science wire

Climate change caused by human activity under a high-emissions scenario may halve the area covered by glaciers outside the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets by the end of the century, reports a study.

There are plenty of plant identification apps - but only few, that directly help research.

This week, the photovoltaic sector will gather in Munich for Intersolar Europe, the world's leading exhibition for the solar industry. Solar plants in the Alps have the potential to deliver high output. The SLF analyses the threat they face from alpine hazards and helps to protect solar facilities. Photovoltaic systems at high altitudes on mountainsides could be a successful model thanks to the high light intensity, sloped surfaces and a light efficiency exceeding that of the lowlands.

Ruzica Dadic has been Head of the Snow and Atmosphere Research Unit at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) since 1 February 2023.

The "SCNAT knowledge" web portal provides guidance. The Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) and its network report the state of knowledge, based on sound scientific findings and in regards to Switzerland - for the attention of politics, administration, business, science and practice.

Nature park rangers are out in nature every day and are also directly in touch with people. That is why a team of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL invited them to collaborate in observing the seasonal processes in nature and communicating them to the park visitors.

Plants transform light into sugar and are thus the foundation of all ecosystems as well as the food supply for humanity.

Manuela Brunner leads the new Hydrology & Climate Impacts in Mountain Regions research group at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF.

The snowfall level is rising, and the amount of snow falling - if any - is less than usual. As a result, summer and autumn droughts are becoming more frequent.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has appointed the SLF to be the world's leading competence centre for snow monitoring. The WMO's Infrastructure Commission based its decision on the fact that the SLF already possesses high-quality measuring infrastructure and over 80 years of knowledge. When the test site was set up on the Weissfluhjoch above Davos, at an altitude of 2,536 metres, more than eight decades ago, nobody could have imagined the measuring instruments and methods that would go on to be developed.

Throughout Europe forests are monitored in order to quantify forest growth. The EU-project PathFinder aims to coordinate the way data from forest inventories are shared between countries.

Terrestrial and aquatic food webs respond differently to changes in the environment. Understanding these differences is fundamental to identifying the species most important to an ecosystem and to effectively protecting biodiversity. This is shown by a study led by the research institutes Eawag and WSL and published in the journal Nature Communications .

The new building will provide the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) with more than 50 additional workspaces.

2022 was a disastrous year for Swiss glaciers: all ice melt records were smashed by the great dearth of snow in winter and continuous heatwaves in summer.

African swine fever is now dangerously close to Switzerland. To protect wild and domestic pigs from the deadly animal disease, we humans must be careful when handling food waste.