The agroecology in the press

Unfortunately, some articles are only available in German.

Most recent press releases see: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/presse/598297.html

Veranstaltung zum Thema "Artensterben" der Niedersächsischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen am 14.02.2024
Ist Bioware gesünder?
Teja Tscharntke ist Professor für Agrarökologie und hat auf der Veranstaltung zum Thema "Artensterben" der Niedersächsischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen einen Vortrag gehalten. Im Anschluss daran spricht er nun auch in einem Interview über Ökolandbau, Lebensmittelsicherheit und gesunde Ernährung. ...read more

Press release: Urbanization increases seasonal differences in plant-pollinator networks
Research team led by Göttingen University investigates importance of season and environment in tropical megacity
Press release University of Göttingen No. 193 - 06.12.2023
Increasing urbanization worldwide is a growing threat to biodiversity. At the same time, flowering plants are often more diverse in cities than in the countryside. This is due to flowering plants and agricultural crops, which are increasingly being grown in cities. A recent study shows that the interactions between plants and pollinators, which are important for agricultural production, are surprisingly dynamic. For example, the plant and bee species involved in pollination vary greatly between the seasons. This was shown by an international research team led by the University of Göttingen. The scientists studied farms that produce vegetables in the southern Indian metropolis of Bengaluru – a classic example of a rapidly growing city in the tropics. ...continue reading

Press release: Mixed cropping enhances beneficial bugs and reduces pests
Göttingen University agroecology researchers evaluate effects with a meta-analysis
Press release University of Göttingen No. 113 | 20.07.2023
The global decline in biodiversity is serious. Agricultural land use is a major contributor – especially farming single crops on a massive scale. Mixing crops can counteract this: in fields where different crops grow at the same time, there are more beneficial insects and spiders than in monocultures. At the same time, there are fewer pests. Researchers at the University of Göttingen show this through a systematic literature review and statistical meta-analysis. They found that it is particularly advantageous when cereals and legumes are combined and planted in strips or rows. The results were published in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. ...continue reading

Press release: Multiple uses of tropical mosaic landscapes
Research highlights benefits of wild plants in fallow land and other ecosystems in Madagascar
Press release University of Göttingen No. 110 | 12.07.2023
Many landscapes in the tropics consist of a mosaic of different types of land use. How people make use of these different ecosystems, with their particular plant communities, was unclear until now. Researchers, many of them from Madagascar, have now investigated this in an interdisciplinary Malagasy research project at the University of Göttingen. When considering biodiversity, forests often get the most attention. But this research shows that rural households use a wide range of plant species and services provided by many nearby ecosystem types. ...continue reading

Press release: Birds, bats and nearby forest increase cacao yield
International research team led by Göttingen University quantifies the benefits for cacao production in Peruvian agroforestry
Press release University of Göttingen No. 94 | 08.06.2023
Peru is the third largest producer of organic cacao worldwide and is also a leader in the cultivation of native cacao varieties – producing chocolate that is internationally recognized for its special flavour. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen quantified the benefits of birds’ and bats’ consumption of plant-feeding insects for the productivity of cacao agroforestry. ...continue reading

Press release: Tree islands bring biodiversity to oil palm plantations
Göttingen University CRC publishes results of long-running experiment
Press release University of Göttingen No. 84 | 25.05.2023
Islands of trees in oil palm plantations can significantly increase biodiversity within five years without reducing productivity. This has been shown by an experiment, which has been running for over ten years in Indonesia as part of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) "EFForTS" at the University of Göttingen. An international team of researchers led by Göttingen planted experimental islands of trees in plantations on the island of Sumatra to counteract the species loss caused by the intensive cultivation of oil palms. The results have been published in the journal Nature. ...continue reading

Press release: Strengthening ecology and conservation in the Global South
International research team emphasises importance of diversity, equity and inclusion
Press release University of Göttingen No. 26 | 10.02.2023
The tropics hold most of the planet’s biodiversity. In order to preserve this fragile and valuable asset, many individuals and communities need to get involved and be well informed. However, tropical ecology and conservation sciences are still often affected by colonialistic and discriminatory practices, which can hamper nature conservation success. ...continue reading

Press release: Local cacao varieties promise high biodiversity and fine flavours
Agroecologists from Göttingen University study their socio-ecological importance in South America
Press release University of Göttingen No. 16 | 01.02.2023
In the western Amazon region, cacao has been cultivated since prehistoric times and the area is a valuable resource for genetic diversity of cacao plants. There is growing interest here in switching cultivation from high-yielding but mostly low-quality cacao to indigenous cacao varieties that produce chocolate with particularly fine flavours. ...continue reading