Biomass turnover time in ecosystems is halved by land use

In order to improve our understanding of climate change and to increase the predictability of future dynamics, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of the global carbon cycle. To date, little is known about the average time carbon is stored in biomass, before it passes back into atmosphere or soils (biomass turnover time), and the factors influencing this key parameter also remain largely unknown. Now, a new publication in Nature Geoscience shows that biomass turnover time in vegetation is halved as a result of human influence.

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Sustainability science: New book on society-nature interaction

A new book, which is published just in time for the 3rd ISA Forum of Sociology 2016 in Vienna, comprehensively presents the current state-of-the-art of the Vienna School of Social Ecology. The conceptual repertoire of Social Ecology is exemplified by a cornucopia of empirical studies presenting exciting new research.

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Frühwarnsystem für unsere Ökosysteme

Der zunehmende Verlust von Artenvielfalt und die Veränderungen unserer Ökosysteme rufen nach neuen Wegen, um diese Entwicklungen besser verstehen zu können. Das EU-Projekt „BACI“ macht das unter Zuhilfenahme von Weltraumdaten, erzählt Karlheinz Erb im Gespräch mit ad astra.

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