Tag: Climate Change

Projects

Global warming disrupts the relationship between plants and pollinators

How would the floral scent of crops change if the temperatures were to rise by five degrees? And what would be the consequences for the relationship between plants and pollinating insects? An international team in Salzburg has simulated a scenario of global warming on three crops with three pollinators. Even though it will not be […] Continue reading “Global warming disrupts the relationship between plants and pollinators”

Interview & Opinion

Why the smallest organisms play the biggest role

Interview: Isabella Ferenci

Microbiologist Christa Schleper has dedicated her research career to archaea – the tiny unicellular organisms that counted among the first life forms on Earth. The 2022 Wittgenstein Award winner has discovered numerous microorganisms, and specialises in studying the impact of archaea on the nitrogen cycle. Her findings lay the groundwork for determining the impact of […] Continue reading “Why the smallest organisms play the biggest role”

Projects

Precision research into Mediterranean history

Opened 150 years ago, the Suez Canal created an artificial connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean – and had an unanticipated impact on biodiversity. A Vienna-based research team investigating the historical development of the Mediterranean ecosystem found a massive decline in the diversity of native species. Tropical immigrants are probably not to blame, […] Continue reading “Precision research into Mediterranean history”

Projects

How spruce meets bark beetle

How efficient is the defence mechanism of spruce trees when they are suffering from drought, what attracts bark beetles to stressed trees, and what role do their fungal symbionts play in the infestation? In a basic research project, entomologist Sigrid Netherer and her team succeeded in furnishing the first empirical evidence that drought-stressed spruce trees […] Continue reading “How spruce meets bark beetle”

Interview & Opinion

Climate change and its consequences – our responsibility?

Opinion: Lukas Meyer

We can all contribute to climate protection, not least by reducing the emissions we generate personally. Taking our responsibility as individuals seriously is also sending out a signal to political decision-makers to ensure fair burden sharing. It is clear that, unless drastic measures are taken, we will not be able to prevent more climate catastrophes […] Continue reading “Climate change and its consequences – our responsibility?”

Portrait

The limits of space

By Margit Schwarz-Stiglbauer

Faster, higher, further. Our society is based on the principle of growth, but our living space is limited. This is one of the fundamental problems that Alois Humer confronts. This professor of geography and spatial researcher at the University of Vienna is looking for answers as to how we can distribute our living space more […] Continue reading “The limits of space”