… in fact grow in the Antarctic! A few species have adapted to the austere conditions and have colonised areas which are ice-free. However, these highly specialised … Antarctic which promote vegetation in light of thick ice cover, little light, dry and very saline soil, and extremely short vegetation periods. A few plants have nevertheless found a way …

… the coldest continent on Earth. Source: M. Müller/UBA Antarctica is the driest and coldest continent on Earth. Only in the west temperatures reach the freezing … wintertime in the northern hemisphere – the South Pole is inclined towards the sun and there are 24 hours of daylight. Because of the ecliptic plane, that is the tilt … even in summertime. Furthermore, the snow has very high reflective power (albedo), and therefore most of the sun's energy cannot be absorbed and heat radiation is …

… continent today, it is hard to imagine that Antarctica used to be fertile land and completely free of ice. Some 170 million years ago Antarctica was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent - until it broke up and Antarctica drifted south and slowly began to freeze over. last update on …

… Environmental monitoring on King George Island The Fildes Region is subject to high … helps to show its effects Source: Christina Braun/FSU Jena King George Island is the largest of the South Shetland Islands, and because of its accessibility …

… Antarctica Man has been fascinated by this vast ice landscape ever since its discovery. Source: Dorling Kindersley RF / Thinkstock "Imagine a country as large as Australia and Europe together, sunnier than California but colder than the icebox of a refrigerator, dryer than Arabia and higher than Switzerland, emptier than the Sahara. There is only one place in the …

… Non-native species Human activities introduce non-native animal and plant species into the Antarctic Source: axily / Fotolia.com The Antarctic … and biodiversity crises in Europe through Urban Greening Plans Development of concepts and methods for compilation and assessment of selected anthropogenic …

… The German Environment Agency and the Antarctic Protecting the Antarctic is one of … difficult at first glance to see the connection between a German environment agency and the Antarctic - after all, Germany has no territorial claims in the eternal ice. …

… Protocol on Water and Health The protocol is a legally-binding instrument on water and health in the UNECE region. Source: paylessimages / Fotolia.com The main aim of … improving drinking-water supply and sanitation, water resources management, water quality, as well as bathing water quality. Germany has been a Party to the Protocol …

… universe. Even a mere teaspoon of soil contains a million bacteria, 120,000 fungi and 25,000 algae. These microscopic organisms perform key material-cycle functions. last update on 17.07.2013 Soil teems with life “Plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms purify the water and air, and ensure fertile soils. Hence the … provide indirect insight into their importance in substance and energy cycles. The quality of soil organism habitats is determined by numerous factors, which broadly …