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arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler
@arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
4.2K followers 6.9K following 350 posts

#Ecosystem Science and Impacts of #Climate Change; #Forest #Ecology; #Biodiversity.
| Ecosystem Ecology group at @wslresearch.bsky.social |
| Professor at @usyseth.bsky.social |
| Head of the @SwissForestLab.bsky.social | .. more

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arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
Scaling laboratory results with machine learning is no silver bullet to strengthen global (micro)plastic mitigation policy | PNAS
Scaling laboratory results with machine learning is no silver bullet to strengthen global (micro)plastic mitigation policy | PNAS
Scaling laboratory results with machine learning is no silver bullet to strengthen global (micro)plastic mitigation policy
www.pnas.org

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Arthur Geßler, Juan Cole

michaelemann.bsky.social
Michael E. Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social · 7d
"Bill Gates' climate comments are a distraction" | My new commentary for @nature.com: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
screen cap of header of linked article

Reposted by Arthur Geßler

jxbotany.bsky.social
Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 7d
🌳 RESEARCH 🌳

Exposing alder & oak to differing blue-to-red light ratios reveals species-specific responses in conductance & photosynthetic mechanisms, showing that water-use efficiency reductions occur via different physiological pathways - Diao et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 8.Biochemical, mesophyll, and stomatal limitations on the photosynthetic response to increasing blue-light fraction for grey alder and holm oak. The biochemical (dAbiochem), mesophyll (dAmeso), and stomatal (dAstom) limitations were calculated according to Equation 9. (A) Grey alder. (B) Holm oak. At each %B level, dAbiochem, dAmeso, and dAstom were further normalized by multiplying them by dAn/dAcalc, where dAn is the difference between the maximum and current An. (C) The integrated relative limitations by Vcmax (maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco; σbiochem), gm13 (total mesophyll conductance; σmeso), and gsc (stomatal conductance to CO2; σstom) across the different %B levels. All data are means (±SD), n=5 biological replicates.

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · 8d
New paper out! 🌲 We explore hyperspectral indicators of vegetation vitality across scales—from individual trees to entire forests using drone & aircraft data. Insights into tree health, water availability & structure.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Hyperspectral indicators of vegetation vitality across scales: From trees to forests
Remotely sensed vegetation indices (VIs) are used as indicators of vegetation vitality and warning signals that indicate stress responses at the leaf …
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Arthur Geßler

wslresearch.bsky.social
WSL Umweltforschung @wslresearch.bsky.social · 13d
In diesem Jahr hat @clarivateag.bsky.social fünf Forschende der WSL auf ihre «Highly Cited Researchers»-Liste aufgenommen. WSL News: www.wsl.ch/de/news/fuen... #HighlyCited2025 @yannvit.bsky.social @nezimmermann.bsky.social @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Fünf WSL-Forschende gehören 2025 zu den einflussreichsten in ihrem Fach
Katrin Meusburger und Yann Vitasse von der WSL sind neu auf der Liste der weltweit einflussreichsten Forschenden in ihrem Gebiet.
www.wsl.ch

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · 13d
Five @wslresearch.bsky.social researchers are among the most influential in their field in 2025. www.wsl.ch/en/news/five...
Five WSL researchers are among the most influential in their field in 2025
Katrin Meusburger and Yann Vitasse from WSL are now on the list of the world’s most influential researchers in their field.
www.wsl.ch

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · 13d
Congrats to Katrin Meusburger and Yann Vitasse for being newly awarded as highly cited scientists: www.wsl.ch/en/news/five...
Five WSL researchers are among the most influential in their field in 2025
Katrin Meusburger and Yann Vitasse from WSL are now on the list of the world’s most influential researchers in their field.
www.wsl.ch

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, Arthur Geßler, Euan G. Ritchie , and 8 more

markhamillofficial.bsky.social
Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 24d
What he said: 💯 🎯

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · 25d
Das Baumsterben geht weiter – trotz besseren Erkenntnissen
Das Baumsterben geht weiter – trotz besseren Erkenntnissen
Das grossflächige Sterben von Bäumen ist und bleibt ein Problem. Was hat sich seit den Debatten der 1980er-Jahren getan?
www.srf.ch

Reposted by Sonia I. Seneviratne, Arthur Geßler

usyseth.bsky.social
Departement Umweltsystemwissenschaften (D-USYS), ETH Zürich @usyseth.bsky.social · 28d
Die @ethz.ch -Professorin @soniaseneviratne.bsky.social
hat als erste Schweizerin den renommierten Deutschen #Umweltpreis der Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) erhalten.

Ein Porträt von SRF nano (ab ca. Minute 16.40): www.srf.ch/play/tv/nano...
Schweizer Klimaforscherin erhält Deutschen Umweltpreis - nano - Play SRF
Die ETH-Forscherin Sonia Seneviratne wird für ihre bahnbrechende Forschung zur Bodenfeuchte und deren Einfluss auf Klimaextreme ausgezeichnet. EU-Klimaziele 2040 Der Konflikt zwischen Industrie und Kl...
www.srf.ch

Reposted by Arthur Geßler

wslresearch.bsky.social
WSL Umweltforschung @wslresearch.bsky.social · Oct 22
🍃🌳🍂 #PhDAlert! MSc in #ForestEcology, #PlantPhysiology or #EnvironmentalSciences? Eager to apply a wide range of approaches, from #ecophysiology and experimental fieldwork to #RemoteSensing and modelling🛰️? We offer a #PhD position in Tree #Phenology: apply.refline.ch/273855/1788/... #ScienceJobs
Job offer: The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is part of the ETH Domain. Approximately 600 people work on the sustainable use and protection of the environment and on the handling of natural hazards. The Research Unit Forest and Soil Ecology, which investigates how changing environmental conditions affect forest ecosystem functioning, is seeking a candidate to join the Ecosystem Ecology group starting on 1 January 2026 (or upon appointment) as a PhD candidate in Tree Phenology and Ecophysiology You will be working within the SNF funded project “From leaf-out to senescence: integrating daylight and temperature dynamics into phenological process-based models to enhance autumn phenology modelling”. Unlike leaf-out timing, leaf senescence is particularly challenging to predict, partly because many internal factors are involved and remain poorly understood. You will investigate how changing environmental conditions — including variations in temperature, daylight, and water availability — affect leaf senescence, with the goal of improving phenological models. To achieve this, you will combine manipulative experiments, long-term phenological observations, and large-scale remote sensing data. You will also apply both statistical and mechanistic modelling approaches and contribute to publishing results in international scientific journals. You hold a Master’s degree in in forest ecology, ecology, plant physiology, environmental science, or a related field. You are eager to apply a wide range of approaches, from ecophysiology and experimental fieldwork to remote sensing and modelling. You have a good command of English, work in a structured and independent manner, enjoy collaborating within a team and are comfortable using statistical software, preferably R. The workplace will be at WSL in Birmensdorf (approximately 20 minutes outside of Zurich), and the PhD enrolment will be at the University of Bern.

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 20
Age‐Dependent Variations in Xylem Hydraulic Efficiency and Safety of Abies fabri
Age‐Dependent Variations in Xylem Hydraulic Efficiency and Safety of Abies fabri
The impact of aging on the hydraulic functions of entire trees is crucial for accurately forecasting the productivity and expansion of mature forests. Nevertheless, it is not well understood whether ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 20
We found that variations in hydraulic traits of A. fabri as they age serves an adaptive purpose: they enable trees to achieve greater heights and enhance their hydraulic threshold.

Reposted by Arthur Geßler

pplplantarum.bsky.social
Physiologia Plantarum @pplplantarum.bsky.social · Oct 20
🌲How do hydraulic properties of subalpine conifers evolve as they age? The impact of aging on the hydraulic functions of entire trees is crucial for accurately forecasting the productivity and expansion of mature forests.
@arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social

Read more https://bit.ly/3KVteAc

Reposted by Arthur Geßler, Ben Bond‐Lamberty

vargaslab.bsky.social
Rodrigo Vargas @vargaslab.bsky.social · Oct 15
🌎 Support for Long-Term Ecological Studies Matters Now More Than Ever

I am excited to share our new paper: “Long-term ecological studies must continue: insights from a dryland transition zone” co-authored with Huong LE, Ph.D. and Scott Collins.

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

1/5

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Arthur Geßler, Ben Bond‐Lamberty , and 2 more

rahmstorf.bsky.social
Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · Oct 12
High resolution images from satellite and from eddy-resolving ocean circulation models point to an ongoing decline of the Atlantic overturning circulation, a key ocean current for our climate. Read more about it in my new blog article. 🌊
www.realclimate.org/index.php/ar...
RealClimate: High-resolution ‘fingerprint’ images reveal a weakening Atlantic Ocean circulation (AMOC)
The #AMOC is the reason for Europe’s mild climate. Evidence that it is slowing has been piling up over the years – it now is likely at its weakest in at least a millennium, and it may even be approach...
www.realclimate.org

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
This makes science not really credible. I see nevertheless that approaches such as the ones of Zhu et al are important - as micro- and nanoplastics are likely a global threat. But we - the scientists- need to put our results into a realistic context - this is our core responsibility.

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
This paper is a perfect example how trying to get newspapers-citable into the focus of a paper invalidates the really important findings (microplastics can reduce photosynthesis but we do not know how this might scale to our ecosystems - just because we have no data at all.

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
Just imagine you go with machine learning from scarce lab data with almost no information on plastic pollution under real world conditions to crop and fishery yield losses as a result of that given pollution. I acknowledge that this is a first step - but you need to name the shortcomings.

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
They (1) extrapolate plastic impact measurements on photosynthesis under controlled and highly artificial conditions to the real world (2) without valid data on global plastic pollution and (3) without any baseline for their model.

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
We still feel that this later statement in their response letter is not congruent with the alarming statements in the original text: „These findings underscore the urgency of integrating plastic mitigation into global hunger and sustainability initiatives“ which seem to be targeted to press coverage

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
In their response (www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...) some authors of the original paper state that „[they] believe it is scientifically sound and responsible to use currently available—albeit limited evidence—for preliminary assessments and to stimulate broader scientific and policy dialog“
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 10
This is our critical assessment of www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... These authors claimed that they can calculate quite exact MP-induced real world global photosynthesis losses translating in a reduction of 22.15 to 115.73 MT·y−1 in main crop production and 0.32 to 7.39 MT·y−1 in seafood production.
A global estimate of multiecosystem photosynthesis losses under microplastic pollution | PNAS
Understanding how ecosystems respond to ubiquitous microplastic (MP) pollution is crucial for ensuring global food security. Here, we conduct a mul...
www.pnas.org

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 6
Nighttime Warming Enhances Tree Growth in Temperate Tree Species
Nighttime Warming Enhances Tree Growth in Temperate Tree Species
Moderate night warming (+2°C) enhances radial growth via faster cell expansion, but daytime(night +4°C) warming weakens benefits. Ring-porous, arbuscular mycorrhizal and isohydric species show heig...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 5
Rooting for function: community‐level fine‐root traits relate to many ecosystem functions
Rooting for function: community‐level fine‐root traits relate to many ecosystem functions
Humans are driving biodiversity change, which also alters community functional traits. However, how changes in the functional traits of the community alter ecosystem functions—especially belowground...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Arthur Geßler

aliraza6.bsky.social
Ali Raza @aliraza6.bsky.social · Oct 3
Excited to share our review is on the Cover of @cp-trendsplantsci.bsky.social (Vol 30, Issue 10)🤩🎉😍

👉 #Panomics to manage combined #abiotic stresses in plants

🔗 www.cell.com/trends/plant...

Congratulations to all authors @agbioworld.bsky.social👏

@plantteaching.bsky.social @cellpress.bsky.social
In this work, together with my wonderful co-authors (Yiran Li, Channapatna Prakash, and Zhangli Hu), we discuss how climate change-driven combined abiotic stresses threaten global crop productivity, and how panomics, AI-driven breeding, single-cell omics, and advanced phenotyping can guide the way for stress-smart crops of the future🌱 🔑 𝙆𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: Panomics + AI = unlocking novel molecular targets & pathways Field-level validation + spatial/single-cell omics for real-world solutions Synthetic biology and epigenome editing as next-gen breeding strategies Crop wild relatives as hidden reservoirs of resilience Designing "genetic circuits" and "full-gene packages" for enhanced tolerance Ultimately, we propose panomics as a “social insurance” for crops, equipping them to withstand real-world stress combinations and secure sustainable agriculture in a changing climate 🌍✨

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 1
Effects of Soil and Atmospheric Drought on Intra-Annual δ13C Patterns in Tree Rings https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpaf120

Reposted by Francis Martin, Dirk Nikolaus Karger

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Oct 1
New research reveals how to better monitor tree #drought #stress! We combined remote sensing data (greenness & photoprotection indicators) with leaf water potential measurements to track drought impacts across different tree species.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Deciphering tree drought responses across species: linking leaf water potentials with remote sensing greenness and photoprotection dynamics
Monitoring forest drought stress requires indicators that capture tree water relations across species and scales. Remote sensing enables large-scale a…
www.sciencedirect.com

arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
Arthur Gessler @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social · Sep 29
Want to do disruptive science? Include more rookie researchers
Want to do disruptive science? Include more rookie researchers
www.nature.com

Reposted by Valerie M. Delmotte, Arthur Geßler, Wolfgang Crämer , and 5 more

zacklabe.com
Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · Sep 28
"After nearly 40 years, the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, or ARCUS, will close September 30."

"The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives."
After Trump cut the National Science Foundation by 56 percent, a venerable Arctic research center closes its doors
The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States funded programs that aided Indigenous communities and tracked melting sea ice, among dozens of initiatives.
grist.org