News
Elongated canopy gaps may best support the natural regeneration of oak forest
As climate change intensifies, one of the key challenges facing forestry is how to balance efficient timber production with the preservation of forests’ climate-regulating functions, biodiversity and resilience. The growing public demand for recreation in forests, […]
“Silent” invasion of a widespread freshwater jellyfish across Europe
A new study published in the journal People and Nature reveals a significant gap in public awareness regarding one of the world’s most widespread invasive species: the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii. Despite being present on six continents and well-documented […]
The chemical “fingerprint” of water shapes the hidden microbial world of lakes
Not only the salinity of water, but also the composition of dissolved ions plays a key role in shaping the structure of bacterial communities living in lakes. These aquatic bacteria are essential for nutrient cycling and […]
AI species evolving like organisms may soon emerge – and create risks
Evolutionary biology holds clues for the future of AI, argue researchers from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Eötvös Loránd University, and the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. In a new […]
Statement on the Future of the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network
In connection with the objective set out in the government program — “We will restore the autonomy of science. We will prepare a new, transparent law that reinstates the professional independence of the MTA (Hungarian Academy […]
The nucleus may have been the necessary prerequisite/missing link for the acquisition of mitochondria by eukaryotes
This paper elaborates on the issues of microbial endosymbiosis stemming from conflict of interest and how multilevel selection can solve it once central control is gained by the host – given it has a nucleus. This […]
When a key resource disappears: what wood ant networks can teach us
At first glance, the world of ants may seem far removed from our everyday lives. Yet, on closer inspection, they often face surprisingly similar challenges. They live in complex societies where the functioning of a colony […]
Bee hotels in research – a new protocol to study wild bees and wasps
Solitary wild bees and wasps play a key role in ecosystem functioning – both as pollinators and as biological pest control agents. Yet we still know surprisingly little about the life history, population dynamics and ecological […]
Mosquito monitoring through sound – implications for AI species recognition
AI algorithms are increasingly developed to monitor vector populations based on either photos or sounds. However, the real-life accuracy of the models is highly dependent on the training data. Unfortunately, training data is still limited, both […]
Reeds Over Concrete: Most People Want a Natural Lake Balaton
Researchers from the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research and the HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute* explored what different people value at Lake Balaton and its shores. Based on a survey of 1,500 people — including local […]
Boosting bees and other pollinators in Europe
New recommendations for EU restoration plans Policy Brief from the EU project RestPoll, provides recommendations on which renaturation measures are most effective in promoting pollinators, such as wild bees, in Europe. The key messages are more […]
New species, new challenges
Science-based popular booklet on the spread and management of invasive non-native species is now available The large-scale and continuous introduction of non-native species poses unprecedented challenges to ecosystems, agriculture, livestock production, and human health. In response […]
Ecosystem-service based green infrastructure developments
In 2025, a large-scale national project entitled “Foundations for the strategic planning of ecosystem services-based green infrastructure developments supported by regularly updated datasets” was launched in Hungary (ÖSZ-ZI, KEHOP_PLUSZ-3.2.2-24-2024-00002). The aim of the project is to […]
Why are some animal and human signals honest, while others are deceptive?
A new, general theory argues it is not about costly or exaggerated show-offs but about the inherent trade-offs between investments and benefits animals (and humans) face when they signal. The work offers a clearer way to […]
Traditional ecological knowledge without its holders: invisible stewards in global biodiversity policy
A new global study published with the defining authorship of HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany in Conservation Biology, the leading journal in the field, highlights that many governments still do not […]
Exclusion of wild ungulates is not the Holy Grail
A recent study authored with the significant contribution of the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany was published with this title in the D1-ranked journal Journal of Environmental Management. Based on a […]
The breath of grasslands, or the role of different carbon sources in grassland CO2 emissions
The ecological role of Hungarian grasslands is very diverse: they are important in maintaining biodiversity, but they also play a significant role in agricultural production, water retention, and soil protection. However, they also have a function […]
Small fields have big benefits for pollinators – but only with semi-natural habitats nearby
Pollinators, such as bumblebees, are essential providers of ecosystem services for agriculture, yet their numbers are declining due to landscape structure simplification and habitat loss. To explore this issue, an international research group led by Riho […]
