Dimensions of Biodiversity
What is biodiversity? How do you picture it? What are its colors and shapes?
In this interactive exhibit on the example of a humble leaf you can challenge your understanding of what biodiversity is. Be part of the exhibit! Try to sketch a leaf as you imagine it! Be creative! Do the visitor-made exhibits match the diversity we see in nature?
What is the colour of a leaf? What is its shape? What is the function of a leaf? Are all leaves the same? What service do leaves provide to us humans and to an ecosystem such as grassland or a forest?
Think about these questions and appreciate the contrast between the natural and the man-made exhibits. Biodiversity is much more than just the number of species. It is a complex concept that occupies researchers from a variety of disciplines, from biology to ethics. At the University of Zurich it is studied by researchers of the University Research Priority Program on Global Change and Biodiversity.
Prof. Dr. Michael Schaepman is a geographer and one of the directors of the University Research Priority Program on Global Change and Biodiversity. He is also vice president for research at the University of Zurich. His research priorities include Earth observation, remote sensing, and spectroscopy to measure biodiversity from space. More
Dr. Morana Mihaljević is a biologist and palaeontologist working at the Science Lab, a department of the Faculty of Science at the University of Zurich offering research and learning formats for high school students and teachers. More
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