Ecosystem Processes

The World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) latest report on the state of the world's climate shows that global warming is accelerating, with a particularly sharp increase in 2024 – and with far-reaching and in some cases irreversible consequences for our inland waters. Rising temperatures and changing water levels are driving new ecological dynamics: oxygen-free zones are expanding in lakes, the composition of species communities is changing and animals are adapting their behaviour – often struggling to obtain sufficient food.

Even deep clear water lakes, which are considered particularly valuable ecosystems, can show signs of eutrophication and algae growth - often for no apparent reason. A new study by four researchers from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) now shows that the causes are not always to be found in increasing nutrient inputs from the catchment area or in re-dissolution processes in the deep areas of a lake, but also in the shallower areas up to a water depth of around 20 metres.

DNA metabarcoding is a molecular analysis method that offers a promising solution for efficient insect monitoring. A study published in the journal Molecular Ecology Resources, to which researchers of IGB contributed, provides detailed guidelines for the large-scale application of this method, including estimates of the costs and time required.