Biology

The otter is animal of the year 2021

Otter (Image: Cloudtail_the_Snow_Leopard / iStock) The otter is a true all-rounder: it is a master swimmer, fish lover, country hunter and fur bearer. And...

The price of the woods

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19578-z How much carbon dioxide can the earth's forests draw from the atmosphere and at what price? Researchers have now investigated this using model...

Biodegradable films for agriculture wanted

Silage films in agriculture (Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences) With the help of bales of silage, farmers produce long-life feed for cattle and other...

Catalog ensures clarity in botany

Leipzig has the oldest botanical garden in Germany and is once again becoming an important center for plant research. (Photo: Swen Reichhold) Expanded and...

How much palm oil is there in candles?

How sustainable are stearin candles? (Image: Ridofranz / iStock) Light in the dark: Christmas is approaching and with it the high season for candles....

What makes the leaves fall

The regulation of autumn leaf fall is complex (Image: Smileus / iStock) As soon as the days get shorter and the temperatures cooler, the foliage...

Comeback for “our” oyster

It has been considered extinct in the German North Sea for around 100 years. But now the European oyster is to be resettled...

Zebra finches can hear who’s chirping

Zebra finches can obviously recognize individuals from their flock by their individual sound characteristics. (Image: sagarmanis / iStock) "That is the voice of ..."...

Plant hides from people

On the left an F. Delavayi plant with a "normal" appearance, on the right a specimen that can hardly be recognized due to the...

Why do parent birds throw their young out of the nest?

Young bird of the willow yellow throat marked with a sensor. (Image: Todd Jones / University of Illinois) Many songbird parents throw their not...

Migratory animals live faster

Migrating geese. (Image: phalder / iStock) Many animal species migrate long distances year after year between the areas where they raise their offspring and...

Photosynthesis in the spotlight

Researchers want to make better and better use of the power of light. (Image: AzmanL / iStok) The light of the sun provides energy...

Saving fertilizer without sacrificing yield?

There are strong country differences in terms of fertilizer use and irrigation, as can be seen here on the border between Kazakhstan and China....

Species formation despite gene exchange

Mosquito of the species Chironomus riparius (Image: lkpro / shutterstock.com) Biological concept put to the test: Until now, scientists assumed that two populations had to...

New species of monkey discovered in Myanmar

Female and young of the Popa langur (Trachypithecus popa). Photo: (Image: Thaung Win) The most species-rich genus of the long-tailed monkey and colobus monkey,...

On the trail of the genetics of coral death

The Great Barrier Reef off Australia is particularly hard hit by coral bleaching. (Image: Australian Institute of Marine Science) The reefs of the earth...

Elephant repellent made from lion aroma

Lions are the only animal enemies of the African elephants. (Photo: R Rees / iStock) How can elephants be carefully prevented from plundering plantations?...

Do snails have teeth?

A Roman snail chops up a lettuce leaf coated with gruel with its rasping tongue. (Image: University of Hamburg) They also eat very hard...

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