From December 6 to 16, 2022 an interdisciplinary team of 11 PIs of the CRC1211 joined for an introductory fieldtrip to the northern part of the Namib Desert with the aim to initiate cross-disciplinary scientific exchange and future interdisciplinary work in the Namib Desert.

The trip was supported by the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute, mainly Eugene Marrais and Gillian Maggs-Kölling, who hosted the group in Namibia and shared their vast knowledge on the Namib Desert with the participants. The trip organizers Eugene Marrais, Dietmar Quandt, and Julia Bechteler introduced the PIs to various biological and geological sites: The route started from Windhoek to the northern towns of Uis with stops at the Brandberg massif and Palmwag with its table mountains.

The group then turned to the Atlantic coast with a stop at Cape Cross, where the PIs got introduced to an exemplary site of the CRC1211 coastal transect, at which cross-disciplinary science among botanists (B01), zoologists (B02), and geneticists (B06), is already happening. Turning again inland towards the core Namib Desert, the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute warmly welcomed the group with a barbeque and organized an expedition to the famous red dune system next to the research station including a unique night in the dunes, where the PIs were able to experience fog, and hence water income to the desert during early morning.

The trip ended with an interdisciplinary workshop discussing future collaborations and concluded with farewell dinner in Windhoek before most of the participants departed back to the German winter. The trip was very fruitful for all participants and new project ideas are already in realisation.

A big thank you to Gillian Maggs-Kölling and Eugene Marrais as well as the whole Gobabeb team for the warm welcoming and hospitability as well as sharing the great nature of Namibia with the group!

Day 2: Brandberg Lodge. Jurassic Dolerites, pegmatites, termite circles and meerkats

Day 3: From Brandberg Lodge to Palmwag Lodge. Karoo Fm, lavas etc., Abandoned Brandberg West mine, Damara triangular facets scorpions

Day 4: Grootberg Lodge , giraffes and game, bitter melons and, nice trapp volcanics

Day 5: Cape Cross seals and visit to the interdisciplinary CRC transect, salt pans, marine terraces

Day 7: The Gobabeb fieldsite, sand, sand, sand and a fox and fog

We congratulate Dr. Julia Bechteler, PI in CRC1211 B07 and former research and teaching assistant at the Nees Institute for Plant Biodiversity at the University of Bonn, who has accepted an offer from the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) to join as Professor for Biodiversity and Ecology of Plants at the Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences.

We wish her all the best in establishing her junior research group and look forward to maintaining close collaboration within the CRC1211 and other joint research projects.

Prof. Dr. Julia Bechteler Prof. Dr. Gabriele E. Schaumann (Präsidentin RPTU in Landau)

Prof. Dr. Gabriele E. Schaumann (Präsidentin RPTU in Landau), Prof. Dr. Hermann Jungkunst, Prof. Dr. Julia Bechteler, Prof. Dr. Martin Entling, Prof. Dr. Oliver Frör

An interdisciplinary team of botanists from the University of Bonn and University of Heidelberg as well as zoologists from the University of Hamburg were on fieldwork in Chile from February, 13 to March 15, 2023.

The focus was on conducting plant phenotyping and substrate sampling in the CRC1211 wide Tillandsia landbeckii field close to Caldera (B01) and in the coastal Huidobria fruticosa transect north of Paposo (B01, B07). It was nice to find the tagged Huidobria fruticosa plants in good shape and see that they have grown in volume since the last field campaign one year ago. A 10 km transect south of Taltal was newly established for genotyping and phenotyping of over 100 individuals of Huidobria chilensis, aiming at future comparative analyses of this close relative to Huidobria fruticosa (B01, B07).

At all study sites the scientists were keeping an eye open for potential animal-plant interactions and new project ideas. The team greatly acknowledges the support of our collaboration partners Alexandra Stoll (CEAZA La Serena) and Eduardo Campos (Universidad Católica del Norte Antofagasta).

At the Tillandsia landbeckii field close to Caldera Photo: Julia Bechteler

The team after sampling Huidobria chilensis in the Andes. Left to right: Valentin Ehrenthal (Hamburg), Eric Stein (Heidelberg), Paloma Morales and Lara Iaboli (Bonn), Johanna Möbus (Heidelberg), and Julia Bechteler (Bonn). Team members missing on the photo: Danilo Harms and Stephanie Loria (Hamburg), Alina Peters (Heidelberg). Photo: Danilo Harms

Loasaceae flowers everywhere: This nice mosaic on a wall in Taltal is showing a relative to our study system Huidobria. Photo: Julia Bechteler

Huidobria chilensis. Photo: Julia Bechteler

Sampling Huidobria chilensis in our new transect. Photo: Julia Bechteler

Huidobria fruticosa. Photo: Julia Bechteler