Robin Pakeman

Beautiful day at Huntly Castle for a bat hibernation survey. Sadly, the toilets weren't open. Hopefully, no one was inside when the tree came down

New paper out using trend data on occupancy and Species Climate Indicators. We show that species of wet and cold areas of the UK are doing badly across lots of different invetebrate groups not just the big, colourful ones.🕷️🐜🪰🪲
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
With @jennistockan.bsky.social

Very excited to share that my first first-author paper is out in the Journal of Vegetation Science! 🌱🥳

Our paper used a 20-year grazing experiment in the Scottish uplands to assess how grass community traits shift in response to grazing.

📖 Paper here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Sunshine. Between home and working in Aberdeen, this is the first time I have seen the sun in weeks. Seemed to have swapped very cold rain with snow and clear skies.

Do you have repeat surveys of UK invertebrates? This dataset of species climate indicators for 4900 UK species could help inform your analysis of change. doi.org/10.1016/j.di...

Three cheers for the wee village of Rhynie, known throughout the world for its fossils (plus its hill fort for those interested in more recent events). Cool science.

PhD position #ecology #evolution #academic 🌍🧪
#PhDlife #job @stockholm-uni.bsky.social

Our very first fully #OpenAccess issue is now out! 🥳Don't miss the Editorial with interesting facts on NJB's origin, its successful development as a @nordicoikos.bsky.social.bsk.social journal and a positive future outlook!

➡️Full issue: vist.ly/4mvwd

🌿Join the 68th IAVS Annual Symposium.🌿
⌛️ Early bird registrations are now open.
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with fellow vegetation scientists!
Take advantage of the early bird rates. Location: Gijón, Spain.
Apply here—https://2026gijon.iavs-meetings.org/.

Recruitment poster for 12 botanical or entomological field surveyors, April-September 2026. Closing date: January 30, 2026.

🦋🌿Hiring 12 x Botanists or Entomologists for 2026 field surveys in England!

4-month, full-time roles from late April to early September.

Field sites in Yorkshire, Devon, Warwickshire, Kent/Sussex, Lincolnshire/Cambridge, Essex/Suffolk.

Apply now: ceh.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/CEH_Ca... 🧪

Visit to Willington nature reserve today. Gravel pits mostly frozen over but some teal with the Canada geese. However, a kingfisher was foraging just by the turn off from the road. Apologies for the very poor picture.

I suspect this is the largest auditorium I've spoken in. Edinburgh International Conference Centre main theatre. Picture taken before the audience appeared!

Landscape view of a valley.

Landscape view of a field showing fencing and a hedge going across the photo.

There are #PhD opportunities at 2 #LongTermExperiments #LTE:

Glen Finglas: bit.ly/4iEgYRB Based at: @newcastleuni.bsky.social ‬| Deadline: 5 January 2026

Tulloch: bit.ly/4avAi18 | Based at: @srucnews.bsky.social | Deadline: 7 January 2025 🌏

Phew. Vol 931.

Maybe they will clear out the editors and relaunch?

What are the perils vs possibilities in working with business & finance to achieve nature recovery?

Come to our workshop next week (Tuesday, 13:15) at #BES2025 to explore these issues & share your thoughts
@britishecologicalsociety.org
@bes-cascade.bsky.social

One week remaining. Applications need to include two references, so don't leave it too late to apply for this @srucnews.bsky.social CASE partnership with @ptes-org.bsky.social.

Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

The other pleasure of fieldwork in Scotland is getting soaked and not seeing anything all day. A view of Glen Finglas where we were out testing a new herbivore impact assessment method in our long-term grazing experiment.

CR2026_09: Biodiversity restoration strategies to benefit multiple species at University of Reading on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - CR2026_09: Biodiversity restoration strategies to benefit multiple species at University of Reading, listed on FindAPhD.com

PhD available!

To address the intersection of restoration ecology and biodiversity policy

by developing spatially explicit, realistic restoration strategies using scenario-based modelling

to generate tools & support effective biodiversity planning

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

New #mammal conservation #PhD: "Understanding and Addressing Rural Hedgehog Population Declines".

@srucnews.bsky.social EastBio CASE project in partnership with (and co-supervised by) @ptes-org.bsky.social.

Details: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Act fast - applications close 15 December.
🦔🦔🦔

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Research Fellow in Global Conservation Salary: Grade 7 (£41,064 – £48,822 p.a. depending on experience) This role will be based on the university campus, with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing...

📣Job vacancy!📣

Research Fellow in Global Conservation at Leeds, working with Dave Williams (and me, a bit) to assess the impact of conservation initiatives on biodiversity, carbon, and people: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

#ConservationScience 🌍

One of the pleasures of fieldwork in Scotland is the views. Here is Ben Challum today from Glen Lochay. Bit cold as the sun didn't reach us until 10.40.

🐘🌳 Elephants disperse seeds that drive forest diversity & carbon storage—but effects vary across sites. Context matters for linking wildlife recovery to climate & biodiversity goals

📷 © Liam Jasperse-Sjolander

vist.ly/4e9hh

The deadline is fast approaching!
We are looking for an Assistant Professor in Plant #Biodiversity and #Conservation
universityvacancies.com/trinity-coll...
Deadline: November 14th.

Pile of rubble and debris under a clear sky promoting the 'Just Don’t Waste!' event on October 24 from 14:00 to 15:30 in person.

A nexus approach is essential to tackle the interlinked crises of biodiversity, climate change, food, water, and health. 🌍

The ‘Just Don't Waste!' event hosted by The Royal Society Edinburgh will explore tangible solutions for #TransformativeChange🏡

🧪 https://rse.org.uk/event/just-dont-waste/

Postdoctoral Fellow in Landscape Ecology Department of Physical Geography is one of the major departments within the Faculty of Science. The department has approximately 100 employees and educates approximately 1 000 students annually. Our r

#Postdoc in #landscape ecology with me
How does plant species traits influence communities responce to environmental change? An unique re-survey data set from the UK will be used to explore & test hypotheses about dispersal and persistence 🧪🌍
Apply 30th of November
su.varbi.com/en/what:job/...

Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology on Simons Foundation

Postdoc Opportunity - Interested in plant scaling, quantitative botany, or theoretical plant biology? join our group to explore how plant form, function & scaling principles connect across levels of organization
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-postdoctoral-fellowships-in-plant-biology🧪🌾🌐

Postdoc position in coastal ecology at the University of Oldenburg, suitable for vegetation ecologists, application deadline 28 October
uol.de/en/job/postd...

And the subject of a classic song by The Men They Couldn't Hang

a field vole Microtus agrestis

For 101 years, ecologists have sought to explain the 3-4 years multi-annual cycles of voles and lemmings. In our paper, doi.org/10.1073/pnas..., we find that Density-dependent recruitment, but not survival drives cyclic dynamics in a field vole population, overturning accepted wisdom.

We are pleased to officially open abstract submissions for the Tundra Transitions Special Issue at the 22nd ITEX Meeting, organised by @matsbjorkman.bsky.social, @annebeejay.bsky.social and NJB's Subject Editor @robertgbjork.bsky.social !