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Chile field campaign 2024 of B01 and B07

Between March 9 to March 31, 2024, Dietmar Quandt (University of Bonn), Julia Bechteler (University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, now LMU Munich), Eric Stein (University of Heidelberg) and Lara Iaboli (University of Bonn, now LMU Munich) were in the Atacama in Chile for joint fieldwork of subprojects B01 and B07.

The team checked and re-measured the Huidobria fruticosa individuals in the 2022 established coastal transect north of Paposo. It was great to see that most of the plants were in good shape and had grown in size and volume since the last year. A further transect for this plant species could be established for comparative analyses in the vicinity of San Pedro de Atacama, which is influenced by Andean environmental conditions.

Almost 160 Huidobria fruticosa individuals were genotyped and phenotyped along an almost 6 km long transect. The team also focused on the other CRC1211 wide study organism Tillandsia landbeckii. Tasks included the download and digital archiving of the climate data recorded over the last year (2023/2024) from the climate stations in the study fields close to Caldera and Arica. In the study site close to Iquique the team sampled plant material for growth experiments under controlled environmental conditions at the University of Heidelberg.

Furthermore, the team obtained drilling cores of three dunes formed by died off Tillandsia landbeckii individuals to better understand spatial and temporal distribution patterns of Tillandsia dune ecosystems. The cores will be analysed by an interdisciplinary team of geologists and botanists from the University of Cologne, University of Bonn and University of Heidelberg. The support by our local collaboration partners Alexandra Stoll (CEAZA La Serena) and Eduardo Campos (Universidad Católica del Norte Antofagasta) was again excellent and the team greatly acknowledges their contributions to this successful and inspiring research field campaign.

 

Potential sites for a Huidobria fruticosa
The team checking out potential sites for a Huidobria fruticosa transect in the Andean region close to San Pedro de Atacama
Photo:
Julia Bechteler

  Flower of a Huidobria fruticosa
Flower of a Huidobria fruticosa
Photo:
Julia Bechteler

 

Huidobria fruticosa in the newly established transect
Huidobria fruticosa in the newly established transect close to San Pedro de Atacama
Photo:
Julia Bechteler

  Eric and Lara sampling and measuring a Huidobria fruticosa
Eric and Lara sampling and measuring a Huidobria fruticosa
Photo:
Dietmar Quandt

 

A stunning rainbow after rain and thunderstorm in San Pedro de Atacama
A stunning rainbow after rain and thunderstorm in San Pedro de Atacama
Photo:
Eric Stein

  Digging out a drilling core of a dead Tillandsia landbeckii dune
Digging out a drilling core of a dead Tillandsia landbeckii dune
Photo:
Julia Bechteler

 

Drilling core done…
Drilling core done…
Photo:
Julia Bechteler

  Tillandsia landbeckii field close to Iquique
Tillandsia landbeckii field close to Iquique
Photo:
Julia Bechteler

 

Dietmar is downloading data from the climate station in the Caldera Tillandsia field
Dietmar is downloading data from the climate station in the Caldera Tillandsia field
Photo:
Eric Stein

  Eric is reading out one of the CRC-wide climate stations
Eric is reading out one of the CRC-wide climate stations in the Tillandsia landbeckii field nearby Arica
Photo:
Lara Iaboli

International Field School on Biodiversity Genomics at the Dry Limit, September 2023

In a collaborative effort between the Universidad de Chile (represented by Prof. Dr. Miguel Allende and his team from the Center of Genome Regulation) and the University of Cologne (the team of the CRC1211 project B08), the International Field School on Biodiversity Genomics at the Dry Limit brought together a diverse group of scientists, students, and local stakeholders in San Pedro de Atacama from the 24th to the 30th of September 2023. The aim was to train methods and exchange knowledge on the complexities of genomic diversity, particularly in extreme environments such as the Atacama Desert, and to foster collaboration between international researchers and local communities.

 

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The main aspects of the field school were training and knowledge transfer. Therefore, 18 researchers from seven different institutions in Germany and Chile and 18 students from Germany, Chile, and Colombia participated to facilitate a productive exchange. The program included a comprehensive overview of the biodiversity genomics methodological process, covering sample collection, DNA isolation, library preparation, whole-genome sequencing and data analysis. Participating students, ranging from undergraduates to PhD students, gained hands-on experience through field trips, laboratory work, data analysis and gained insights into the genomic basis of adaptive traits across different taxa.

Recognizing the critical importance of building early awareness and understanding of biodiversity in the local community, the field school expanded its outreach to schools in San Pedro. Students from Licéo Lican Antay de San Pedro and the school of Taconao joined the field school for excursions and field work. For laboratory work, they provided their biology laboratory facilities at the San Pedro school, enabling a unique and valuable exchange between pupils, students, and scientists. This initiative not only benefited local students but also provided university students with experience in teaching and effective science communication.

The field school participants went on excursions with the indigenous community Lican Antay de Taconao to locations in the Atacama Desert that bear a traditional and spiritual importance to the community. These excursions allowed the group to understand indigenous traditions, spiritual values, and conservation activities. Representatives from CONAF (Corporación Nacional Forestal) also participated, highlighting the conservation efforts and regulations in the area. The interaction and dialogue between scientists, the indigenous community and CONAF led to a mutual understanding of each other's activities and fostered a common interest in preserving the unique ecosystem.

The International Field School on Biodiversity Genomics at the Dry Limit has established a strong foundation for future research in the Atacama Desert, that is transparent and beneficial to all stakeholders. This field school has set the stage for ongoing partnerships to access, share, and interpret FAIR data. The outcomes of this initiative promise a positive impact on biodiversity conservation, scientific understanding, and community engagement in the Atacama region.



Gallery 1
Gallery 1: Teaching. Hands-on experience in laboratory work and interactive lectures for participants and local students. Places: Licéo Lican Antay de San Pedro and Hostel in San Pedro (lectures).

  Gallery 2
Gallery 2: Field trips and sampling. Trips to unique locations with participants and students from local school. Demonstration and hands-on practice of different sampling techniques. Exchange with representatives from CONAF and the indigenous community Lican Antay de Taconao.

 

 

 

 

XVI Congreso Geológico Chileno 2023

CRC 1211 participated with a large special session ‘Evolution de la Tierra en el Límite Árido’, at the XVI CONGRESO GEOLÓGICO CHILENO 2023, with three oral blocks over two days, and a poster session. The conference participation by many members of the CRC was very fruitful for scientific exchange and establishing/fostering scientific contacts with Chilean colleagues of all career levels.



XVI Congreso Geológico Chileno 2023
XVI Congreso Geológico Chileno 2023

  XVI Congreso Geológico Chileno 2023
Meeting with the Geological Survey of Chile (Sernageomin).

 

 

 

 

Summer School 2023

In August 2023, 15 MSc/PhD students from various Southern African countries joint the FRAMe (SASSCAL, BMBF) initiated Summer School “A phylogenetics training workshop” at the Namib Research Institute Gobabeb, which was supported by the CRC1211. The one-week Summer School aimed at introducing the rapidly developing methods in the field of modern biodiversity research, both in the laboratory and at the computer. Sources of information treated ranged from Sanger sequences, through genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approaches, to single molecule real time (SMRT) sequencing and beyond. Thus, the participants gained a fundamental understanding of molecular evolutionary processes governing changes in DNA sequences, and developed skills in the application of this information to phylogenetic, biogeographic and evolutionary questions.

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Members of the B-cluster (Julia Bechtler (RPTU; GER), Terry Hedderson (UCT; RSA), Dietmar Quandt (UoB, GER)), designed a week of training that included exposure of the participants to the theoretical background as well as to practical training using the newly established molecular lab at Gobabeb (wet lab) and the latest software available (dry lab). The program benefited from lectures and student interactions of collaborative partners, such as Ezekeil Kwembeya & Ezequiel Fabiano (both UNAM; NAM), Jim Leebens-Mack (UGA; USA), Eshchar Mizrachi (UP/FABI; NAM) and Eugene Marais (Gobabeb; NAM). Not to mention the great organization and support by Gillian Maggs-Kölling (Gobabeb; NAM) and the Gobabeb - Namib Research Institute and its facilities.

 

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Irrigation experiment of B02 and Z03 in August 2023

In August 2023, members of subprojects Z03 and B02 conducted a comprehensive field irrigation experiment in the Paposo area. The experiment took place on top of an alluvial fan surface, where previous investigations of subproject B02 showed the presence of three species of the rain-depended darkling beetle of the genus Gyriosomus after the 2017 El Niño rainfall period (cf. Zúñiga-Reinoso et al., 2019). The experiment was carried out in cooperation with subprojects B04 and B08 and aimed at provoking ecosystem response to different precipitation amounts and at defining thresholds for each species of Gyriosomus to activate the metamorphosis and develop adult specimen as previously observed. Altogether eight plots of 5x4 m size were irrigated with demineralized water using a portable irrigation device designed by Z03. The different plots received 0 mm, 20 mm (20 l/m2), 40 mm (40 l/m2) and 60 mm (20 l/m2) rainfall between 22nd and 29th August 2023, thus simulating a 8 day-long rainfall period. After the experiment, the fenced plots were equipped with pitfall traps in order to collect only those epigean insects that eclosed due to the irrigation. Pre- and post-irrigation soil samples were taken for analysis of nematode (B08) and microbial (B04) activity, and the plots are further monitored by soil moisture sensors and time lapse cameras in order to reconstruct timing and extent of irrigation-triggered soil moisture and plant growth. Post-irrigation monitoring and insect collection will continue for 3 months after irrigation.

 

Delivery of 8000 l water to the experimental site
Delivery of 8000 l water to the experimental site
Photo:
M.May

  The experimental field
The experimental field included 8 fenced plots, soil moisture loggers and a meteorological station
Photo: M. May

 

Delivery of 8000 l water to the experimental site
Artificial rainfall
Photo:
M.May

  Artificial rainfall
Waiting for the rain to stop...
Photo:
M.May

 

Developing plant cover
Developing plant cover ~1 week after irrigation started
Photo:
R. Predel

  Flowering plants on a 60 mm plot
Flowering plants on a 60 mm plot ~5 weeks after last irrigation
Photo:
A. Jara

 

Gyriosomus camanchaca
Gyriosomus camanchaca found on a 40 mm plot ~1 month after last irrigation
Photo:
A. Jara

  The irrigation group
The irrigation group during after-work-BBQ (M. May = inlay)
Photo:
M. May

 

Desert rainfall - some impressions
Video:
M. May

The Gobabeb molecular lab has been launched

The molecular lab at Gobabeb – Namib Research Institute was established (in August 2023) with support of the CRC1211 and as an initiative of the Nees Institute for Plant Biodiversity, University of Bonn, and the CRC-B-cluster.

The present molecular facilities will enable collaborators and students to process biological samples starting from DNA/RNA-isolation to DNA/RNA-amplification, including quality control and documentation via agarose gel electrophoresis. We are glad that the functionality of the new molecular facilities could be successfully tested during the Summer School 2023 (see separate news item) at Gobabeb.

 

 

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  Lab

 

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Contact

  Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Tibor J. Dunai
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy | University of Cologne
Zülpicher Str. 49b | 50674 Cologne
+49 (0)221 470-3229 | tdunai@uni-koeln.de
   
  Managing Director:
Christian Tiede
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy | University of Cologne

Zülpicher Str. 49b | 50674 Cologne
+49 (0)221 470-89833 | christian.tiede@uni-koeln.de

 _

  Co-Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Martin Melles
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy | University of Cologne

Zülpicher Str. 49a | 50674 Cologne
+49 (0)221 470-2262 | mmelles@uni-koeln.de
   
  Scientific Coordinator:
Dr. Benedikt Ritter
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy | University of Cologne

Zülpicher Str. 49b | 50674 Cologne
+49 (0)221 470-89868 | benedikt.ritter@uni-koeln.de

 _

  Co-Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Dietmar Quandt
Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants | University of Bonn

Meckenheimer Allee 170 | 53115 Bonn
+49 (0)228 73-3315 | quandt@uni-bonn.de
   
  Webmaster:
Tim Schlüter
Institute of Geography | University of Cologne

Otto-Fischer-Str. 4 | 50674 Cologne
+49 (0)221 470-3735 | webmaster@sfb1211.de
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