Insights into MDPI Top Picks: February 2026
In this February’s roundup of Top Picks, we visit exciting and novel research published across a diverse range of topics published in MDPI’s Open Access journals. Here, we discover that winter tourism in the Alps may be at threat due to diminishing levels of snow cover, and learn about the extent to which invasive alien species impacts the extinction of native organisms.
We also explore how younger generations in Ireland feel more positive towards diversity in leadership positions in education compared to older generations, and see how strong honey bee colonies can aid agricultural farming.
Ski Areas and Snow Reliability Decline in the European Alps Under Increasing Global Warming—A Remote Sensing Perspective
Published in Remote Sensing
Global warming and rising temperatures in the Alps may be a significant threat to the Winter Olympics. Having taken place in Northern Italy this year, the legendary quadrennial games rely on a base-line level of snowfall to facilitate its variety of competitive winter-based sports. Similarly, the winter season sees families flocking to chalets for their annual dose of skiing and other attractions amongst the backdrop of the snow-covered alps in Europe.
“With an estimated 40 billion Euro in total revenue alone, winter tourism is an important contributor to the GDPs of the Alpine Countries. It is therefore essential to identify regions with reliable future snow cover conditions as well as those areas where skiing slopes are endangered by decreasing snow cover.” – Dr. Andreas Dietz, author of the study and Head of Team Polar and Mountain Regions at the German Aerospace Centre, Germany.
Research published in the Open Access journal Remote Sensing combined 40 years of snowfall elevation data to find that the reliability of adequate snowfall significantly decreased in all skiing areas within the European Alps. In line with previous research, the results confirmed the receding snow cover in the Alps, with snowfall seasons shortening over the years.
“The rate at which the snow cover is receding follows the worst-case scenario (RCP 8.5), confirming the severity of the situation.” – Dr. Andreas Dietz.
The results demonstrate the inevitable impacts of a warming climate and suggests the dependence of snowmaking for future winter ski seasons and Winter Olympic Games.
Effect of Honey Bee Colony Strength on Foraging Productivity and Its Application to Precision Pollination
Published in Insects
Pollination is a remarkable natural process carried out by insects such as bees, wasps and butterflies. As a byproduct of their food-foraging movements, insects are able to transfer pollen from plant to plant, dispersing seeds, and helping plants to grow.
Precision pollination refers to the emerging commercial process of utilising data and technology to optimise crop fertilisation using pollen. Honey bees are routinely used in agriculture to obtain high-value crops. However, this has both significant economic and environmental consequences, as bees are transported over vast distances across the globe.
A 3-year study published in the journal Insects looks at how using strong, smaller colonies of honey bees could be utilised for pollination in agriculture, rather than using large, weaker colonies. The results showed that the stronger colonies exhibited considerably higher productivity, which encompasses foraging efficiency and colony resilience.
This research is helpful to refine agricultural processes, and to encourage the development of strategies to reduce the environmental impact of transporting large quantities of bee colonies.
The Link Between Invasive Alien Species and Extinction
Published in Biosphere
Invasive alien species (IAS) is a term referring to species introduced to environments they are not native to. This could either be intentionally, through human action, or can happen accidentally. Either way, they can have disastrous consequences to the environment they are introduced to, upsetting local ecosystems, food webs, and can even cause the extinction of other species.
New research published in Biosphere explores the global threat of IAS in driving species extinction. The researchers compared IAS against other threats, such as climate change or habitat loss, using the data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) – a critical data base indicating the status of global biodiversity and endangered species.
Dr. Kelvin Pen, author of the study and Associate Professor of Conservation Science at the University of Southampton, describes the importance of the study and its key findings:
“Our paper offers a new perspective using data from the IUCN Red List to better understand how IAS contribute to the global loss of species.
We break down extinctions into two categories: those caused only by IAS, which account for 9% of all extinctions, and those resulting from a mix of threats, including IAS, which account for 13% to 26%.
We provide useful insights for developing conservation strategies and determining where to focus efforts to reduce the impact of IAS on biodiversity.”
Streamlining conservation strategies are imperative at a time when global biodiversity is rapidly declining. The current study shows that IAS, in combination with other factors such as climate change, impacts around 22-35% of total extinctions, which is lower than previously estimated. Data-driven change is key to implementing appropriate policies to reduce the occurrence of IAS or to mitigate its potentially disastrous consequences.
Age Matters: Generational Views on Diversity in School Leadership Promotions in the Republic of Ireland
Published in Education Sciences
Diversity is an important aspect to consider in the context of leadership positions and forming teams.
Individuals from different backgrounds, such as different ages, ethnicities, religions, genders, disabilities, and sexual orientations, can all contribute unique insights to a team. This results in better creativity and problem solving, as well as diverse cultural awareness which is critical for leadership positions.
Young people are increasingly exposed to more diverse societies compared to older generations. This is due to multiple factors such as increased emigration, increased exposure to different cultures through social media, destigmatization of sexual identity and other progressive changes in society. These factors influence perceptions of diversity, which differ across generations.
New research published in Education Sciences explores the perception of educators regarding diversity in leadership positions in Ireland.
Assistant Professor Robert Hannan, author of the study and course director of the Master of Education in School Leadership discusses the main findings of the study and its importance in strengthening the future of leadership in education.
“This study examines how educators in Ireland view the role of diversity in school leadership promotions, with a particular focus on generational perspectives.
While support for diversity was evident across all age groups, the youngest cohort in this exploratory sample showed the strongest and most consistent support for diversity-sensitive promotion practices across multiple dimensions. Although the sample size calls for caution, this pattern may point toward a gradual shift in how emerging educators understand fairness, merit, and leadership.
The participants also indicated that diversity should be prioritised more than they believe it currently is, suggesting a gap between stated commitments and everyday practice. As education systems respond to increasingly diverse communities, these generational insights may help shape more transparent and inclusive leadership pathways in Ireland and beyond.”
MDPI publishes top research across a variety of scientific fields, including agricultural, climate, and education sciences. You can read more of this research published in the Open Access journals listed in the full MDPI Journal list.
