Entries by Anke Bebber

Do you know this clover?

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In the summertime, you can find clover in meadows, along paths, or in fields. It comes in red, yellow, or white varieties. However, the diversity of clover species is much greater than many people realize. In this story, we want to introduce you to six different representatives of the plant genus Trifolium, which are widespread […]

Calthion palustris – The German Plant Community of the Year

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The plant community of the year Wet meadows on nutrient-rich soils used to be home to species-rich and colorful marsh marigold meadows. However, today, these large areas of wet grassland are being drained or turned into intensive grassland and fields. The Calthion communities support numerous endangered animal and plant species and provide a habitat for […]

How a plant app helps identify the consequences of climate change

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By leveraging millions of time-stamped observations, researchers can identify plant rhythms and ecological patterns year-round   Leipzig. A research team led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Leipzig University has developed an algorithm that analyses observational data from the Flora Incognita app. The novel approach described in Methods in Ecology and […]

New Publication: Species Delimitation 4.0

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What is a species? How have species been defined in the past, and how will they be described in the future? How many species are there on Earth? How many are undiscovered? Can we describe them faster than they become extinct due to climate change or human impact? From the time of Greek philosophers like […]

Diversity of life – Habitat diversity

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Biodiversity – The Series The three main aspects of biodiversity are species diversity, the genetic diversity of a species and the diversity of habitats in a region. We cover all those aspects in dedicated articles. In this one, we take a closer look at how important it is to have multiple habitats in a given […]

Diversity of life – Genetic diversity

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Biodiversity – The Series The three main aspects of biodiversity are species diversity, the genetic diversity of a species and the diversity of habitats in a region. We cover all those aspects in dedicated articles. In this one, we take a closer look at the aspect of genetic diversity. Genetic diversity A species consists of […]

Diversity of life – Species diversity

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Biodiversity – The Series The three main aspects of biodiversity are species diversity, the genetic diversity of a species and the diversity of habitats in a region. We cover all those aspects in dedicated articles. In this one, we take a closer look at the aspect of species diversity. Species diversity The term species diversity […]

Diversity of life – Biodiversity

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Biodiversity is not the same as species diversity Biodiversity is a term you read in many places, but what exactly does it mean? In simple terms, biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. Many people use the term species diversity as a synonym for biodiversity, but this falls short. High biodiversity not only refers […]

A closer look at flowers: thermoregulation in winter

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In winter or in cold habitats such as high mountains, an optimal flower temperature is important for successful reproduction. Some plants can actively produce heat in their flowers, such as Helleborus foetidus, using yeast bacteria in the nectar (Herrera and Pozo, 2010). But this is the exception. For most plants in cold regions (or early […]

Flora-Incognita observations enable phenological monitoring throughout Europe

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A new study by our research group shows that plant observations collected with identification apps can provide information about the developmental stages of plants – both on a small scale and across Europe. [Read the paper] Why is it important to document phenology? Many plants in temperate climates go through a cycle of flowering, leaf […]