Was ist die Seminarreihe Umwelt & Biodiversität?
Hier werden aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse aus den Bereichen der Evolutionsbiologie, Ökologie, zu Klimawandeleffekten, Umweltthemen und Biodiversitätstrends vorgestellt. Diese Seminarreihe ist eine öffentliche Veranstaltung, und richtet sich sowohl an das Universitätspersonal als auch an Studierende sowie an interessierte außeruniversitäre Gäste. Wir laden herzlich zur Teilnahme ein!
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Sommersemester 2025
Die Planung der Seminarreihe Umwelt und Biodiversität ist für das Sommersemester 2025 ist fast abgeschlossen.
Hier schon einmal die aktuelle Übersicht der Termine und Vortragenden – die detaillierten Inhalte folgen in Kürze:
Freitag, 14.3.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 421 (2. OG)
Mag. Dr. Robert Schabetsberger, Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, Fachbereich Umwelt und Biodiversität
Thema 1: From myth to reason: Progress towards unravelling the mysteries of tropical Anguillid eels
Endemic eels (Anguilla mossambica) were caught in the outflow of the largest lake in Madagascar and transported 600 km to the East Coast. They were tagged with pop-up satellite archival transmitters to study their marine migrations. The tags surfaced ca. 800 km east near the Mascarene Islands, where French colleagues had predicted their spawning area to be. The eels exhibited distinct diel vertical migrations between 70 and 1000 m depth corresponding to temperatures between 24 and 6 °C. Do eels always migrate back to where they were spawned? Do they form large aggregations or spawn in small numbers? How do they find their mates? During extensive research cruises only a handful of leptocephali were caught for most species, but nobody has ever seen spawning eels. However, wouldn’t such a defenceless, shy creature escape from a brightly illuminated and noise-pounding research vessel? Will this expensive search eventually help us to close the reproductive cycle in captivity? Tropical countries have just started to enter the global eel trade, but local fishermen report drastic declines.
Thema 2: A multi-proxy analysis of lake sediments reveals ecosystem dynamics in the European Alps over the last 14,000 years
A sediment core was taken from Sulzkarsee, the only lake in the National Park Gesäuse, Styria, that covers 14,000 years of lake history. The lake formed after the last glacial period. Litho- and chemostratigraphy, diatoms, pollen, macro-remains, and sedimentary ancient DNA of plants and vertebrates were analysed. Additionally, an archaeological survey and dendrochronological analyses were made. A forest developed around Sulzkarsee around 11,500 yrs before present. During the Bronze Age (3,500 yrs BP), human impact became evident through forest clearance and elevated soil erosion. Domesticates appeared in the sedaDNA record. When transhumance intensified around 500 yrs BP, major ecological changes occurred.
Vortragssprache: Englisch
Freitag, 28.3.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 414 (1. OG)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andreas Holzinger
University of Innsbruck, Department of Botany, Innsbruck
Sexual Reproduction in Zygnematophyceae, the closest sister to Land Plants – a benefit for terrestrialization?
Zygnematophyceae, a class of streptophyte green algae are the immediate sister group to land plants and emerging model systems. Vegetative stress tolerance has been extensively studied and tolerance against desiccation and temperature has been reported in mature cells, termed akinetes. Upregulation of stress induced transcripts was observed in field samples1 or experimentally stress treated cells. Recently the genome of the multicellular Zygnema became available illuminating signalling network evolution2. Sexual reproduction was less investigated and occurs by conjugation, a process resulting in the formation of resistant zygospores. Zygospores of Zygnema vaginatum were investigated by focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM)3 and Spirogyra sp. by serial block-face (SBF-SEM)4 resulting in 3D reconstructions (Fig.1). Zygospore walls are composed of three layers, cellulosic endo- and exospore and a mesospore with aromatic compounds as demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy. In Zygnema the mesopsore is thick and sculptured (Fig. 1B). In Spirogyra sp. cellulose microfibrils are arranged in an helicoidal pattern. Storage compounds are rearranged during zygospores ripening in both genera. Lipid droplet (LD) production is increased during maturation (50% of volume in Spirogyra, 20% in Zygnema), in contrast, starch grains of the pyrenoids degrade. We suggest, that the unique cell wall architecture and accumulation of LDs as reserves in zygospores promoted the shift of Zygnematophyceae to terrestrial habitats marked by frequent episodes of dryness.
1 Rippin et al. (2019) Envir Microbiol doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.14788
2 Feng et al. (2024) Nature Genetics doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01737-3
3 Permann et al. (2023) Physiol Plant 175:e13988. doi: 10.1111/ppl.13988
4 Antreich et al. (2024) Front Plant Sci 15:1358974. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1358974
The study was supported by Austrian Science Fund (FWF) project 10.55776/P34181 to AH.
Vortragssprache: Englisch
Host: Dr. Daniel Remias
Freitag, 4.4.2025
14:00 Uhr, Blauer Hörsaal (EG)
City Nature Challenge 2024 Citizen Science und Biodiversitätsdatenerfassung in Salzburg
Peter Kaufmann, MSc.
Haus der Natur, Salzburg
Host: Assoz. Prof. Dr. Jana Petermann
Freitag, 11.4.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 435 (3. OG)
Anosmia in the microcosm – when aliens can no longer smell
Prof. Dr. Joachim Ruther
Universität Regensburg, Institut für Zoologie
Host: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Stefan Dötterl
Freitag, 9.5.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 435 (3. OG)
Josef Wanzenböck
Universität Innsbruck, Forschungsinstitut für Limnologie
Host: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrike-Gabriele Berninger, Assoz. Prof. Dr. Stephen Wickham
Freitag, 16.5.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 424 (2. OG)
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Jaqueline Loos
Universität Wien, Fakultät für Lebenswissenschaften, Department für Botanik und Biodiversitätsforschung
Host: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jan Christian Habel
Freitag, 23.5.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 413 (1. OG)
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Konrad Fiedler
Universität Wien, Fakultät für Lebenswissenschaften, Department für Botanik und Biodiversitätsforschung
Host: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jan Christian Habel
Freitag, 6.6.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 414 (1. OG)
Prof. Dr. Jana Anja Eccard
Universität Potsdam, AG Tierökologie
Host: Dr. Sophie von Merten
Freitag, 13.6.2025
14:00 Uhr, HS 434 (3. OG)
PD Dr. Swen Renner
Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
Host: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jan Christian Habel
Folge dem FB Umwelt und Biodiversität
