Since 2000 the Editorial Board has selected the recipient of the Julie S. Denslow Prize (formerly the Award for Excellence in Tropical Biology and Conservation), which recognizes the outstanding paper published in Biotropica in the previous calendar year. In recognition of the passion and creativity of early career scholars, in 2015 the Board also began recognizing the outstanding article by a student with the Peter Ashton Prize. Criteria for selecting the papers to receive these awards include clarity of presentation, a strong basis in natural history, well-planned experimental or sampling design, and the novel insights gained into critical processes that influence the structure, functioning, or conservation of tropical systems. Below is the complete list of the award-winning articles.
Julie S. Denslow Prize
for the outstanding article published in Biotropica
| Year | Article |
| 2023 | McConkey, K. R., Aldy, F., Ong, L., Sutisna, D. J., & Campos-Arceiz, A. (2022). Lost mutualisms: Seed dispersal by Sumatran rhinos, the world’s most threatened megafauna. Biotropica, 346–357. Author essay |
| 2022 | Doughty, C. E., Cheesman, A. W., Riutta, T., Thomson, E. R., Shenkin, A., Nottingham, A. T., Telford, E. M., Huaraca Huasco, W., Majalap, N., Arn, I. Y., Meir, P., & Malhi, Y. (2021). Predicting tropical tree mortality with leaf spectroscopy. Biotropica, 53, 581–595. Author essay |
| 2021 | Jackson, T. D., Shenkin, A. F., Majalap, N., Bin Jami, J., Bin Sailim, A., Reynolds, G., Coomes, D. A., Chandler, C. J., Boyd, D. S., Burt, A., Wilkes, P., Disney, M., and Malhi, Y. (2021). The mechanical stability of the world’s tallest broadleaf trees. Biotropica 53(1): 110-120. Author essay |
| 2020 | Amador‐Vargas. S. (2019). Plant killing by Neotropical acacia ants: ecology, decision‐making, and head morphology. Biotropica 51: 692– 699. Author essay
Wigley, B. J., Coetsee, C., Kruger, L. M., Ratnam, J. and Sankaran, M. (2019). Ants, fire, and bark traits affect how African savanna trees recover following damage. Biotropica 51: 682– 691. Author essay |
| 2019 | Gaoue, O. G., Gado, C., Natta, A. K. and Kouagou, M. (2018). Recurrent fruit harvesting reduces seedling density but increases the frequency of clonal reproduction in a tropical tree. Biotropica 50: 69–73. Author essay |
| 2018 | Garcia‐Robledo, Carlos, Carol C. Horvitz, W. John Kress, A. Nalleli Carvajal‐Acosta, Terry L. Erwin, Charles L. Staines. (2017). Experimental assemblage of novel plant–herbivore interactions: ecological host shifts after 40 million years of isolation. Biotropica 49(6): 803-810
Scheffers, Brett R., David P. Edwards, Stewart L. Macdonald, Rebecca A. Senior, Lydou R. Andriamahohatra, Nadiah Roslan, Andrew M. Rogers, Torbjørn Haugaasen, Patricia Wright & Stephen E. Williams. (2017). Extreme thermal heterogeneity in structurally complex tropical rain forests. Biotropica 49(1): 35-44 |
| 2017 | Vencl, F. V., Ottens, K., Dixon, M. M., Candler, S., Bernal, X. E., Estrada, C. and Page, R. A. (2016). Pyrazine emission by a tropical firefly: An example of chemical aposematism? Biotropica, 48: 645–655. Author essay |
| 2016 | Nakazawa, Y. and Peterson, A. T. (2015). Effects of Climate History and Environmental Grain on Species’ Distributions in Africa and South America. Biotropica, 47: 292–299. Author essay |
| 2015 | Farwig, N., Lung, T., Schaab, G. and Böhning-Gaese, K. (2014). Linking Land-Use Scenarios, Remote Sensing and Monitoring to Project Impact of Management Decisions. Biotropica, 46: 357-366. Author essay |
| 2014 | Alexandra Pardow and Michael Lakatos. 2013. Desiccation Tolerance and Global Change: Implications for Tropical Bryophytes in Lowland Forests. Biotropica 45(1):27-36. Author essay
Gaston E. Small, Pedro J. Torres, Lauren M. Schweizer, John H. Duff, and Catherine M. Pringle. 2013. Importance of Terrestrial Arthropods as Subsidies in Lowland Neotropical Rain Forest Stream Ecosystems. Biotropica. 45(1): 80-87. Author essay |
| 2013 | Karubian, J., Durães, R., Storey, J. L. and Smith, T. B. (2012), Mating Behavior Drives Seed Dispersal by the Long-wattled Umbrellabird Cephalopterus penduliger. Biotropica, 44: 689-698. Author essay |
| 2012 | no award given |
| 2011 | no award given |
| 2010 | Edward, E., Munishi, P. K. T. and Hulme, P. E. (2009), Relative Roles of Disturbance and Propagule Pressure on the Invasion of Humid Tropical Forest by Cordia alliodora (Boraginaceae) in Tanzania. Biotropica, 41: 171-178. Author essay |
| 2009 | Timothy Paine, C. E., Harms, K. E., Schnitzer, S. A. and Carson, W. P. (2008), Weak Competition Among Tropical Tree Seedlings: Implications for Species Coexistence. Biotropica, 40: 432-440. Author essay |
| 2008 | Henry, M. and Jouard, S. (2007), Effect of Bat Exclusion on Patterns of Seed Rain in Tropical Rain Forest in French Guiana. Biotropica, 39: 510-518. Author essay |
| 2007 | Vasconcelos, H. L., Vieira-Neto, E. H. M., Mundim, F. M. and Bruna, E. M. (2006), Roads Alter the Colonization Dynamics of a Keystone Herbivore in Neotropical Savannas. Biotropica, 38: 661-665. Author essay |
| 2006 | García-Robledo, C., Kattan, G., Murcia, C. and Quintero-Marín, P. (2005), Equal and Opposite Effects of Floral Offer and Spatial Distribution on Fruit Production and Predispersal Seed Predation in Xanthosoma daguense (Araceae). Biotropica, 37: 373-380. Author Essay |
| 2005 | Sheil, D. and Salim, A. (2004), Forest Tree Persistence, Elephants, and Stem Scars. Biotropica, 36: 505-521. Author essay |
| 2004 | Michael G. McCay.(2003) Winds under the Rain Forest Canopy: The Aerodynamic Environment of Gliding Tree Frogs. Biotropica 35(1):94-102. Author essay |
| 2003 | Guariguata, M. R., Claire, H. A.-L. and Jones, G. (2002), Tree Seed Fate in a Logged and Fragmented Forest Landscape, Northeastern Costa Rica. Biotropica, 34: 405-415. Author essay |
| 2002 | Jean-Marc Hero, William E. Magnusson, Carlos F. D. Rocha and Carla P. Catterall (2001) Antipredator Defenses Influence the Distribution of Amphibian Prey Species in the Central Amazon Rain Forest. Biotropica 33(1):131-141. Author essay |
| 2001 | P. J. DeVries and C. M. Penz (2000) Entomophagy, Behavior, and Elongated Thoracic Legs in the Myrmecophilous Neotropical Butterfly Alesa amesis (Riodinidae). Biotropica 32(4):712-721. Author essay |
| 2000 | Ellen Andresen (1999) Seed Dispersal by Monkeys and the Fate of Dispersed Seeds in a Peruvian Rain Forest. Biotropica 31(1):145-158. Author essay |
Peter Ashton Prize
for the outstanding article published in Biotropica by a student
| Year | Article |
| 2023 | Nerlekar, A. N., Chorghe, A. R., Dalavi, J. V., Kusom, R. K., Karuppusamy, S., Kamath, V., Pokar, R., Rengaian, G., Sardesai, M. M., & Kambale, S. S. (2022). Exponential rise in the discovery of endemic plants underscores the need to conserve the Indian savannas. Biotropica, 54, 405–417. Author essay |
| 2022 | Tol, S. J., Jarvis, J. C., York, P. H., Congdon, B. C., & Coles, R. G. (2021). Mutualistic relationships in marine angiosperms: Enhanced germination of seeds by mega-herbivores. Biotropica, 53, 1535–1545. Author essay |
| 2021 | Messeder, J. V. S., Guerra, T. J., Dáttilo, W., and Silveira, F. A. O. (2020). Searching for keystone plant resources in fruit-frugivore interaction networks across the Neotropics. Biotropica 52(5): 857-870. Author essay |
| 2020 | Sheherazade, Ober, H. K., and Tsang, S. M. (2019). Contributions of bats to the local economy through durian pollination in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biotropica 51: 913– 922. Author essay
Jimenez‐Soto, E, Morris, J. R., Letourneau, D. K. and Philpott, S. M. (2019). Vegetation connectivity increases ant activity and potential for ant‐provided biocontrol services in a tropical agroforest. Biotropica 51: 50– 61. Author essay |
| 2019 | Adamescu, G. S., Plumptre, A. J., Abernethy, K. A., Polansky, L., Bush, E. R., Chapman, C. A., Shoo, L. P., Fayolle, A., Janmaat, K. R. L., Robbins, M. M., Ndangalasi, H. J., Cordeiro, N. J., Gilby, I. C., Wittig, R. M., Breuer, T, Breuer‐Ndoundou Hockemba, M., Sanz, C. M., Morgan, D. B., Pusey, A. E., Mugerwa, B., Gilagiza, B., Tutin, C., Ewango, C. E. N., Sheil, D., Dimoto, E., Baya, F., Bujo, F., Ssali, F., Dikangadissi, J.-T., Jeffery, K., Valenta, K., White, L., Masozera, M., Wilson, M. L., Bitariho, R., Ndolo Ebika, S. T., Gourlet‐Fleury, S., Mulindahabi, F. and Beale, C M. (2018). Annual cycles are the most common reproductive strategy in African tropical tree communities. Biotropica 50:418‐430. Author essay |
| 2018 | Lugon, A. P., Boutefeu, M., Bovy, E., Vaz‐de‐Mello, F. Z., Huynen, M.-C., Galetti, M. and Culot, L. (2017). Persistence of the effect of frugivore identity on post‐dispersal seed fate: consequences for the assessment of functional redundancy. Biotropica 49(3): 293-302 |
| 2017 | Rugemalila, D. M., Anderson, T. M. and Holdo, R. M. (2016), Precipitation and elephants, not fire, shape tree community composition in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Biotropica, 48: 476–482. Author essay |
| 2016 | Peter, F., Berens, D. G., Grieve, G. R. and Farwig N. (2015). Forest Fragmentation Drives the Loss of Insectivorous Birds and an Associated Increase in Herbivory. Biotropica, 47: 626–635. Author essay |
| 2015 | Maruyama, P. K., Vizentin-Bugoni, J., Oliveira, G. M., Oliveira, P. E. and Dalsgaard, B. (2014), Morphological and Spatio-Temporal Mismatches Shape a Neotropical Savanna Plant-Hummingbird Network. Biotropica, 46: 740-747. Author essay |