A week ago we finally started to set up the experiments on seed emergence and seedling growth in the field ! This is a new French National Science foundation project where we analyze forest transitions under climate change, where we suspect there may be a critical transition from Temperate Forests (Quercus robur, Q. petraea and F. sylvatica) to a Mediterranean type forests (Q. ilex and Q pubsecens). The critical view of this project is that this transition may not only stem from adult tree mortality, but also by the interaction of management approaches (harvesting) influencing microclimate, and crucially affecting seed emergence and seedling survival. More here.
Some months ago we did visit the beautiful forests of the Montagne Noir. This is a key biogeographical knot with the confluence of Continental, Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, leading to major forest type gradients in small distances. In the same day we started from a foggy and rainy Temperate beech forests to being in a t-shirt in the lowlands Mediterranean maquias (a sort of Chaparral-type vegetation).
Some months ago we did visit the beautiful forests of the Montagne Noir. This is a key biogeographical knot with the confluence of Continental, Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, leading to major forest type gradients in small distances. In the same day we started from a foggy and rainy Temperate beech forests to being in a t-shirt in the lowlands Mediterranean maquias (a sort of Chaparral-type vegetation).
As you can imagine…lots of things happen in the field and we needed to make sure we had the infrastructure to stop our seed predators so we decided to try with som sturdy cages that we will cover with a metal net that we are going to test this year. This was a real team work among technicians and researchers ! it was so great get this started
