“The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben as an introduction to Ecology

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben is a great ecology book for non-biologists. It focuses on the complex social network of trees and forests. The book avoids science jargon and explains scientific concepts simply. Wohlleben uses his expert storytelling to make complex research digestible and relatable. This undemanding presentation of scientific information makes … Continue reading “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben as an introduction to Ecology →

The Evolutionary Ecologist, Martin Burd

Martin Burd is an Evolutionary Ecologist and has been an Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology at Monash University, Australia since 1996. He currently leads the  Evolutionary Ecology Research Group at Monash University. His educational background includes a PhD in Evolutionary Ecology from Princeton University in USA (1992).  Research Interests Being an Evolutionary Ecologist, Burd’s study … Continue reading The Evolutionary Ecologist, Martin Burd →

Effects of Reducing Plant Species

Reducing plant species richness results in a significant decrease in aboveground plant biomass but only a slight decrease in microbial biomass. Studies show that the absence of legumes results in a decrease of microbial biomass. The absence of legumes slows down the process of cellulose decomposition. On the other hand, microbial metabolic quotient, or feed … Continue reading Effects of Reducing Plant Species →

Prickly acacia: Invasion and control

Invasive weeds, like the prickly acacia in Australia, are causing serious problems around the world. They threaten the biodiversity of the local ecosystems and are hard to control. Despite being classified as a noxious weed for over 30 years, little research on its biology or ecology was done until the late 1980s. To combat this … Continue reading Prickly acacia: Invasion and control →

On Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Scientific Literature

The article I selected to cover was a primary research article. The purpose of the paper was to publish the findings of an experiment conducted by those who wrote it. A primary paper will always be the findings of an experiment with an aim, hypothesis and methods that are caried out while a secondary paper … Continue reading On Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Scientific Literature →

Traditional Ecological Knowledge: A Hidden Tool!

Image: The cover of Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability A book I would recommend to friends and non-biologist friends and family is “Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability” by Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling. I stumbled across this book last semester when I was in … Continue reading Traditional Ecological Knowledge: A Hidden Tool! →

How are Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Literature Sources Different?

The article I selected, Plant species diversity as a driver of early succession in abandoned fields: a multi-site approach, is primary literature, but what does that mean? Primary literature consists of original research that is published and peer reviewed. This can be in many forms such as research papers, dissertations, scholarly journal articles and conference … Continue reading How are Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Literature Sources Different? →