How did the forest develop at the Hailuogou glacier area?

Since the mid-19th century, increasing temperatures have resulted in the retreat of mountain glaciers on all continents. When glaciers retreat, they leave "glacial debris." This debris serves as new substrate for soil and ...

Solved: The secret to long-lived leaves

Monkey puzzle tree leaves can live for over two decades. And Picea growing in the Gongga Mountains in China can thrive for thousands of years, growing slowly in severe environments with leaves that last twenty years on average.

Warmer temperatures are linked to mismatch among forest plants

Many plants are responding to a warming climate by leafing out and flowering earlier in the spring. However, mismatches may occur when species respond at different rates, leading to disruptions in ecological relationships.

Plant-nibbling insects may make it cloudier and cooler

Plants can release certain chemicals to shield themselves from high temperatures and potentially communicate with other plants. They also release these chemicals in response to stress, including when insects chomp on their ...

How tree species adapt to climate change

Can trees adapt to (climate) change? Which trees are more or less capable of doing so, and why? A group of researchers from all over the world set to work on these questions. Professor of Environmental Biology Peter van Bodegom ...

The role of vegetation in reducing thermal stress in urban areas

Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) conducted a multi-year empirical study to assess the impact of trees on city temperatures. Taking the city of Würzburg as an example, the researchers showed that vegetation ...

Evidence of slash-and-burn cultivation during the Mesolithic

As early as 9,500 years ago, people in Europe used slash-and-burn methods to make land usable for agriculture. This is shown by environmental data generated by scientists from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and ...

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