Oxford Ecosystems

Collaborating Across Continents to Understand Fire and Savanna Dynamics Dr Imma Oliveras Menor shares her research on vegetative phenology and fire response strategies in the Brazilian Cerrado.

This week, the Ecosystems Lab welcomed back @ioliverasmenor.bsky.social. During her visit, she shared updates from her research on experimental fire reintroduction and reflected on years of collaborative work in the Brazilian Cerrado. Read more here: www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/collabo...

Deep-Time Perspectives on Vegetation Ecology: Skjold Søndergaard Skjold Søndergaard discusses how long-term ecological processes inform contemporary approaches to vegetation restoration and biotic integrity.

Last week, @skjoldsoendergaard.bsky.social presented his work on vegetation ecology to the Ecosystems Lab, drawing on research from Denmark and across temperate Europe.

Read more about it here: www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/deep-ti...

Panel Discussion: 'COP30 Debrief: Insights and reflections from the… The Oxford Climate Research Network and the Oxford Martin School hosted a debrief panel unpacking the key outcomes and implications of COP30, with…

Yesterday, @erikaberenguer.bsky.social chaired a panel with six members of the Oxford delegation to COP30. The debrief shared insights and reflections on Net Zero and biodiversity targets following the world’s largest climate conference. Watch it here: www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/videos/cop30...

Quantifying Forest Dynamics with Terrestrial Laser Scanning: Shilin Chen Visits Oxford Visiting researcher, Dr Shilin Chen, shares his research on quantifying forest structural attributes and aboveground carbon dynamics with terrestrial laser scanning in a temperate deciduous forest

We're exciting to be hosting visiting researcher, Dr Shilin Chen @shilinchen.bsky.social from @qforestlab.bsky.social. He shares his Wytham Woods research in our latest blog post.

Read it here: www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/quantif...

YouTube video by Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery The Spirit of the Rainforest - Rosa Vásquez Espinoza

🌿 Step into the Amazon with scientist & author Rosa Vásquez Espinoza. Her insights blend Indigenous knowledge and cutting-edge science to reveal how rainforest communities guide solutions for climate, biodiversity & cultural resilience. Watch the talk & be inspired.
@ecioxford.bsky.social

The Biogeography of Ecosystem Flows Bhavya Palugudi shows that higher species richness does not necessarily translate to higher ecosystem energetic flows for tropical forests.

In an upcoming study from our research group, Bhavya Palugudi, Ecosystems MSc student, and @ymalhi.bsky.social show that higher species richness does not necessarily translate to higher ecosystem energetic flows for tropical forests.

Read more here www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/the-bio...

COP30 at the City at the Mouth of the Green Ocean Yadvinder reflects on his week at COP30 in Belem, Brazil.

Wondering what went on in week one at #COP30? @ymalhi.bsky.social reflects on his week in the city at the mouth of the green ocean: www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/cop30-a...

At COP30 in Belém, ECI's Dr Erika Berenguer joined a panel at Dialogues of the Pyrocene, discussing causes, impacts, and solutions to the Amazon fire crisis — an important conversation for climate and communities. @erikaberenguer.bsky.social @cop30brazil.bsky.social

Functional traits influence woody stem productivity of Cerrado trees across altered fire regimes Cerrado trees exhibit a productivity–fire tolerance trade-off. Bark protection and light adaptation help maintain NPP under high fire intensities, as both structural and acquisitive strategies mediate...

Ecosystems and Biodiversity DPhil student, @navarrosales.bsky.social, has recently submitted a paper showing how Cerrado trees exhibit a productivity–fire tolerance trade-off. Read about it in recent blog post here: www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/functio...
@ecioxford.bsky.social

Professor Yadvinder Malhi, Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme Lead, awarded Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology We are delighted to announce that Yadvinder has been awarded the prestigious Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology, one of the world’s foremost honours in ecological science.

From oak forests to school talks, and receiving the Ramon Margalef Prize from Catalonia’s President — @ymalhi.bsky.social shares highlights from an unforgettable week in Barcelona. 🌿🏅🇪🇸 www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/profess...

Professor Yadvinder Malhi’s Ramon Margalef acceptance speech Thank you. Gràcies.I am deeply honoured and genuinely humbled to receive the Ramon Margalef Prize.My heartfelt thanks to the Generalitat de Catalunya for this recognition, to the Jury of the Ramon Mar...

Last week @ymalhi.bsky.social received the Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology from the President of Catalonia. Read his acceptance speech and reflections on ecology here www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/profess...

How to measure the planet’s heartbeat Ecosystem scientist Yadvinder Malhi takes us on a jaw-dropping journey through the hidden flows of energy that make life on Earth tick. From sun-soaked forests to tropical islands, he shows how his te...

In June, @ymalhi.bsky.social spoke at the TED Countdown Summit in Nairobi. He shared about how the Oxford Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme, and our many colleagues around the world, measure the vibrancy of Earth's ecosystems. Watch his talk here: www.ted.com/talks/yadvin...

Africa’s wildlife has lost a third of its natural ‘power’, Oxford-led study warns New paper in Nature today

🌍 New Oxford-led study in Nature finds Africa’s wildlife has lost a third of its natural “power” — the energy driving ecosystems and livelihoods.

Large animals once sustained this flow; their loss now reshapes life across the continent. @ymalhi.bsky.social

The circular seabird economy is critical for oceans, islands and people - Nature Reviews Biodiversity Seabirds are top predators and nutrient cyclers in marine island ecosystems, but are threatened by risk of extinction. This Review explores the circular seabird economy around islands and discusses ho...

Our new review on the “circular seabird economy”
- how seabirds circulate nutrients betwem ocean and land, supporting ecosystems and livelihoods …https://www.nature.com/articles/s44358-025-00099-w

This is an exciting week for our research programme, starting with @ymalhi.bsky.social sharing his thoughts and research on #ecosystemchange and #naturerecovery with the University of Barcelona. Stay tuned… we have more to come today!

An ancient yew tree in Scotland that is half the age of the Holocene has caught our attention. What a privilege to be in the presence of one of the oldest trees in Europe. @ymalhi.bsky.social explains the significance of this giant. @naturerecovery.bsky.social @ecioxford.bsky.social

Testing Eco-Evolutionary Theory: How Tropical Forest Traits vary with Dryness A new paper led by Dr Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng uses vapour pressure deficit to mechanistically explain the transition of vegetation traits along a wet-to-dry gradient in Ghana.

A recent paper led by Dr Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng @h-zhang.bsky.social uses vapour pressure deficit to mechanistically explain the transition of vegetation traits along a wet-to-dry gradient in Ghana.

Read more here: www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/testing...

Yadvinder Malhi awarded prestigious Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology Yadvinder Malhi recognised for outstanding contribution to the field of ecology

Fabulous news! Congratulations to our Centre Director, @ymalhi.bsky.social who has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the field of Ecology. 🎉

@ecioxford.bsky.social @oxfordgeography.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk @socsci.ox.ac.uk @orieloxford.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org

The more you look, the more you see! We love this visual diary from the Reimagining Nature Finance workshop by @naturerecovery.bsky.social hosted in Wytham Woods last week. My favourite is, “accelerate new approaches that transcend system boundaries”. We’ll share more on this in the coming days.

Mapping forest resilience hotspots in South America A new publication led by DPhil student Xiongjie Deng pinpoints Chilean forest resilience hotspots and areas of vulnerability to environmental change.

We're excited to share a paper led by DPhil student, Xiongjie Deng @xdeng.bsky.social. With colleagues from @ecioxford.bsky.social @naturerecovery.bsky.social and South America, he used remote sensing and field data to map forest resilience hotspots in Chile www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/mapping...

Oh but alongside the talks, the team is exploring Oaxaca and having a great time in beautiful Mexico!

Another great day at #ATBC2025! Dr Sruthi Krishna Moorthy showed how to harness large language models for ecology and conservation and Dr David Bauman @davbauman.bsky.social presented environmental drivers of spatial patterns in tree mortality across the tropics and Sruthi. Fascinating talks!

Our team is at #ATBC2025 where presentations, networking and exploring Oaxaca and its surrounding beauty are in full swing! Catch them to chat tropical forests and cerrados, plant functional traits, drones, and tree ecophysiology 🌱 or simply to say hi 👋🏼 @jeaggu.bsky.social @ecioxford.bsky.social

Ecosystems in the global biosphere: Yadvinder Malhi’s lecture series at East China Normal University This week Yadvinder has been a guest of the East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai, hosted by Dr Fangliang He and colleagues, where he has given a series of lectures including the annual Daxi...

This week @ymalhi.bsky.social and @h-zhang.bsky.social visited East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai. Yadvinder gave a series of lectures and then he and Huanyuan were shown some of the ForestGEO sites in China

www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/ecosyst...

@ecioxford.bsky.social

Rewilding a Unique Namibian Landscape As part of an ongoing collaboration between Natural State and the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, Yadvinder and Nikki recently visited a Natural State field site where, together with the Orange...

The arid ecosystems north of Namibia's Orange River harbour unique biodiversity and cultural and economic significance. Rewilding this ecosystem is tricky, but @naturerecovery.bsky.social collaborators, Natural State, have an ambitious goal to do just that.
www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/rewildi...

Our paper on mapping tropical forest canopy traits and functions, led by @jeaggu.bsky.social is out in print and made the cover of @natureportfolio.nature.com. Congratulations to the massive team that makes a study like this possible! @ecioxford.bsky.social @oxfordgeography.bsky.social

May Morning is one of Oxford’s busiest celebrations! The morning starts with Magdalen College Choir singing a hymn and madrigal to welcome in summer 🌸 this is followed by festivities in the streets with lots of Morris dancing and music. We went out to celebrate!

It’s the first week of Trinity Term and that means we’re kicking off our Nature Seminar Series this Friday! Professor of Economics, Ed Barbier (Colorado State Uni) will be speaking about the economics of Nature-based Solutions for climate change mitigation. In-person and online options are available

Exploring Nutrient Cycling in the Waterberg, South Africa Ecosystems researchers travel to the Waterberg in South Africa to collect baseline trait data with collaborators from Liverpool University and University of Pretoria

In February, Yadvinder & Eleanor traveled to South Africa to collect trait data at collaborator, Kate Parr’s @funkyant.bsky.social field site for her new ‘The Green Stuff’ Project.
@naturerecovery.bsky.social

We cover this visit in a visual way on our blog
www.oxfordecosystems.org/post/explori...

Our NEOFIRE team is back from the field with loads of data! We are so excited to see the new insights into Cerrado ecology that come from this campaign.