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Reposted by Rob Barber

Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Hi all, I've revived my BlueSky account to share info about our ecological monitoring survey (more below). I don't have many followers, but I'm hoping our survey could be really useful for the UK monitoring community. So please pass on to anyone that might find it interesting! arcg.is/1mn48e5

arcg.is

UK Terrestrial and Freshwater Monitoring Survey

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

And thanks to everyone that helped get this off the ground from multiple institutions trying to help make ecological data more accessible: @rbgkew.bsky.social @ukceh.bsky.social @nhm.org @biofair.bsky.social

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Our main hope is that it makes sharing data easier for everyone, and helps us stitch together everyone's individual monitoring efforts into a national picture.

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

We are running it with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), and the findings will feed into groups like Better Evidence for Nature (BE4N) and the UK Biodiversity Observation Network (UK-BON) to help shape practical guidance on making monitoring data easier to find and reuse.

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The survey asks all different kinds of monitoring projects what monitoring they do, where the data ends up, and what stops it being shared. It takes about 15 minutes, and it is aimed at whoever decides how a scheme's data are shared rather than at individual recorders.

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The UK has a long tradition of watching its natural environment. But it has grown up piece by piece over decades, across governments, charities, land managers and grass-roots recorders. So nobody really knows how much data gets shared, or how much of it anyone else can find and use.

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Our team at Kew Gardens has launched a survey this week as part of a BioFAIR pathfinder project to try and figure out what happens to the wealth of ecological and environmental data collected across the UK.

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

arcg.is

UK Terrestrial and Freshwater Monitoring Survey

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Reposted by Rob Barber

Natalie Cooper @nhcooper123.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

After last year's successful refresh of the BES Reproducible Code guide (www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/...), this year we're going to refresh the Data Management guide (www.britishecologicalsociety.org//wp-content/...). Exciting! See below for how to get involved...

britishecologicalsociety.org

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Congrats Jingyi! Well earned. Gutted I couldn't be there but we'll celebrate soon!

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Reposted by Rob Barber

Oonagh Barker @obarker.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Delighted to have had a small part in this very cool paper - my undergraduate final project contributed to the dataset. And big congrats to Rob and the others on the outcome! 🎉

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Reposted by Rob Barber

Charlie Outhwaite @charlieouthwaite.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

I have some PhD projects now available for application if you are interested in insect biodiversity change. Please check out the links below and shout if you have questions!

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

And @obarker.bsky.social !! Sorry I couldn't find you on blue sky in my rush to post before leaving work 😅

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

🙏 Thanks to my incredible co-authors and collaborators! Especially @josephtobias.bsky.social who started collecting data yonks ago, but also @jyang19.bsky.social @timjanicke.bsky.social and many others who worked on the dataset at @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

🌟 This brings me to my last/proudest point (and well done for making it this far). 🏁 🗂️ Our dataset is freely available for all avian species and matched to multiple taxonomies. Hopefully it can help advance research on sexual traits, macroecology, and birds in general 🐦

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

While historical biases dominate data quality, our analyses confirm the gradient still holds for the fraction of best-known species. Moreover, because of a multitude of reasons, sexually selected species (especially tropical) are better known, which can also dampen global trends

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Diet also matters: Frugivores show weaker sexual selection at higher latitudes (a reversed trend). In comparison, Insectivores show the strongest positive gradient. This divergence highlights how ecology can shape the relevance of sexual traits across of species. 🦟🍇

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Ecology and climate provide the answers. Species in seasonal environments (common at higher latitudes) experience greater sexual selection, perhaps due to restricted breeding seasons and greater competition for mates.

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Key result: Sexual selection intensity follows a striking latitudinal gradient, increasing toward higher latitudes! 🗺️ Birds in temperate zones exhibit more intense sexual selection compared to their tropical counterparts. But what drives this pattern? 🤔

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

We first combed studies, books, databases, encyclopedias, and expert advice to score sexual selection across thousands of species, validating information on mating systems and courtship behavior against established metrics (e.g., Bateman gradients).

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Sexual selection shapes incredible diversity in bird traits, from extravagant plumage to complex displays. Yet, why it varies across species and regions remains a big question in biology. We set out to explore this using data from >10,000 bird species globally. 🌎🐦

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Rob Barber @ra-barber.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Big news! 🎉 My first PhD chapter has been published in @PLOSBiology, and it just made the cover! 🐦🌍 Perfect time to dive into the key findings from our global study on sexual selection in birds. 🧵👇 📖 Read the paper: doi.org/10.1371/jour...

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Reposted by Rob Barber

Jonathan Drury @jonathanpdrury.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

📣 I'm recruiting PhD students for several projects: jonathanpdrury.com/opportunitie... #PleaseRepost

Durham cathedral in crepuscular winter light

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