News

5. Helsinki Day

Fascinating presentations, posters and academic discussions at Helsinki Day, the fifth mini-symposium held at the Institute of Biology! Our PhD students Asma Fathinejadposhkoohi and Ruilin Chen presented their research projects on the topics of "Biopatinas on buildings in urban environments: biofilters, CO2 sinks and cooling systems with an aesthetic-architectural effect” and “Mapping of Rodent-Induced Disturbance Impact on Biological Soil Crusts via Deep Learning-Informed Graph Cut”. Ruilin won second place for Best Talk!

Join us at EGU26!

How do cryptogamic and microbial communities shape ecosystem processes? Session BG3.28 at EGU26 invites contributions on biodiversity and functional roles of cryptogamic or microbial communities from local to global scales. Abstract submission deadline: 15 Jan 2026

EGU26: Dryland Remote Sensing

Interested in dryland ecosystems? EGU26, Session BG9: Dryland Remote Sensing – Applications, Challenges, and Opportunities invites studies on surface component mapping, monitoring, and integrating field & remote sensing data. Abstract submission deadline: 15 Jan 2026

EGU26: Call for abstracts!

Join us at EGU26 in Vienna & online for session SSS6.3 on Next-Generation Soil Physics. We welcome contributions on remote sensing, AI, and process-based modeling across scales. Abstract submission deadline: 15 Jan 2026

New article published!

We are pleased to announce that our article on "Image-based analysis of long-term biocrust degradation utilising joint energy-based deep learning" has recently been published! More information at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103551

New PNAS paper published!

We are happy to announce that our study on the relevance of nitrogen in CO2 fertilization has been published by PNAS. The study was conducted by the Nitrogen Working Group, supported by the USGS John Wesley Powell Centre and led by Sian-Kou Giesbrecht (Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada). Further information can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2514628122

ATTO Workshop 2025

Since more than 10 years, we now conduct research at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO). At the annual ATTO workshop in Manaus, Brazil, we presented our latest results on the relevance of cryptogams in Earth system processes. Photo (from left to right): Bettina Weber, Maíra L.G. Conde, Lina A. Claasen

Nature Article Published!