Nature recovery requires whole-ecosystem action Published on: 18 November 2025 With one in six species threatened with extinction in the UK, senior ecologists are calling for an ecosystem approach to halt nature decline. by the British Ecological Society and National Trust, co-authored by Âé¶¹´«Ã½’s Professor Darren Evans, makes clear that human wellbeing over the coming years and decades will not depend on the extinction or abundance of particular wild species in particular places, but on ecosystems continuing to function in a resilient way. Despite some conservation successes for individual species, fragmented strategies aren’t big picture enough: one in six species is threatened with extinction in the UK. This threatens the critical ecosystem services upon which society is built upon. In recent years, UK governments have launched several initiatives to support nature recovery including committing to legally binding targets in the Environment Act. However, these plans focus on disconnected elements of ecosystems (such as species, water quality, carbon) rather than on the whole dynamic picture. Professor Darren Evans from Âé¶¹´«Ã½'s School of Natural and Environment Sciences, who is a co-author of the report, said “We now have the tools to model the impacts of environmental change on whole ecosystems. Working with researchers from the Schools of Computing and Mathematics, Statistics and Physics we are applying advances in network science to understand and manage ecosystem functioning in the face of unprecedented change.” Red squirrel Urgent action needed Professor Rosie Hails MBE, Director of Nature & Science at The National Trust and chair of the Defra Biodiversity Expert Committee, said, “I’d like to see Defra really leading the charge on an ecosystem approach in England. It’s the department of food, environment and rural affairs and this is in some ways the rural affairs part of their remit, which you hear relatively little about. But this work needs to cut across government departments with Defra connecting up the departments for transport, health and housing.” The Aligning Environmental Agendas for Nature Recovery report brings together leading experts from organisations including National Trust, Zoological Society of London, and Natural History Museum. For more expert insight into an ecosystem approach and policy recommendations, . Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at Âé¶¹´«Ã½ warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Âé¶¹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures