James Bullock
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jmbecologist.bsky.social
James Bullock
@jmbecologist.bsky.social

Applied ecologist working on the ecological emergency

Studying ecosystem restoration, rewilding, dispersal, spatial ecology, ecosystem services, agro-ecology, global change. Views are my own & personal/unofficial

Environmental science 56%
Agriculture 16%

On a National Trust property

the cattle have obviously heard about rewilding plans & are looking out for large predators, in multiple directions

Definitely m. If the argument is reintroductions to support ecosystem processes, then a focus on charismatic species seems odd

Not sure what your point is. It is not a dichotomy

Also my post does not oppose reintroductions. It asks for good research & accuracy in reporting

I agree that reintroductions are worthwhile, but I’d make 2 points about this article

1) Eurasian beavers are not ‘at risk’; they are doing very well within their range

2) The Large Blue butterfly reintroduction was accompanied by a large amount of scientific research
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Moral imperative' to reintroduce at-risk species
Conservationisists explain the benefits to humans, land and wildlife that reintroductions can bring.
www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by James M. Bullock

Pretending the rise of the far right and the focus on issues such as immigration or trans people comes from the "legitimate concerns" of "the people" is not just factually wrong, it's a deeply political point

Refusing to see this as primarily top down processes is to protect the status quo

1/

To repeat, rewilding and restoration are different activities,

Both are relevant for nature recovery, and can be used in combination to achieve wider benefits

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Restore or rewild? Implementing complementary approaches to bend the curve on biodiversity loss
We discuss the benefits of integrating restoration and rewilding in conservation projects and highlight how such integration could increase the amount of space available for nature recovery; boost kn...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Out on the heath today, with happily grazing cattle and wood ants sunning themselves ☀️

CO2 is a danger to human health, and that of the planet,

as is The Telegraph

The majority of seed plants rely on animals for dispersal, but this is poorly understood for most plants

To aid further work, we have reviewed up-to-date empirical & modelling approaches & emerging technologies to quantify animal-mediated seed dispersal

doi.org/10.1002/aps3...
Animal‐mediated seed dispersal: A review of study methods
By dispersing seeds, animals provide ecological functions critical for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of plants. We review quantitative and empirical approaches and emerging technologies to....
doi.org

There is this bonkers idea - across the political spectrum -

that papers one disagrees with & with which one finds fault should be retracted

Retraction is warranted for major errors, data irregularities, or misrepresentation

The scientific process will winnow out studies which are simply poor
Not sure if Man United owner Jim Ratcliffe will see this being as he literally migrated to Monaco to avoid paying tax in the UK, but we wanted to put this up outside the stadium anyway….

📍 Old Trafford, Matt Busby Way

Reposted by James M. Bullock

BREAKING - WE HAVE WON!

Following a successful Judicial Review brought by Huda Ammori, and a sustained campaign of defiance by defend our juries leading to almost 3,000 ‘terror’ arrests, the ban on Palestine Action has been ruled unlawful in the courts.

Reposted by James M. Bullock

Treibhausgase bleiben eine Gefahr, egal wer im Weißen Haus sitzt. Was hier gerade passiert, ist mehr als ein politischer Schritt. Es ist ein Angriff auf die Realität und Leben.

Reposted by James M. Bullock

High Court: proscription of #PalestineAction was unlawful.

Greens voted against proscription, so we welcome this.

Govt must now immediately end its authoritarian attacks on peaceful protest, and fully address its complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule
Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by James M. Bullock

Atlantic rain forests have become a hot topic in the UK and Ireland with demands for their restoration. But where could they go? Our PhD student Kat Chernyuk describes her first paper addressing the environmental factors: 🧪🌏🌲🌳
Where Could Ireland and Britain’s Temperate Rainforest Actually Go?
Katerina Chernyuk highlights the need to understand the various factors impacting temperate rainforests and shares her team’s research investigating the potential climate envelopes in Ireland…
appliedecologistsblog.com

Reposted by Stephen D. Murphy

‘Habitat condition’: a measure of conformity to simple metrics (often composition), usually linked to policy

‘Ecosystem condition’: a measure of how an ecosystem is functioning, including its resilience to pressures

The 1st is easy but its utility is questionable

The 2nd is hard but what we need

Reposted by James M. Bullock

Fully Funded PhD Opportunity – J Denis Summers-Smith Research Studentship: How to promote abundant and diverse bird resources during transition to rewilding | Research | Teesside University

J Denis Summers-Smith Research Studentship: How to promote abundant and diverse bird resources during…
Fully Funded PhD Opportunity – J Denis Summers-Smith Research Studentship: How to promote abundant and diverse bird resources during transition to rewilding | Research | Teesside University
J Denis Summers-Smith Research Studentship: How to promote abundant and diverse bird resources during transition to rewilding | Research | Teesside University Application Deadline: 13/03/2026 5:00PM Anticipated Interview Date: 17/03/2026 Staff name: Dr Ambroise Baker Start date: Successful applicants will be expected to start in May or October 2026. This PhD project aims to study early management interventions during the transition from agriculture to rewilding, with a special focus on the provision of bird habitat and resources, such as seeds and invertebrate abundance.
plantsbiodiversityecosystems.wordpress.com

I suggest you deport it
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin

Nice. BC have always been good on the science

Who are these University professors who are apparently organising & are plenary speakers at clearly predatory conferences?

Lies, damn lies, and racists
With more than 150 illustrations, including unique maps, charts and colour photographs, The Marsh Tit and The Willow Tit brings together a wealth of information surrounding these fascinating species.

Buy here: https://bit.ly/450KqLW

#birdguides #books #birdbooks #birding #birdwatch

Reposted by James M. Bullock

#ToadPatrol season is upon us and patrols are looking for volunteers.

No experience is necessary, but enthusiasm is a must! You will get to participate in one of the UK's most iconic wildlife events.

You can search for and contact your local Toad Patrol here: https://ow.ly/b2uS50Ycknh

Reposted by James M. Bullock

🐝 Zero Hour is proud to work with many inspiring champions helping to advance the Climate and Nature Bill.

👩‍🔬 On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we want to highlight some of the incredible voices advocating for climate and nature action!

👇 See below! 🧵

We do need good news stories about conservation

But simply reporting conservation actions is not enough

We also need the evidence that these actions are leading to nature recovery

That would be the real good news

Reposted by James M. Bullock

Today marked only our second-ever wild beaver release, as a family and a pair of Eurasian beavers were introduced at two sites across the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor in Somerset.

Not even knowing that it’s a rainforest

Reposted by James M. Bullock

The study, co-authored by @jmbecologist.bsky.social and published in Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, calls for improved monitoring combined with Indigenous knowledge to guide action.

Read more about the study: www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

Interesting paper examining ‘temperate rainforests’,

which have become a bit of an obsession in the British Isles