Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Preserving biodiversity and ecosystems to ensure a common future
Our planet is exposed to severe anthropogenic pressures with profound impacts on the climate, global biogeochemical cycles, and ecosystems resulting in the reduction of natural habitats, loss of biodiversity, and critically altered environmental systems.
Within the focus area on biodiversity and ecosystems, our researchers develop a deeper understanding of these complex and interrelated environmental changes. To reach this goal, we are connecting expertise from all relevant areas—from natural to social scientists including specialists in environmental policy, law, and economics. This way, we are able to transcend disciplinary boundaries and develop integrated solutions to the pressing challenges posed by biodiversity loss.
News and Stories
10.01.2024
Thomas Böttcher Develops Alternatives to Antibiotics
The ever-growing crisis of antibiotic resistance highlights the importance of new approaches[...]
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09.12.2023
“Scientist of the Year” Franz Essl: Making Biodiversity Research Tangible
Biodiversity researcher and ECH member Franz Essl from the University of Vienna[...]
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29.11.2023
Austrian Biodiversity Council meets Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen
Experts from the Austrian Biodiversity Council met Federal President Alexander Van der[...]
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11.10.2023
Microbial Metabolites: A New Link to Parkinson’s Disease?
Published in Environment International, a groundbreaking study from the Institute of Biological[...]
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05.10.2023
Non-native Plants Migrate North
In Europe and America, many of the alien plant species there originate[...]
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21.09.2023
Invasion of the Parasitic Fungi
Fungi carried by humans can cause great damage to our ecosystems. Biodiversity[...]
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04.09.2023
Invasive Species Threaten Global Diversity and Livelihoods
Invasive species are a major cause of global species loss and threaten[...]
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14.08.2023
Understanding the Importance of Microbiomes for Planetary Health
Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health: Under this title, 30 scientists led by microbiologist[...]
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08.08.2023
Evidence of Hydrothermal Animals in the Pacific Ocean
During a research cruise, an international research team led by marine biologist[...]
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Projects
14.02.2024
MICROCLIM: A Micro-Scale Perspective on Alpine Floras Under Climate Change
Stefan Dullinger from the Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research is leading[...]
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01.01.2024
AMooRe: Austrian Moor Restoration
Stephan Glatzel at the Department of Geography and Regional Research is part[...]
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01.01.2023
Understanding Terrestrial Microbiomes With AI
Shaul Pollak Pasternak at the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science[...]
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01.12.2022
MARCO-BOLO: MARine Coastal BiOdiversity Long-term Observations
Alice Vadrot at the Department of Political Science is leading the „MARCO-BOLO“[...]
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06.01.2022
DEPOCA: Shedding Light on Dark Ocean’s Detrital Particles: Origin, Composition and Age
Gerhard Herndl at the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecologyis leading the[...]
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01.11.2021
AgriWeedClim – Emerging Agricultural Weeds Under Climate and Land-Use Changes in Central Europe
Franz Essl at the Department of Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research[...]
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01.02.2021
PRINCESS: Peatland Rewetting In Nitrogen-Contaminated Environments: Synergies and Trade-Offs Between Biodiversity, Climate, Water Quality and Society
Stephan Glatzel at the Department of Geography and Regional Research is leading[...]
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01.02.2021
Heat below the City
Christian Griebler at the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology is leading[...]
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06.01.2020
ECOTIP: Ecological Tipping Cascades in the Arctic Seas
Gerhard Herndl at the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology is leading[...]
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01.01.2020
AmazonFACE – Impacts of Elevated CO2 on the Amazon Rainforest
Lucia Fuchslueger at the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem at the University[...]
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