When genes mutate, it can lead to the development of diseases. But there are exceptions. If the gene RIM1S is altered in nerve cells, it can also have a positive effect, leading to higher intelligence.
Using smart sensor and measurement techniques to make farming more efficient and sustainable is the goal of a team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich.
Research projects at HSWT are investigating the climate-protection potential of peatlands—and are at the heart of environmental protection efforts in Bavaria’s rural landscape.
Engineers at TH Rosenheim are addressing the challenges facing wood technology with a new logistics concept, dynamic partnerships and sustainable future industry models.
Wildfires, storms, and bark beetles have a major impact on forests and the benefits they provide for people and the environment. For the first time, a large international team led by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has calculated how disturbances could transform Europe’s forests by 2100. Even in the most optimistic scenario, the team foresees a substantial increase in damaged forest area—in the most pessimistic case, disturbances could even double.
Villages can provide important habitats for insects. A new study by the University of Würzburg shows which areas in rural settlements are particularly rich in species – and where there is still room for improvement.
Researchers at the University of Würzburg have shown that dung beetles suffer in canopy openings that have been deliberately created to promote biodiversity. Rising temperatures are significantly exacerbating the problem.
Sixty percent of Bavaria’s alpine forests serve as protective forests that safeguard settlements and infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather events. Climate change is putting these forests under increasing pressure. To advance research, the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation supports TUM’s new Center for Alpine Forest Management, which examines these impacts and evaluates long-term options to sustain protective forests.
A genetic study is rewriting the evolutionary history of the saltwater crocodile and, at the same time, clarifying the species identity of the crocodiles that were exterminated on the Seychelles. The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
A research team from Munich has identified a previously unknown communication mechanism in harvestmen. Five closely related species show species-specific, strongly fluorescent structures on their backs that become especially visible under ultraviolet light. The results suggest that these patterns serve for species recognition—particularly at dusk and in moonlight. The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
