Press release

Which energy type promotes the biodiversity of beetles living in dead wood in the forest? That depends entirely on where the beetles are in the food chain.

Increasing heat and drought are changing forests faster than expected. Researchers at the University of Würzburg want to keep a better eye on these dynamics. They have raised 1.2 million euros for their project.

What role do forests play as a feeding habitat for honeybees? A team led by Würzburg biologist Dr. Benjamin Rutschmann investigated this question. For this purpose, the researchers used observation hives inside the Steigerwald.

Can flower strips combined with hedges improve biodiversity in intensively used agricultural areas? This is what a team from the University of Würzburg is investigating with project partners from four EU countries.

In the cultivation of organic cocoa, many factors determine the yield. An international research team has now identified important players and their effects.

Little is known about the food webs of herbivorous insects. A team from the Würzburg Biocenter is investigating, in Lower Franconia as well as in the Berchtesgaden Alps.

Insect diversity is declining in Bavaria. Land use is a major driver, but the impact of climate change is still unknown. A study by the University of Würzburg has now investigated how both factors interact.

Do pesticides have anything to do with the decline in bee populations? A research team led by the University of Würzburg has investigated - and found a connection between fenbuconazole and the insects' mating behavior.

The tropical tree, from whose seeds chocolate and other sweets are produced, has its secrets. Unravelling them is not so easy.

In northern Spain, wild honeybees use hollow electricity poles as nesting cavities. Natural areas in the surroundings promote the colonies’ chances to survive the winter.

The question of the causes of species extinction confronts science with complex tasks. Dr Sarah Redlich from the Biocentre on the challenge of creating a study design.

Urbanisation appears to be another key factor for insect decline. This is shown by a study in which the impact of climate and land use on insects was disentangled for the first time.

The higher the biological diversity in an ecosystem, the better the important processes there function. A heterogeneous environment promotes this effect, while intensive land use weakens it, as a new study shows.

The newly funded EU Horizon 2020 project Safeguard will address the decline of wild pollinators, its effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and options to restore pollinator diversity.

The time deadwood in forests needs to decompose depends on climate as well as on fungi and insects. Researchers have now quantified the contribution of deadwood to the global carbon cycle.