31 May 2024

Drought and nitrogen load do more damage to nature together

More and more we see trees in NW Europe struggling with the effects of drought. Most native species have some natural degree of tolerance to drought, at least when growing in soils that do not have an overload of nitrogen. The widespread persistent high levels of nitrogen in the forest soil, because of agricultural, industrial […]

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Climate change is threatening forest and forestry in Europe

Climate is one of the major factors composing tree ecological niches as defined by Hutchinson (Booth et al., 1987; Hutchinson, 1965). Consequently, concerns arise with the increase in harming events caused by anthropic climate change (Marini et al, 2012). Some species would not have neither the genetic potential to adapt nor the dispersal capacity to

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Gegen Rechts für Umwelt- und Klimaschutz

Bald sind Europawahlen und nicht erst jetzt zeigt sich ein Rechtsruck in Europa und über seine Grenzen hinaus. Auch nicht erst jetzt zeigt sich, dass die ungleiche Verteilung von Vermögen weltweit weiterwächst mit der Folge, dass mehr und mehr Menschen in Armut leben müssen. Zeitgleich lässt sich allerorts beobachten, wie extreme Wetterereignisse zunehmen. Darunter Hagel,

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Internalising external costs is key to dissolve conflicts of ecology and economy

Can protecting our natural resources really be economically “too much”? Just as often with our own health, it rather seems to be a question of short vs long-term perspective, or business vs national economy. The degradation of some natural resources, like soil, water or stable climate, will have adverse economic effects on future generations that

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We can live only from living soil

Soils are complex ecosystems and not just the dirt beneath our feet. They teem with life, from earthworms to fungi and bacteria. As an environmental historian, I have studied the interaction between soils and humans, how in the European past the soil was cared for, impersonated as “Mother Earth” by Greek and Roman thinkers, fed

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The state of nature in a transition country, the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The primeval nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina, rich in numerous endemics, is rapidly disappearing, whether it is mountain, hill or meadow ecosystems. Watercourses, mountain lakes and ponds are especially endangered, which are already on the verge of disappearing. So 20 years ago we had the chaotic construction of small hydroelectric plants, which sprouted like mushrooms

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Vote on a party that puts sustainability before short-term interests

The upcoming European elections are incredibly important for nature. European authorities have begun to roll back many policies and rules that are meant to protected nature, to ensure that our environment gets cleaner and healther, and to help industries and agriculture adopt environmentally friendly practices. This is worrying, because despite recovery here and there, the

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