Seeds transfer their microbes to the next generation

Scientists have been pondering if the microbiome of plants is due to nature or nurture. Research at Stockholm University, published in Environmental Microbiology, showed that oak acorns contain a large diversity of microbes, and that oak seedlings inherit their microbiome from these acorns.

Read about the study

Critical carbon-trapping coastal ecosystems fall mainly outside of protected areas

Critical carbon-trapping coastal ecosystems fall mainly outside of protected areas in Mozambique and Tanzania, finds IUCN report.

Critical carbon-trapping coastal ecosystems fall mainly outside of protected areas

New book inspires teenagers to protect the ocean

Marine biologist Benjamin Jones is featuring in a book with global initiatives to protect the ocean and inspire young people to become marine conservation heroes.

Discover more about the book and order it here

Innovation scholarship for DEEP researcher Eva Björkman

The Stockholm Innovation Scholarship is awarded to five promising innovations. One of these is made by Eva Björkman at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at Stockholm University.

Innovation scholarship for DEEP researcher Eva Björkman

Nam Co, or ‘Heavenly Lake’ in Mongolian.

The key to understanding climate change at the Third Pole lies in the past

Scientists from 17 countries have begun an urgent expedition to improve our knowledge of climatic changes on the Tibetan Plateau.

Almost one third of the world’s population depend on the fresh water supplies here

Three researchers at DEEP receive grants from Formas

The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas) has decided on approved applications for research and development projects, and, among other things, for plankton-fish interactions. Three researchers at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP) receive in total over 10 million SEK.

Three researchers at DEEP receive grants from Formas

What’s new in the Baltic Sea? Get some marine glimpses here!

Get your share of insights into the Baltic Sea, everything from poisoned perch to what phytoplankton a clam prefers to eat – spoiler alert: unfortunately, the one that’s waning due to climate change.

Three newly published papers with an easy to read summary

Sarahi Garcia joined quest expanding known diversity of bacteria and archaea by 44%

A public repository of 52,515 microbial draft genomes generated from environmental samples around the world is now available and DEEP researcher Sarahi Garcia was one of the almost 200 contributors.

Sarahi Garcia joined quest expanding known diversity of bacteria and archaea by 44%

Uncovering Novel Genomes from Earth’s Microbiomes

DEEP researcher Sarahi Garcia was one of the almost 200 scientists involved in a new study compiling a genome resource that expands known diversity of bacteria and archaea by 44% .

Uncovering Novel Genomes from Earth’s Microbiomes

Small mussels in the Baltic are getting even smaller

Blue mussels in the Baltic Sea are getting smaller with time but bigger in numbers, according to a new study analyzing data since the 90's.

Blue mussels eat another type of phytoplankton mix now

A spatial regime shift to stickleback dominance

Large numbers of three-spined stickleback have gradually taken over larger parts of the Baltic Sea’s coastal ecosystem, shows a new scientific study. Stickleback is a small prey fish common in aquatic food webs across temperate Europe. The stickleback contributes to local ecosystem ‘regime shifts’, where young-of-the-year pike and perch decline in individual bays, and these shifts gradually spread like a wave from the outer archipelago into the mainland coast.

A spatial regime shift to stickleback dominance

Information for students and staff about the coronavirus

Information on the coronavirus in relation to Stockholm University's activities, questions and answers, and news related to the coronavirus.

Information for students and staff about the coronavirus

Important information about studies at BIG during autumn 2020

You can find information about studies this autumn at the Department of Biology Education home page.

Important information about studies at BIG during autumn 2020

2. Madagascar’s grasses. Eighteen species have been missing since at least 2011 and may have become extinct without anyone realising. Credit: Maria Vorontsova

Unrecorded plant extinction in poor countries is driven by inequality

Here we summarized five key points of the paper 'Inequality in plant diversity knowledge and unrecorded plant extinctions: An example from the grasses of Madagascar'.

Unrecorded plant extinction in poor countries is driven by inequality

COVID19 shows us that its “Time for Nature” this World Environment Day

Today, it's World Environment Day and the United Nation's way of encouraging awareness for the protection of our environment.

Read PhD student Benjamin Jones blog post here

New study could help predict plant species responses to climate change

A new global study which could help to predict plant species losses and responses to climate change and warming has been published.

Heat and cold tolerance dependent on ancestors exposure

How tough are grasses: The cost of surviving cold and frost

Jan-Niklas Nuppenau, PhD student at DEEP, is studying grasses growing on soils heated by volcanic activity in Iceland, to find out if they can deal with heat and cold likewise. Or are the costs of maintaining cold tolerance so high, that the ability is lost quickly when no longer needed?

How tough are grasses: The cost of surviving cold and frost

Vårärt/Gullviva är en av de arter som undersökts i studien. Foto: Katarina Fast Ehrlén

Climate change is not the only threat for our plants

To maintain plant and animal species on Earth, we need not only to consider the direct effects of climate change, but we must also take other equally important environmental issues into consideration.

Do you want to create 3D images of your favourite plant structure with X-ray?

Now you have the opportunity to do that at the Stockholm University Brain Imaging Center (SUBIC), right next door to DEEP at Svante Arrhenius väg 16 A.

Do you want to create 3D images of your favourite plant structure with X-ray?

Better pollination produces firmer apples that better withstand storage

Good pollination of apple flowers can extend the time apples can be stored without rotting. Apple harvests are also bigger, producing firmer and tastier apples.

New study from Stockholm University and Lund University

Almost 600 plants have already gone extinct

Almost 600 plants have been wiped out from the planet in the last 250 year shows a new study. This is twice the number of birds, mammals and amphibians combined.

Have a look at one of the plants here

The gene helping submerged plants

Climate change threatens plants as the risks of flooding increase. A new study from Stockholm University shows that special genes are key to keeping plants from withering, remaining healthy and resistant to a lack of oxygen when they are underwater for a period of long time.

The gene helping submerged plants

5905 - Ilha da Trindade från dess högsta punkt (Pico do desejado)

A south Atlantic secret - expedition to Ilha da Trindade

Linda Eggertsen is probably the first swede on the Brazilian island Ilha da Trindade, where she examines the fish and the benthic community.

Look at the amazing wild life on the island

Use your power to treat your colleagues well!

Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences (DEEP) organized a workshop aiming to prevent the misuse of power. Now they hope that other departments at SU will follow in their footsteps.

Improvisational theatre as a tool

Migratory birds, insects and plants adapt differently to climate change

A warmer climate has caused plants flowering and migratory birds arriving earlier in the year than before. Now a global study also shows that changes in the life cycles between plants and animals that depend on each other is also moving faster.

Migratory birds, insects and plants adapt differently to climate change

Welcome to DEEP Insights Department blog

We are now creating a blog to reach out to as many people as possible. If you want to know more about the department's latest research and what the life as a researcher looks like – follow our blog “DEEP Insights”.

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