News Archive 2019

all news | only media releases

2023202220212020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 

Nicole van Dam is crossing Solanum dulcamare chemotypes to yield seeds for the project in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden of Leipzig.

On 5 December 2019 the German Science Foundation DFG approved the application of the Research Unit “Ecology and Evolution of Intraspecific Chemodiversity in Plants”. Nicole van Dam and Fredd Vergara…  › more

17.12.2019 | Molecular Interaction Ecology, MIE Group News
Leipzig riparian forest (Picture: Volker Hahn, iDiv)

Scientists from iDiv, UFZ and Leipzig University discuss conservation management  › more

17.12.2019 | iDiv, TOP NEWS
(Picture: )

To save biodiversity, the major global challenges should be tackled now  › more

13.12.2019 | UFZ News, TOP NEWS, iDiv Members
In a rapidly urbanising world, the conversion of natural habitats into urban areas leads to a significant loss of biodiversity. (Picture: allemii / Pixabay)

Researchers assess direct and indirect effects of urban growth on a global scale.  › more

09.12.2019 | Biodiversity Conservation, Research, iDiv, Media Release, sDiv, TOP NEWS
Storytelling

Narratives have functions and can be explained in a (simple) model  › more

03.12.2019 | Media Release, Biodiversity and People, TOP NEWS, yDiv
A century later, plant diversity is still struggling in wake of agricultural abandonment. (Picture: Forest Isbell)

Although local plant diversity increases over time, plant productivity does not significantly recover from agricultural use.  › more

22.11.2019 | iDiv, TOP NEWS, Media Release, sDiv, Research, Physiological Diversity
Highly Cited Researchers

10 iDiv members named Highly Cited Researchers  › more

19.11.2019 | TOP NEWS
The spreading bellflower (<em>Campanula patula</em>) is a declining species in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.&nbsp; (Picture: Florian Jansen)

 The full text is only available in German.  › more

08.11.2019 | Biodiversity and People, iDiv Members, Media Release

A big milestone for the synthesis center of iDiv  › more

24.10.2019 | sDiv News
Earthworms foster many ecosystem services important to people.&nbsp; (Picture: Valentin Gutekunst)

Global climate change could alter earthworm communities worldwide.  › more

24.10.2019 | Media Release, sDiv, Experimental Interaction Ecology, TOP NEWS
Adult male pig-tailed macaque consuming a rat at the oil palm plantations near Segari, Peninsular Malaysia. (Picture: Anna Holzner)

Considered an oil palm pest, macaques can in fact diminish a more severe pest: rats  › more

21.10.2019 | Research, iDiv, TOP NEWS, Media Release, iDiv Members
Tropical marine regions are exhibiting biodiversity change at the extremes of richness gains, losses and turnover more often than other regions. (Picture: Kanenori / Pixabay)

Researchers map types and rates of biodiversity change.  › more

18.10.2019 | Media Release, Biodiversity Synthesis, iDiv, Research, sDiv, TOP NEWS

On 15 October 2019,  MDR TV broadcasted a beautiful documentary on the Leipzig botanical garden, the oldest botanical garden in Germany. You will see our iDiv gardener Alvin, our former gardener…  › more

16.10.2019 | Molecular Interaction Ecology
Under climate change, projected sea-level rise increases risk to 500 million people worldwide by 2050. (Picture: David Shepherd / Pixabay)

Where people’s needs for nature are greatest, nature’s ability to meet those needs is declining  › more

08.10.2019 | Research, iDiv, TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release
At the Jena Experiment, researchers study the role of biodiversity for ecosystem functioning. (Picture: Christoph Scherber)

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grants 5 million euros for novel approach to investigate mechanisms underlying biodiversity and ecosystem functions at Jena Experiment  › more

30.09.2019 | iDiv, TOP NEWS, Experimental Interaction Ecology, Research, Media Release
Widespread contempt among fishermen for stricter EU fishing regulation is well documented. (Picture: Moritz Drupp)

Game of chance experiment: In a relationship with an unpopular regulator, the truth is somewhat elastic.  › more

30.09.2019 | Media Release, TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Economics
Lisa Steiniger

Molecular Interaction Ecology welcomes Lisa Steiniger from the Wilhelm-Ostwald-Gymnasium (Leipzig) to the group. In the coming year, Lisa will study how belowground herbivory by larvae of the cabbage…  › more

25.09.2019 | MIE Group News
Martin Volf

iDiv postdoctoral researcher Martin Volf received an Alexander von Humboldt Return Fellowship to continue his research on chemical defence mechanisms of trees against herbivorous insects. Volf has…  › more

25.09.2019 | Molecular Interaction Ecology, TOP NEWS
Climate change is affecting nature, also in the forests of the Harz mountains. (Picture: Christian Müller)

iDiv scientists call for action to tackle climate and biodiversity change.  › more

18.09.2019 | TOP NEWS, iDiv, Media Release, sDiv
How do climate and land use affect ecological processes? In the Global Change Experimantal Facility (GCEF), an outdoor experiment in Saxony-Anhalt run by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, scientists have been researching the consequences of the expected future changes in climate and land use since 2013. (Picture: André Künzelmann / UFZ)

Most experiments do not correspond to projected climate scenarios  › more

16.09.2019 | TOP NEWS, Media Release, Species Interaction Ecology
A mixture of five tree species on a Sardinilla experiment field (Picture: Florian Schnabel)

Recent study proves: Forests that are more diverse are also more productive and more resilient  › more

05.09.2019 | iDiv, TOP NEWS, Media Release
Rebekka Sontowski (Photo: Stefan Bernhardt / iDiv)

Rebekka Sontowski (iDiv, FSU) honored for her outreach activities of the MIE group  › more

30.08.2019 | iDiv, Molecular Interaction Ecology, TOP NEWS, yDiv

The 5th iDiv Summer School on “Citizen Science – Innovation in Open Science, Society and Policy” took place from 21 to 28 August 2019  › more

28.08.2019 | TOP NEWS, yDiv, iDiv, Biodiversity and People
Stefan Kupers during soil moisture sampling (Picture: Darina Iskreva).

iDiv researchers calculated the economic value of local fisheries and the impact of fishing agreements and climate change  › more

21.08.2019 | Biodiversity Economics, TOP NEWS

Open-access journal follows exceptionally fair approach  › more

20.08.2019 | Experimental Interaction Ecology, TOP NEWS
Monotonous landscapes created by agricultural intensification. The CAP reform proposed by the EU risks the expansion of such landscapes, according to the scientists.&nbsp; (Picture: Sebastian Lakner)

Researchers analyse EU Commission reform plans for the CAP  › more

02.08.2019 | sDiv, Media Release, TOP NEWS, Biodiversity and People
With only limited information about species that feed on each other and disperse between habitats, we can predict how complex food webs might respond to landscape changes. (Picture: Johanna Häussler)

With increasingly isolated habitats, complex food webs are deconstructed from top to bottom.  › more

31.07.2019 | Theory in Biodiversity Science, yDiv
The Ko'olau summit on the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i where researchers found that biodiversity is higher in forests on older islands than on younger ones, but that this effect may be diluted by introduced species. (Picture: William Weaver)

International research team investigates mechanisms of forest biodiversity in Hawaiian archipelago  › more

29.07.2019 | Biodiversity Synthesis, TOP NEWS, Media Release
Melody Fu

Melody is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Applied Plant and Soil Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. She won the Go Global Self-Directed Research Award…  › more

23.07.2019 | MIE Group News
Honey bee worker and male sand bee on an apple tree blossom. Apples are insect-pollinated fruits. Picture: Martin Husemann

Media release by the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg  › more

11.07.2019 | TOP NEWS, MLU News, Media Release
f.l.t.r.: Science ministers Wolfgang Tiefensee (Thuringia), Dr Eva-Maria Stange (Saxony), Prof Armin Willingmann (Saxony-Anhalt). Photo: Stefan Bernhardt / iDiv

Joint media release by the State Ministries of Science of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt  › more

08.07.2019 | TOP NEWS, Media Release, iDiv
MIE movie stars

On Friday 7 June a film crew of MDR visited our lab and greenhouses to get an impression of the research that's done at MIE. The takes they made will be part of a documentary on the botanical gardens…  › more

12.06.2019 | MIE Group News
MIE postdoc wins award

Fredd Vergara (right), postdoctoral researcher at Molecular Interaction Ecology and EcoMetEoR, received the 2019 Metabolites Travel Awards sponsored by MDPI Metabolites for his presentation at the…  › more

12.06.2019 | Molecular Interaction Ecology

Media release by the Saxon State Ministry of Finance  › more

11.06.2019 | iDiv, TOP NEWS
Picture: Jules/flickr.

They activate a specific cell receptor  › more

24.05.2019 | TOP NEWS, Media Release
Picture: Jan-Peter Kasper/FSU.

From 24 May to 1 September the Botanical Garden of the University of Jena presents “Garten findet Stadt”, an exhibition on urban gardening.  › more

21.05.2019 | TOP NEWS, Media Release, iDiv
The size ratio between predators like this leopard and their prey, Prof Ulrich Brose and his team identified as key parameter to determine how susceptible ecosystems are to dangers such as climate change. (picture: Bernd Adam)

Predators play key role in the stability of ecosystems  › more

20.05.2019 | TOP NEWS, Theory in Biodiversity Science
Martin Quaas at his inaugural lecture. (picture: Sebastian Tilch)

Martin Quaas gave inaugural lecture for his new iDiv professorship  › more

16.05.2019 | TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Economics
MIE hosts Justine Knaden and Luise Hock of FSU Jena

From the 15th to the 17th of May 2019, MIE is hosting Justine Knaden and Luise Hock. Luise and Justine are part of the BSc course “Integrative Ökologie” at FSU Jena, taught by Nicole van Dam and…  › more

15.05.2019 | MIE Group News
MIE Data upload workshop with the iDiv BDU team

On May 7 2019, Jitendra Gaikwad and his team of the iDiv BDU came to Leipzig for an hand-on data upload workshop for all MIE members. They helped us to upload our metabolomics (meta)data in the iDiv…  › more

07.05.2019 | MIE Group News
The importance of climate change as a cause of global species loss is increasing steadily. The most threatened ecosystems are coral reefs. Image: Andrey Armyagov/Shutterstock.com

World Biodiversity Council IPBES presents long-awaited Global Assessment.  › more

06.05.2019 | TOP NEWS, Media Release
A prime example of a successful rewilding project in Germany is the Oder river delta (picture: Zolvin Zankl / Rewiling Europe).

Restoration success depends on regeneration potentials  › more

26.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Conservation
Amibeth Thompson (photo: Stefan Bernhardt/iDiv)

The prize, endowed with 1,000.00 euros ...  › more

23.04.2019 | Species Interaction Ecology
The website of the data base is hosted at the MPI EVA (image: IUCN SSC A.P.E.S.).

Data bases often underfunded  › more

17.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, Sustainability and Complexity in Ape Habitat
The figure shows the 20,953 TRY measurement sites worldwide (blue) and the locations of contributing institutes (red; figure: Jens Kattge/TRY).

It has been published under a CC-BY license  › more

11.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, iDiv Members
To determine the responses of species richness and yield to conventional land-use intensification, we conducted a global meta-analysis. Across all production systems (food, fodder, wood), intensification increases yield (+20.3% / red arrow), but also leads to a loss of species (-8.9% / blue arrow).

UFZ study reveals link between increasing yields and biodiversity  › more

11.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, UFZ News, sDiv
In the experiment, extensively managed grasslands were either moderately mown or grazed by sheep (photo: Julia Siebert).

Soil activity decreases nevertheless  › more

11.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, Experimental Interaction Ecology, iDiv Members
Arctia dejeani is a medium-sized macro-moth, which is only occurs on the Iberian peninsula. It is one of the spiecies investigated in the study (picture: Henrique Pereira).

New puzzle piece in scientific debate  › more

10.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Conservation
In the BEF-China experiment, tree species richness varies across different subplots. (Picture: Helge Bruelheide)

Halle, Leipzig, Göttingen. The more plant species live in grasslands and forests, the more insect species find a habitat there. However, the presence of more plant species does not only increase…  › more

09.04.2019 | iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS
Prof Ulrich Brose receives the award for outstanding achievements in research (photo: Myriam Hirt / iDiv).

For outstanding achievements in basic research  › more

04.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, Theory in Biodiversity Science
The soda pans in the Seewinkel region (Austria) are extraordinarily precious habitats. (Picture: Zsófia Horváth)

Also in neighbouring habitat patches species are lost  › more

02.04.2019 | TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Synthesis, Media Release, iDiv
Birds that specialise on insect food have declined across Europe by 13%. This includes the meadow pipit (<em>Anthus pratensis</em>). (Picture: Mathias Schaef, living-nature.eu)

First Europe-wide study relating population trends of birds to their diet  › more

27.03.2019 | Media Release, Biodiversity and People, TOP NEWS
The global distribution of the match of biodiversity above the ground (mammals, birds, amphibians and plants) and below (soil invertebrates, fungi and bacteria). Dark areas have high biodiversity above and in the soil; light yellow areas have high above-ground biodiversity but low diversity in the soil; blue areas have low above-ground biodiversity, but species-rich soil communities; and light areas are species-poor above and below the soil surface. (Picture: Conservation Biology)

Research team evaluates global biodiversity data – with surprising resultsLeipzig. After conducting comprehensive studies, an international team of researchers led by Leipzig University and the iDiv…  › more

13.03.2019 | GEO BON, Experimental Interaction Ecology, sDiv, iDiv Members, Media Release, Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS
Data to assess distributions and trends varies vastly among groups of organisms. Many tropical butterflies like the blue-frosted banner (Catonephele numilia) often only have a few records (picture: Walter Jetz).

Developed under the auspices of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON)  › more

11.03.2019 | TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Conservation, sDiv, Biodiversity Synthesis, Macroecology and Society, Media Release
Biodiversity is the theme of the Unibundforum 2019. (Picture: Stefan Bernhardt, iDiv)

This news item is only available in German.  › more

11.03.2019 | iDiv, TOP NEWS
Male chimpanzees of the Rekambo community groom one another. (Picture: Tobias Deschner/Loango Chimpanzee Project)

Human impact reduces the behavioral repertoire of chimpanzees  › more

08.03.2019 | TOP NEWS, Sustainability and Complexity in Ape Habitat
This is how the new iDiv building will look like (picture: Depenbrock Partnering GmbH & Co. KG Bielefeld)

The new building will be complete by March 2020.  › more

06.03.2019 | TOP NEWS, Media Release, iDiv

Congratulations to sDiv scientist Alexander Zizka for receiving the Bernard Rensch Prize of the German Society for Biological Systematics for his work on “Big-data insights into the distribution and…  › more

06.03.2019 | sDiv News
Population and economic growth are driving the transformation of diverse natural areas into agricultural land - despite an improved environmental balance of land use. (Picture: guentermanaus – stock.adobe.com)

Population and economic growth offset improvement of environmental balance of land use  › more

04.03.2019 | TOP NEWS, Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release
The Octopus Stinkhorn has been displaced from New Zealand to numerous regions worldwide (Photo: H. Krisp, Wikimedia Commons)

This news item is only available in German.  › more

26.02.2019 | sDiv, TOP NEWS
The first global map of species richness of trees, as produced by the new model. It illustrates the number of tree species that can be expected within areas of one hectare. The highest number of tree species (orange to yellow) can be found in the hot, humid tropics. The remaining white spaces are unforested areas. (Picture: Petr Keil and Jonathan Chase)

New statistical model eliminates blank spaces  › more

20.02.2019 | Biodiversity Synthesis, TOP NEWS, Media Release
The white paper also addresses the monitoring of soil biodiversity. The picture shows a springtail living in the soil. (Photo: Andy Murray)

Document calls for the involvement of all relevant players  › more

18.02.2019 | TOP NEWS, iDiv
Picture: Pia Backmann

Former iDiv PhD student Dr Pia Backmann was interviewed on RadioEins on her modeling paper in American Naturalist.  Pia explains how native tobacco plants can use their caterpillars to beat the…  › more

12.02.2019 | MIE Group News
Bettina Ohse (third from right) received the PhD Award 2018 of Leipzig University (photo: Christian Hüller)

Award of the Research Academy Leipzig  › more

04.02.2019 | TOP NEWS, yDiv
Caterpillars of the tobacco hawk moth (<em>Manduca sexta</em>) can tolerate nicotine well, but if their host plant produces other chemical substances, they look for a new feeding place if possible. (Picture: Pia Backmann)

Tobacco plants gain an advantage by the timely sending of hungry caterpillars to the competition  › more

25.01.2019 | Media Release, Molecular Interaction Ecology, iDiv Members, TOP NEWS
MIE hosts Arletys Verdecia-Mogena

For the next 3 months, Arletys Verdecia-Mogena will join the MIE group as a guest researcher on a DAAD scholarship. Arletys is a junior researcher from the Centre for Genetic Engineering and…  › more

22.01.2019 | MIE Group News
Cleaning surfaces with disinfectants disturbs the natural species composition of the microorganisms present. Individual species can profit from this and reproduce strongly. This could even favour the spread and establishment of pathogens. (Picture: nakedking – stock.adobe.com)

More living organisms on our bodies and in our homes could help in combatting diseases - if we let them live  › more

21.01.2019 | Media Release, TOP NEWS, Experimental Interaction Ecology, sDiv
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