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Global climate models show, how the Arctic permafrost will respond to global warming The Arctic is heating up particularly fast as a result of global warming - with serious consequences. The widespread permafrost in this region, where soils currently store twice as much carbon as the atmosphere, is thawing.

So-called foraminifera are found in all the world's oceans. Now, an international study led by the University of Hamburg has shown that foraminifera are found in all the world's oceans: The mostly shell-bearing microorganisms absorb phosphate from the water to an unprecedented extent, which pollutes the oceans.

News from Understanding biological relationships is often critical when studying animal populations. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig University, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Freie Universität Berlin have now developed a transformative approach that identifies stretches of DNA that two individuals inherited from a common ancestor.

Research team emphasize global importance for biodiversity, economy and climate Tree crops - for example, apple, cherry, olives, nuts, coffee, and cacao - cover more than 183 million hectares worldwide, yet remain largely overlooked in agricultural policies, despite their critical role in achieving the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The soil fungus "Mortierella alpina" has the potential to make agriculture greener and more sustainable: The fungus produces bioactive molecules called malpinins, which could protect plants from destructive worms. A research team from Jena has now been able to understand and describe their mode of action for the first time.

International research team achieve first precise tracking of undersea sand and mud avalanche How do large mud and sand currents influence the deep-sea habitat? And how can they be better understood? An international research team led by Durham University, UK, and including the University of Göttingen and GEOMAR Kiel, Germany, investigated further.

Metals and alloys can be extracted, mixed and processed in a single, energy-efficient step without CO2 emissions Metals and alloys could be produced easily and climate-neutrally in the future. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials is presenting a new design concept that combines the extraction, mixing and processing of metallic materials in a single process step.

Scientists use ultra-light sensors connected like cell phones to study how bats migrate over Europe Birds are the undisputed champions of epic travel-but they are not the only long-haul fliers. A handful of bats are known to travel thousands of kilometers in continental migrations across North America, Europe, and Africa.

After migrating to their wintering grounds, the animals move as little as possible to conserve energy In the fall, reindeer migrate from their northern grazing areas to the south.

Researchers from the University of Jena and the Leibniz Institutes in Jena have published new findings on the adaptability of the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The interdisciplinary study, largely carried out by researchers from the Cluster of Excellence -Balance of the Microverse-, shows how the tiny green alga can adapt its shape and metabolism under natural conditions without changing its genome.

Blue-throated macaws, a critically endangered parrot species, have demonstrated automatic imitation of intransitive (goal-less) actions-a phenomenon previously documented only in humans. In a study conducted by an international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, in collaboration with the Loro Parque Fundación, scientists reveal that macaws involuntarily copy intransitive movements.

Connectivity and maintenance measures support wild bees in limestone quarries   A research team at the University of Göttingen, Germany's Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) in Rhede, and the Thünen Institute in Braunschweig has investigated the importance of limestone quarries for wild bee conservation.

A twenty-year study in Congo's largest protected park confirms that rangers are effective in preserving endangered bonobos Scientists now know how many bonobos live in one of the largest pristine tropical forests, a place believed to be the world's stronghold for the endangered species. The research, conducted over two decades by a team of 48 scientists, estimates that between 8,000 to 18,000 adult bonobos inhabit Salonga National Park in the DRC.

Research team led by Göttingen University studies carbon movement from tree to root fungi   The idea of trees "talking" to one another through underground fungal networks - the so-called "wood wide web" - has captured the imagination of the public. This concept, where trees supposedly share nutrients with each other via these networks, has been popularized by books and documentaries.

Research team led by the University of Göttingen investigates carbon transport from the tree to the root fungus The idea that trees "communicate" with each other via underground fungal networks - the so-called "Wood Wide Web" - has captured the imagination of many people. Books and documentaries have popularized the concept of trees supposedly exchanging nutrients with each other through these networks.

Particulate matter and microplastics are much-discussed risks to the environment and health. A new study by the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability at the University of Hamburg and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has now investigated the role of tire and brake wear in the formation of urban particulate matter for the first time.

A new study in the journal Nature shows that the oceans were less cold in the early 20th century (1900-1930) than previously thought. During this period the ocean appears too cold due to the way some measurements were taken. This makes global ocean surface temperature measurements during this period inconsistent with both land air temperatures and palaeoclimatic data and the differences between land and ocean are larger than shown in climate models.

International research team led by Göttingen University define optimal shade trees in agroforestry   Agroforestry systems, which integrate trees and shrubs into farming, are vital to achieving sustainable cocoa production in West Africa where 70 percent of the world cocoa is produced. Climate change induced drought means that it is ever more critical to adapt farming practices and find new approaches.

Compared to intensive land use, sustainable land use allows better control of underground herbivores and soil microbes. As a result, the soil ecosystem is more resilient and better protected from disturbance under sustainable management than under intensive land use. Researchers from Leipzig University, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig and other research institutions found that the total energy flux and the activities of so-called decomposers, herbivores and predators in the soil food web remained stable.

Study by the University of Bonn shows that deforestation in the Amazon region is also detrimental to human health Rainforest protection is not only good for biodiversity and the climate - it also noticeably improves the health of humans who live in the corresponding regions. This is the conclusion drawn by a current study by the University of Bonn and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil.