⛅️ When we look at the clouds, we rarely think about life, but dream ourselves away into our own world of imagination. Suddenly, I'm telling you about an ocean in the sky where life is spread out. What lives in the clouds? Birds? Insects? Angels? Probably not. So high up, in the harsh conditions of cold and radiation, there is only very special life. I will now open your eyes to the fantastic world of microorganisms.

🦠 One of these many microorganisms is Pseudomonas syringae, a plant pathogen. It likes to live on and in plants and has a special trick to attack them. The bacterium forms a structure on its surface that acts as an ice nucleus, causing water above the freezing point to freeze. This means that ice crystals form more quickly at low temperatures, damaging the plant tissue and making it more accessible to the bacteria.

❄️ Many microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are transported into the upper layers of the atmosphere by atmospheric buoyancy and strong winds. Some species have adapted to survive these conditions. The ability of Pseudomonas syringae to form ice crystals even influences cloud formation and precipitation. In this way, microorganisms not only influence the weather but also reach new places, encountering new plants and new genes.

🧬 Bacteria are an important factor in horizontal gene transfer. This means the direct transfer of genes to other life forms without reproduction, for example, from bacteria to animals and plants and vice versa. In very rare cases, this even influences the germ line and thus the evolution of more complex species.

♻️ Microorganisms are often only visible to us when they cause disease. However, they play a crucial role in our ecosystem. Infected plants, for example, are made accessible to other living creatures.

🌍 In other words, countless highly complex processes take place, influenced by the dynamics between life and climate - above our heads, under our feet, and within us.

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The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) has a much calmer temperament than the common wasp. It has a wide range of hunting habits, including different insects and spiders. The European paper wasp is a social insect and absolutely worth learning more about its interesting behaviour. Originally native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has now spread to all continents, replacing native species there.

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In deadwood, it is common for fungi to decompose more organic material than they directly consume. This is because fungi engage in extracellular digestion, producing enzymes to break down the complex material of deadwood into simpler compounds. During this process, nutrients in the wood are released for the fungi and other organisms in the surrounding ecosystem.

The rich microbiome developing on deadwood can also contribute to decomposition and nutrient release. The diversity of microorganisms colonizing deadwood, including various fungal species and bacteria, enhances the efficiency of decomposition and nutrient release.

Deadwood decomposition plays a vital role in the ecosystem by recycling nutrients and making them available for the growth of new plants and organisms. While fungi utilize nutrients for their own growth, other organisms also benefit from the released nutrients, contributing to a rich and diverse ecosystem.

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The heath in Kessel, Belgium is characterized by heather, swamps, drifting sand and ponds. Heath landscapes are a beautiful example of the interplay of culture and biodiversity. 6000 years ago 80 percent of Europe was still covered by forests. Heath areas naturally occurred only in very rare cases on coasts, in moorland areas and in the mountains. Then people started to use the forests for themselves. They required grazing land and thus not only changed the landscape, but also created new habitats for many different species. The extensive use of deforested and cleared areas resulted in increasingly nutrient-poor soils and grazing animals were bred that are particularly suitable for these areas. The upper layer of soil was regularly removed, mixed with animal manure and burned or applied to fields as fertilizer. The rain washed out the last nutrients and specially adapted plant species settled there, followed by rare animals.

These unique ecosystems survive only through active human intervention, which has been achieved through centuries of heath farming. However, this type of farming has become uneconomical, and a large part of the land has been converted into arable land by applying fertiliser. Other areas became forest again because keeping animals on nutrient-poor areas is associated with lower yields. With the loss of the heathland, numerous animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. And all the beauty that has always inspired painters and poets could simply disappear. It could hardly have been the biodiversity alone that led to active conservation efforts, but rather the cultural connection to this romanticized landscape form. We keep what we find beautiful and we can only find beautiful what we can see.

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