What a 2 days it’s been! #BiodivClim wrapped up with:
✅Science-packed presentations
✅Panels on NbS, policy & more
✅Knowledge Hub reflections
✅Interactive workshops
🎨And science-inspired comics!
Thanks & congrats to all involved!
Catch up here: https://www.biodiversa.eu/biodivclim-final-events/
📅 Save the date! Explore solutions for biodiversity loss & climate change.
Online: #BiodivClim final conference, 10–11 June 2025.
Showcasing 21 project findings & the power of Nature-based Solutions for adaptation/mitigation.
Info & registrations: https://www.biodiversa.eu/2025/05/27/biodivclim-final-events/
Drought events are becoming more severe and recurrent over Europe. Changes in temperature and rain patterns can affect soil nutrient mobility and availability, modulating the biomass and activity of soil microbial communities. Here, we investigated the effects of drought on extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) in differently managed cropping systems. An on-field drought simulation experiment using rain-out shelters was conducted as part of a long-term field experiment cultivated with winter wheat, comparing cropping systems with contrasting fertilization strategies and crop protection measures: A biodynamic system and a mixed conventional system with no pesticide application, and a purely minerally fertilized conventional system, with conventional pesticide use. The implemented drought lasted for three months, starting at plant tillering stage and ending at ripening stage. No watering was performed on the drought treatment during that period. Soils were sampled at stem elongation, flowering, and ripening. EPS-carbohydrates and EPS-proteins significantly increased by approximately 20% due to induced drought but remained roughly constant from stem elongation to ripening under drought. Mean EPS-carbohydrates to EPS-proteins ratio was 1.9. MBC and MBN remained largely unaffected by drought. The ratio of both EPS fractions to microbial biomass was lowest in the biodynamic system and highest in the minerally fertilized conventional system, indicating that rhizodeposits and mucilage were predominantly diverted into microbial biomass, rather than into microbial EPS. This might be an important reason for the higher soil fertility of the biodynamic system.
Coastal communities face increasing threats as global change diminishes the productivity of fisheries and agricultural land at the land-sea interface. Building adaptive capacities is essential to address threats to coastal livelihoods. Several theoretical frameworks exist to conceptualize and operationalize adaptive capacity that consider various domains and indicators. Local knowledge, as one of these domains, has been recognized as potentially crucial in determining adaptive capacity as it has been shown to contribute to risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and resilient food systems. However, little research has been conducted on indicators of adaptive capacity that include local knowledge for communities living at the land-sea interface. This study aims to assess how a measure of adaptive capacity, which includes indicators of local knowledge, connect to differences in fishers’ responses to real past and hypothetical declines in marine resources. To do this we conducted 99 semi-structured interviews in six communities along the coast of Southern Chile. Our findings reveal a high level of heterogeneity in the adaptive capacity of fishers, showing three types of individuals who displayed differential indicators of adaptive capacity. Fishers exhibited varied responses to income declines from marine resources, with 50% continuing to fish after a historic past decline, and 57.2% of fishers indicating they would also continue fishing in the event of a hypothetical 20% decline. However, a substantial 50% of decline in marine resources may lead to diversification away from fishing activities. Furthermore, our results illustrate how local knowledge, encompassing knowledge of land species and diversity of values, not only could strengthen and enable the ability to respond effectively in severe scenarios of decline that may drive diversification toward land-based activities, but also acts as a catalyst for other indicators of adaptive capacity, thereby promoting resilience and sustainable practices in the face of challenges. Thus, incorporating local knowledge in adaptive capacity frameworks is essential for supporting the well-being and adaptive strategies of coastal communities.
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