News

04.12.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

Henrique Pereira elected member of the Academia Europaea

Membership honours individuals who have demonstrated “sustained academic excellence”

02.07.2024 | Biodiversity and People, Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Science-Policy, TOP NEWS

What do we need for better biodiversity monitoring in Europe?

Based on a media release of IIASA A new publication in Conservation Letters authored by scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) with a large European consortium provides vital insights into the current status of biodiversity monitoring in Europe, identifying policy needs, challenges, and future pathways.

26.06.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Closing the Biodiversity Knowledge Gap: Unlocking Biodiversity Insights from the Tropical Andes

Report by Jose Valdez, postdoctoral researcher of Biodiversity Conservation at iDiv and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) Despite hosting some of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems and the urgency of the region’s conservation challenges, researchers in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru often struggle to share their unique insights into these complex ecosystems with the global scientific community. This results in a “publication gap” where crucial biodiversity knowledge from the region remains underrepresented in global conversations.

26.04.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century

17.04.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Rewilding amphibians: Protecting endangered species to restore ecosystems

By Dr Gavin S. Stark, a postdoctoral researcher in the Biodiversity Conservation group at iDiv and lead author of the study.

03.04.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Demand for critical minerals puts African great apes at risk

A recent study led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the non-profit conservation organization Re:wild shows that the threat of mining to the great ape population in Africa has been greatly underestimated. Their results have been published in Science Advances.

26.03.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, MLU News, TOP NEWS

What do birds and rivers have to do with euro notes?

22.01.2024 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Wolves and elk are (mostly) welcome back in Poland and Germany’s Oder Delta region, survey shows

An online survey conducted in Germany and Poland shows that large parts of the participants support the return of large carnivores and herbivores, such as wolves and elk, to the Oder Delta region, according to a study published in People and Nature. Presented with different rewilding scenarios, the majority of survey participants showed a preference for land management that leads to the comeback of nature to the most natural state possible. Locals, on the other hand, showed some reservations.

03.11.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

Tailoring Biodiversity Information to Local Needs in the Threatened Tropical Andes

Lima, Halle, Leipzig. Sustainable biodiversity conservation requires cooperation among scientific, societal, economic, and political institutions. In the journal Conservation Science and Practice, researchers have published a new approach to co-designing biodiversity indicators relevant for conservation. They brought together multiple stakeholders in a consultative process, tailoring user-relevant biodiversity information to local needs. The project was led by researchers of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, together with multiple partners in the Tropical Andes. The collaborative approach can serve as a blueprint for making biodiversity information more inclusive, considering the diverse worldviews, values, and knowledge systems between science, policy, and practice.

04.09.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, Biodiversity Synthesis, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Most species are rare. But not very rare

Halle/Saale, Fort Lauderdale. More than 100 years of observations in nature have revealed a universal pattern of species abundances: Most species are rare but not very rare, and only a few species are very common. These so-called global species abundance distributions have become fully unveiled for some well-monitored species groups, such as birds. For other species groups, such as insects, however, the veil remains partially unlifted. These are the findings of an international team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Florida (UF), published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. The study demonstrates how important biodiversity monitoring is for detecting species abundances on planet Earth and for understanding how they change.

01.03.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

European conservation leaders gather to boost collective dialogue for a Trans-European Nature Network

Based on a media release by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Brussels, 28 February 2023. More than 70 leading EU policy and governmental decision-makers joined to lay the foundation for a bold new vision for Europe’s nature protection in the first NaturaConnect Stakeholder Event this year. Organised by the Horizon Europe NaturaConnect project, the event welcomed a diverse range of influential stakeholders, from country representatives to European Union delegates and international and European conservation organisations. At the heart of the NaturaConnect project is the goal of supporting the creation of a Trans-European Nature Network (TEN-N) of protected and connected areas that conserve at least 30% of land in the EU and benefit both nature and people. The new project is conducted by international partners from research and environmental organisations, led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

10.02.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

How does biodiversity change globally? Detecting accurate trends may be currently unfeasible

Leipzig/Halle. Existing data are too biased to provide a reliable picture of the global average of local species richness trends. This is the conclusion of an international research team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The authors recommend prioritising local and regional assessments of biodiversity change instead of attempting to quantify global change and advocate standardised monitoring programmes, supported by models that take measurement errors and spatial biases into account. The study was published in the journal Ecography. 

02.01.2023 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

wildE: Restoring wild habitats in Europe against climate change

Based on a media release by INRAE  Cestas/Halle. Terrestrial ecosystems throughout Europe face the twin threats of climate change and the loss of biodiversity. “Rewilding” could be an important ecological restoration solution to mitigate both of these issues, but up to now, it is mostly restricted to local initiatives scattered across the continent focussing on biodiversity objectives alone. The wildE project aims to assess the synergies between climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity and thus to improve the potential of climate-smart rewilding as a nature-based solution for ecological restoration in Europe. wildE is funded by the EU Horizon programme and coordinated by the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment INRAE with the participation of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

12.12.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, TOP NEWS

A novel and efficient method for monitoring Asian otters

South-east Asia is a melting pot of otters that are very difficult to monitor in the wild. We developed and tested a novel, accurate, and affordable DNA-based method to reliably identify three endemic Asian otter species in a paper published today in Ecology and Evolution. The protocol developed by our team of South Asian researchers from the Malaysian Nature Society, Sunway University, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN), Peninsular Malaysia, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) will help in monitoring and conservation of threatened otter species in Asia. We also highlight the importance and need of cost-effective and replicable techniques to advance biodiversity monitoring in highly biodiverse yet under-represented parts of the world.

10.11.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Protecting and connecting nature across Europe

Based on a media release by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Vienna/Leipzig. Europe needs healthy ecosystems that benefit biodiversity and people and are resilient to climate change. The Horizon Europe NaturaConnect Project will support European Union governments and other public and private institutions in designing a coherent, resilient and well-connect Trans-European Nature Network. The new project is conducted by international partners from research and environmental organisations, led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU).

29.09.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Historical reduction of the wolf in the Iberian Peninsula

Based on a media release of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain (CSIC) Seville/Leipzig. The distribution of the wolf covered at least 65% of the Iberian Peninsula in the mid-19th century. Compared to this finding, recent expansions mean little more than a stabilisation of the species. This is the result of a study led by the Doñana Biological Station of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EBD-CSIC) in collaboration with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). To reach these conclusions, the research team analysed the historical information from a geographical survey collected in the mid-19th century. The study has been published in the journal Animal Conservation. It provides new information on the history of wolf declines due to human persecution.

27.07.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

LifeGate – New interactive map shows the full diversity of life

Joint press release of Leipzig University (Botanical Garden) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Leipzig. Researchers from Leipzig have published a gigantic digital map displaying the full diversity of life through thousands of photos. The so-called LifeGate encompasses all 2.6 million known species of this planet and shows their relationship to each other. The interactive map can now be accessed free of charge at lifegate.idiv.de.

19.07.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Informing future conservation priorities of ecosystems in the Tropical Andes

Joint press release by iDiv and NatureServe Washington D.C./Leipzig. Only about 5% of ecosystems within the Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot are adequately represented in designated protected areas. Representation may be determined by a series of targets proposed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which states at least 30% of land and waters in each country should be conserved. Protecting the full diversity of ecosystems reduces extinction risk for the species those ecosystems support, but very few places on the planet currently meet the CBD target. There is an opportunity to increase representation of ecosystems that meet the CBD target to 31% (39 ecosystem types total) across four Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) through the additional protection by governments and civil societies of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), places that meet the internationally recognized standard for sites that significantly contribute to the global persistence of biodiversity. This conclusion is shown in a new study led by NatureServe, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), together with other institutions throughout the U.S., Europe, and South America. The study, now published in the journal Remote Sensing, demonstrates how Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) coupled with KBAs can inform conservation decisions at multiple scales.

15.06.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

The Gollum effect and its impacts on the scientific community

Report by Dr Jose Valdez, Postdoctoral Researcher of the Biodiversity Conservation research group at iDiv and Leipzig University, and senior author of a new publication in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution While scientific research is becoming increasingly more collaborative, the ability to freely conduct research remains restricted by established researchers who feel they have the sole right to study specific study sites, model organisms, research topics, and sometimes even entire scientific fields. Like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, they become possessively attached and guard these aspects of their research. In our recent publication in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution we refer to this as the ‘Gollum effect’ and explore ways in which this can be overcome to promote scientific openness and lead science into a new era where it is dispensed fairly instead of at the hands of a selected few.  

18.05.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Native plant gardening for species conservation

Halle/Leipzig. Declining native species could be planted in urban green spaces. Researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Leipzig University and other institutions describe how to use this great potential for species protection. In their most recent study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, they recommend practical conservation gardening methods in a bid to restructure the horticultural industry and reverse plant species declines.

27.04.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

More than one in five reptile species are threatened with extinction

Based on a media release by NatureServe, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Conservation International Virginia, Halle. At least 21% of all reptile species globally are threatened with extinction, according to a new study led by NatureServe, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Conservation International, with contributions from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The study, published in the journal Nature, also shows that conservation efforts for other animals also contribute to the preservation of many reptile species.

31.03.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, TOP NEWS

How can we improve biodiversity monitoring in Europe? 

Based on a press release by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) National biodiversity monitoring programmes in Europe face many challenges: too little coordination, inadequate technical and financial resources as well as unclear targets. This is the conclusion of an initial policy report by the Europe-wide project “EuropaBON”. The analysis includes data from more than 350 experts in policy, science and environmental protection. The team is also drafting a proposal for the transnational monitoring of Europe’s biodiversity and ecosystems.

07.02.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

7 to 9 percent of all European vascular plants are globally threatened

Halle, Leipzig. Seven to nine percent of all vascular plant species occurring in Europe are globally threatened. This is the result of a study led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig University. The researchers combined Red Lists of endangered plant species in Europe with data on their global distribution. The study has been published in the journal Plants, People, Planet. It helps assess the overall level of threat to plant species and thus supports the basis of international nature conservation activities.

17.01.2022 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS, UFZ-News

Can “rewilding” synergize biodiversity conservation and sustainable regional development?

Based on a media release by Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD) and the UFZ The research project “REWILD_DE – Conservation of biodiversity and valorisation of ecosystem services through rewilding – learning from the Oder Delta”, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), started in November 2021. Scientists and practitioners are working together to explore the potential of rewilding for the restoration of biodiversity and the promotion of nature-based economic development in the model area of the Oder Delta in western Pomerania (north-eastern Germany). Furthermore, they will investigate to what extent the experiences and results gained during the project can be transferred beyond the project area and serve as a model for other regions. The project is coordinated at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with project 3 partners: the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) and the association Rewilding Oder Delta (ROD), a practice partner in the study area. 

09.12.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, sDiv, TOP NEWS

Widespread plants displace rarer species across habitats

Based on a press release by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) Leipzig/Vienna. Widespread species are on the rise in several European ecosystems and are replacing rarer plant species. As a result, distinct habitats are becoming increasingly similar in species composition. An international team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) with the participation of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) has found supporting evidence for this development in mountain summits as well as in forests and lowland grasslands. A proposed reason for this species shift could be increased nutrient levels in soils caused by agriculture and air pollution. The results of the study have been published in the journal Ecology Letters. 

23.11.2021 | Biodiversity and People, Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

From ambition to biodiversity action: Time to hold actors accountable

Leipzig. To achieve global goals for biodiversity conservation, the national-level implementation must be significantly improved. National policy instruments need to precisely define effective actions and the actors responsible for implementation. Accountability needs to be ensured through systematic monitoring of progress. These recommendations are at the core of a 3-step framework proposed by an international team of scientists led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), published in the journal Conservation Letters. The authors stress the need for urgency to avoid repeating failures of past international agreements and to move to effective implementation of agreed policy targets. One mistake, in particular, should be avoided.

06.10.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

More and more roads but little knowledge about their impact on wildlife

Based on a media release by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) Madrid/Leipzig/Halle. In regions with a very dense road network like, for example, Germany, vehicles are probably one of the main threats to all types of wildlife. However, the extent to which this factor affects populations cannot be determined due to a lack of data. This has now been presented by a team of scientists led by the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. The analysis of relevant literature revealed that studies are too limited, involving only a few regions and species. By systematically recording roadkills, the scientists see great potential for assessing the risk of extinction to animal species.

13.09.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Pioneering method of assessing rewilding progress applied for the first time

Based on a media release by Rewilding Europe Scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Rewilding Europe have developed a new way of evaluating rewilding progress. Its ground-breaking application across seven of Rewilding Europe’s operational areas has revealed both positive impact and challenges to upscaling. The practical tool can help to inform decision-making and drive rewilding onwards and upwards. The study was recently published in the scientific journal Ecography.

31.05.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Urban life is not to everyone’s taste

Halle/Jena/Leipzig. Rapidly expanding urban habitats are likely to endanger a large number of butterfly species in the long term. This is reported by scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU) in the scientific journal Global Change Biology. Generalists that tolerate large temperature fluctuations and feed on many different plants are most likely to benefit from human-modified habitats. In order to preserve biodiversity, urban and spatial planning should take the needs of specialised butterfly species into account, the authors recommend.

13.05.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, TOP NEWS

Observing biodiversity change from space

Based on a media release by the University of Twente Enschede/Halle. As humans, we’re currently facing two big environmental crises: climate change and biodiversity loss. The first managed to gain a lot of public attention and funding, whereas the latter goes on more slowly in the background. One of the key problems the biodiversity crisis is facing is the few ways to monitor biodiversity. In his recent publication, an international team led by the University of Twente and with the participation of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, linked existing remote sensing products to so-called essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) to measure biodiversity using satellites. The paper has been published today in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

08.04.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research

Transforming crop and timber production could reduce species extinction risk by 40%

Based on a media release of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Gland (Switzerland). Ensuring sustainability of crop and timber production would mitigate the greatest drivers of terrestrial wildlife decline, responsible for 40% of the overall extinction risk of amphibians, birds and mammals. This is one of the key results of a paper published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The work was led by the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Post-2020 Taskforce, hosted by Newcastle University, in collaboration with scientists from 54 institutions in 21 countries around the world, including the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The results were generated using a new metric which, for the first time, allows business, governments and civil society to assess their potential contributions to stemming global species loss.

05.03.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Species are our livelihoods

In future, assessments of ecosystems in terms of their contributions to people should take greater account of the importance of species diversity. This is what scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) are calling for in the scientific journal Ecosystem Services. Animal and plant species deliver a large share of natural services for human well-being but have been in continuous decline for decades. Large-scale assessments, however, only address some of these services, such as water filtration, carbon storage and erosion control. Ecosystem services that are directly linked to species, on the other hand, hardly play a role at all. The researchers point out that this wastes many opportunities for effective nature and species conservation.

26.01.2021 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv Members, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Avoid repeating old mistakes

Leipzig/Halle. In the future, global goals for biodiversity must apply to all member states of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) also at national level. This is one of four recommendations for improving the global strategy for biodiversity made by a team of researchers led by the Nanjing Institute for Environmental Research in China, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and NatureServe. The global biodiversity strategy is currently being renegotiated under the auspices of the CBD. In addition, funding, knowledge base and methods for measuring the success of nature conservation should be improved. In the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, the researchers analyse why the global goals for biodiversity have been largely missed so far and present concrete policy options.

26.11.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

EuropaBON: MLU and iDiv lead new pan-European project for joint monitoring

Based on a media release by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) A new research project aims at developing a transnational system for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystems in Europe. It is being coordinated by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. The results of the project are to inform the political decisions of the European Commission and other decision-makers. The EU is providing three million euros in funding for the project. A virtual kick-off meeting of the project partners will take place from 1 to 3 December.

23.10.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

We need a safety net for biodiversity

Based on a media release by the National University of Córdoba and the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Córdoba, Leipzig, Halle. A “safety net” made up of multiple interlinked and ambitious goals is needed to tackle nature’s alarming decline. No single goal can capture the broad range of characteristics that need to be sustained, concludes a large international team with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). The study, published in the journal Science, outlines the scientific basis for redesigning the new set of biodiversity goals.

26.08.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, Sustainability and Complexity in Ape Habitat, TOP NEWS

Effectiveness of primate conservation measures mostly unproved

Leipzig/Halle/Cambridge. Less than one percent of scientific literature on primates evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for the conservation of primates. That is the result of a new study compiled by a team of experts in 21 countries, led by researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) and the University of Cambridge. Despite great protection efforts, this is one of the main reasons for the dramatic decline of the populations of primate species. The study published in the journal BioScience proposes several actions to improve the evidence base for the conservation of primates.

20.05.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

International Day of Biodiversity 2020: the pandemic calls for nature conservation

Leipzig, Halle. 2020 was declared a political “super year” for nature conservation. In October, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) should have set the course for international biodiversity policies for the next 10 to 30 years. The corona pandemic has pressed the pause button also in this so-called post-2020 process. COP-15 has been postponed until further notice. However, the pandemic also highlights the important role natural ecosystems play for human health – as a source of pathogens, but also as part of the solution. This is what Prof Dr Henrique Miguel Pereira stresses at this year’s International Day of Biodiversity on 22 May themed “Our solutions are in nature”. Pereira is head of the research group Biodiversity and Nature Conservation at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and co-chair of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON). He is involved in several forums with policy makers, including the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the CBD.

13.04.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, MLU News, Research, sDiv, TOP NEWS

Plant diversity in European forests is declining

Leipzig / Halle. In Europe’s temperate forests, less common plant species are being replaced by more widespread species. An international team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) has found that this development could be related to an increased nitrogen deposition. Their results have been published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

18.03.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

EU Biodiversity Strategy: Call for nature restoration

17.01.2020 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, MLU News, TOP NEWS

Bringing back nature to the EU in the post-2020 Biodiversity Strategy

Based on a media release of Rewilding Europe The rewilding of European ecosystems can help to tackle both the current climate and biodiversity emergencies. In a policy brief published today, experts from six organisations, including the German Centre of Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), call on the European Commission to prioritise nature recovery in the EU Biodiversity Strategy post-2020.

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

Urban growth causes more biodiversity loss outside of cities

Leipzig/Halle/Arlington. In a rapidly urbanising world, the conversion of natural habitats into urban areas leads to a significant loss of biodiversity in cities. However, these direct effects of urban growth seem to be much smaller than the indirect effects outside of cities, such as the urban release of greenhouse gases causing climate change globally or the increasing demand for food and resources in cities leading to land-use change in rural areas. Both climate and land-use change are key drivers of global biodiversity loss. An international team of researchers including researchers from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and other institutions assessed the direct and indirect effects on a global scale. The results have been published in the journal Nature Sustainability.

08.10.2019 | Biodiversity Conservation, iDiv, Media Release, Research, TOP NEWS

Global South most affected by climate change and land use effects

Based on a media release of the Natural Capital Project Leipzig/Stanford. By 2050, up to 5 billion people could be at higher risk of water pollution, coastal storms or under-pollinated crops with a majority living in developing countries. This is one of the most alarming results of a study recently published in Science by an international research team with contribution of the German Centre of Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The team produced a high-resolution global map showing the distribution of nature’s ability to provide services to humankind. These services are increasingly threatened by human-driven degradation of ecosystems and biodiversity. The map may improve policy and decision-making around investments in nature locally as well as globally. With the help of sustainable development, the threats to vital ecosystem services may be reduced.

13.03.2019 | Biodiversity Conservation, Experimental Interaction Ecology, iDiv Members, Media Release, sDiv, TOP NEWS

Mismatches between above- and belowground biodiversity

Leipzig. After conducting comprehensive studies, an international team of researchers led by Leipzig University and the iDiv research centre has gained important new insights into biodiversity above and below the earth’s surface: they discovered that, on about 30 per cent of our planet’s terrestrial surface, there is great diversity of flora and fauna in the soil compared to considerably fewer species above the ground, or vice versa, biodiversity is much greater above than below ground. These differences in biodiversity were not detectable in the remaining 70 per cent of the earth’s terrestrial surface. Here there were hot and cold spots that displayed either high or low overall levels of biodiversity. The researchers have published the results of their study in the journal Conservation Biology.

04.03.2019 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Biodiversity crisis: Technological advances in agriculture are not a sufficient response

Leipzig, Halle. Rapid population and economic growth are destroying biological diversity – especially in the tropics. This was reported by a research team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in Nature Ecology & Evolution. A constantly growing demand for agricultural products requires ever new cultivated areas. Even though technological advances are making agriculture ever more efficient, the growing number of people makes up for these successes. The study shows: an effective nature conservation policy needs concepts against population growth and for sustainable consumption.

24.07.2018 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

Plenty of habitat for bears in Europe

Leipzig/Halle. Great opportunity for European brown bears: a new study spearheaded by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) shows that there are still many areas in Europe where bears are extinct but with suitable habitat for hosting the species. An effective management of the species, including a reduction of direct pressures by humans (like hunting), has the potential to help these animals come back in many of these areas, according to the head of the study. It is now important to plan the recovery of the species while taking measures to prevent conflicts.

15.05.2018 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

New “Silk Road” brings challenges and opportunities for biodiversity conservation

London. In an article published this week by the renowned journal Nature Sustainability, an international team of scientists argues that environmental protection should be a priority for the “Belt and Road” initiative. This Chinese project would then represent not only an investment to foster international trade but also an opportunity for sustainable development leadership. Among the team, who calls for rigorous strategic environmental and social assessments, are researchers from the Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-InBIO) in Portugal, the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv).

09.03.2018 | Biodiversity Conservation, Media Release, TOP NEWS

The lynx is back in the Thuringian Forest

Leipzig/Oberschönau. With the support of a local nature conservationist, scientists from the iDiv research center and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg have found evidence for the presence of the lynx in the Thuringian Forest. North of the village of Oberschönau an adult individual was photographed by a camera trap. The photos proof unequivocally that the shy carnivore is back in the Thuringian Forest – 200 years after its dissapearance.