacy, to the decision making process, to the tremendous resource that he and his international team have created with Conversation EvidenceWebsite:Conservation EvidenceYou can browse by habitat, species, and more to see exactly which interventions have been demonstrated through studies to actually produce positive change!As always, it would mean a lot if you wrote a review for the podcast. It helps it continue to grow and reach more people! 

Episode 5 is a discussion with Dr. Diana Wall. She is a distinguished professor of Colorado State University, who studies climate change, and the jungle beneath our feet; soil. Like a lot of things in this world, It is easy to forget that our lives depend on it, but the ground we walk on affects our food, water and wellbeing in a way that is practically immeasurable. Diana's research focused on looking at nematodes, a type of remarkable, microscopic worm which can survive in the harshest conditions. They tell us a lot about how life in soil contributes to healthy soils, ecosystem services and sustainability.   Along with considering our relationship with soil, she gives an insight into what it takes to become an academic. Like business, academia is important to understand at a basic level, considering it drives and informs global policy. Our future relies heavily on new discoveries and continued research. Diana is at the front line of research, telling us about what it takes to get there.    Diana H. Wall is University Distinguished Professor and Director, School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University. As an ecologist she is recognized for her work on soil biodiversity and climate change. She is internationally renowned for her studies of climate change impacts on soil nematode dynamics, functions, and survival in the Antarctic dry valleys. Her pioneering global scale studies of soil biodiversity are hallmarks of her career. She was president of the Society of Nematologists and the Ecological Society of America and currently is the science chair of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. She has published over 200 scientific articles, co-edited 5 books and numerous chapters. She received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the Ulysses Medal from University College Dublin, the 2019 President's Medal from the British Ecological Society and is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. She earned her PhD at the University of Kentucky.   Links: Save our soils: http://saveoursoils.com/  Nematodes(!!): https://youtu.be/ZEF1ntZJGow?list=TLGGRU1lystS_RowMTA3MjAyMQ     

Global soils are the source of all life on land but their future looks bleak. Our soils are in crisis. Their health is declining to the extent that we are just one generation away from a soil system that is unable to meet the needs of the people that depend on it. We urgently need to find solutions to reverse the damage we've done to our soil in order to protect humanity in the future. In this episode we're joined by three experts in the field to find out the scale of the problem we face and what we need to do to save our soil. Joining host Stefan Gates are Professor Chris Collins, Programme Coordinator, Soil Security Programme, Dr Felicity Crotty, Lecturer in Soil Science, Royal Agricultural University and Richard Bardgett, Professor of Ecology, The University of Manchester. Join the conversation on Table Talk. About our panel Richard Bardgett, Professor of Ecology, The University of Manchester Richard Bardgett is British ecologist and Professor of Ecology at The University of Manchester. He graduated from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1987 with a degree in Soil and Land Resource Science, and then moved to Lancaster University, where he gained his PhD in 1991. He then held posts at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research and the Universities of Manchester and Lancaster, where he established the Soil and Ecosystem Ecology Group. Richard returned to The University of Manchester in 2013 where he is now Professor of Ecology. Until recenttly, he served as President of the British Ecological Society (2017-2019). Professor Chris Collins, Programme Coordinator, Soil Security Programme Chris is Chair of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Reading. He chairs the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee providing expert advice to the UK Government on how to protect the environment from chemicals. Chris was Natural Environment Research Council Soils Coordinator overseeing a multi-million pound research investment to improve our understanding of how soils resist, recover and adapt to land use and climate change. He was a member of the UK Natural Capital Committee 2018-2020. His research focuses on determining the factors controlling exposure of biota to environmental pollution. Dr Felicity Crotty, Lecturer in Soil Science, Royal Agricultural University Dr Felicity Crotty has been researching soil biology and soil health for the last twelve years. Felicity joined the Royal Agricultural University as a Lecturer in Soil Science and Ecology in 2018. She is a soil ecologist working with the aim of promoting soil health and sustainable agriculture and is particularly interested in investigating how agricultural management effects soil quality, focusing on soil biology (earthworms, springtails, mites and nematodes), physics (compaction and water infiltration) and chemistry (N, P, K and other nutrients). Through combining her expertise in all three areas of soil science she is trying to disentangle the real impact different management strategies have on soil health and farming sustainably. Felicity has current projects investigating the use of AI to identify earthworm casts, using sensors to detect earthworm movements in the field and monetising soil health. Felicity previously worked as the Soil Scientist at the Allerton Project (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust) working on the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform (SIP), SoilCare project (EU Horizon 2020), and Soil Biology & Soil Health Partnership (AHDB). Prior to this, she was a Post-doc at Aberystwyth University working on the PROSOIL and SUREROOT projects; she spent a year as a Post-Doc in Canada at Dalhousie University (Halifax) and Saskatchewan University (Saskatoon), experimenting on the fungal feeding channel within the soil food web. She obtained her PhD at Rothamsted Research (North Wyke) investigating the passage of carbon and nitrogen through the soil food web.

Renowned Keith Somerville joins Robbie to discuss his career as a biologist and his recent paper titled “Soap Operas Will Not Wash For Wildlife” published by the British Ecological Society. Together they delve deeply into this “soap opera narrative”, why it isn’t based in reality, and the realities of human-wildlife conflicts in from the wilds of Africa to his back yard in England. Podcast is brought to you by: Carbon Unwind: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1512187506 Dog And Gun Coffee: www.dogandguncoffee.com Duck Dens: www.theduckdens.com  Pladra: www.pladra.com Civilware: www.civilware.com Dew Rosas: https://dewrosas.com/  See more from Blood Origins: https://bit.ly/BloodOrigins_Subscribe Music: Migration by Ian Post (Winter Solstice), licensed through artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government is launching a new action plan for animal welfare. It's wide ranging, with a headline promise to recognise animal sentience in law. That recognition was added to EU law back in 1997 under the Amsterdam Treaty, but since Brexit, animal welfare campaign groups had been worried it could be lost here. The action plan also mentions the introduction of new laws to crack down on illegal hare coursing and plans to give police more powers to protect farm animals from dogs. There are also plans to 'improve animal welfare at slaughter' and 'examine the use of cages for poultry and farrowing crates for pigs'. Continuing our focus on on-farm trials, we visit one of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's Strategic Farm projects. The Barker family’s arable farm at Westhorpe in Suffolk is currently in year four of a six-year whole-farm trial. They're investigating the costs of inputs on wheat; the long term benefits of flower strips in cereal fields; and how to improve the quality of water coming off arable land. And can we use nature to address a series of issues, including climate change, biodiversity and even our health and the economy? The British Ecological Society says it has published, for the first time, a complete assessment of the potential for using nature across the UK. But, it warns that ‘nature based solutions’ are NOT a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or a panacea for meeting Net Zero by 2050. Presented By Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

This week we close the series with Carlos Magdalena, Senior Horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Carlos is known widely as The Plant Messiah for his innovative successes assisting rare and endangered plants to reproduce and for thereby saving them from extinction. Together we muse on everything to do with The Future of Plants, from the ethics of deciding which plants live and which can't be saved, to how we might tackle the lack of empathy for plants in order to get people excited enough to fight for their preservation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it seems we all have a role to play in protecting nature for the future, whether as a scientist, a horticulturist… even at home in the near future your own plant collections might include some rare protected species. To find out more about Carlos, you can follow him @Plantmessiah on Twitter. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)

What will the future of plants look like if currently 2 in 5 are threatened with extinction? That depends on how we act now! Join us as we dive into our last theme of the mini-series, Conserving Plants, with Dr Pete Hollingsworth, Director of Science and Conservation at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Pete shares with us a diversity of ways plants are being conserved that give us hope for safeguarding biodiversity for the future. We also explore how conservation decisions are made, the need to integrate plant conservation with how we live alongside nature, and what you can do to help protect plant life. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)

Do plants need passports? And why did some members of the UK public receive mysterious seeds through the post that they didn't order last summer? The plant health inspectors and officers of the UK are tasked with keeping the country's plant life healthy, which means keeping an eye on, and eradicating if possible, all plant pests and diseases of concern. Leading the team is Nicola Spence, Chief Plant Health Officer for the UK. Nicola joins us on this episode of Plants & Our Health to discuss the UN International Year of Plant Health, how she advises government ministers on how to manage risks to the UK's plant life. We also consider the individual responsibility we all have to protect plants, and the impacts our everyday actions can have if we're not careful. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)

What do evolutionary ecology research, the health of plants and public engagement have in common?... Dr Katy Hayden! As a researcher and Plant Health Officer at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Katy helps safeguard the Garden's plant collections against pests and diseases. This week, Katy takes us on an audio tour of her working life in the gardens as we explore a new and perhaps less understood theme: Plants and Their Own Health. Research in plant health is not only of great academic interest, but is also important to improving biosecurity practices now. And as Katy explains, plant health is much more than the absence of disease. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)

Could one of the most important anti-cancer compounds really have come from the bark of infamously poisonous yew trees? And as these yews were already threatened, how did we harvest enough bark to produce the drugs we needed without killing them all off? In this second Plants as Our Medicines episode, we dive into the recent history of yews and Taxol, the anti-cancer drug they provide. We're joined by Dr Ramchandra Poudel, Senior Scientist at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, who has a background in community-based conservation of medicinal plants. Ram discloses how yews have long had a variety of uses in Nepal, far predating the scientific discovery of Taxol. Even now, Himalayan yews remain at the centre of economic conflict in Nepal, as farmers who have waited years for their slow-growing yews to mature now find stiff competition from competitors producing Taxol in much faster ways. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)

Less than 1% of tropical plants have been screened for their potential medicinal uses. Yet many common drugs today are derived from plants. On this episode of Plants & Our Health, we talk with Dr Markus Ruhsam on the impressive potential of plants to the pharmaceutical industry and to help us look after our own health, now and in the future. We also discuss a research project Markus led using DNA barcoding to identify whether herbal supplements contained the plants they say they do, which turned out some intriguing results. To learn more about Markus' investigations into the contents of herbal supplements, or to find out how you could start exploring the medicinal uses of your local plant life, you can reach Markus by email at MRuhsam@rbge.org.uk ‘Plants & Our Health' is a 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license)

What do you think of when you hear ‘botanic gardens'? In the very first episode of Plants & Our Health, a new miniseries exploring how plants support human health and wellbeing, we discuss with Simon Milne MBE how botanic gardens are much more than collections of plants. Simon is Regius Keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), an institution that, through its diversity of engagements ranging from science to community engagement, is critical to the wellbeing of the people of Scotland and the world. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a brand new 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. The first two episodes will explore the theme of ‘Plants & Our Mental Health'. You can dig deeper into how RBGE supports our health and wellbeing on their website (https://www.rbge.org.uk/visit/health-and-wellbeing/). You can also keep up with Simon's activities leading the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on Twitter @SimonMilne_RBGE. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

How could a doctor prescribe you nature? Does it work? And who is it for? On this second episode of our new miniseries Plants & Our Health, we continue to explore the theme ‘Plants & Our Mental Health' with Nature Prescriptions Project Development Executive Elaine Bradley, and Edinburgh GP Dr Louise Bailey. Our two guests share their experiences working on the Nature Prescriptions project in Scotland, through which doctors are prescribing time in nature for their patients, assisted by resources made by RSPB. After a successful rollout across Shetland, the project has its sights now set on getting the people of Edinburgh out into nature. Visit the RSPB website (https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/at-home-and-abroad/scotland/) for a range of ideas to help get you outdoors during the pandemic. You can also find Elaine on Twitter @LaineyBradley. ‘Plants & Our Health' is a brand new 10-part miniseries made in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and kindly supported with funding from the British Ecological Society. Music is Wallpaper by Kevin MacLeod (Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4604-wallpaper; License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Not Another Science Podcast is co-created by Helena Cornu and Tom Edwick, brought to you by Edinburgh University Science Magazine (EUSci). Our podcast manager is Alix Bailie. The logo was designed by Apple Chew, and the cover art was designed by Heather Jones. You can visit our website at www.eusci.org.uk to check out the latest issue of the magazine, a ton of other cool science content by our student journalists, and to see how to get involved. You can also follow EUSci on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. All podcast episodes and transcripts can be found at www.eusci.org.uk/podcasts/.

 Welcome fellow travellers!  Your hosts Jamie and Skander talk with William Gosling, Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics about his research on Mauritius, just what does "Palaeoecology" mean and his role as Chair of Education for the British Ecological Society!   Let us know your thoughts at risingwiththetide@gmail.com as well as what you'd like us to talk about next!      Song: "Mountain" by Dreadzone

This is Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Here is the news.Chinese President Xi Jinping is calling for efforts to enhance virtue in Chinese families and make them "an important foundation" for national development, progress and social harmony.Xi made these remarks when he met the participants at a Beijing conference to honor model families across the country. He said people from all walks of life should work for a new trend toward socialist family values featuring love for the nation, family and one another. The conference was the first of its kind to honor model families selected nationwide. A total of 300 families won the honor in a selection that highlights patriotism, observation of law, and commitment to public welfare.Xi said though family education has many aspects, the most important was in character building, stressing that sound moral values should be passed down to children from an early age.This is Special English.It is estimated that China&`&s aging population will reach a peak of 400 million by 2055, with large numbers of elderly in rural areas and a prevalence of female senior citizens.A new report shows that the aging population is expected to climb to 280 million by 2030, and the number of people who are 65 years of age and older will account for 20 percent of the total population. The figure will become 400 million by 2055, with an accompanying percentage of 27 percent.The report, issued by Social Science Academic Press, pointed out that the disproportionate female population is a result of the longer average life expectancy of women compared to men.Population experts say that different from other countries, Chinas&`& aging problem is largely due to the decades long family planning policies, which had led to a low birth rate for many years. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. A documentary has been broadcast on TV in China, providing rare footage of the Tokyo Trials. The three-episode-documentary began broadcasting on Tuesday, December 13, which is China&`&s National Memorial Day for the Nanjing Massacre Victims.This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials, when the Allied Forces brought to trial Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo after World War Two. The proceedings played an important part in shaping the postwar Asia-Pacific order.Some rare footage, including witnesses&`& testimony as well as war criminals defending themselves in court is broadcast for the first time in China.In 2014, China designated Dec. 13 as the National Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Victims.This is Special English.China has vowed to strengthen the management of online streaming, prohibiting unlawful and obscene content.The country&`&s media watchdog says authorities will crack down on activities that use live streaming to break the law or undermine people&`&s interests. In 2016, the authority handled more than 100 cases suspected of violating laws and regulations. The cases included online dramas, films and other audio-visual products. A regulation on live streaming has been in effect since December 1. It requires presenters to register with their real names and service providers to censor content and blacklist users who break the rules, prohibiting them from registering again. It also bans the use of live streams to undermine national security, destabilizing society, or infringing upon others&`& rights or interests.Online streaming has grown rapidly in China in recent years, generating huge business opportunities while bringing challenges to regulators. By the end of June, the number of streaming service users reached 500 million, accounting for 70 percent of China&`&s Internet population. Reports show that watching video online has become the primary form of entertainment in China, followed by gaming and reading literature online.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. The South-to-North Water Diversion project has benefited 87 million people while easing the water crisis in Northern China. That&`&s according to a news conference held recently to mark the two year anniversary of the project&`&s launch.Among the beneficiaries is Li Wenlan, a senior citizen living in southwest Beijing&`&s Fengtai district. Li&`&s neighborhood now receives water from a nearby water plant, a facility built specifically for receiving water from the transfer project. Now, almost 70 percent of the water running in Beijing&`&s underground pipes comes from the diversion project. Statistics show that the hardness of pipe water, a metric showing the amount of potential water scale, has dropped to around 120 milligrams per liter, which is only one-third of what it used to be before the project. China began to build the project in 2002 after nearly 50 years of expert evaluations. The first stage of the eastern line of the project, which directs water from the Yangtze River in Jiangsu province to Shandong province, was launched in 2013. Initiated one year later, the middle line diverts water from a reservoir in central China to Beijing and Tianjin through Hebei province. The Water Diversion Office says the project eased water shortage in North China and improves the water security levels along the route.This is Special English.A photo exhibition has been held in Haikou, the capital of southern China&`&s Hainan Province, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of China&`&s recovery of the South China Sea Islands.Running from Monday to Sunday in Hainan Museum, the exhibition displayed 150 groups of photos showing the recovery, development and other historical events of the South China Sea Islands over the last 70 years. Some of the photos are on public display for the first time.In November and December 1946, China took over the Xisha and Nansha Islands in compliance with the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, which ended Japan&`&s illegal occupation of the islands. You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. You can access the program by logging on to newsplusradio.cn. You can also find us on our Apple Podcast. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know by e-mailing us at mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. That&`&s mansuyingyu@cri.com.cn. Now the news continues.A survey has found that female employees in China are more loyal to their employers and have higher brand satisfaction than their male counterparts. The survey, entitled China Best Employers 2016, is based on feedback from more than 4 million respondents, around 53 percent of whom were women. The results were jointly published by Peking University&`&s Institute of Social Science Survey and Zhaopin.com, a Chinese human resources website.The report found that 38 percent of the female respondents have never changed their jobs, 11 percent higher than their male counterparts. Twenty percent of the females have been in their current job for more than five years, while for males, it was half that number, 10 percent. The survey also found that female employees care more about soft aspects of the workplace, including a positive and comfortable work environment, while at the same time, they desire equal pay for equal work. While female employees attach great importance to learning vocational skills as their career develops, the survey found that male employees care more about promotions. Women with work experience of less than one year are the most eager to improve their skills. The survey found that 56 percent of such women think improving their skills is the most important aspect of their career over the next three years. The report says recognition of personal capabilities and self-fulfillment are also a top concern for women, which "shows females are more worried about being replaced and more eager to win recognition".This is Special English.The southwestern Chinese city Chongqing will invest 15 billion yuan, roughly 2 billion U.S. dollars, to build a film and television industry park in a scenic mountainous area.The park will have a film shooting base, a tourist town, a theme park, as well as office buildings for film industry enterprises.The park is named after China&`&s Belt and Road Initiative, a cooperation scheme for countries along the ancient Silk Road.The park is located in the mountainous Wulong County. Construction will begin in early 2017. Cooperation partners from a dozen foreign countries have been invited to participate in the construction of some of the projects including the theme park and the tourist town.Local officials said the park will serve as a platform to promote exchanges and cooperation among film enterprises from China and other countries. It is expected that the park will integrate the art of film with online entertainment, gaming, and other new technology.You&`&re listening to Special English. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing. Reindeer living on the Arctic island of Svalbard are getting smaller - and scientists say climate change may be the cause.Scientists from Britain and Norway have found that adult Svalbard reindeer born in 2010 weigh 12 percent less on average than those born in 1994.Ecologist Steve Albon of Scotland&`&s James Hutton Institute says rising temperatures in the Arctic mean Svalbard is getting more rain, which is creating a hard ice sheet that the island&`&s reindeer can&`&t easily break through to reach food.Reindeer populations are also increasing due to warmer summers, stoking the competition.Albon says researchers think there is a correlation between rising temperatures and reindeer weight. He says more research is needed to confirm the link.Their findings were presented recently at a meeting of the British Ecological Society.This is Special English.Almost 20,000 ancient trees on the renowned Mount Tai in Shandong province now have "digital ID cards" holding basic information on the trees. The system provides basic information about the trees to help rangers examine the trees&`& growing environment, and make it easier for disease control and prevention. There are 18,000 ancient trees on Mount Tai, and 1,800 of them have been classified as first-class ancient trees, meaning they are either more than 300 years old, or are particularly rare. One of several very popular trees is a pine tree named Yingkesong, or Guest-Welcoming Pine. As one of the most popular tourist attractions, the more than 500-year-old pine is one of the items on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list. This is the end of this edition of Special English. To freshen up your memory, I&`&m going to read one of the news items again at normal speed. Please listen carefully.This is the end of today&`&s program. I&`&m Ryan Price in Beijing, and I hope you can join us every day, to learn English and learn about the world.

Dr. Mike Angiletta is a Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University as well as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs there. He is also a Senior Sustainability Scientist at the Global Institute of Sustainability. Mike received his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a faculty member at Indiana State University before accepting a position at ASU. Mike has received a number of awards and honors throughout his career, including the Marsh Book-of-the-Year Award from the British Ecological Society in 2010 and the Theodore Dreiser Distinguished Research Award from Indiana State University. Mike is with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.