I am back in Finse to set up a new round of plots. We are setting up a new experiment, where we study consequences of the disruption of plant-pollinator interactions on Ranunculus acris. For this we record phenology, pollinator activity and hand pollinate Ranunculus.
So far the weather has not been great and the plants are growing slowly and few pollinators are around. But the first plants are flowering in our plots!
Elevational gradients are used in many ways to do science. Because it get’s warmer when you go down a mountain, we use them to simulate climate change. But going upwards is like going back in time. There is still snow and spring is just starting up here in Finse. If time goes to fast for you, just take the train up to Finse and you will be back in spring!
We saw Erigeron uniflorus, Primula scandinavcia, Beckwithia glacialis and Rhodiola rosea. (Please correct me if species names are wrong)! Thanks.
Today, the old labels have been replaced by shiny new once at all 4 sites. And tomorrow the OTC chambers will be renewed!
Life at high elevation is harsh and often a fight for survival. Strong winds, low temperature and snow in summer are common. It is therefore fascinating to see what species have adapt to grow at these elevations.
Today we did field work at 4200m. We had to walk the last couple of meters and I could feel the elevation with every step. We recorded phenology and I had time to explore the beauties growing in this harsh environment.
Next week, I will go to Kristiansand to film the next statistic videos. I have briefly talked about this before. Until the end of the week we have to finish writing the scripts, making slides and learning the script. So, we are wokring very hard to get it done.
The videos are about explaining distributions and we (Joachim) have produced a couple of nice animations to show that. Basically, the animations loop through (this is R language) all sorts of things: ylim, xlim, colours, length,… and it drives me crazy. Have a look yourself.
Harvest is a quality nett magazine (in Norwegian) about nature and our behavour towards nature, because „Nature does not need us but we are nothing without it„. The makers also see it as a bonfire where stories are told. And the stories are diverse. Adventures, expeditions, philosophy and science. See for yourself!
I am in Kusadasi in Turkey attending a conference on phenology. It’s the strangest conference that I have attended, because we are in a holiday resort and it does not feel like working. The temperature is very nice and I go swimming whenever I can squeeze it in between the talks. I had my talk on the first day and have talked to many people doing interesting things.
A little quiz for the day:
Both pictures show Skjellingavatne. One picture was taken in early July in 2014 the other in early August 2015. The site is at approximately at 1000 m a.s.l. and 61°N.
Which picture is from which year?
