|
|
|
|
|
Title: Disentangling seasonal vegetation effects on ecosystem evapotranspiration and water use efficiency of a Mediterranean savannah-type oak forest (WATERFLUX)
"Efeitos sazonais da vegetação na evapotranspiração do ecossistema e eficiência do uso de água num montado da região Mediterrânica"
Summary: The aim of this project is a detailed mechanistic evaluation of the water balance and water use efficiency of a typical Mediterranean savannah-type oak woodland. The project will focus on seasonal dynamics of over- and understorey vegetation of this two-component system and on the vegetation feedbacks on water and carbon fluxes. The study will combine (1) ecosystem and understorey measurements of net CO2 and H2O fluxes with (2) an experimental approach (trenching plot design) to disentangle major vegetation effects on water and carbon processes, and (3) a modelling approach to integrate the information gained from the different scales. Partitioning of net water fluxes into their individual components will be achieved by the use of stable isotopes. This project will deliver a process-based understanding of ecosystem water cycling and water use efficiency with a particular focus on the contribution of the understorey, which will be evaluated under consideration of future climate trends. Such improved understanding will help to develop appropriate management strategies and is needed for a risk assessment of climate change impact on Mediterranean ecosystems.
Team members: Alexandra Correia, Arndt Gerald Piayda*, João Santos Pereira, Maren Dubbert*, Matthias Cuntz, Stephan Unger,Christiane Werner Pinto (PI) *German team
Financial support: Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (WE 2681/6-1)
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: CARBOWATSHRUB - Shrub encroachment: effects on carbon, nitrogen and water cycling
Invasão por arbustos: efeitos nas trocas de carbono, azoto e água
Summary: Shrub encroachment is occurring worldwide with the replacement of the herbaceous by woody cover. In Iberian Peninsula, shrubs, such as Cistus ladanifer, are expanding in oak savannas due to its stress-tolerance ability and positive response to fires. Oak savannas have a fundamental socio-economic relevance, providing numerous direct (eg cork, acorn production) and indirect ecosystem services (eg, carbon sequestration) that can be changed by shrub encroachment.
This project aims to provide information on changes in main C and N stocks along with shrub encroachment in oak woodlands. Along with these observations we are using sap flow and stable isotope techniques combined with other ecophysiological measurements to determine the effect of shrubs and rainfall on the timing and magnitude of canopy transpiration and water use efficiency on a manipulative study. The above data will be used to parameterize a model to further investigate the response of canopy transpiration to shrub encroachment.
Team members: Maria Conceiçao Caldeira (PI),
Teresa Soares David,
Catarina Moura, Joao S. Pereira (consultant)
Financial support: Fundaçao Para a Ciencia e Tecnologia
PTDC/AGR-AAM/098790/2008 (2010-2013)
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Title: IMECC - Infrastructure for Measurement of the European Carbon Cycle
"Infraestrutura para Medição do Ciclo de Carbono Europeu"
Summary: The IMECC project aims to build the infrastructure for a coordinated, calibrated, integrated and accessible dataset for characterizing the function of the European terrestrial biosphere, namely carbon balance. Such an infrastructure is necessary since the critical measurements are spatially dispersed. Their interpretation, however, relies on precise knowledge of the spatial and temporal structures of measured quantities. Thus the measurements must be of the highest quality and precisely calibrated in order to be useful. They should also be well planned, that is subject to some coordinated and targeted experimental design and should be accessible to a wide range of researchers. IMECC will deliver these services to the range of measurements within various European projects. As an added benefit, the improved measurements will also be increasingly compatible with the range of global measurements. IMECC will not only provide these services for the life of the project but will aid the development of strategies and techniques to streamline this coordination into the future.
Team members: Filipe Costa e Silva, Marjan Jongen, Xavier Lecomte, João Santos Pereira (PI)
Financial support: EU Sixth Framework Programme (2007-2011)
Webpage: http://imecc.ipsl.jussieu.fr/Infrastructures.html
POSTERS |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: Ricover - River Ricovery in SUDOE Region
"Ricover - Recuperação de Rios no SUDOE Europeu"
Summary: The project aims to define and implement (through pilot interventions) strategies and methodologies of protection and conservation of rivers SUDOE, taking into account several aspects as natural resources and biodiversity, the preservation of priority habitats and Heritage of the Natura 2000 network, the importance of rivers as ecological corridors and their contribution to the natural water cycle, not forgetting its economic value.
This project is an example of interregional cooperation between regional authorities, one technological center, one university and one enterprise, working together to develop a model of river recovery applicable to the European SUDOE region.
Team members: Carla Faria, Maria Helena Almeida
Financial support: InterReg IVB South an EU-funded programme (2009-2011)
Webpage: www.ricover.eu |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: Climate change and Mediterranean ecosystems - the effect of precipitation variability on the understory of cork oak woodlands
"As alterações climáticas e os ecossistemas mediterrânicos - efeito da variabilidade da precipitação sobre o sub-bosque no montado de sobreiro"
Summary: Using rain-out shelters, a manipulation experiment is being carried out in Machoqueira do Grou- Coruche, with varying number of precipitation events in the experimental field plots, without changing the total precipitation inputs. These manipulations will allow us to assess the responses of the herbaceous component of cork oak woodlands to a precipitation regime of more intense storms and an increasing number of dry days during the growing season. Measurements include soil nitrogen, soil respiration (carbon dioxide), photosynthesis, above- and belowground biomass and species composition.
Team members: Marjan Jongen, Xavier Lecomte, Maria Conceição Caldeira, Stephan Unger, João Santos Pereira (PI)
Financial support: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (2009-2011)
Webpage: http://www.isa.utl.pt/def/projectos/varprec
POSTERS |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Title: Quercus suber improvement for a sustainable artificial regeneration
"Melhoramento do Sobreiro para uma regeneração artificial sustentável"
Summary: The present project aims to improve the quality of cork oak germplasm used for reforestation, both at the physiological and genetical levels. In particular, it aims to strengthen our understanding of the adaptability of this species, long-term seed storage and seed production. We will integrate results from different approaches - ecophysiology, quantitative genetics and molecular biology - to assess phenotypic plasticity in drought stress and to develop seed transfer guidelines and seed procurement zones for afforestation on the basis of provenance response to changes in environmental conditions. Since a genetic improvement program must have a sustainable deployment strategy for large- scale operational planting, we will assess seed production precocity and the acorn susceptibility to fungi in a seed orchard established by grafting in 2002. This knowledge will be useful to accomplish an efficient artificial regeneration program through seed propagation.
Team members: Ana Rodrigues, Hachemi Merouani, António Correia, Carla Faria, Maria Helena Almeida (PI)
Financial support: FCT (2009-2012) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Title: Nematode induced Pine Wilt Disease - early detection of the symptoms
"Combate ao Nemátode da Madeira do Pinheiro (NMP) - Detecção precoce dos efeitos da doença do NMP"
Summary: Pine Wilt Nematode (PWN) affects the water status of infected trees, causing a decrease in plant transpiration and consequent increase of the temperature of the canopy. The temperature increase can be appreciated by thermal images. The basis for the team's work is the application of a non-destructive method for the early detection of the effects of PWN in Pinus sp., based on thermal imaging obtained from photographic cameras, video and/or aerial images. The main objectives are: a) validation of the hypothesis that it is possible to use thermography for the detection of infected trees, particularly for the early detection; b) identification and test of indexes based on thermal imaging; c) evaluation of synergies between PWN infection and other environmental stresses.
Team members: Márcia Santos, Sofia Cerasoli, João Santos Pereira (PI)
Financial support: Fundo Florestal Permanente (FFP) / IFAP (Instituto de Financiamento da Agricultura e Pescas, I.P.) (2009-2013) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: REINFFORCE - Resource INFrastructures for monitoring, adapting and protecting European Atlantic FORests under Changing climatE
"Infra-estruturas de recurso para monitorização, adaptação e protecção da floresta Atlântica Europeia contra as alterações climáticas"
Summary: The purpose of this project is to pool capacity of 12 institutes to face a transnational issue that is adaptation to climate change impacts on atlantic forests. Thanks to this project we will set up tools for monitoring climate change and its impact on the Atlantic coast and demonstrate efficiency of adaptive measures. It is organized in 5 main activities with several actions: a) A preparation phase to review the exiting devices, species and knowledge, and set up protocols for devices establishment and data collection, b) A coordination task for administrative and technical evaluation of the work implemented, c) A network of arboretum to anticipate the climate change on exiting species by moving them into other climatic conditions (33 arboretum); d) A network of demonstration stands to compare silviculture as usual with other adaptive measures (about 32); e) A harmonised data collection process and shared online databases to monitor growth, health, and biological life cycles in Atlantic forest.
Team members: Ana Rodrigues, António Correia, Carla Faria, Maria Helena Almeida
Financial support: INTERREG IVB - Espaço Atlântico (2008-2012)
Webpage: http://www.iefc.net/ |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: PT-LYPTUS - Eucalyptus genetic improvement for pulp and energy production
"Melhoramento genético do eucalipto para produção de pasta e energia"
Summary: This project was conceived in co-promotion by RAIZ, Aliança Florestal and Instituto Superior de Agronomia. The main objective is to develop, supply and monitor best-adapted Eucalyptus genetic material to the Portuguese edafo-climatic conditions, in order increase the productivity of wood material, pulp and renewable energy, with a minimum environmental impact and reduction of biotic and abiotic risk factors.
Team members: Carla Faria, Hachemi Merouani, Maria Helena Almeida
Financial support: QREN |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: Phenotypic plasticity of maritime pine to climate change
"Plasticidade fenotípica do pinheiro bravo a alterações climáticas"
Summary: Changes in the amount and distribution of annual rainfall are expected to occur in the near future and may affect forest trees in many ways. In the present study we intend to evaluate the impact of two precipitation scenarios, a wet and dry year by the standards of late 21st century, on distinct Pinus pinaster populations from the main genetic groups. Phenotypic plasticity of survival, growth, phenology, water use efficiency and protein expression will be evaluated in these populations exposed to current and future precipitation regimes in a field trial. These results will be complemented with the information on populations growth in source locations, inferred by dendrochronology (tree-ring width and density). These time series will be used in regional climate model simulations, contributing to project future changes in climate scenarios, and to estimate the impacts of climate change on the potential distribution of Pinus pinaster.
Team members: João Santos Pereira (consultor), Maria Helena Almeida, Teresa Soares David, Maria Joao Gaspar, Carla Faria, Isabel Correia Esteves (PI)
Financial support: FCT (2010-2013) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Title: ICOS - Integrated Carbon Observation System
"Rede integrada de monitorização do carbono"
Summary: ICOS is a European Research Infrastructure for quantifying and understanding the greenhouse balance of the European continent and adjacent regions. ICOS aims to build a network of standardize, long-term, high precision integrated of green-house gas concentration and fluxes in the atmosphere, ocean terrestrial ecosystems. Our research group belongs to the promoters of ICOS for their experience in eddy covariance measurements in terrestrial ecosystems (CARBOEUROPE, IMECC) in collaboration with other national institutions (Instituto Superior Técnico, Prof. Gabriel Pita; Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos, Dr. Abel Rodrigues).
Team members: J.S. Pereira is National Focal Point for ICOS in Portugal, Sofia Cerasoli is member of ICOS experts panel for terrestrial ecosystems.
Webpage: http://www.icos-infrastructure.eu |
| |
|
|
|
|
|