Cluster: Science

Varroa mite wreaks havoc in Swiss bee colonies

This content was published on Oct 3, 2012 The past few years have been tough for bee colonies almost everywhere. For example, colony collapse disorder was a massive problem in the United States in 2007. But this year has proven disastrous for honeybees and their keepers in Switzerland. A study of a thousand Swiss hives shows that 50 per cent of the bees…

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Hive fidelity

This content was published on Oct 3, 2012 Worrying diseases include the varroa mite and foulbrood. The number of apiarists is also dropping, with their average age being around 70. (All pictures by Tomas Wüthrich.)

Alpine flowers colour Swiss meadows

This content was published on Sep 17, 2012 The large number of alpine flower species owes much to the delicate relationship between nature and careful farming practices over the years. Mountain farmers ensured for centuries that the alpine regions were used carefully tended, keeping uninhibited tree and bush growth at bay and leaving room for many plant, butterfly and bird species. Over the…

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Bergblumen ORIGINAL

This content was published on Sep 11, 2012 Die artenreiche Alpenflora ist ein Zusammenspiel von Natur und sorgfältiger Landwirtschaft. Älpler und ihre Nutztiere sorgten während Jahrhunderten durch eine sanfte Nutzung dafür, dass die Alpen nicht verwilderten (Verbuschung, Verwaldung) und Lebensraum für zahlreiche Pflanzen-, Schmetterlings- und Vogelarten boten. In den letzten Jahren sind die bunten Blumenwiesen infolge einer intensiveren Land-, Forst- und Wasserwirtschaft oder…

Asian insects make a beeline for Switzerland

This content was published on Sep 11, 2012 “There have been a few non-native insects in Switzerland for several years, but we’re now seeing a worrying spike in numbers,” says Stève Breitenmoser, an entomologist at the Changins-Wädenswil agroscope research station. “The main reason for the proliferation of all these insects is the rise in trade and transcontinental shipping,” says Breitenmoser. “But some species…

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Malaysia money laundering case ensnares UBS

This content was published on Aug 31, 2012 The case has been opened in response to complaints by the rainforest advocacy group Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), which accuses UBS of having breached its due diligence duties in managing its relationship with Sabah’s chief minister, Musa Aman, who controls logging in the region. Aman has been chief minister of Sabah since 2003 and is…

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Conflicting interests compete for space

This content was published on Jul 30, 2012 The view from the Rüeggisberg monastery ruins is enough to take your breath away. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the three most famous mountains in the Bernese Alps, can be seen in all their glory. But the screeching engines of two fighter jets overhead breaks the spell in the Gantrisch regional nature park. Just south…

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Dogs in sheep’s clothing

This content was published on Jul 30, 2012 Walter Hildbrand was mandated by the Federal Environment Office in 2002 to carry out a project on herd protection in the mountain village of Jeizinen in canton Valais. It has since become a permanent centre. He tests his Maremma sheepdogs to see how they can be used to protect flocks of sheep. Opponents keep a…

The growing potential of solar energy

This content was published on Jul 23, 2012 The Swiss parliament decided in 2011 against the construction of new nuclear power plants in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and a wider shift away from atomic power. In the coming months Switzerland’s new energy policy must be fine-tuned and agreement found on the substance and framework of how to exit…

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Solar energy gets southern boost

This content was published on Jul 23, 2012 Four rivers, two marshes, rice paddies, almond trees, farms and small businesses: the town of Calasparra is removed from the usual tourist haunts in this part of the country, 100 kilometres west of Alicante. Far from rainy Switzerland, the July sun is high in the sky and the temperature hovers around 32 degrees Celsius. For…

Cluster: Science

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Cluster: Science

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Varroa mite wreaks havoc in Swiss bee colonies

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Hive fidelity

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Alpine flowers colour Swiss meadows

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Bergblumen ***ORIGINAL ***

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Asian insects make a beeline for Switzerland

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Malaysia money laundering case ensnares UBS

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Conflicting interests compete for space

More

Dogs in sheep’s clothing

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The growing potential of solar energy

More

Solar energy gets southern boost

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Bergblumen ORIGINAL