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Global trends in vegetation resilience since the 2000s. Many regions – particularly tropical rainforests and Siberian tundra – are less able to maintain their current state in the face of changing environmental conditions.

From a bird's eye view – monitoring vegetation resilience from space

In an empirical study published today in “Nature Climate Change”, Dr. Taylor Smith from the University of Potsdam and his colleagues at the Potsdam …

Detecting abrupt transitions – be it in ocean heat or financial markets

From stock indices to sea surface temperatures, a lot of relevant data comes in the form of time series. Reliable detection of abrupt transitions such …
Prof. Dr. Ariane Walz. Photo: Karla Fritze.

Nature Conservation from Space – Researchers develop new methods for monitoring protected areas

Earth is being increasingly observed, measured, and photographed. Satellites orbiting our planet at altitudes of hundreds to a thousand kilometers are …
Dr. Natalia Ospina-Alvarez. Photo: Karla Fritze.

In Her Element – Why thallium and other trace elements are becoming a problem for the environment and what can be done about it

They are everywhere: in the soil, in the water, and sometimes even in the air, albeit often in such small quantities that they are hardly traceable. …
Prof. Dr. Michael Hofreiter. Photo: Karla Fritze.

Fishing for DNA – A drilling core reveals the history of an entire ecosystem

How wild horses and chickens were bred thousands of years ago, which species were closely related to the long-extinct European straight-tusked …
Bild mit Sonnenuntergang und Bohrturm im Hintergrund

Blick in die Menschheitsgeschichte – Workshop zum internationalen Tiefbohrprojekt in Ostafrika

Was 550.000 Jahre Klimageschichte Ostafrikas über die Entwicklung der Vorfahren des Menschen verraten, diskutieren die Teilnehmer eines Workshops, der …
Prof. Dr. Elke Dittmann. Photo: Thomas Roese.

Old as the Hills and Still in Top Form – Cyanobacteria are survival specialists – and the research focus of Elke Dittmann

It could have all turned out differently. Looking back, Prof. Dr. Elke Dittmann attributes her success in becoming Professor of Microbiology at the …
Hare. Photo: Wiebke Ullmann

Movement in the Fields - Biologists research interactions between biodiversity and movement patterns

A good 50% of Germany’s land – about 18 million hectares – is used for agriculture. This land is subject to rhythms of plowing, sowing, harvesting, …