Biodiversity
Energy transition: Bodies of water in conflict between protection and use
Politics
Eawag
The looming energy crisis has increased the pressure to push ahead with the energy transition in Switzerland. The parliamentarians will also debate this issue in the spring session, which is about to begin. The use of water bodies plays an important role here. Two Eawag researchers explain the risks to water systems arising from the use of potential that still exists and how the conflicts are to be assessed.
Newly discovered fungus castrates male spruce flowers
Research
WSL
A rare discovery during a midday walk: on a spruce tree, an employee of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL discovered not only a new species of fungus, but also a genus previously unknown to science. The parasite feeds on the spruce pollen and destroys the male flowers in the process. It is unclear whether it is an introduced species.
Restoring nature equitably
Research
ETH Zurich
Efforts to restore degraded ecosystems have so far fallen short of meeting global targets. Sound restoration must better incorporate social processes promoting equity in order to effectively benefit people, climate and biodiversity, says Sara Löfqvist.
The wondrous world beneath our feet – researching groundwater fauna
Research
Eawag
Switzerland's groundwater is home to a multitude of hitherto unknown organisms. An Eawag research project is shining a light into the darkness and revealing this habitat’s exceptional biodiversity.
Alien plant species are spreading rapidly in mountainous areas
Research
ETH Zurich
Until now, mountain regions have been largely spared from biological invasions. But a new monitoring study shows that alien plants are spreading rapidly to higher altitudes along transport routes worldwide.
How non-native tree species affect biodiversity
Research
WSL
Non-native forest tree species can reduce native species diversity if they are planted in uniform stands. In contrast, the effects of introduced species on soil properties are small. This was found by an international review study with the participation of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.
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