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…

From European Grants to Biodiversity Credits, a Journey into the World of Public and Private Financing Protecting nature has its price. In Europe, and also in South Tyrol, we are…

Fungi, fascinating organisms of the fungal kingdom, play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems. They serve as decomposers by converting dead organic matter into vital nutrients for plants. In addition,…

Freshwater systems such as rivers and lakes cover only about 2% of the Earth’s surface, but are home to an astonishing 10% of known species and about one-third of all…

Once widely distributed in Central Europe, then nearly eradicated except for small relict populations, the beaver (Castor fiber) is now returning to European river landscapes and also to South Tyrol.…