Article: News
04 October 2023
Florian Kraxner and Andrey Krasovskiy participated in the workshop "Drivers of Climate Risks in Europe: Harmonizing Research on Impact Attribution of Past Events," which took place on Friday, September 22, 2023, at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Potsdam, Germany.
Article: News
13 September 2023
Boreal forests often bring to mind a winter wonderland: spruce and pine forests as far as the eye can see, fluffy snow dotted with reindeer beneath a nighttime sky brightened by the aurora borealis. Climate change threatens this fragile, pristine habitat that spans 8 countries in the far north. Now boreal forests are associated not just with snowy landscapes, they are becoming synonymous with raging wildfires and massive plumes of smoke, such as those found currently in Canada.
Mitigating the threats posed by climate change in this unique ecosystem and discussing the most recent boreal-related research is the focus of the International Boreal Forest Association conference. Organized in large part by IIASA’s own Florian Kraxner, IBFRA 2023 was held in Helsinki, Finland, where researchers from around the globe gathered to discuss recent findings, foster new connections, and contribute to a plan of attack to save boreal forests as we know them.
Article: News
30 August 2023
Every summer, IIASA turns into a buzzing hub of knowledge seekers, and this year is no different! The AFE FLAM team welcomed three interns and three YSSP fellows this summer and we took a moment to chat with Rasheed, Adrian, Laura, and Lawrence about their experiences and goals.
Article: News
16 August 2023
In a momentous celebration of their outstanding contributions to systems analysis and lifelong dedication to IIASA, five eminent researchers have been honored with the esteemed title of IIASA Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar.
Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR)
Water Security (WAT)
Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services (AFE)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
Sustainable Service Systems (S3)
Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC)
Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
Population and Just Societies (POPJUS)
Equity and Justice (EQU)
Social Cohesion, Health, and Wellbeing (SHAW)
Article: News
10 May 2023
In recent conferences, the FLAM model, developed by researchers Andrey Krasovskiy and Shelby Corning, has captivated audiences with its valuable applications in wildfire dynamics and future projections under climate change scenarios. These presentations, held at renowned conferences and symposiums, have garnered positive feedback and paved the way for potential future collaborations.
Article: News
09 May 2023
Fungal networks interconnecting trees in a forest is a key factor that determines the nature of forests and their response to climate change. These networks have also been viewed as a means for trees to help their offspring and other tree-friends, according to the increasingly popular “mother-tree hypothesis”. An international group of researchers re-examined the evidence for and against this hypothesis in a new study.
Article: News
13 October 2022
Dealing with increasing fire frequencies in domestic mountain-dominated forest systems requires assessment and anticipation of fire risks at local scales, as well as a better understanding of its effects on the ecosystem and recreational activities. The Austria Fire Futures Project aims to address this critical situation.
Article: News
31 January 2022
The carbon stock in managed boreal forest landscapes is increasing, while it is relatively unchanged in less intensively utilized forests where carbon losses due to forest fires have instead been significant during 1990-2017, according to a new report by the International Boreal Forest Research Association (IBFRA).
Article: News
01 November 2021
Climate change may affect the production of maize (corn) and wheat by 2030 if current trends continue, according to a new international study that included researchers from IIASA, NASA, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). Maize crop yields are projected to decline by 24%, while wheat could potentially see growth of about 17%.
Article: News
13 July 2021
IIASA is part of a project funded under the Belmont Forum’s joint Collaborative Research Action on Pathways to Sustainability to develop and apply an indicator system for measuring sustainability in the agricultural sector that will close existing knowledge gaps and facilitate decision making for more sustainable agricultural production.
Article: News
24 June 2021
Russia is the world’s largest forest country. Being home to more than a fifth of forests globally, the country’s forests and forestry have enormous potential to contribute to making a global impact in terms of climate mitigation. A new study by IIASA researchers, Russian experts, and other international colleagues have produced new estimates of biomass contained in Russian forests, confirming a substantial increase over the last few decades.
Article: News
11 May 2020
Plants and vegetation play a critical role in supporting life on Earth, but there is still a lot of uncertainty in our understanding of how exactly they affect the global carbon cycle and ecosystem services. A new IIASA-led study explored the most important organizing principles that control vegetation behavior and how they can be used to improve vegetation models.
Article: News
16 April 2020
The expansion of farmlands to meet the growing food demand of the world’s ever expanding population places a heavy burden on natural ecosystems. A new IIASA study however shows that about half the land currently needed to grow food crops could be spared if attainable crop yields were achieved globally and crops were grown where they are most productive.