News about Biodiversity

Spotted apex predator being pressured by spotted pack hunters – and it's our fault

Leopards, who are already in decline, can’t keep up with hyenas when people are around. As we humans move into the their territories more and more, we are helping to disturb and unbalance ecosystems. This has been shown…

Extinction of the woolly rhinoceros

In PNAS by Fordham, D.,... Rahbek, C., Nogués-Bravo, D. & Lorenzen, E.D. (2024)

Shedding light on the extinction of the woolly rhinoceros

Climate change has previously been pointed out as the sole reason to the extinction woolly rhinoceros'. But now, researchers are now able to determine that human activity contributed to the iconic species’ demise.

Natural hazards threaten over three thousand species

Natural hazards can speed up the extinction process of land animals that have limited distribution and/or small populations. But there is hope to turn the negative development around, says researchers behind new study.

500 million DKK to research in resilient crops and ecosystems

New research project harnesses environmental DNA to understand how we can transform future cropping systems and to develop resilient crops in the face of climate change. The project is led by UCPH Professor Eske…

500 million DKK to research in resilient crops and ecosystems

New research project harnesses environmental DNA to understand how we can transform future cropping systems and to develop resilient crops in the face of climate change. The project is led by UCPH Professor Eske…

AI method reveals millions of dead trees hidden among the living before California’s historic 2020 wildfires

University of Copenhagen scientists may have found a new explanation for the California wildfires of 2020. Applying AI to detailed aerial photos, they created a unique dataset detailing mortality down to single trees fo…

Human activity contributed to woolly rhinoceros’ extinction

An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of Copenhagen and University of Adelaide, used computer modelling to make the discovery, shedding light on a mystery that has captivated…

New report published on Danish nature

New report from Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate shows concrete ways to ensure Denmark's biodiversity by creating large, interconnected natural areas.

Ny rapport: Mere, bedre og større natur i Danmark

Ny rapport viser konkrete veje til at sikre Danamrks biodiversitet gennem etablering af store sammenhængende naturområder.

Iconic savanna mammals face genetic problems due to fences and roads

Wildebeest migrations have become a rarer sight in Africa as humans continue to interrupt their historic migratory routes with roads, fences, cities, livestock and farmland. This has led to genetic decay in those herds…

A new family tree revises our understanding of bird evolution

A team of researchers from the Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) consortium has reported a new bird family tree that promises to reshape our understanding of avian evolution. Published in Nature on April 1st, 2024, the study…

Economist: Tens of billions of dollars in forest products are being overlooked

Are we missing the forest for the trees? More than timber grows in forests – including products worth many tens of billions of dollars. Because these goods go unrecorded in official trade statistics, their economic valu…

Major study reports that people and environment both benefit from diversified farming, while bottom lines also thrive

Mixing livestock and crops, integrating flower strips and trees, water and soil conservation and much more: Massive new global study led by the University of Copenhagen and University of Hohenheim, has examined the…

Gene flow in giraffes and what it means for their conservation

Giraffes, with their bizarre body plan, have always held a special place in the minds of evolutionary biologists and non-experts alike. In a new study, led by a team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen,…

Economists: Ecosystems have higher monetary value than previously calculated

Current economic practice systematically underestimates the value of nature, according to an international group of economists. Writing in the journal Science, they propose a new calculation formula.

CPSC conference 2024

Registration for the CPSC conference Translational agriculture – from model plants to crops in Copenhagen Aug 21st to 23rd, 2024 is now open

Lasse Egebjerg Ravn defended his MSc thesis, February 2024

"Soil profile development with time after afforestation of arable land investigated by natural stabile isotope analysis"

Birds have been adapting to human activity for millennia

Roughly 14,500 to 10,500 years ago, in the transition from the last glacial period, Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic peoples harvesting vegetation from the wetlands of eastern Jordan created a habitat for birds that would…

David Nogués Bravo: The global health burden of biodiversity loss

The School of Global Health's Global Health Research Spotlight series focuses on global health researchers from the University of Copenhagen.

Orchid study reveals essential plant-fungal relationships in Danish conservation area

In a new study conducted in a high-diversity conservation area in eastern Denmark, researchers have unveiled the intricate relationships between three co-occurring orchid species and their associated low-abundance…

Orchid study reveals essential plant-fungal relationships in Danish conservation area

In a new study conducted in a high-diversity conservation area in eastern Denmark, researchers have unveiled the intricate relationships between three co-occurring orchid species and their associated low-abundance…

New study on global biodiversity hotspots

Based on millions of distribution data, researchers reveal unexpected patterns that may redefine our understanding of global hotspots of biodiversity.

Vivien Kovacs defended her MSc thesis, January 2024

"Exploring the Influence of Former Land Use on Soil Characteristics and Biodiversity Indicators across Denmark"