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Department of Geography Earth System Science

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News list

  • The mixed farming practice increases biodiversity and carbon storage, makes crops more resilient to pests and requires less fertilization.

    Coffee in the Shade

    Farming coffee can be both ecological and profitable at the same time, according to the research of Earth system scientist Maria J. Santos. The key is to combine the crops with trees.

  • Biodiversity from above

    “Biodiversity is our life insurance”

    Ecosystems are more stable and productive when they contain more species. This has been demonstrated impressively by researchers from the URPP Global Change and Biodiversity. The successful program is committed to ensuring that the value of biodiversity is better understood and appreciated in society.

  • USA, Colorado - A black-tailed prairie dog guards his fellow species in the wasteland next to the highway to Boulder. (Picture: Ethan Welty)

    “Climate change and biodiversity are closely connected”

    The third World Biodiversity Forum (WBF), organised by UZH, is taking place in Davos this week. In this interview, UZH earth system scientists Maria J. Santos and Gabriela Schaepman-Strub explain how biodiversity and climate change influence each other and what needs to be done to overcome the climate and biodiversity crisis.

  • Irchel

    UZH as a real-world laboratory

    Green4Clim uses the UZH Irchel campus as a real-world laboratory to investigate how vegetation composition and distribution may mitigate carbon impacts of campus activities. 

  • Considering local demand for more effective restoration in Madagascar

    Considering local demand for more effective restoration in Madagascar

    The rapidly increasing private and public funding poured into reaching net-zero carbon goals through restoration risk side-lining people in the Global South. Investigating how restoration can be more demand-oriented and developing implementation projects that follow demand may instead deliver for people and nature alike. 

  • obsgession

    Observation of Ecosystem Changes for Action – OBSGESSION

    This new Horizon Europe+SERI+UK Research and Innovation project aims to develop the workflow on how to respond to Science and Policy Needs for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Change monitoring and Attribution towards science-based solutions over the next 4 years. 

  • Grand Tetons USA

    Biodiversity and ecosystem service scenarios across global mountain, island and delta systems

    A project led by Maria J. Santos was identified as one of the winners of the competition open by SWISS-RE Foundation, AXA Research Fund and WWF on modelling biodiversity and ecosystem service loss to advance resilience.

  • Klimaflucht

    Fleeing climate disasters

    Climate change is expected to become one of the main reasons for migration in the future. And the poorest will be hit hardest. Christian Huggel and Maria J. Santos analyze which regions are particularly under threat and how to best manage mass relocations.

  • Die Historikerin Debjani Bhattacharyya (li) und die Erdsystemwissenschaftlerin Maria J. Santos blicken aus unterschiedlichen Fachgebieten auf das neue Erdzeitalter, das Anthropzän. (Bild: Jos Schmid)

    «Wir verändern unseren Planeten nachhaltig»

    Mit dem Anthropozän, dem Zeitalter des Menschen, soll ein neuer Abschnitt der Erd­geschichte markiert werden. Doch was ist das Anthropozän? Wann beginnt es? Und wie zeichnet es sich aus? Ein Gespräch mit der Erd­system­wissenschaftlerin Maria J. Santos und der Historikerin Debjani Bhattacharyya.

  • Sustainable and climate-resilient management of high-Andean ecosystems

    Sustainable and climate-resilient management of high-Andean ecosystems

    GIUZ scientists won an inter­national bid for a new project at the inter­section of climate change, eco­systems and bio­diversity in the Tropical Andes, opening important oppor­tunities for a dialogue and action with policy makers and other stake­holders.

  • Tanzania

    Thinking locally to solve the climate change and biodiversity crises

    World leaders were in Glasgow for COP26, but few expected revolutionary progress from the summit. What if the solutions are among us, our friends, and social connections?

  • COP26

    GIUZ Researchers at COP26

    From 1-12 November 2021, the Glasgow Climate Change Con­ference takes place: A few GIUZ researchers will be there, others are involved in side events in Geneva or online.

  • Pandemics, biodiversity and climate

    Pandemics, biodiversity and climate

    Why does it make sense to combine these topics to think about sustainability? Maria J. Santos, Professor of Earth System Science, at the expert discussion on "Shaping Resilient Societies Towards a Sustainable Future".

  • Education in Geography and Earth System Science

    How does an education in Geography and Earth System Science matter for sustainability?

    In current times we experience everyday news about ongoing major global changes and risks, from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, health and diseases, among others. We are urged to act so that we can ensure a sustainable and livable planet that enables our vision of «one earth – many worlds». Sustainability comes in many forms of our daily lives, from personal choices of what we wear, eat or consume, how and whether we travel, but also reflected on our professions and behaviors as professionals.

  • deltas

    Locked-in and living delta pathways in the Anthropocene

    Deltas have historically been the focus of human development. Some deltas became locked-in, too costly to return to natural states. Researchers conducted a historical analysis on anthropogenic pressures over the past 300 years over 48 deltas world-wide.

  • charcoal kilns

    The role of a developer at GIUZ

    A background in laser spectroscopy and a strong interest in computer vision for remote sensing to collaborate on sustainable development projects: Read about the expertise and motivation of a developer at GIUZ.

  • val piora

    Intense days on the field course to Val Piora

    Field courses provide some of the most memorable moments in learning and teaching Geography and Earth System Science. The students always show great enthusiasm - sometimes even too much, when they attempt one more sample while daylight is already fading.

  • prisoner's dilemma

    Scientific games to understand social-ecological system dynamics

    What makes games so popular? Perhaps that the outcome depends on behavior, on strategy, but also on pure chance? One thing is certain: they are great tools for learning.

  • Maria Santos reacts to the idea «The Bee Equivalent» by Cornelia Krug

    Grassroots ideas to halt biodiversity loss

    The platform «Policy Kitchen» crowd­sources innovative ideas on how to tackle the bio­diversity crisis – and other pressing policy challenges. Selected pro­posals were recently dis­cussed with experts and pro­fessionals from science, govern­ment and NPOs, among them Maria Santos, Professor of Earth System Science at the GIUZ.

  • Land Talk UZH

    Land Talks

    As part of the Land Change Science course, students interviewed a person they know about observed land changes at different locations in Switzerland and produced a video.