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

Supported by the Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP) of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Graduate School of Geosciences (GSGS) at the University of Cologne offers two promising international doctoral candidates the opportunity to pursue a doctorate as a part of an existing coordinated research programme, including CRC1211, supervised by a Cologne Geoscientist.

Deadline for applications is 31. January, 2023.

Further information can be found through the call website.

From 2 to 16 February, fieldwork within the projects of the B-Cluster was carried out in the southern Angolan Namib. The trip was initiated to complement already existing data sets of projects B02 and B06, which were previously obtained in Namibia.

The main focus was to analyse the genetic patterns of Brinckia (Tenebrionidae) and Zygophyllum stapfi in this northernmost Namib region. In addition, we collected a number of endemic darkling beetles and silverfish in this hitherto poorly studied Angolan desert, which will expand our knowledge of the distribution and diversification of desert insects in general.

Our excursion ended successfully with valuable samples for our projects, including days full of adventure and experiences.

The team, somewhere in Angola. Left to right: Reinhard Predel, Rosa-Stella Mbulu, Vollrat von Krosigk, Alvaro Zúñiga-Reinoso, and John Irish Photo: Vollrat von Krosigk

For our achievements. Photo: Rosa Mbulu

Collecting beetles carcasses under a car carcass. Photo: Alvaro Zúñiga

Better than five stars hotel. Photo: Alvaro Zúñiga

Siesta time. Photo: Alvaro Zúñiga

The enigmatic Stylifera. Photo: Alvaro Zúñiga

The common Zygophyllum stapfi. Photo: Rosa Mbulu

The elusive Brinckia. Photo: Reinhard Predel

an opportunity for knowledge transfer, networking, and international co-operation

The threat of Covid-19 pandemic-related impediments (e.g. health issues, travel restrictions) forced the cancellation of the CRC 1211 summer school, which was originally planned to be conducted in Namibia in October/November 2022. In response to the cancellation, the IRTG (project Z05) provided an alternative opportunity for knowledge transfer, networking, and scientific debate by organising a training week. The event was conducted between 09^th and 15^th October 2022 in Koenigswinter, Germany. It was convened by Tibor Dunai and Dietmar Quandt, and organised by Joel Mohren. The training week was not only dedicated to represent a platform for interaction among the participants, but it also aimed at providing an introduction into scientific methods and state of the art science related to research conducted within the framework of CRC 1211.

Apart from including members of the CRC, efforts were made to invite students and PhD candidates affiliated to research institutions from the two focus countries of the CRC. As a result, we could welcome participants from the University of Namibia and from the universities Católica del Norte (Antofagasta) and Universidad de la Serena in Chile. The favourable conditions met at the venue promoted social interaction among the participants and may have provided the gametes for future collaboration. A great enrichment to the training week proved to be the presence of participants from outside the CRC, expanding the opportunities of scientific exchange. Apart from presenting their research, the participants who came from Namibia and Chile also shared their first-hand experiences on various research-related topics, which may help CRC members on future fieldworks and facilitate collaboration with our Chilean and Namibian partners.

Relocating the event to Germany implied a better control on disruptive factors at the expense of the general desert ambience present in Namibia. In terms of teaching, however, the conduction of the training week in Germany had positive effects on the availability of teaching capacities. The teaching aimed at including both theoretical and practical teaching blocks in the scientific fields of Bio- and Geosciences. Members of all CRC clusters prepared lectures tailored to the scopes of the training week. The participants could gain insights into the geological background, Earth surface processes and local biota associated to the Siebengebirge Volcanic Field and its vicinity during a one-day excursion led by Carsten Münker, Tibor Dunai, Julia Bechteler, and Joel Mohren. As a further scientific highlight, the conveners invited Prof Carina Hoorn from the University of Amsterdam to provide a glimpse into her research on past and present Geo-Bio feedbacks in the Amazonian region and in the Asian continental interior. In addition, the participants presented their own work on short orals during a poster session.

The training week was a great success as it did not only introduce the participants into the various research fields condensed within the domain of CRC 1211, but it also laid the foundation for future collaboration amongst the participants. Such events are vital to spread the spirit of interdisciplinarity and to establish a network between the early career scientists affiliated to the CRC and beyond, and will ultimately lead to more holistic scientific advances.

The conveners and the organiser thank all participants for showing their enthusiasm and open mindedness during the training week. Furthermore, we thank Esteban Acevedo-Trejos, Julia Bechteler, Steven Binnie, Bárbara Blanco, Dominik Brill, Patrick Grunert, Anna Hakobyan, Christine Heim, Carina Hoorn, Claudia Knief, Marcus Koch, Martin Melles, Carsten Münker, Stephanie Scheidt, Jan Schween, and Bernd Wagner for putting so many efforts in their teaching and presentations.

Author: Joel Mohren

Fig.1: Group photo. Photo: Joel Mohren / Hannah Hartung

Fig.2: Carsten Münker explains the geology of the Siebengebirge Volcanic Field. Photo: Joel Mohren

Fig.3: Martin Melles explains the sedimentary sequence of drill cores from Chile. Photo: Joel Mohren

Fig.4: Prof. Carina Hoorn (University of Amsterdam) presents her research. Photo: Joel Mohren

Fig.5: A participant presents her poster. Photo: Joel Mohren

Fig.6: The final schedule of the training week.