Climate change could change the gender ratio of acorn weevils

According to a study in which CREAF participated, the delay of late-summer rains could change the equilibrium between males and females in these Mediterranean weevils, favoring the females. The authors have shown that male weevils are more sensitive to prolonged drought. 

Acorn Climate change Curculio elephas @en Insects Josep maria espelta @en Sex ratio @en

Agriculture and forestry increase the production world ecosystem biomass by 15%

CREAF has participated in an international study which has estimated the total biomass production of all planetary ecosystems. These data can be used to improve accounting of the global supply of natural resources and plan strategies for boosting the sequestration of atmospheric carbon.

Agriculture Biomass Forest management Forests Geu @en Global change Josep peñuelas @en Livestock
dsc07275.jpg
Project / Initiative
National projects
Inactive

A global database of sap flow to unravel the ecological drivers of transpiration regulation in woody plants

img_20150703_113145.jpg
Project / Initiative
National projects
Inactive

Local adaptation of plant POpulations during Range EXPANsions: the effect on life-history traits and genetic variability

The man's place in ecosystems

Ecologists have talked and written a lot about how human activities change ecosystems or living conditions, at the local or global scales. We also claim about the need to abolish the persistent gap between human society and Nature in thinking, because humans are a part of Nature. Yet, curiously, we have not much worked in clarifying what is our role or place in ecosystems.

Ecological networks Ecological services Food web Green infraestructure Jaume terradas @en

The response of leaf unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly reduced in Central Europe

Leaf unfolding occurred on average about 4 days earlier every one degree increase in spring temperature between 1980 and 1994, whereas this value dropped to -2.3 days C-1 between 1999 and 2013, a decrease of over 40%. According to this study recently published in the jorunal Nature with the participaction of Josep Peñuelas, researcher from CSIC at CREAF, warmer winters and photoperiod are forcing plants to control their phenology calendars.

Climate change Europe Forests Geu @en Global change Josep peñuelas @en Leaf Temperatures @en Warning

Increased ozone levels reduce flowers' sex appeal

New research finds that as climate change increases ozone levels, pollinators will have a harder timing finding plants that feed them. That’s going to be a problem for the bees that pollinate a third of the world’s food supply. Flowers and other plants rely on microscopic scent molecules to attract the bees and other pollinators that feed on them.

Atmosphere Climate change Flowers Gerard farré-armengol @en Insects Ozone Voc @en

Scientists and Catalonian National Police collaborate to catch tiger mosquito stowaways in private vehicles

The BaixLlobregat Mosquito Control Service is carrying out vehicle searches in coordination with the Mossos de Esquadra (Catalonian National Police) as part of the Atrapaeltigre.com project led by a team from CEAB-CSIC and CREAF. According to 2014 citizen data collected using the app Tigatrapp, this summer Spanish may have transported as many 800,000 tiger mosquitos in their vehicles.

Car Citizen science City Frederic bartumeus @en Police Tiger mosquito