absam forest fire: three weeks later [photos]
in mid-march, the hochmahdkopf forest fire claimed a total of 120 hectares of protective forest and turned into the biggest forest fire in tyrol’s history. restauration measures are expected to […]
nature
stellate parenchyma [photo and animation]
stellate parenchyma is a form of aeration tissue (aerenchyma) in plants, which helps with internal air circulation in plants. the tissue is typical of aquatic and wetland plants, and consists […]
photo: common smoothcap moss (atrichum undulatum)
the common smoothcap moss (atrichum undulatum) features transversely undulate leaves, but its most prominent feature are the long, distinctly beaked capsules that are borne on 3 cm long, reddish setae. […]
photo: spider wasp in action – when the hunter becomes the prey
spider wasps (pompilidae) are – in a nutshell – really badass insects. to provide food for their larvae, these wasps go hunting for spiders that are usually bigger than themselves. […]
photo: lichen scramble
here’s a picture from the stubai alps, taken recently near oberiss in tirol. it shows a mosaic of crustose lichens, fighting for space on silicate rock. lichen identification can be […]
the beauty of wood anatomy
wood is one of the most important substances in the human world: it’s essential for areas as diverse as music (instruments), construction, living (furniture, heating), art (sculptures) and has a […]