20 Years “Butterfly Monitoring Germany”

An Insect Census

Since 2005, dedicated volunteers have been active throughout Germany on behalf of the UFZ to record the occurrence of these popular insects. Since then, the "Butterfly Monitoring Germany" has not only provided much valuable information about butterflies, but also about how land use and climate change are changing the state of nature as a whole. Long time series and good spatial coverage also make the data interesting for the EU's nature conservation policy. 

Plastic Pollution

Nanoplastics in the Alps

Nanoplastics – plastic particles smaller than 1 µm – are widely dispersed because of their low weight. But does this also apply to the glaciers in the Alps at an altitude of more than 3,000 metres? A research team coordinated by the UFZ says yes and has published an article in the journal Scientific Reports. Also interesting: the scientists relied on citizen science. Mountaineers collected snow and ice from the glaciers at 14 locations in France, Italy, and Switzerland. 

Position Paper

Eight Points for a Sustainable Bioeconomy

In the paper, leading bioeconomy experts such as UFZ scientist Prof Daniela Thrän call on politicians to resolutely promote the bioeconomy in order to strengthen Germany as a business location and overcome global challenges. The demands include the transition to a circular economy, the support of local and regional initiatives, the harnessing of nature-inspired solutions, the removal of legal hurdles and the creation of fair market conditions. 

Forest Modelling

New Spatial Mechanism Discovered

Why so many tree species coexist in species-rich forests and how this is linked to spatial patterns of species is a hotly debated topic among experts. The reason for this is that valuable conclusions about the stability of species-rich forests can be drawn from this finding. A research team coordinated by the UFZ has discovered unexpected patterns in the spatial distribution of tree species and published their findings in the scientific journal Nature. 

Climate Change

First year above 1.5 °C above pre-industrial

2024 was the warmest year on record globally and the first year with average global temperature exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial. The implication of this milestone for the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is unclear because the goal is measured via averaging temperature over a 20-year period. In a commentary for Nature Climate Change, UFZ researchers show that this 20-year period has most probably begun. This would entail considerable risks for humans and nature. 

Soil Health

Cover Plants for Removing Pollutants

Agricultural soils often contain pollutants. But are there sustainable, climate-friendly ways to restore and promote soil health? Specific plant species could be used as cover plants for phytoremediation, say UFZ researchers. In an article published in the scientific journal Trends in Plant Sciences, they summarise the results of more than 100 scientific studies and present which plants are suitable for removing pollutants from agricultural soils or fixing them in their root systems. 

Prof Moritz Reese

Environmental lawyer Moritz Reese, Head of the UFZ Department of Environmental and Planning Law, was appointed to the professorship for European Environmental Law at the Faculty of Law jointly with the University of Leipzig on 1 February. Moritz Reese has been conducting research at the UFZ since 2008 and is primarily concerned with water law, circular economy law, climate adaptation law, nature conservation law, immission control law and urban and infrastructure planning law. 

Dr Ulrike Werban

Geophysicist Ulrike Werban, who has been conducting research in the Department of Monitoring and Exploration Technologies at the UFZ since 2006, was elected as the new president of the German Geophysical Society (DGG) at its annual conference at the end of February. The DGG has been promoting geophysics in research, teaching and application for more than a century and is intensively involved in co-operation with related scientific disciplines and the promotion of young scientists.