The University of Bayreuth is a partner in the new European “PAPILLONS” consortium for micro- and nanoplastics research in agriculture. 20 universities and research institutions from 12 countries will jointly investigate the sustainability of plastic use in European agriculture. The focus is on the input of plastic particles and chemical additives into arable land, and their possible ecological and socio-economic effects. The European Union is funding the project until 2025 to the tune of € 7.2 million in total, of…
The traits of coral species that have become extinct during the last few million years do not match those of coral species deemed at risk of extinction today. In a recently published article in the journal ‘Global Ecology and Biogeography’, a research team at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is therefore proposing that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revises its Red List of Threatened Species for coral. The list categorises around a third of all 845 coral species…
Maritime litter is among the most urgent global pollution issues. Marine scientist Nikoleta Bellou and her team at Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon have published an overview study of solutions for prevention, monitoring, and removal in the renowned scientifically journal Nature Sustainability. They found that reducing ocean pollution requires more support, integration, and creative political decisiveness. Plastic bottles drifting in the sea; bags in the stomachs of turtles; Covid-19 masks dancing in the surf: few images are as unpleasant to look at as…
The team of the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung investigates a new route to produce green steel through hydrogen plasma. Germany, Europe and almost all countries in the world are heading towards climate neutral economies in the future. This aspect means to minimize as much CO2 emissions as possible plus compensating for the remaining emissions. However, this target is not yet met by current technology. One of the biggest industrial CO2 emitters, the iron- and steelmaking industry, still lacks the possibility of…
Plant ecologists at the University of Tübingen compare temporal rhythms of early-flowering plants in different environments. One of the most striking features of global warming is that the life rhythms of plants are changing all over the world. A study at the University of Tübingen has found that human land use can also significantly influence the pace of plant life cycles. In a comparative study, a research team from the Plant Evolutionary Ecology group surveyed one hundred forest sites of…
The number of data-transmitting microdevices, for instance in packaging and transport logistics, will increase sharply in the coming years. All these devices need energy, but the amount of batteries would have a major impact on the environment. Empa researchers have developed a biodegradable mini-capacitor that can solve the problem. It consists of carbon, cellulose, glycerin and table salt. And it works reliably. The fabrication device for the battery revolution looks quite unconspicuous: It is a modified, commercially available 3D printer,…
Expedition to long-term observatory between Greenland and Svalbard. On Whit Monday, 24 May 2021, the Polarstern will set sail for the Arctic. In Fram Strait, between Greenland and Svalbard, more than 50 participating scientists will resume the long-term observations that began at the AWI HAUSGARTEN more than 20 years ago. Here they will investigate the effects of environmental changes on the Arctic’s deep-sea ecosystem. The Arctic is changing: rising water temperatures and retreating sea ice are producing ecosystem shifts in…
Researchers analyzed current conservation strategies and recommended changes to how and where declining milkweed (an essential food source for butterfly larvae) can be restored. Simon Fraser University researchers are playing a key role in guiding conservation efforts to protect a declining butterfly population. The eastern monarch butterfly, an important pollinating species known for its distinct yellow-orange and black colour, is diminishing due to the loss of the milkweed plant–its primary food source. Researchers analyzed current conservation strategies and recommended changes…
In many parts of Southeast Asia, rainforest is being replaced by palm oil plantations. This is causing far-reaching problems for the natural world, for example for southern pig-tailed macaques, a species from Southeast Asia that is native to the rainforests of Malaysia. Due to the extensive clearing of their habitat, these primates sometimes turn to palm oil monocultures while foraging. This often leads to conflicts with farmers. The macaques do not damage the palm oil fruits to any great extent….
UK landowners and conservationists welcome wider-spread use of Gene Conservation Units (GCUs) to help protect some of the rarest plants and insects, research at the University of York has shown. In particular the Great Yellow Bumblebee and the Mountain Ringlet Butterfly, which are at risk of further population decline, would benefit from Gene Conservation Units, currently only employed for forest trees and agricultural species or their relatives. Genetic diversity in these species is essential if they are to adapt to…
Fraunhofer IFAM develops concept for energy-efficient debinding processes … The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden is constantly working on optimizing its processes. Particularly in processes in which near-net-shape components are manufactured, the high energy demand is addressed and solutions are found to reduce energy consumption. In binder-based additive manufacturing processes, for example, organic binders have to be removed from the component by thermal treatment, a process which has so far been very energy-intensive. Researchers…
– an underestimated problem? The images leave no one cold: giant vortices of floating plastic trash in the world’s oceans with sometimes devastating consequences for their inhabitants – the sobering legacy of our modern lifestyle. Weathering and degradation processes produce countless tiny particles that can now be detected in virtually all ecosystems. But how dangerous are the smallest of them, so-called nanoplastics? Are they a ticking time bomb, as alarming media reports suggest? In the latest issue of the journal…
In a recent article in Sustainability, scientists from Reykjavik University (RU), the University of Gothenburg, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office describe their finding of microplastic in a remote and pristine area of Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland, Europe’s largest ice cap. Microplastics may affect the melting and rheological behaviour of glaciers, thus influencing the future meltwater contribution to the oceans and rising sea levels. This is the first time that the finding of microplastic in the Vatnajökull glacier is described. The…
How plastic affects life in the ocean is one of the pressing questions in marine research. A new study by the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) looks at the impact of microplastics on corals. Microplastic particles are 5 mm and smaller. They are formed in the ocean as plastic waste decomposes through friction, salt, bacteria or UV radiation. Another source that has received little attention to date is paints and varnishes from ships, which leave behind considerable amounts…
To illustrate the effects of climate change on nature at a glance, scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are now presenting Green Warming Stripes for the first time. Annette Menzel, Professor of Ecoclimatology at the TUM, explains in an interview how we can interpret them and what they mean. We understand that Green Climate or Warming Stripes can illustrate nature’s responses to global warming, but how can we decode the colored stripes? Blue colors represent years with cold…
How seagrass can help to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Oceans are among the largest carbon stores on our planet. An important factor are marine plants such as seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and salt marshes, which sequester carbon in the soil. In the German Baltic Sea, for example, seagrass meadows currently store around 3 to 12 megatons. This is significantly more than was previously known, as the first results from Dr. Angela Stevenson from GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean…
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