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Elephants in the savannah

Agriculture or Wildlife Conservation – How land-use change affects carbon storage in Africa

When humans and wild animals share a common habitat in the African savanna, decisions have to be made about how the land should be used in the future. …
Ein junger Star, der mit einem Forschungssender ausgestattet ist, sitzt auf der Hand eines Menschen

Reduced movement of starlings with parasite infections has a negative impact on their offspring

Press release // Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), Technische Universität Berlin & University of Potsdam

Infections with parasites often entail no recognisable signs in many wildlife species, but can have still negative effects across generations. …
Bild von einer Wiese, auf der ein Stück mit Flatterband abgesperrt ist, darauf zwei junge Menschen

Dark Diversity – Hidden Impact of Human Activities on Nature

Media information 03-04-2025 / Nr. 032

Natural vegetation, especially in regions heavily affected by human activities, often lacks many species that could be present according to their …
Spokespersons of the University Research Focuses and Emerging Fields receive their certificates at the beginning of the new funding period.

Profiled – New Research Focuses of the University of Potsdam

In 2025, the University will sharpen its profile with new University Research Focuses. In addition to the already existing “Cognitive Sciences” and …
A swallow starts out on one hand.

Infections with parasites affect the local flight behaviour of swallows

Swallows infected with parasites move less and in smaller ranges than healthy ones – with detrimental effects on their foraging success and their …
Die Frühlings-Platterbse wächst im Wald auf dem Boden

Consequence of over-fertilization – Diversity of nitrogen-fixing plants is reduced

Media Information 21-10-2024 / Nr. 099

Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition and climate change can reduce the competitive advantage of nitrogen-fixing plants, leading to reduced diversity of …
Potsdam researchers in the groups of Prof. Dr. Anja Linstädter and Prof. Dr. Florian Jeltsch from the Institute of Biochemistry and Biology contributed their field data from drylands in South Africa and Namibia to the global study.

Branching Out – Study Shows Causes for the Dominance of Woody Plants in Drylands

Media information 14-10-2024 / No. 096

Precipitation, temperature, and grazing have the greatest influence on whether woody or herbaceous species grow in dryland areas. This has been shown …
Abundant young stands of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) – in this case alongside Norway maple (Acer platanoides)

How Plants Migrate Due to Humans – Nitrogen Pollution Leads to Westward Range Shift of European Forest Plants

Media information 11-10-2024 / No. 095

Climate change has been jumbling ecosystems around the world for the past few decades. A common assumption is that many species are shifting their …
Springbok with tracking collar.

Adapted – Study Shows That Wild Animals Also Get Accustomed to Humans

Media information 30-09-2024 / No. 089

Wild animals are less susceptible to human disturbance if they live in areas with a high human footprint. Potsdam researchers have highlighted this in …
Savanna vegetation in Southern Africa

Diversity as survival strategy – How plants adapt to extreme climates in drylands

In a large-scale international study under leadership of the French research organizations INRAE/CNRS and the King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia …