Research Spotlight

What’s new in the world of ecological research? Learn about our science in these interactive stories.

Roots represent a quarter of Earth’s vegetation on average

Roots represent a quarter of Earth’s vegetation on average

This global study offers a deeper understanding of how much carbon plants store underground.

Forecasting autumn leaf senescence in deciduous trees

Forecasting autumn leaf senescence in deciduous trees

By studying the drivers of autumn senescence we were able to show that photosynthesis has a crucial role in autumn onset, constraining the seasonal carbon uptake of temperate forests.

Nematodes uncovered: soil organisms and carbon cycling

Nematodes uncovered: soil organisms and carbon cycling

Soil nematodes are the world’s most abundant animal. For each human, there are about 60 billion nematodes in Earth's topsoil.

The link between characteristics of fungi & wood decomposition rates

The link between characteristics of fungi & wood decomposition rates

Fungi play a key role in the global carbon cycle as the main decomposer of litter and wood. By combining lab and field observations, we studied the fungal traits associated with decomposition rates.

Late-spring frost risks: evolution and tree adaptation

Late-spring frost risks: evolution and tree adaptation

This study reveals that climate change will induce a mismatch between the distribution of late-spring frost occurence and resilient plants, putting European and Asian forests at greater risk.

Explaining and addressing urban heat island effect in cities

Explaining and addressing urban heat island effect in cities

The new model developed in this study provides a mechanism for understanding the UHI process and could help guide urban planning strategies to offset this effect.

A view from above: the global soil community

A view from above: the global soil community

Soil communities drive land's carbon storage capabilities making soil the largest carbon store on land. Climate change mitigation strategies will then require holistic land-management approches.

Earth's carrying capacity for trees and the impact on climate change

Earth's carrying capacity for trees and the impact on climate change

By characterising ecosystems where trees naturally exist in protected areas, we generated a global map where forest could potentially be restored out of urban and agricultural areas around the world.

Cities of the future: visualising climate change to inspire action

Cities of the future: visualising climate change to inspire action

A fifth of the cities worldwide will face unprecedented climate conditions by 2050. By comparing current and future climate our map helps make sense of the future impact of climate change in cities.

A balancing act: nutrient enrichment and soil carbon stocks

A balancing act: nutrient enrichment and soil carbon stocks

Our study provides important mechanistic insights into the sensitivity of carbon stock to nutrient enrichment.