FE Special Feature: Fire as a dynamic ecological and evolutionary force

British Ecological Society

#British Ecological Society Journals #Field Reports #Biology #Science #Natural Sciences #Environment

1:14:43

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace—what does that mean for the future of technology, venture capital, business, and even our understanding of ourselves? Award-winning journalist and writer Anil Ananthaswamy joins us for our latest episode to discuss his latest book Why Machines Learn: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI . Anil helps us explore the journey and many breakthroughs that have propelled machine learning from simple perceptrons to the sophisticated algorithms shaping today’s AI revolution, powering GPT and other models. The discussion aims to demystify some of the underlying mathematical concepts that power modern machine learning, to help everyone grasp this technology impacting our lives–even if your last math class was in high school. Anil walks us through the power of scaling laws, the shift from training to inference optimization, and the debate among AI’s pioneers about the road to AGI—should we be concerned, or are we still missing key pieces of the puzzle? The conversation also delves into AI’s philosophical implications—could understanding how machines learn help us better understand ourselves? And what challenges remain before AI systems can truly operate with agency? If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Sign up for our newsletter at techsurgepodcast.com for exclusive insights and updates on upcoming TechSurge Live Summits. Links: Read Why Machines Learn, Anil’s latest book on the math behind AI https://www.amazon.com/Why-Machines-Learn-Elegant-Behind/dp/0593185749 Learn more about Anil Ananthaswamy’s work and writing https://anilananthaswamy.com/ Watch Anil Ananthaswamy’s TED Talk on AI and intelligence https://www.ted.com/speakers/anil_ananthaswamy Discover the MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellowship that shaped Anil’s AI research https://ksj.mit.edu/ Understand the Perceptron, the foundation of neural networks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptron Read about the Perceptron Convergence Theorem and its significance https://www.nature.com/articles/323533a0…

2 роки тому 36:53

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In this podcast for Functional Ecology, Assistant Editor, Frank Harris, sits down with Fernanda Santos, Joe Bailey, and Jen Schweitzer who guest edited the recently published Functional Ecology special feature titled "Fire as a dynamic ecological and evolutionary force." This collection of studies provide recommendations on how to: engage in developing ecological and evolutionary databases for fire ecology; integrate hierarchical genetic structure or phylogenetic structure; develop new experimental frameworks that limit context dependent outcomes,; increase sample size and availability of curated datasets; increase functional trait knowledge; and increase representation of ecological communities in the literature and context-dependency.

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British Ecological Society

FE Special Feature: Fire as a dynamic ecological and evolutionary force

British Ecological Society

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published 2 роки тому

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239 епізодів

#British Ecological Society Journals #Field Reports #Biology #Science #Natural Sciences #Environment

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1
The Superb Lyrebird: Nature’s Ecosystem Engineer - The Story Behind the Paper 25:53

2 дні тому25:53

25:53

We spoke with Dr Alex Maisey, author of "Foraging activity by an ecosystem engineer, the superb lyrebird, ‘farms’ its invertebrate prey", to hear the story behind the paper. Alex also shared his personal journey into animal ecology and some unexpected sounds from a local lyrebird. You can read Alex's full paper, co-authored by Angie Haslem and Andrew F. Bennett, here: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2656.70009…

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Ella Plumanns Pouton: How do intervals between fires influence canopy seed production and viability? 36:03

5 weeks тому36:03

36:03

Functional Ecology author Ella Plumanns Pouton chats to Amelia Macho about her research article, 'How do intervals between fires influence canopy seed production and viability?' Ella's study sought to understand how the frequency of fire shaped the quantity of available cones and the seeds within those cones. Her findings, in the context of expected increases in wildfire frequency and droughts in Mediterranean ecosystems, suggest that serotinous species' reproduction and recruitment will be differentially impacted depending on a suite of functional traits. Read the full research article here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14619…

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ELM Network | Episode 1: What leadership looks like with Professor Yadvindar Malhi 37:56

13 weeks тому37:56

37:56

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.…

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Journal of Animal Ecology | Editor Expertise: Dr Lesley Lancaster 28:20

17 weeks тому28:20

28:20

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…

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Black History Month 2024: Mthokozisi Moyo on Research in Africa, Funding, and Representation 21:24

18 weeks тому21:24

21:24

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…

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Black History Month 2024: Damilola Olanipon on Mycorrhiza, Opportunities and Reclaiming Narratives 29:52

19 weeks тому29:52

29:52

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/…

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Patrick Finnerty: Plant odour enables patch choice by mammalian herbivores from afar 23:43

19 weeks тому23:43

23:43

Amelia Macho chats to Functional Ecology author Patrick Finnerty about his recently published research article "Odour information enables patch choice by mammalian herbivores from afar, leading to predictable plant associational effects". The team demonstrated that elephants can make patch choice decisions from afar using plant odour cues alone, and that these decisions lead to predictable associational effects on the susceptibility of high-quality focal plants to be being eaten. They also used a new method to reduce an entire complex odour profile of a low-quality plant species and reproduce this odour information artificially. This simplified odour set was as effective as real low-quality neighbours in shaping elephant patch choice and subsequently providing associational refuge to the focal plant. This research could offer a new tool to influence herbivore foraging decisions, with implications for wildlife management and conservation, including plant protection. Read the full research article here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14665 Check out our YouTube channel for a video of an elephant walking through the giant Y-maze Patt and his team built: https://youtu.be/OBY_xsbU-0k…

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PhD student Nina Bosch on post-fire recovery in heathlands and her BES Annual Meeting experience 15:50

20 weeks тому15:50

15:50

As part of our 'Community' series, we’re bringing together a global community of ecologists to discuss their experience and relation to ecology. In this episode, we chatted with Nina Bosch, a PhD student from the University of York and a valuable member of the BES. Nina’s research focuses on the recovery of landscapes after fire disturbance in alpine heathlands with an emphasis on the partnership between plants and fungi. Tune in to understand how attending the BES Annual Meeting has helped Nina to network and build friendships as a young ecologist.…

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Special Interest Groups | Rewilding 36:51

21 weeks тому36:51

36:51

As part of our 'Community' series, we’re bringing together a global community of ecologists to discuss their experience and relation to ecology. In this episode, Lydia Groves is joined by eight committee members of the newly-launched Rewilding Special Interest Group. A range of topics are discussed, including what rewilding is, how it can be used effectively, and what the committee hopes to achieve through the SIG. You can find out more about the BES Rewilding SIG here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/membership-community/special-interest-groups/rewilding-group/ And join their mailing list here: https://britishecologicalsociety.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b3fd69e742034d545c02c0932&id=e4ee09c0cb…

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Annual Meeting | In conversation with Dr. Rob Brooker 15:55

22 weeks тому15:55

15:55

As part of our 'Community' series, we’re bringing together a global community of ecologists to discuss their experience and relation to ecology. In this episode, we are focusing on the most exciting event on the BES’s calendar – our Annual Meeting with renowned ecologist and a longstanding BES member Dr. Rob Brooker. Tune in to understand what makes this event such a special one for the ecological community.…

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Journal of Animal Ecology | Editor Expertise: Dr Nathan J Sanders 28:46

27 weeks тому28:46

28:46

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2023 Haldane Prize Shortlist: André Luza 18:30

48 weeks тому18:30

18:30

Amelia Macho speaks with André Luza, whose review article "Going across taxa in functional ecology: Review and perspectives of an emerging field" has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology's 2023 Haldane Prize for Early Career Researchers. André’s review mapped the limitations of current research in functional ecology involving multiple taxa, presented ecological questions to a functional cross-taxa research and showed directions to pushing the limits of this research field. It aimed to encourage researchers in the field of functional ecology to move beyond single taxa and traits, and to integrate more branches and dimensions of the Tree of Life in their research.…

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Southwood Prize 2023: Dominic McAfee on Oysters and Soundscapes 25:52

49 weeks тому25:52

25:52

Lydia Groves, publishing assistant for Journal of Applied Ecology, sits down with Dominic McAfee to discuss the research article 'Soundscape enrichment enhances recruitment and habitat building on new oyster reef restorations'. Dominic is the author of one of the shortlisted research articles for the Southwood Prize 2023, celebrating early career ecologists. You can read Dominic's research article here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14307 You can find out more about the Southwood Prize here: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/publications/best-paper-by-an-early-career-researcher/southwood-prize/…

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2023 Haldane Prize Shortlist: Ximena Cibils 48:51

50 weeks тому48:51

48:51

In this podcast, Amelia Macho sits down with Ximena Cibils to discuss her research "Silicon and Epichloë-endophyte defences in a model temperate grass reduce feeding efficiency and immunity of an insect folivore”. Ximena's research has been shortlisted for Functional Ecology's 2023 Haldane Prize for early career researchers. Ximena presented the first report of silicon defences and Epichloë-endophyte derived alkaloids compromising insect immunity via reduced melanisation response. Deploying both physical and chemical defences against multiple insect herbivore traits, including feeding efficiency, growth and immunity, may be a successful defence strategy in temperate grasses.…

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Black History Month 2023: Jeanelle Brisbane on Conservation, Education and Representation 41:01

1 year тому41:01