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Florian Altermatt

@florianaltermatt.bsky.social
4.5K followers 1.1K following 365 posts

Full Professor of Aquatic Ecology University Zurich & @eawag.bsky.social | Kuratorium Forum Biodiversity | Founding Director biodiversitaet.uzh.ch/en.html | all & beyond #biodiversity, #eDNA & #AquaticEcology | Like=interesting www.altermattlab.ch

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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
5/5 @eawag.bsky.social #UZH Guangdong University of Technology
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
4/5 Overall, these findings show that biodiversity–stability relationships vary across taxa & that species-level temporal dynamics provide information beyond taxonomic richness, supporting the inclusion of multitrophic & temporal dimensions in river ecosystem assessments under environmental change.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
3/5 Although richness was positively associated with stability in several organism groups, structural equation modeling explained 79% of the variation in community stability and identified stronger associations with species stability and asynchrony than with richness alone.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
2/5 The eDNA survey captured 379 families, revealing pronounced taxon-specific variation. Riparian land-use intensity was negatively associated with richness, community stability, species stability and asynchrony, with generally stronger relationships for stability-related metrics than for richness.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
#Riparian land use reduces multitrophic #community #stability in #rivers 🐟🐠🌍🌐. In #GlobalChangeBiology by Feilong Li et al. dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.... 🚜 🏙️ We combined #eDNA 🧬 metabarcoding across a river network to analyze land use intensification on biodiversity and community stability.📈 🧵1/5
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The new version offers improved usability & modularity, along with extended range of modelling features, while maintaining continuity for users of previous release. New features include additional nesting methods, background-point generation strategies, & cross-validation. @eawag.bsky.social #UZH
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
N-SDM 2.0: a reengineered #software with extended features for nested #species #distribution #modelling 🪲 🦫 🐟 🌳 📈 🌍 🌐 #SDM just out in @ecography.bsky.social: led by Antoine Adde, the popular N-SDM software has been reengineered: nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
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Markus Hofmann @markushofmann.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
The Biggest Lie Ever Told Is Only Four Words Long thebiggestlie.wedonthavetime.org
thebiggestlie.wedonthavetime.org
The Biggest Lie Ever Told Is Only Four Words Long
Not carbon dioxide. A lie, spoken calmly in parliaments and boardrooms, only four words long.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
4/4 Out now in #ScienceAdvances @science.org by Feilong Li et al. Guangdong University of Technology | Universität Zürich | University of Zurich | @eawag.bsky.social
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
3/4 Functional trait composition of #fish 🐟 , aquatic #insect 🦟 and #algae 🦠 was strongly structured and associated with lower functional diversity and structural complexity of local trophic networks, incl. lower modularity & nestedness, along agricultural and urban impervious land use gradients.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
2/4 We disentangle the contribution of #agricultural and #urban land use changes on aquatic ecosystems by combining high-resolution #eDNA 🧬 surveys across spatially and temporally stratified sampling sites.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
A functional-trophic pathway links #riparian #land use intensification to #riverine #community stability: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🐟 🦠🦟📈 Intensive land use is transforming 🔄 #river 🌊 corridors #worldwide 🌍 🌐, with agricultural 🚜 and urban 🏙️ land use intensification being most prominent. 🧵1/4
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Prof. Sonia I Seneviratne @soniaseneviratne.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Europe's Summer of Reckoning is "Just the Beginning": Article in @nytimes.com with statements from J. Rockström, @frediotto.bsky.social & myself. We should realise that such extreme summers will get even worse if we continue to burn fossil fuels. @usyseth.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/w...
nytimes.com
Europe’s Summer of Reckoning Is ‘Just the Beginning’
The continent is experiencing some of its biggest fires and highest temperatures ever. Residents are fleeing, leaders are struggling to respond and “it will get worse,” one climate expert said.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Gone with the #wind: 🌬️the #fireweed 🌸(Epilobium angustifolium) produces >100,000 #seeds that are passively transported over many kilometers. As a pioneer species it colonises bare ground, such as after a fire🔥and can form dense stands.
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Eawag Aquatic Research @eawag.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Green roofs differ from ground-level habitats in terms of biodiversity. This can help to boost biodiversity in cities. 🌱🪱 f.mtr.cool/rvuvszuipu @florianaltermatt.bsky.social  @laurenmcook.bsky.social @kperrelet.bsky.social
f.mtr.cool
Green roofs provide additional habitats
Green roofs differ from ground-level habitats in terms of biodiversity. This can help to boost biodiversity in cities.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Own contributions and ideas are explicitly encouraged and extensive intellectual freedom to shape the project is provided.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Postdoc Position 2️⃣: Alien Species detection using eDNA (2 years position, 100%) This position is about #establishing and developing #analytical #pipelines to analyse and survey #invasive alien #species using existing #eDNA datasets. ➡️ All details: apply.refline.ch/673277/1364/... 🎯
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Postdoc position 1️⃣: Spatial #genomics of aquatic #invertebrates (3 years position, 100%). This position is about establishing & analysing genomic diversity of aquatic keystone species (aquatic insects, amphipods) in a spatially explicit approach. ➡️ All details: apply.refline.ch/673277/1363/... 🎯
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
I am #hiring! In my group 📍Universität Zürich | University of Zurich & Eawag I have #two open #Postdoc #Positions, with application deadlines in early August 2026. 🧬 🦐 🐠🌐🌍 Here a quick reminder & 🧵with all details, thanks for 🔄 redistributing to interested candidates.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
#Cross-#ecosystem #biodiversity action is systemically #overlooked in biodiversity #policy and treaties⚖️: conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... 🌐 🌍 🎯 🦐 🍃 #IPBES #BiodiversityPolicy #GBF #KunmingMontreal 🧵1/8
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
8/8 @eawag.bsky.social @wslbiodiversity.bsky.social @tiannapeller.bsky.social @dorotdesigns.bsky.social @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social @biodiversity.scnat.ch @worldbioforum.bsky.social @ipbes.net @ipbesfr.bsky.social
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
7/8 Finally, we outline pathways for integrating cross-ecosystem biodiversity dependencies into policy, through creative interpretation of ecosystem connectivity and integrity within National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and the development of cross-ecosystem indicators and management.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
6/8 We confront the oversight of cross-ecosystem dependencies in biodiversity management as a systemic problem. We show how ecological change propagates across ecosystem interfaces through biotic and abiotic pathways, and how institutional fragmentation undermines coordinated conservation action.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
5/8➡️ Failing to account for cross-ecosystem dependencies of biodiversity undermines the GBF's vision for halting and reversing biodiversity loss.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
4/8➡️ Biodiversity in one type of ecosystem can strongly depend on ecological processes occurring in another, yet these cross-ecosystem dependencies frequently fall outside existing governance structures. 📈
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
3/8 ➡️ Consequently, they fall short of explicitly addressing a fundamental ecological reality: #biodiversity is shaped by biotic and abiotic processes that transcend ecosystem and institutional boundaries. #Metaecosystems
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
2/8 ➡️ Despite emphasizing ecosystem connectivity, national and international biodiversity #protocols (such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework #GBF) largely organized around discrete ecosystem types, biomes, and political jurisdictions. 📍 ⚖️
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
#Cross-#ecosystem #biodiversity action is systemically #overlooked in biodiversity #policy and treaties⚖️: conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.... 🌐 🌍 🎯 🦐 🍃 #IPBES #BiodiversityPolicy #GBF #KunmingMontreal 🧵1/8
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
➡️Own contributions and ideas are explicitly encouraged and extensive intellectual freedom to shape the project is provided.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
➡️The project involves: i) establishing #reference #databases for IAS metabarcoding analyses; ii) develop end-to-end semiautomated analytical pipelines for eDNA #metabarcoding analyses; iii) proof-of-principle #testing and application of these pipelines on #existing aquatic eDNA #datasets.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
➡️ In this project we will establish and develop analytical pipelines to analyse and survey invasive alien species using existing eDNA datasets. ➡️The initial focus will be on #IAS in Central Europe/Switzerland, but pipelines should be scalable across Europe and beyond.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
#Postdoc #Position opening up in my group: Developing Analytical #Pipelines and #Analyses to Survey #Invasive Alien #Species in Aquatic Systems using #eDNA (2 years) 🧬 📈 ❗ 🦐 🦀 🐠 🌍🌐❗ #JobOpening 🎯 apply.refline.ch/673277/1364/... 📍 Apply now & thx for spreading the word (deadline Aug 14th)
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
thanks!😊
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The position is for someone with a strong interest and experience in genetic/genomic analyses (whole genome/ddRAD #sequencing) and spatial ecology. 📅 Application deadline is August 9th, 📍 Universität Zürich | Eawag Starting date: fall 2026. Thx for spreading the word!
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
#Postdoc #position (3 years) in spatial #genomics of aquatic #invertebrates opening up in my group. 🧬 🦐 🥼 🧑‍💻 ❗ More info: apply.refline.ch/673277/1363/... The project aims to establish & analyse #genomic #diversity of aquatic invertebrates (EPT & Amphipods) in a spatially explicit approach. 🌍 🌐 📈
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Eawag Aquatic Research @eawag.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
A global analysis of fish biodiversity using environmental DNA reveals how human activity and climate influence biodiversity patterns in river ecosystems 🌱💧 www.eawag.ch/en/info/port... @florianaltermatt.bsky.social
eawag.ch
Environmental DNA Reveals Impact of Climate and Humans on Global River Fish Biodiversity
A global analysis of fish biodiversity using environmental DNA (eDNA) reveals how human activity and climate influence biodiversity patterns in river ecosystems. An international research team led by ...
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
6/6 This demonstrate the power of eDNA-based datasets offering a scalable approach for #detecting and #attributing #biodiversity change and informing conservation strategies under accelerating global change. Great collaboration across many labs & datasets! Led by #YanZhang #UZH @eawag.bsky.social
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
5/6 ➡️ The accumulation of biodiversity with catchment area was consistently enhanced in warmer climates, while human activities weakened this scaling.
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
4/6 ➡️ eDNA effectively captured global patterns of multi-faceted riverine fish biodiversity and disentangled the roles of climate and different aspects of human activities in shaping biodiversity–area relationships. 🌐
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
3/6 ➡️ We did a global assessment & unified analysis of fish biodiversity using eDNA collected from 1,818 sites across 113 river systems spanning 5 continents. 🤝 ➡️ We quantified species #richness, functional #redundancy, & #phylogenetic diversity, & related to drainage characteristics. 📍 🐟 📊
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
2/6 ➡️ #Freshwater biodiversity is declining at a pace that outstrips the capacity of existing #monitoring approaches both in temporal and spatial dimensions, highlighting the urgent need for rapid monitoring and action. ❗ 📉 📈 🎯
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Unified analysis of #global 🌐 🌍 #riverine #eDNA 🧬 reveals common associations of #fish #biodiversity 🐟 🐠 with drainage characteristics. Out now @natecoevo.nature.com : www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵1/6
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Interested in #SpeciesDistributionModelling? Then this is of interest to you: The N-SDM software has been reengineered with extended features for nested #species #distribution modelling. #SDM Just out in Ecography Journal: nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #AntoineAdde et al. 🌍🌐
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Gernot Segelbacher 🪶 🧬 @gsegelbacher.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
#eDNA in biodiversity, a whole morning on eDNA ahead in Davos #WBF2026 introduced by @florianaltermatt.bsky.social #consgen
Screen in lecture hall, speaker in front
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Forum Biodiversität Schweiz @biodiversity.scnat.ch · 17/06/2026
💧 Les #eaux souterraines sont notre principale ressource d'eau potable, mais aussi des #écosystèmes encore largement méconnus. M.Knüsel, @romanalther.bsky.social et @florianaltermatt.bsky.social appellent à un suivi biologique dans #HOTSPOT 53 👉 biodiversite.scnat.ch/id/J53dp @eawag.bsky.social
Citation tirée d'un article du HOTSPOT 53 : « Étant donné que la biodiversité des eaux souterraines n'est évaluée ni dans les programmes, ni dans les suivis cantonaux, on ignore quasiment tout de son état. »
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Forum Biodiversität Schweiz @biodiversity.scnat.ch · 17/06/2026
💧 #Grundwasser ist nicht nur unsere wichtigste Trinkwasserressource, sondern auch ein wenig erforschter #Lebensraum. M.Knüsel, @romanalther.bsky.social und @florianaltermatt.bsky.social fordern ein biologisches Monitoring in #HOTSPOT 53 👉 biodiversitaet.scnat.ch/id/J53dp @eawag.bsky.social
Zitat aus dem HOTSPOT 53: «Weil die Grundwasserbiodiversität weder in nationalen noch in kantonalen Programmen erfasst wird, ist ihr Zustand nur schlecht oder gar nicht bekannt.»
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Tadashi Fukami @fukamit.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Assistant Professor position available at Stanford University, in any area of Earth System Science. Apply by October 1, 2026. facultypositions.stanford.edu/jobs/assista...
facultypositions.stanford.edu
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth System Science - Stanford University, California, United States
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Earth System Science (https://earthsystemscience.stanford.edu). Ea...
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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Explore titles from our new imprint Island Press—many of which are now 50% off through June 9th with code SPRING50! Find them here: press.princeton.edu/imprints/isl... Some exclusions apply. @islandpress.bsky.social @taralohan.bsky.social
Island PressUndammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life by Tara LohanA Healthy Union: How States Can Lead on Environmental Health by Susan B. KaplanLiving Off Grid: 50 Steps to Unplug, Become Self-Sufficient, and Build the Homestead of Your Dreams by Ryan Mitchell
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
10/10 Thx to my fellow co-authors: #MarjorieCouton #LucaCarraro @francoiskeck.bsky.social @lorihandley.bsky.social @leeselab.bsky.social #XiaoweiZhang #YanZhang & @rosiecblackman.bsky.social ; @eawag.bsky.social #UZH @alexmckay.bsky.social
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Florian Altermatt @florianaltermatt.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
9/10 I am optimistic that this #revolution in biodiversity sciences is successful, that new #constitutions are written on how to effectively measure biodiversity & to make data accessible to everyone!
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