WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center

How do ecosystems withstand & recover from extreme weather? What hidden costs emerge later?
In our last seminar this year, Madhav Thakur @unibe.ch will show how grassland microorganisms, plants, & invertebrates resist & recover.
Join us in-person or online!
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

@wslresearch.bsky.social and #Eawag Join Forces to Launch the Biodiversity Center 💧🌳
This initiative will promote research and outreach in biodiversity science. It's all about connecting people, sharing ideas, and building collaborations across the two institutes.
👉 biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/

How artificial intelligence detects nitrate hotspots Eawag researchers are using machine learning to map nitrate pollution in Swiss groundwater. This allows gaps in the measurement network to be filled and the causes of excessive values to be identified...

Eawag researchers are using machine learning to map nitrate pollution in Swiss groundwater 💧💪

👉 www.eawag.ch/en/info/port...

#nitrate #agriculture #groundwater #machinelearning #ai

🧫🦗Studium in #Naturwissenschaften & Erfahrung mit Kultivierung von #Mikroorganismen und Bestimmung von #Insekten? Freude an der Arbeit in der Natur? Die Forschungseinheit #Waldgesundheit sucht eine/-n Labor- und Feldmitarbeiter/-in (80%): apply.refline.ch/273855/1811/...
#Job #Sciencejobs #Wald

WSL soil researcher appointed professor at ETH Katrin Meusburger researches how soils store and transfer water. The ETH Board has now appointed her as titular professor.

WSL #soil researcher Katrin Meusburger has been appointed titular professor at @ethz.ch @usyseth.bsky.social! 🎉
She researches how #forest soils store water and how drought changes them – important for forests in the context of climate change and for forest management. 🌳💧 www.wsl.ch/en/news/wsl-...

Looking forward to to our symposium today to learn more about the global spore sampling project, remote sensing and deepSDMs!
Registration in person is now closed but you can join us online.
www.wsl.ch/en/events-an...

Beitragseinreichung - Landschaftskongress 2026 Folgende Vorgaben müssen für eine Beitragseinreichung berücksichtigt werden. Eingabeschluss ist der 30. November 2025.

Schweizer #Landschaftskongress 2026 in Davos: Die Eingabefrist für Beiträge ist bis zum 14. Dezember 2025 verlängert! 👉 landschaftskongress.ch/beitragseinr... Der Kongress findet im September statt und wird organisiert von der WSL und dem Forum Landschaft, Alpen, Pärke FoLAP (@scnat.ch)

Tomorrow we'll have our symposium on "Biodiversity Monitoring: New Approaches and Techniques", with 3 outstanding speakers:
🍄 Nerea Abrego
🌳 @fabdanis.bsky.social
🌎 Devis Tuia
Join us in-person or online!
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

Biology26 is the largest conference of organismal biology in
Switzerland promoting exchange across the country and disciplines. The deadline for registration and
abstract submission is this Friday, 5 December.
www.biology26.ch

Job offer: PostDoc in “Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in European forests in the face of global changes” 80-100% (f/m/d) The aim of the projects is to investigate the impact of global changes on temperate forests toward designing management plans that allows ecosystem resilience and high levels of biodiversity. Within these projects, you will develop standard and more efficient ecological monitoring methodologies to understand how different aspects of biodiversity and/or associated ecosystem processes, in particular deadwood decomposition, in forests are altered by global change factors such as climate change, disturbances, and management-induced structural changes at different spatial and temporal scales. Through this research, you will gain a better mechanistic understanding of these relationships as a basis for predicting future changes related to management decisions and climate change. To measure biodiversity, you will use cutting-edge DNA-based methods, such as e-DNA metabarcoding of fungi, from soil and dead wood, and detecting arthropods and mammals from vegetation surfaces. Data on biodiversity and forest functions will be analyzed in an interdisciplinary manner. Depending on your skills and expertise, you can focus on more technical aspects of biodiversity quantification using eDNA, fundamental ecological research questions on modelling ecosystem processes or the more applied design of management practices. You are expected to publish your findings in high-impact journals and present them at international conferences. You hold a PhD degree in Biology or Environmental Sciences or in a related field and have a strong background forest ecology, in DNA-based biodiversity assessments (e-DNA metabarcoding), bioinformatics and multivariate statistical analyses, and/or experimental planning. Furthermore, we expect very good knowledge in R programming, a good command of English, as well as strong skills in scientific paper writing.

#PostDoc Alert! PhD in #Biology or #EnvironmentalSciences? Strong background in #ForestEcology, DNA-based biodiversity assessments, #Bioinformatics, and experimental planning? Our #ForestEntomology Group offers a 2-year #PostDoc position 🌳🧬💻: apply.refline.ch/273855/1798/... #ScienceJobs #eDNA

Working on tree mortality and early warning systems? In today's seminar, Jelle Lever will show how to track mortality as a progressive loss of resilience.
Join us in-person or online! Today at 11:00 (CET)

Drought-induced tree mortality is not an isolated event but a complex ecological process. In our seminar w/ @swissforestlab.bsky.social, Jelle Lever will show how to track mortality as progressive loss of resilience to support early warning systems.
Join us!
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

Stellenanzeige: Die Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL gehört mit rund 600 Mitarbeitenden zum ETH-Bereich. Sie befasst sich mit der nachhaltigen Nutzung und dem Schutz der Umwelt sowie mit einem verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit Naturgefahren. Im Rahmen von zwei Projekten, eines gefördert von der VELUX-Stiftung zur Biodiversität in lichten Wäldern und eines gefördert vom BAFU/Kantonen zur Biodiversität in Naturwaldreservaten und Wirtschaftswäldern der Schweiz bieten die Forschungseinheiten «Biodiversität und Naturschutzbiologie (Gruppe Lebensraumdynamik)» und «Waldgesundheit und biotische Interaktionen (Gruppe Waldentomologie)» ab April 2026 drei 6-monatige Stellen als Praktikant/-in Waldbiodiversitätsforschung (w/m/d) In den sehr anwendungsorientierten Projekten werden umfangreiche Daten zu Insektenvorkommen in lichten Wäldern bzw. Naturwaldreservaten sowie in Kontrollflächen gesammelt. Hauptaufgaben dieser Praktikumsstellen sind Installation, Leerung und Abbau der Insektenfallen in den Studiengebieten, sortieren von gefangenen Insekten nach grosssystematischen Gruppen sowie die Archivierung der Insektenproben an der WSL. Bei dieser Tätigkeit können Sie die Kenntnisse in der Insektensystematik vertiefen und erhalten Einblicke in weitere Projekte in der Biodiversitätsforschung. Daneben können weitere kleinere Arbeiten in den Projekten anfallen. Sie weisen einen Bachelor- oder Masterabschluss in Biologie oder Umweltwissenschaften auf. Vorkenntnisse zu den wichtigsten einheimischen Insektengruppen sind von Vorteil. Sie sind sich selbständiges Arbeiten gewohnt, sind kommunikativ und speditiv. Sie halten Termine ein, erkennen Probleme frühzeitig und gehen diese bestimmt und kreativ an. Sie arbeiten gerne draussen im Feld, unter verschiedensten Wetterbedingungen. Zudem verfügen Sie über einen Führerausweis (Kat. B) und sind ein/-e sichere/-r Autofahrer/-in.

#Praktikum frei! BSc oder MSc in #Biologie oder #Umweltwissenschaften und Kenntnisse zu den wichtigsten einheimischen Insektengruppen🐞? Interesse an selbstständiger Feldarbeit🌳? Die WSL bietet für 6 Monate ein Praktikum in der #Waldbiodiversitätsforschung: apply.refline.ch/273855/1802/...

Beavers create habitats for bats A study shows that land animals benefit from beaver dam construction – for example, endangered bats.

🦫 #Beavers help bats: Where these industrious builders fell trees and dam streams, there are more #bats. New study by WSL and @eawag.bsky.social: www.wsl.ch/en/news/beav... #NatureConservation #DeadWood #Ponds #EnvironmentalProtection #RedList @vmoser.bsky.social @animalecology.bsky.social

Habitat heterogeneity and food availability in beaver‐engineered streams foster bat richness, activity and feeding Beavers reshape ecosystems in ways that benefit bat richness, activity and feeding activity. We linked increased habitat structures (standing deadwood and canopy heterogeneity) and prey abundance to ...

Beavers boost bats! Beaver ponds had higher bat richness (4→5 spp/night), 1.6× activity, and 2.3× feeding vs. controls. Structural changes (standing deadwood, more heterogeneous canopy) and more prey help explain why:
Journal of Animal Ecology:
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Five WSL researchers are among the most influential in their field in 2025 Katrin Meusburger and Yann Vitasse from WSL are now on the list of the world’s most influential researchers in their field.

This year, @clarivateag.bsky.social named five researchers based at WSL on their Highly Cited Researchers list: www.wsl.ch/en/news/five... #HighlyCited2025 @yannvit.bsky.social @nezimmermann.bsky.social @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social

Does functional community structure mitigate the impacts of climatic anomalies on productivity in grasslands? In our next seminar, @danielahoss.bsky.social leverages 25 years of global grassland data from the sPlot database to examine this question.
Join us!
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

Job offer: The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 600 people work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards. The Biodiversity and Conservation Biology research unit, investigates the diversity of life in its various forms, from genetic to the diversity of species and ecosystems as well as their interactions. For 2 years, starting in Spring 2026, the Community Ecology research group is looking for a PostDoc in Soil Biodiversity 80-100% (f/m/d) This position offers an exciting opportunity to participate in an international research project on “Integrating Soil Biodiversity to Ecosystem Services (SOB4ES)”. SOB4ES is a large EU Horizon project testing cost-effectiveness of soil biodiversity indicators and the provision of soil biodiversity-based ecosystem services to build better land management solutions that effectively implement the EU Soil Strategy (www.sob4es.org). In collaboration with international partners, your role in this project will be to explore soil microbial diversity and functions and ecosystem services across European land-use types and biomes. Your will analyse microbial biodiversity and functions datasets, preparing manuscripts, and publishing them in peer-reviewed scientific journals. You will also present the research outputs at local and international conferences and engage with stakeholders. You hold a PhD degree in biology or environmental sciences, with a strong background in microbiology, genetics or ecology. You have experience with bioinformatics (such as running metabarcoding and metagenomic data pipelines) and data analyses (including advanced statistical models) and wish to develop your knowledge and experience in that field. Fluency in English (both oral and writing), ability to supervise junior team members, excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset are also key to success in this role.

#PostDoc Alert! PhD in #biology or #EnvironmentalSciences with a background in #microbiology, #genetics or #ecology? Experience with #metabarcoding and #metagenomics🧬? We offer a PostDoc position in #soil #biodiversity: apply.refline.ch/273855/1794/... #bioinformatics #DataAnalysis #ScienceJobs

WSL and Eawag Join Forces to Launch the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center A joint strategic, interdisciplinary initiative to promote research and outreach in biodiversity science at WSL and Eawag.

📣We're thrilled to launch the WSL-Eawag Biodiversity Center, a joint initiative to foster biodiversity research & outreach at @eawag.bsky.social & @wslresearch.bsky.social.
The Center is all about connecting people, sharing ideas, & building collaborations.
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/news/wsl-...

Does functional community structure mitigate the impacts of climatic anomalies on productivity in grasslands? In our next seminar, @danielahoss.bsky.social leverages 25 years of global grassland data from the sPlot database to examine this question.
Join us!
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

Looking for a motivated PhD student in Tree phenology and Ecophysiology at WSL. The project combines climate chamber experiments with modelling to understand how temperature, light and water availability affect leaf senescence timing. apply.refline.ch/273855/1788/... #TreePhenology #Ecophysiology

Tree mortality from insects is rising across Europe In Europe, more trees are dying from insect infestations. Broadleaves cope better than conifers, as heat and drought worsen the issue.

🌲🪳 Tree mortality caused by insects is on the rise in Europe. Warm, dry regions are the most severely affected. New study in @globalchangebio.bsky.social www.wsl.ch/en/news/tree... #Forests #ClimateChange #Treemortality #Barkbeetles

I spend my days studying nature — and still, moments like this take my breath away. Gold larches. Green Swiss stone pine. White snow. Grey rock. Perfect silence...

#Morteratsch Glacier forefield #Switzerland

Increased carbon inputs alter soil microbial genetic potential for biogeochemical cycling in Arctic ecosystems - Communications Earth & Environment Plant litter additions enhance soil microbial functional potentials for carbon and nitrogen cycling in high-Arctic ecosystems, based on a four-year experiment simulating vegetation expansion under cli...

Arctic shrub expansion may reshape soil life more than thawing itself. Our 4-year Greenland experiment shows shrub litter boosts microbial growth and C–N cycling genes, enhancing organic matter breakdown and N incorporation into biomass — key for future greenhouse gas dynamics. surl.lt/kusoul

🌲 How can genomics help forests adapt to climate change?
Join our next seminar, in person or online, with Pär K. Ingvarsson (SLU) on new genomic tools for Norway spruce & their use in breeding and climate adaptation studies of old-growth and planted stands.
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

🌲 How can genomics help forests adapt to climate change?
Join our next seminar, in person or online, with Pär K. Ingvarsson (SLU) on new genomic tools for Norway spruce & their use in breeding and climate adaptation studies of old-growth and planted stands.
biodiversitycenter.wsl.ch/en/events/de...

🌿 Join us at #EGU26 for session BG3.37 – Impacts of climatic extremes on plants & ecosystems! 🔥
We welcome studies on heat, drought & variability from leaf to landscape 🌍
Submit your abstract 👉 meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/sessio... @kateplantphys.bsky.social @alyssakullberg.bsky.social

Job offer: The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 600 people work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards. The Research Unit Forest and Soil Ecology, which investigates how changing environmental conditions affect forest ecosystem functioning, is seeking a candidate to join the Ecosystem Ecology group starting on 1 January 2026 (or upon appointment) as a PhD candidate in Tree Phenology and Ecophysiology You will be working within the SNF funded project “From leaf-out to senescence: integrating daylight and temperature dynamics into phenological process-based models to enhance autumn phenology modelling”. Unlike leaf-out timing, leaf senescence is particularly challenging to predict, partly because many internal factors are involved and remain poorly understood. You will investigate how changing environmental conditions — including variations in temperature, daylight, and water availability — affect leaf senescence, with the goal of improving phenological models. To achieve this, you will combine manipulative experiments, long-term phenological observations, and large-scale remote sensing data. You will also apply both statistical and mechanistic modelling approaches and contribute to publishing results in international scientific journals. You hold a Master’s degree in in forest ecology, ecology, plant physiology, environmental science, or a related field. You are eager to apply a wide range of approaches, from ecophysiology and experimental fieldwork to remote sensing and modelling. You have a good command of English, work in a structured and independent manner, enjoy collaborating within a team and are comfortable using statistical software, preferably R. The workplace will be at WSL in Birmensdorf (approximately 20 minutes outside of Zurich), and the PhD enrolment will be at the University of Bern.

🍃🌳🍂 #PhDAlert! MSc in #ForestEcology, #PlantPhysiology or #EnvironmentalSciences? Eager to apply a wide range of approaches, from #ecophysiology and experimental fieldwork to #RemoteSensing and modelling🛰️? We offer a #PhD position in Tree #Phenology: apply.refline.ch/273855/1788/... #ScienceJobs

After the fall break, we’re back with our seminar series!

Today, Emily Baird will discuss the effects of rising temperatures on insect pollinator sensing, cognition and behavior.

Everyone is welcome, in person or online.