Tag: Ecology

On the road

Archaea research in the “Helix”

By Isabelle Zink

Archaea are able to withstand the most adverse conditions such as extreme cold or heat. Among the first organisms found on the planet, they were the ancestors of complex creatures such as human beings. During her Schrödinger fellowship, microbiologist Isabelle Zink is cooperating with top researchers in Wageningen, the Netherlands, in order to find out […] Continue reading “Archaea research in the “Helix””

Projects

Danubian narratives

The second longest river in Europe, the Danube, flows through more countries than any other river in the world. The research project “Reading the Danube” explores the eventful history of this river in literature, photography and films over the past 100 years. Continue reading “Danubian narratives”

Projects

Improving fire predictions

Forest fires contribute to biodiversity, and in many regions of the world they are an element of land use. Major and long-lasting fires are a health risk, however, costing lives, resulting in the loss of assets and affecting the global carbon cycle. A team of German and Austrian researchers are investigating the human impact on […] Continue reading “Improving fire predictions”

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”

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”