WORK PACKAGES

In each site of ECOMONT comparative and complementary multidisciplinary integrated ecosystem studies will be conducted on differently managed ecosystems (meadows, pastures, abandoned areas, dwarf shrub communities and forests). Figures 2a and 2b show the conceptual scheme of the research project ECOMONT, indicating the 6 different sites along the two European transects, the 12 work packages carried out in composite experimental sites and the contributing 8 partner teams. The following research topics, will be investigated:

1. Spatial distribution of vegetation and soil in the composite experimental sites
2. Physical and chemical soil properties, SOM status and turnover
3. Canopy structure, primary production
4. Water relations of ecosystems and catchment areas
5. Microclimate, energy budget of ecosystems
6. Gas exchange of single plants and ecosystems
7. Gas exchange between the composite experimental sites and the atmosphere
8. Population and plant biological studies
9. Potential risks through land-use changes
10. Geographical Information System (GIS)
11. Remote sensing
12. Modelling activities integrating from the plant level to the ecosystem and landscape level.

ECOMONT aims at two different basic approaches: a landscape ecological approach, including investigations of the vegetation dynamics, soil properties and agricultural ecology along different successional stages from intensively managed to abandoned areas; secondly, an integrated ecosystem approach including analyses of selected succesional stages within the composite experimental sites of ECOMONT. As a contribution to the landscape ecological approach the spatial distribution of vegetation and soil within the composite experimental sites will be mapped (work package no1). On the basis of this landscape ecological approach, in selected successional stages (ecosystems under different land-use) detailed analyses of the physical and chemical soil properties (work package no 2), of the canopy structure (work package no 3), of the hydrological balance (work package no 4) and of the energy budget of the ecosystems (work package no 5) will be conducted. The integrated ecosystem approach aims at examining in detail how changes in canopy structure are connected with species composition and performance, and to understand the influence of land-use changes on soil organic matter (SOM) status and turnover, on biogeochemical (CO₂, N) and hydrological processes at the ecosystem level, and on the exchange processes between the ecosystems and the lower layers of the atmosphere, additional work packages are intended. These work packages will be concentrated at the three pilot areas "Monte Bondone", "Passeier Valley" and "Stubai Valley" (see fig. 2a), but some will also operate at the other sites (see fig. 2b). Following a bottom up approach the gas exchange (CO₂, H₂O, and related trace gases) of single plants, functional groups and ecosystems (work package no 6) will be analysed by complementary contributions of the partner teams no1, no 4 and no 7. Partner no 1 (University of Innsbruck, A) and no 4 (EAB-Bozen, I) will analyse the gas exchange of the grassland and dwarf shrub ecosystems and partner no 7 (PSI, ETH-Zürich, CH) of forests. Partner no 7 will also take over the determination of the ¹³C isotope ratio in order to characterize the long term carbon water relationship.

Main Programme Modules

Figure 2a: Conceptual Scheme of the transect Trentino - South Tyrol - North Tyrol.

Figure 2b: Conceptual Scheme of the transect Scotland - Switzerland - Spain

Back