From 1^st March to 26^th March 2026, subprojects B01 and B07 successfully completed this year’s joined field campaign to the Atacama. Professors Dietmar Quandt (University of Bonn) and Julia Bechteler (Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function, University of Jena) were joined by the PhD students Marianela Mariño (University of Bonn), Eric Stein (University of Heidelberg) and Julia Simonis (Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function) as well as the two Bachelor students Natalie Burchert and Johannes Sander (both University of Bonn).

As in previous years, the group returned to their two transects of Huidobria fruticosa plants, one near Paposo at the coast, the other further inland near San Pedro de Atacama. They took measurements to evaluate the growth of the plants. This data, collected annually since 2022, will be compared among individuals and between transects to find possible connections to environmental and landscape factors. Unfortunately, some of the plant individuals of the study site in Paposo were lost due to local mining activity intensified during this year.

In both transects, soil samples were taken in between plants to investigate the seed diversity.  The soil samples were transported to the laboratory, where the seeds will be extracted. Studying the abundance, viability, and genetic diversity of these seeds will provide valuable information about the capacity and function of the seed bank and its role in the coping strategies of Huidobria and in population connectivity.

The researchers further collected leaf samples of selected H. fruticosa individuals for RNA analyses. It was not an easy task due to the instability of the RNA and the conditions in the desert. The leaves needed to be cut into little pieces and stored in a liquid that preserves the RNA. Then the samples needed to be kept cool until they could be processed in the lab in Germany. The RNA will reveal which genes were active in the plants at the time of sampling. Differences in the gene expression of plants from different locations could be influenced by environmental and landscape factors, and allow conclusions about the adaptation strategies of the plants. In addition, photosynthesis measurements were conducted on these plants to analyze differences in photosynthetic efficiency between individuals. This will give insights into the stress level of the plants.

For H. chilensis, the group established a new transect near Diego de Almagro, which is located further inland. Along with the previously established Cifuncho transect, it will serve as an interesting comparative system due to the different environmental conditions of the two transects.

Brief visits were also conducted to the Tillandsia landbeckii dunes near Caldera and Arica to read out climate record data from the weather stations installed at these sites. Tillandsia landbeckii is one of two plant systems investigated in project B01. As a rootless species, it is highly specialized in capturing water from fog. The availability of annual climate data from the weather stations can reveal important insights into its survival strategies and environmental adaptations.

For one day, the B01 and B07 scientists were joined by colleagues from the University of Bonn involved in the Z7 Science Communication project, Annette Scheersoi, Julian Kokott and Alexander Weiss Aparicio. Their aim is to share the CRC’s research in an accessible and engaging way while also encouraging dialogue between science and the general public. This provided an excellent opportunity for the B01 and B07 subprojects to present and share their research activities.

The field work was greatly supported by cooperation partners in Chile. The group would like to acknowledge the invaluable help of Alexandra Stoll (CEAZA, La Serena), who also joined them a few days in the field, and Eduardo Campos (Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta) for his constant support, especially with logistics whenever needed.