Past and future of our planet

Owing to their spectacular taxonomic, phenotypic, ecological and behavioral diversity and propensity for explosive diversification, the assemblages of cichlid fishes in the African Great Lakes Victoria, Malawi and Tanganyika are prime role models in evolutionary biology. Over the past decade, we have investigated in detail the cichlid fauna of Lake Tanganyika, which has led to novel insights regarding rapid adaptation and explosive organismal diversification.

With rising demand for biomass, cropland expansion and land-use intensification represent the main strategies to boost agricultural production. However, these are also the major drivers of biodiversity decline. Where are potential conflicting areas of biodiversity and crop production? Is more land with high endemism richness affected when expanding cropland or producing more intensely?

Humanity annually releases about 10 billion tons of carbon (C) as CO2 to the atmosphere. About half of this amount stays in the atmosphere and enhances the greenhouse effect, the other half becomes diluted in ocean water, and between 1 and 2 billion tons disappear on land by unknown mechanisms. The main organic carbon pools on land are forests and soils. In this presentation, I will explain why CO2 cannot act as a forest fertiliser, and raise the biospheric C stock and clear some misconceptions on the “missing carbon” on land.