ALBERT

Description: In order to test whether invasive exotic species, predominantly used for restoring post-mining areas in north-eastern Vietnam, may be replaced by ecologically superior native pioneer species, we conducted a drought stress experiment in a greenhouse. We hypothesized that juvenile individuals of four native pioneer tree and two native pioneer grass species have a drought resistance comparable to two exotic reference species. Our results confirm this hypothesis: even under drought, native trees had a higher biomass and root : shoot ratio than exotic trees, although their maximum relative elongation rate and biomass were reduced more strongly than for exotic trees with respect to well-watered conditions. Native grasses had a higher root length density and a similar drought-induced reduction of stomatal conductance compared to exotic trees. In spite of a higher biomass reduction, native grasses produced more biomass under drought in absolute terms. Notwithstanding that further investigations of other adverse environmental factors need to be performed, our results indicate with respect to drought resistance that native pioneer species are a potential alternative to exotic species for the ecological restoration of subtropical post-mining areas, which may accelerate secondary succession.

Description: Loss of biodiversity under climate change is on the top of European research agendas. However, there is a huge gap between the scientific and the educational communities: Only a small amount of current knowledge reaches the young generation. We faced the challenge of how to transfer results of biodiversity research to the reality of school classrooms – in a way that raises interest, awareness and motivation among students from the age of 12 to 19. We developed the educational software PRONAS (PROjections of NAture for Schools) to show how scientists handle questions about the impact of climate change on the habitats of many European species. About 50 European plant and animal species have been used to demonstrate habitat losses, habitat shifts, and mismatch of habitat dynamics of interacting species. The software was developed with a bottom-up approach, and a manual for applying the software in the classroom was written in close cooperation with teachers. We included specific elements of didactic approaches such as storylines describing future scenarios, projections and simulations of species' future climatic niches, as well as the combination of virtual and real excursions. PRONAS is freely accessible in German and English on http://www.ufz.de/pronas-lernsoftware. Feedback was given by about 100 teachers from German and other European schools at six teacher workshops and by 141 students from four German schools. While most teachers confirmed that the designed format of knowledge transfer is attractive and contributes to knowledge building and awareness raising, many students older than 16 felt under-challenged. Altogether, we found that "educational software" is a useful format for scientific outreach which is worth joint efforts of scientists and educators and which needs more support and incentives for scientists to go forward in this direction.

Description: The Roubine catchment located in the experimental research station of Draix-Bléone (south French Alps) is situated in Callovo-Oxfordian black marls, a lithology particularly prone to weathering processes. Since 30 years, this small watershed (0.13 ha) has been monitored for analysing hillslope erosion processes at the scale of elementary gullies. Since 2007, a monitoring of surface changes has been performed by comparing of high-resolution digital elevation models (HR-DEMs) produced from Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). The objectives are (1) to detect and (2) to quantify the sediment production and the evolution of the gully morphology in terms of sediment availability/transport capacity vs. rainfall and runoff generation. Time series of TLS observations have been acquired periodically based on the seasonal runoff activity with a very high point cloud density ensuring a resolution of the DEM at the centimetre scale. The topographic changes over a time span of 4 years are analysed. Quantitative analyses of the seasonal erosion activity and of the sediment fluxes contributing to the recharge of tributary gullies and rills are presented. According to the transport capacity generated by runoff, loose regolith soil sources are eroded at different periods of the year. These are forming transient deposits in the main reach when routed downstream, evolving from a transport-limited to a supply-limited regime through the year. The monitoring allows a better understanding of the seasonal pattern of erosion processes for black marls badland-type slopes and illustrates the mode of sediment production and the temporal storage/entrainment in similar slopes. The observed surface changes caused by erosion (ablation/deposition) are quantified for the complete TLS time-series, and sediment budget maps are presented for each season. Comparisons of the TLS sediment budget map with the in situ sediment monitoring (limnigraph and sedigraph) in the stream are discussed. Intense and long duration rainfall events are the triggering factor of the major erosive events.