The alpine grasslands are home to an extraordinary richness of plant species. Yet this diversity is not always obvious at first glance, as some species look strikingly similar. The evolution…

The Adige, Italy’s second longest river after the Po, was once home to an exceptionally rich diversity of fish species. From its mouth on the Adriatic up to Merano, the…

Climate change is causing glaciers to melt and permafrost soils to thaw. This affects the availability and quality of water in lakes and streams, especially in the Vinschgau valley. Heavy…

River crayfish are among the oldest living organisms on Earth. Once widespread in European waters, these large freshwater invertebrates are now considered endangered. Today, they are typically found only in…

Dragonflies are sensitive indicators of environmental changes in aquatic habitats and react sensitively to disturbances caused by humans. In this lecture, Felix Puff, a young biologist from Laives, illustrates the…

In 2023, the “Species Monitoring” project embarked on an exciting journey to understand and protect species of Community Interest in South Tyrol. This collaborative effort, led by the Nature Office…

A journey through past and present to look to the future Amphibians and reptiles are among the vertebrate classes most at risk of extinction globally. The main threats to their…

In recent years, increasing biodiversity in forest ecosystems has been gaining an increasing role among the various goods and services provided by forests. It is now recognized that fostering multi-taxonomic…

Grasslands are among the most species-rich terrestrial ecosystems in the world.  They provide habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and perform important ecosystem functions. However, no two…

Mosses are spore plants and were the first plants to conquer the mainland more than 400 million years ago. They follow entirely different life strategies than flowering plants and have…