University of Innsbruck

Department of Ecology

Stud­ies show­case long-term effects of drought

With the effects of climate change underway, drought is becoming an increasing problem in many parts of the world. Michael Bahn, researcher from the Department of Ecology at the University of Innsbruck, was involved in several studies on the impact of drought on ecosystems. These give insight into the complex processes and highlight the importance of biodiversity in enabling natural systems to resist drought.

Cli­mate war­ming chan­ges habi­tats in lakes

Due to climate warming, many species are being displaced from their original habitats in lakes. Whether they can find new habitats and survive there depends on many factors and many species will become extinct. Ruben Sommaruga was involved in a comprehensive study led by Benjamin M. Kraemer (IGB, Berlin), the results of which have now been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Cli­mate change: World­wide emer­gen­ce of dead zones in lakes

As climate change progresses, lakes also warm up, the oxygen concentration in the water decreases and dead zones in deep zones develop. Ruben Sommaruga from the Institute of Ecologyand an international team of researchers were the first to identify this dramatic widespread development in a study of 393 lakes around the world. The results were published in the journal Nature.

Finger­print for the for­ma­tion of nit­rous oxide emis­sions

Scientists led by Eliza Harris from the Institute of Ecology have succeeded in studying emissions of the greenhouse gas N2O under the influence of environmental impacts in an unprecedented level of detail. This study is also a starting point for the creation of models that could predict future trends in the greenhouse gas emission dynamics of ecosystems under global climate change.