This year we’re, in addition to the regular business, using our fine-scale temperature maps to explore isolated cold spots in lower elevations to see if nival species survive there. Quite dangerous sites these cold spots…

Fieldwork in the Alps. 5th year on the same mountain. Even this calf wonders why are we still doing that.

John Rodwell became an Honorary Member of the European Vegetation Survey. John is one of the most prominent vegetation ecologists in Europe.

I suspect a badger. Someone was repeatedly pulling off our EMS water potential logger (whole buried) while leaving TMS-4 standing right next to it... So now the EMS WP's got a fancy 2-sided + top cage that enables readout from a side. Let's see if that works.

In past, Daniel Kokotajlo made future projections on the development of AI that, over time, turned out as quite accurate. This is his vision of what might happen over the coming years. The projection are worrying, especially in the light of the recent disbalance of political order ai-2027.com/race

Every year, fewer #WhiteStorks cross the Straits of Gibraltar on their annual migratory journey. In this paper, we unveil the mechanisms driving the recent and rapid loss of their migratory behaviour. 👉https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2656.70035

When you're already out of wood for this heating season (yes, my case) but you need to heat the room a bit... 🫠

@charlesuni.cuni.cz and several of its faculties moved from X/Twitter to @bsky.app recently.

Hi R users, do you have experience with R functions that use non-native languages (specifically C++ and Fortran) in parallel processing (foreach with %dopar%)? To me, this produces error: "NULL value passed as symbol address" and I can't figure the way out. Thanks ❤️

Until tomorrow noon (CET) there is a last chance to contribute to a survey about the use of R packages in Ecology. It takes a maximum of two minutes! Great thanks to all who contributed. 💚

And if you are interested which packages are most popular among young ecologists and which among professors, just stay tuned. 😅

Hi there, my student is making a survey about the use of R packages in Ecology, could you please spend two mins on filling it 🥹 Very appreciated! And if you could spread it further (RT), that would be just awesome. ❤️ docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Over the last few days, I've prepared an "initial distribution" of our target species for simulation models. I used 1 m2 resolution topography, interpolated microclimatic variables, soil properties and snow from permanent cameras. We also gathered multispectral data with a helicopter.

Shrubification, increases of nutrient demanding species and decrease of habitats specialists. But also overall increase of community level species richness. Klara Klinkovska from @milanchytry.bsky.social's lab analyzed the changes in species composition across habitats in the 🇨🇿.

Working with red wine is always so satisfying. Bottling a batch feels almost like getting a paper published after all the waiting and reviewing. Anyway, these still have a long way ahead. 2024 was very special vintage with an extreme drought shortly before harvest. Tricky for natural winemakers.

I don't usually do these games, but I also like bridges. -> If you see this post, quote with a bridge from your gallery. Georgia, vegetation sampling in 2017. I'd been listening to the Goodbye Blu Sky by Pink Floyd while driving over. Remember this very well. 😅

Niche modeling / distribution modeling / ecological biogeography people, check out this starter pack and let me know if you want to be added! bsky.app/starter-pack...

Paper alert. You might have heard about some trials of using hemi-parasitic plants to enhance biological restoration of grasslands. Yet it has been documented only from a few small experiment. However, a few years ago, Jakub Tesitel carried out an experiment to test this in different macroclimates.

Thanks @jvonoppen.bsky.social for initiating and leading this section! International Mountain Conference, this September 2025 in Innsbruck.

I'm a regular R user, but I don't like R Studio for various reasons. I'd been using PyCharm instead for a long time, but since mid-2024, the R plugin is no longer maintained. I'm therefore searching for an alternative. Is anyone using something else than R Studio for R coding? #R #rstats #RStudio

3️⃣1️⃣ The last day of 2024 and of our calendar. Juncus jacquinii grows only in the Alps and northern Apennines. It prefers rather moist grassy sites within the alpine, usually not above 3'000 m. Named after N. J. von Jacquin, a professor of botany and dir. of the botanical garden at @univie.ac.at

3️⃣0️⃣ Astragalus alopecurus. Occurs in W Alps, Corsica, Balkans, Caucasus, and Asia Minor to Central Asia, extending to Siberia. It grows in dry grasslands, steppes, shrubs, and open forests at 1000–1600 m a.s.l. This specimen grew on a river gravel bars among Hippophae rhamnoides shrubs.

2️⃣9️⃣ Ranunculus alpestris. Restricted only to European mountains (Pyrenees, Alps & Carpathians). Not as tough as R. glacialis, usually not getting above 2.5k m (as far as I know at least). Slightly prefers calcareous bedrock and sites with long lying snow cover.

It’s time for THE charger. Today, the USB-C becomes officially the common standard for charging new mobile electronic devices in the EU. It means better-charging technology, reduced e-waste, and less fuss to find the chargers you need! #DigitalEU

2️⃣8️⃣ Noccaea rotundifolia, also known as Thlaspi, is an Alpine endemic growing on carbonate screes up to 3000 m. The Alpine scree vegetation class Thlaspietea rotundifolii is named after it. As a “snow runner,” its fruits are blown by the wind across the snow in winter, dispersing its seeds.

2️⃣7️⃣ Oxyria dygina. Similar to Persicaria vivipara covers nearly all arctic alpine habitats of northern Hemisphere. Rather specialized species, restricted to wet screes, making it common on gravelly bars and banks of alpine rivers or glacier forefields. In the Alps, usually above 2000 meters.

Home alone only with the dog: Day 1. The dinner is a traditional Slavic dish, ash potatoes.

The communist experience was terrible. It left us (very) few good things, though. For instance, freedom to roam guaranteed by law. Will never forget how, at a workshop in Switzerland, along with my Estonian friend, we wanted to cross a meadow, and the Swiss shouted at us as if we'd killed somebody.

#PF2025 ❤️❄️

2️⃣6️⃣ Trifolium alpinum. Grows in mountains of southern and central Europe (Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Southern Carpathians) on silicate substrates, from montane to alpine zones, up to 3100 m. A perennial species intolerant to frequent mowing, it thrives in moderately dry mountain meadows and pastures.

2️⃣5️⃣ Bistorta vivipara. I'd say (one of) the most common arcto-alpine species distributed over the northern hemisphere. It's a generalist (but nice one) growing on various bedrocks and throughout elevations. Probably not too surprising that it's also a common target plant of various research projects.

2️⃣4️⃣ Leontopodium alpinum. Edelweiß, Planika... but most Christmas-like vibes come from Italian Stella alpina and French Étoile des Alpes - star of the Alps. This symbol of alpinism can be found in mount. of Central and S Europe, on alpine meadows, in rocky crevices, scree, up to 3000 m. Merry Xmas!

🧵⏬ Ever wondered what's happening below snow in high mountains? Well, it's not at all bad down there. This is average February soil T (coldest month). Note that apart from elevation, it's mostly controlled by curvature, thereby snow depth and related insulation. Whites are temperatures above 0°C.

This is a really fascinating debate. Shall we introduce a non-native species if the whole ecosystem would benefit from it? I think that when it comes to plants (and probably also insects), there is still agreement on a huge NO. With animals, this is much more nuanced and interesting discussion.

As I grow older, I like Christmas less and less which made me to make some practical measures. Since quite some time, our Christmas at home are just a peaceful walk in nature and that's it. We see the rest of the family some time before and after and it's better for everyone like this.

With @gianmariabonari.bsky.social, we often get papers we work on togethr published around Christmas.🎄 This time, only with very little contribution from my side, it's a local study about diversity of maritime pine dominated vegetation in Tuscany and Liguria. vcs.pensoft.net/article/1180...

Christmas tomorrow! 2️⃣3️⃣ Leucanthemopsis alpina. Looks like an innocent lowland daisy, but easily makes it above 3000 m! Often on rocky and scree substrates and in proximity to glaciers. Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians and even Corsica!

📖Published📖 Our latest review article presents 10 practical guidelines for ground-based research of terrestrial microclimates, covering methods and best practices from initial conceptualisation of the study to data analyses 🌎 🧪 Read more here 👇 https://buff.ly/41BKn8o

I'm very honoured to be included among so many authors I deeply admire in this Nature Writing starter pack: the best writing about the planet we share. Please share widely. go.bsky.app/Qrw2zj9

Simple late art on a good speciality coffee flat is a rare joy.

Instead of listing my publications, as the year draws to an end, I want to shine the spotlight on the commonplace assumption that productivity must always increase. Good research is disruptive and thinking time is central to high quality scholarship and necessary for disruptive research.

2️⃣2️⃣ Saxifraga stellaris. Arcto-Alpine species found from NE Canada to N Scandinavia. In S European regions inhabits mountain areas of Pyrenees, Massif Central, Alps, N Apennines, Corsica, and S Carpathians. Grows by springs, streams, snowbeds, moist rocks, montane to alpine zones, up to 3100 m.

2️⃣1️⃣ Valeriana celtica. Restricted to the Alps, mostly growing on siliceous bedrock rather in higher elevations. Of two its subspecies, one occurs in western and one in eastern Alps. In the past, it used to be collected for parfumes in rather high quantities, this practice is now strinctly regulated.

I was approached re: the Finnish decision to downgrade MDPI & Frontiers journals in 🇫🇮 rankings (THE article). This decision was based on broad patterns, including in our recent study "The strain on scientific publishing" (link: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...) A quick 🧵 1/n #SciPub #AcademicChatter

2️⃣0️⃣ Hornungia alpina. Also known by its older genus names, Pritzelago or Hutchinsia. It is found in the mountains of W, S, and central Europe. Typically grows in alpine and subalpine zones on moist rocky screes or crevices. In the photo, it is with Luzula spicata and Nardus stricta.

1️⃣9️⃣ Cerastium pedunculatum. Restricted to the Alps. Grows on siliceous bedrock rather in higher elevations. Can be quite dififcult to distinguish from C. uniflorum, which looks quite similar and occurs in similar elevations, but unlike C. uni, it prefers rather sheltered and wet-ish sites.

Tree-planting in the Arctic can accelerate rather than decelerate climate warming 🌲 Check out our recent paper in Nature Geoscience superbly led by @jeep4x4.bsky.social: www.nature.com/articles/s41... (figure credit @laurabp.bsky.social)

Wow, really interesting findings! Basically, all alpine ecologists are familiar with upslope shifts driven by increasing temperatures. However, increasing drought can mess the cards up and force some species downslope... Maybe soon, in a way, relevant also for some Mediterranean mountains.

1️⃣8️⃣ Saxifraga aspera, or Rough Saxifrage, also not one of the prettiest, is native to the Eastern Pyrenees, Alps, and northern Apennines, at altitudes of 1400–3000 m. It grows on damp rocks, gravel, and moist stream banks, sometimes in turf. It prefers acidic soils and avoids calcareous substrates.

Starting out doing microclimate research? Then worth a read of our new OA paper