Journal Of Ecology Research Articles

Timber Harvesting in Mountainous Regions: A Comprehensive Review

Mountain ecosystems play a crucial role in providing ecosystem services, with some of the most important being carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, land protection, and water source preservation. Additionally, timber harvesting in these regions presents significant environmental, economic, and social challenges. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric and systematic analysis of publications on timber harvesting in mountainous areas, examining the current state, global trends, key contributors, and the impact of forestry operations. A total of 357 publications on timber harvesting in mountainous areas have been identified, spanning from 1983 to 2024. These publications predominantly originate from the USA, Canada, Australia, and China, with additional contributions from European institutions. The research is published in leading forestry, ecology, and environmental science journals, highlighting its global impact. This study provides an in-depth bibliometric and systematic analysis, assessing research trends, key contributors, and their influence on scientific advancements in sustainable forestry and ecological conservation. These articles belong to the scientific fields of Environmental Science and Ecology, Forestry, Zoology, and Biodiversity Conservation, among others. They have been published in numerous journals, with the most frequently cited ones being Forest Ecology and Management, Journal of Wildlife Management, and Forests. The most frequently used keywords include dynamics, management, and timber harvest. The analysis of publications on timber harvesting in mountainous areas highlights the widespread use of primary harvesting methods, the negative effects of logging activities on soil, forest regeneration processes, and wildlife populations, as well as the role of advanced technologies in improving harvesting efficiency. While sustainable management practices, such as selective cutting and low-impact harvesting techniques, can mitigate some negative effects, concerns remain regarding soil erosion, habitat alteration, and carbon emissions. This analysis underscores the need for flexible forest management strategies that balance economic efficiency with ecological sustainability. Future research should focus on innovative harvesting techniques, adaptation measures to terrain and climate conditions, and the long-term impact of forestry activities on mountain ecosystems.

Using dynamic documents to mend cracks in the reproducible research pipeline

Abstract There is a research reproducibility crisis, including in ecology. The research pipeline from conception to publication has many cracks, which means that it may not be possible to repeat and verify published results. Reproducibility means that the results of a study can be reproduced from the original data. It is a critical step in the quality assurance of a study; indeed, the re‐use and subsequent citation of methods from reproducible research can increase the impact of the work beyond the findings of the specific study. Given the original data, code and documentation, in theory, all research results could be reproduced. However, sufficient information must be available to understand and reproduce the data handling, analysis and modelling. Information should also be accessible, enabling reproduction with reasonable effort. Various open‐source software options exist that allow scientists to easily annotate their scripts in a way that makes it simple to produce dynamic documents that give a more accessible account of the analysis (html, pdf and various word processor file types). Popular software options—including Jupyter notebooks, the R markdown package and the new multi‐language Quarto application—produce documents that weave together the input code and software‐generated output (text, tables, and figures) with the author's explanatory text to produce a clear narrative of the analysis process. Therefore, we now encourage the submission of supplementary dynamic documents to the Journal of Ecology to improve the reproducibility and transparency of research published in the journal. Reproducibility can be assessed prior to the submission of the work for publication, during peer review and post‐publication. Authors are encouraged to provide three file types: the data, an executable dynamic document and a static reproducibility PDF file that integrates and annotates the input code with the statistical output. We provide some basic examples of dynamic documents for reproducibility.

A comprehensive analysis of R's application in ecological research from 2008 to 2023

Abstract The field of ecology has been greatly enhanced by the integration of computational tools and statistical methods, with the programming language R emerging as a pivotal and flexible tool for ecological inquiry. As ecological research accelerates, understanding the prevalent trends and specific usage patterns of R in recent studies is crucial. Our investigation explored the use of R and its packages in 125,494 scholarly articles across 40 ecology journals from 2008 to 2023. A considerable number of articles, 52,658 (41.96%), designated R as their principal analytical tool, demonstrating a steady linear growth in its utilization from 10.31% in 2008 to 66.88% in 2023. Twelve R packages, including "lme4," "vegan," "nlme," "MuMIn," "ape," "ggplot2," "car," "mgcv," "MASS," "raster," "multcomp," and "lmerTest," each played a pivotal role in contributing to more than 1,000 scholarly articles. The highest usage rate of the lme4 package indicates that mixed-effect models have a particularly important role in ecological research, and the application of these models has helped ecologists solve many important scientific problems. Journal-specific package preferences aligned with their scientific domains, while the rise in the average number of R packages per article signals a trend towards more complex analytical methods in ecology. Our findings indicate a reciprocal relationship between the development of R and ecological research, underscoring the need for collaboration among quantitative ecologists, R developers, and ecologists to further advance both the language and the field.

Remote Sensing That Makes Sense in Ecological Research—From Pixels to Conservation

ABSTRACTAdvances in analytical techniques and the development of innovative remote sensing tools have greatly broadened the scope of ecological research. These advancements have led to notable progress in understanding the geography of study areas, with ground‐truthing capabilities enabled by GPS technologies revolutionising the generation of precise spatial data, such as organism locations. By linking spatial data with modelling, researchers can now gain insights into species‐environment relationships. This informs conservation strategies and resource management. Recent technological innovations, including as high‐resolution satellites provide detailed spatial and temporal information. The rapid growth of these technologies presents transformative opportunities for ecological research and biodiversity conservation anywhere in the world. Moreover, calibration via field‐based spectral data, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and handheld global positioning systems (GPS) ensures signal accuracy and integrative platforms, like Google Earth Engine, streamline data interpretation. However, integrating evidence from these diverse systems presents ongoing challenges, requiring methodological precision and a clear focus on their ecological relevance. The African Journal of Ecology (AJE) has increasingly featured studies using remote sensing, with applications spanning studies focusing on land‐use change detection, habitat surveys, vegetation biomass assessment, water resource monitoring, and species distribution. Combining remote sensing with field methods and ecological objectives fosters robust analysis, enabling researchers to move beyond simple land cover assessments to tackle functional ecological questions. Integrative platforms like Google Earth Engine simplify multi‐source data interpretation, streamlining workflows and increasing accessibility. The Latin phrase ‘Memento mori’ should serve as a reminder that technology, while a powerful aid in ecological research, is not everything—it should serve to support and enhance ecological inquiry, not define or overshadow it. The AJE aspires to promote such reflective thinking, fostering a balance between innovation and ecological relevance.

Scientometric approach to the scientific trends in articles on seagrass in the Atlantic Coast published between 1969-2024

Submerged or partially floating seagrasses in marine or brackish waters form productive seagrass beds, feeding grounds for a rich and varied associated biota, play key ecological roles in mitigating climate change and provide ecosystem services for humanity. The objective of this study was to perform a temporal quali- and quantitative analysis on the scientific production on seagrasses in the Atlantic Ocean during last 64 years (1960 to 2024) through defined workflow by scientometric analysis on Scopus database. Publications in this database date back to 1969, comprising a total of 3.482 scientific articles, primary focused on seagrass ecology. These articles were published in 574 distinct peer-reviewed scientific ecological journals, and are divided into four periods based on the number of articles, keywords and biograms, with an average annual increase of 8.28% in the number of articles published. Zostera marina, Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum were the most researched species, especially in Atlantic coastal areas of Europe and North/Central America. Studies on seagrasses along the Atlantic coast have been well consolidated by a few authors with prolific scientific output, but much of the research has been conducted by non-specialists who published only one or a few articles. We also found that researches from each continent tend to focus on specific topics: North America researches investigated future climate change scenarios and seagrass ecology, while those from Europe prioritize on restoration plans. Additionaly, European researchers from Europe predominantly collaborate with local scientists, a trend also observed among American researches. This indicates a need for increase research and scientific production in the South Atlantic region.

Research Progress on Moss Traits in the Last Decade: A Bibliometric Analysis Based on CiteSpace

Mosses are small, higher plants with a wide variety of species and are an important component of various ecosystems. The study of moss traits helps in understanding their physiological and ecological processes, as well as enhancing our overall knowledge of the plant kingdom. To clarify the research context and development trends of moss traits, this paper conducts a bibliometric analysis of 471 existing articles using the Web of Science database and CiteSpace (6.4.R1) software. The results show that research on moss traits experienced a rapid increase from 2015 to 2021 before leveling off. The main disciplines publishing articles on moss traits are Plant Sciences, Ecology, and Environmental Sciences. The primary publishing countries are the USA, People's Republic of China, and Germany. Major journals include Plants-Basel (Q1), American Journal of Botany (Q2), and New Phytologist (Q1). Among all journals, New Phytologist (255), Journal of Ecology (233), and Ecology (211) are the most frequently cited. Research hotspots in moss traits mainly focus on functional traits, growth, and community, and comparative studies with other groups (such as lichens) are expected to be a future research trend.

How to Make Your African Ecology Paper Stand Out to a Global Audience

ABSTRACTThe discovery of the South East Africa Montane Archipelago has unveiled a biologically significant ecoregion with a high level of endemism, showcasing at least 127 endemic plants and 45 endemic vertebrates, including unique genera of both plants and reptiles. This remarkable find highlights Africa's ongoing contributions to global ecological knowledge, despite often being underrepresented in the international research sphere due to biases and marginalisation. To address these issues and enhance the visibility and impact of African ecological research, this Editorial outlines several key strategies. First, it emphasises the importance of making hypothesis‐driven research in ecological studies, following Popper's philosophy of science. Second, it advocates for generalising research findings to broader contexts rather than focusing narrowly on local specifics. Additionally, it underscores the need use clear, generalised terminology and producing detailed, context‐rich maps, so that the authors can enhance the comprehensibility and appeal of their research. Finally, the Editorial highlights the growing influence of African ecology, as evidenced by that the difference in impact factor between AJE and major international general ecology journals has decreased greatly. The Editorial also suggests that by adopting the strategies highlighted herein, African ecologists can further elevate their global presence and contribute more substantially to the field.

The urban in ecology: a quantitative textual analysis of the scientific literature over a century

Many authors have described ‘urban ecology’ as a subfield of ecology that emerged in the 1990s and has expanded exponentially. We propose to take a step further and analyse the expansion of the ‘urban’ in ecology with a novel quantitative approach, with the aim to better understand the relationship between ecology and the urban. Previous quantitative assessments of the urban in ecology have focused on short to medium time spans (5 to 40 years) and on research coined as ‘urban ecology’, and have rarely considered the content of publications (e.g., vocabulary and topics) using quantitative methods. In this paper, we conduct a bibliometric assessment and an in-depth quantitative textual data analysis of a corpus of 960 articles published from 1922 to 2018 in 10 leading English-language journals in ecology and conservation biology. We address the following questions: (1) When and how have urban environments been integrated into ecological research during the past century? (2) What urban research topics have been investigated in ecology during the same period? (3) How have these research topics changed through time? Our results show that the urban was never entirely absent from publications in ecology. The quantitative analyses highlight three turning points (1970s, 1990s and 2000s) in the relationship between ecology and the urban. Moreover, they help visualize the shift from particularly scattered publications at the beginning of the period to publications characterized by a more homogeneous vocabulary, reflecting the stabilization of a research field focused on the urban in ecology.

Research Trends in Wildland Fire Prediction Amidst Climate Change: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis

Wildfire prediction plays a vital role in the management and conservation of forest ecosystems. By providing detailed risk assessments, it contributes to the reduction of fire frequency and severity, safeguards forest resources, supports ecological stability, and ensures human safety. This study systematically reviews wildfire prediction literature from 2003 to 2023, emphasizing research trends and collaborative trends. Our findings reveal a significant increase in research activity between 2019 and 2023, primarily driven by the United States Forest Service and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The majority of this research was published in prominent journals such as the International Journal of Wildland Fire, Forest Ecology and Management, Remote Sensing, and Forests. These publications predominantly originate from Europe, the United States, and China. Since 2020, there has been substantial growth in the application of machine learning techniques in predicting forest fires, particularly in estimating fire occurrence probabilities, simulating fire spread, and projecting post-fire environmental impacts. Advanced algorithms, including deep learning and ensemble learning, have shown superior accuracy, suggesting promising directions for future research. Additionally, the integration of machine learning with cellular automata has markedly improved the simulation of fire behavior, enhancing both efficiency and precision. The profound impact of climate change on wildfire prediction also necessitates the inclusion of extensive climate data in predictive models. Beyond conventional studies focusing on fire behavior and occurrence probabilities, forecasting the environmental and ecological consequences of fires has become integral to forest fire management and vital for formulating more effective wildfire strategies. The study concludes that significant regional disparities in knowledge exist, underscoring the need for improved research capabilities in underrepresented areas. Moreover, there is an urgent requirement to enhance the application of artificial intelligence algorithms, such as machine learning, deep learning, and ensemble learning, and to intensify efforts in identifying and leveraging various wildfire drivers to refine prediction accuracy. The insights generated from this field will profoundly augment our understanding of wildfire prediction, assisting policymakers and practitioners in managing forest resources more sustainably and averting future wildfire calamities.

Title, abstract and keywords: a practical guide to maximize the visibility and impact of academic papers.

In a growing digital landscape, enhancing the discoverability and resonance of scientific articles is essential. Here, we offer 10 recommendations to amplify the discoverability of studies in search engines and databases. Particularly, we argue that the strategic use and placement of key terms in the title, abstract and keyword sections can boost indexing and appeal. By surveying 230 journals in ecology and evolutionary biology, we found that current author guidelines may unintentionally limit article findability. Our survey of 5323 studies revealed that authors frequently exhaust abstract word limits-particularly those capped under 250 words. This suggests that current guidelines may be overly restrictive and not optimized to increase the dissemination and discoverability of digital publications. Additionally, 92% of studies used redundant keywords in the title or abstract, undermining optimal indexing in databases. We encourage adopting structured abstracts to maximize the incorporation of key terms in titles, abstracts and keywords. In addition, we encourage the relaxation of abstract and keyword limitations in journals with strict guidelines, and the inclusion of multilingual abstracts to broaden global accessibility. These recommendations to editors are designed to improve article engagement and facilitate evidence synthesis, thereby aligning scientific publishing with the modern needs of academic research.

Generalized nonlinearity in animal ecology: Research, review, and recommendations.

Generalized linear models (GLMs) are an integral tool in ecology. Like general linear models, GLMs assume linearity, which entails a linear relationship between independent and dependent variables. However, because this assumption acts on the link rather than the natural scale in GLMs, it is more easily overlooked. We reviewed recent ecological literature to quantify the use of linearity. We then used two case studies to confront the linearity assumption via two GLMs fit to empirical data. In the first case study we compared GLMs to generalized additive models (GAMs) fit to mammal relative abundance data. In the second case study we tested for linearity in occupancy models using passerine point-count data. We reviewed 162 studies published in the last 5 years in five leading ecology journals and found less than 15% reported testing for linearity. These studies used transformations and GAMs more often than they reported a linearity test. In the first case study, GAMs strongly out-performed GLMs as measured by AIC in modeling relative abundance, and GAMs helped uncover nonlinear responses of carnivore species to landscape development. In the second case study, 14% of species-specific models failed a formal statistical test for linearity. We also found that differences between linear and nonlinear (i.e., those with a transformed independent variable) model predictions were similar for some species but not for others, with implications for inference and conservation decision-making. Our review suggests that reporting tests for linearity are rare in recent studies employing GLMs. Our case studies show how formally comparing models that allow for nonlinear relationships between the dependent and independent variables has the potential to impact inference, generate new hypotheses, and alter conservation implications. We conclude by suggesting that ecological studies report tests for linearity and use formal methods to address linearity assumption violations in GLMs.

IMPACT OF SOIL STERILIZATION FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, WHEAT SEEDS CLEANING AND THEIR INTERACTIONS ON WEED CONTROL, AND YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS

IMPACT OF SOIL STERILIZATION FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, WHEAT SEEDS CLEANING AND THEIR INTERACTIONS ON WEED CONTROL, AND YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS

Publication-level analysis of Journal of Plant Ecology during 2018–2022

Publication-level analysis of <i>Journal of Plant Ecology</i> during 2018–2022

Computationally reproducing results from meta-analyses in ecology and evolutionary biology using shared code and data.

Many journals in ecology and evolutionary biology encourage or require authors to make their data and code available alongside articles. In this study we investigated how often this data and code could be used together, when both were available, to computationally reproduce results published in articles. We surveyed the data and code sharing practices of 177 meta-analyses published in ecology and evolutionary biology journals published between 2015-17: 60% of articles shared data only, 1% shared code only, and 15% shared both data and code. In each of the articles which had shared both (n = 26), we selected a target result and attempted to reproduce it. Using the shared data and code files, we successfully reproduced the targeted results in 27-73% of the 26 articles, depending on the stringency of the criteria applied for a successful reproduction. The results from this sample of meta-analyses in the 2015-17 literature can provide a benchmark for future meta-research studies gauging the computational reproducibility of published research in ecology and evolutionary biology.

Vegetation Classification and Survey is performing well

On the occasion of the completion of the fourth volume of Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS), we have analysed the performance of the journal since its inception. The number of papers and pages show a moderate increase over the years. VCS has been included in the Scopus database for more than a year and received its first CiteScore of 2.0 in summer 2023 but is not yet included in the Web of Science Core Edition. We therefore used data from the Scopus database to compare the citation impact of articles in VCS with that of 29 other ecological journals. By calculating normalized citation rates per journal and publication year, we found that VCS started at the bottom of the rankings in the first two years (28th out of 30) but improved to 26th in 2022 and 14th in 2023. Together with the known time lag and the strong positive relationships between the different citation metrics, this allows a projection of the future development of the CiteScores and, after inclusion in the Web of Science, the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). Using the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) from the Scopus database, we identified the top 12 out of 95 VCS articles published in the first four years that received more citations than expected for their age and field. We also present the four Editors’ Choice papers of 2023, among which Strohbach and Strohbach (2023; Vegetation Classification and Survey 4: 241–284) received the Editors’ Award in 2023. We conclude that VCS is on the right track, supported by the fact that in 2024 most authors will still be charged no or very low article processing charges (APCs). Abbreviations: APC = article processing charge; IAVS = International Association for Vegetation Science; JIF = Journal Impact Factor; OA = open access; VCS = Vegetation Classification and Survey; WoS = Web of Science Core Edition.

2023 Outstanding Papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of Chemistry

The Editors-in-Chief of the Environmental Science journals introduce the Outstanding Papers of 2023.

2023 Outstanding Papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of Chemistry

The Editors-in-Chief of the Environmental Science journals introduce the Outstanding Papers of 2023.

2023 Outstanding Papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of Chemistry

The Editors-in-Chief of the Environmental Science journals introduce the Outstanding Papers of 2023.

2023 Outstanding Papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of Chemistry

The Editors-in-Chief of the Environmental Science journals introduce the Outstanding Papers of 2023.

Advancing Ecosystem Monitoring and Management through Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Remote Sensing

As a new member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Ecology &amp; Natural Resources (JENR), I am delighted to be invited to share my views on how Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Remote Sensing could advance ecosystem monitoring and management. SAR remote sensing has emerged as a powerful tool in ecological research, providing critical insights into ecosystem dynamics. SAR operates effectively under all weather conditions and during both day and night, making it an excellent complementary tool to optical satellites images like the Landsat series and Sentinel-2