Read our blog to learn about the how, why, and who of Crowther Lab.
Threat of regeneration failure: logging is endangering the next generation of trees in rainforests
New study shows that restoration areas previously degraded by logging may face long-term regeneration failures due to high seedling mortality rates. Restoring logged rainforest areas is an important e...
Coding for tree taxonomy: TREEmendous
The R package to unify tree species names Solving today's ecological challenges requires combining datasets and knowledge from all over the globe. Unfortunately, this can be challenging when matching ...
Plant diversity increases closer to the equator – but not for ocean islands
Ocean islands do not follow observed biodiversity patterns One of the most basic patterns of biodiversity on Earth is that species diversity is highest near the equator, and declines toward the poles....
You can’t spell environmental without AI: how scientists are using LLMs
By: Dr. Gabriel Smith, lead scientist at Crowther Lab, Zurich While news of AI and its dangers frequent our headlines, Large Language Models – otherwise known as LLMs in the tech world – can also ...
The Integrated Global Forests Assessments: FAQ
Here we provide answers to some frequently asked questions on the Integrated Global Forests Assessment.
We need to kill greenwashing for nature, people and climate
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-need-kill-greenwashing-nature-people-climate-thomas-w-crowther-hx5af/
Seeing the forest for the leaves
We set out to count the abundance of different tree types – but by looking at leaf data instead of tree density data. Now why leaves? We explain here.
What do rabbits and the Dutch economy have in common?
Oryctolagus cuniculus – otherwise known as the European rabbit – is an adorable little creature. Native to Southern Europe and specific regions in North Africa, these rabbits have made their home ...
The summer solstice effect
Spring keeps getting earlier, but the timing of leaf fall in autumn has been more of a mystery. For the first time, a study helps solve this mystery by revealing the pivotal role of the summer solstic...
We need nimble policy to keep pace with technology
Dr. Ian Brettell, Biodiversity Policy Officer at the lab, muses on how we can make sure that the latest technology benefits nature and biodiversity. Technological progress is outstripping our ability ...