Pictures added below for the expedition in Guadeloupe

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International regulations for plant samples exchange and transfer between collaborators

We discussed this topic during the kick off meeting, the following document deals with all procedures to access and transfer biological material (genetic resources and biochemicals), that we have to be aware of, in respect of the international conventions.

This document (click here) is in French, will keep posted if an English version is produced.

There is also a software Gene-PI to help write agreements between countries for transfer of biological material.

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Recent article on:

Desiccation tolerance and global change: implications for tropical bryophytes in Lowland Forests, from Pardow & Lakatos (2012) in Biotropica.

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Net Biome Final Conference online

This conference was held at the Hotel Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel - 61 Quai de Grenelle 75015 Paris on the 15th and 16th of February 2012.

Proceedings of the conference

Net Biome Final Results booklet gives an overview of this 1st Net Biome call, the assessment and results  of the call

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Field Trip on La Soufrière volcano: 1-9 June 2012

MOVECLIM expedition in Guadeloupe from June 2^nd to 9^th 2012

The team included six people: Claudine Ah Peng and Olivier Flores (University of La Réunion), team leaders, Terry Hedderson (University of Cape Town), Juergen Kluge (University of Marburg), Jean-François Bernard and Elisabeth Lavocat Bernard (scientific council of the National Botanical Conservatory of Guadeloupe) as local partners.

The expedition consisted in establishing permanents plots for long term monitoring and characterizing bryophytes and ferns diversity along an altitudinal gradient on the Eastern slope of the volcano La Soufrière (1470 m) with elevational steps of 200 m, the lower step at 300 m and the higher at 1450 m.

From 450 m until 1450 m the plots were located in the National Park of Guadeloupe which issued our collecting permit.

Pix:  Transect study sites of La Soufrière volcano on Basse Terre (map O. Flores)

Elisabeth and Jean-François did a preliminary investigation for finding the plots in April and May, except for the plot 1050 m, which was a clusietum area (Clusia sp.) and needed to be discussed with collaborators to determine the site. Temperature and relative humidity loggers were set up on each studied plot and started at a recording time of every hour.

The climatic data will be, then recorded every six months by the National Park agents.

Friday June 1^st

At the airport welcoming of the participants by Lisa, fetching of the rental car and drive to the rented house in Capesterre Belle Eau (Basse Terre).

Saturday June 2^nd:

Plots at 650 m in the second Carbet Fall area, in a native rainforest.

Pix 1: Carbet Fall 

Pix 2: 650 m plot

Pix 3: Vegetation type at 650 m

Sunday June 3^rd:

Plots at 850 m just below the first Carbet Fall, cloud forest with smaller trees with many epiphytes (bryophytes, ferns, bromeliaceae, orchids…) hanging from the branches.

Pix 4: Vegetation type at 850 m plots

Pix 5: Epiphytic Lepidozia reptens

Pix 6: Epiphylls, Lejeuneaceae ssp.

Monday June 4^th:

Plots at 1450 m near the summit of La Soufrière and plots at 1250 m at the Pass of L’Échelle, just below the volcano with low-shrub vegetation.

Pix 7: Sphagnum sp.

Pix 8: Populations of Sphagnum sp on La Soufrière massif.

Pix 9: Pitcairnia sp.

Pix 10: Rhacocarpus purpurescens

Tuesday June 5^th:

Plots at 1050 m in the clusietum. Moving around in this plot was difficult  due to dense low shrub vegetation, not easily penetrable.

Pix 11: In the Clusia sp. bush

Wednesday June 6^th

Resting and curating specimens

Thursday June 7^th

Plots at 450 m, just above third Carbet Fall, rainforest. At this elevational level, the National Park partners were informed to the usage of the loggers as it was planned in the Moveclim project.

In the evening, a meeting was held with the National Park partners where we discussed the project. Work of each partner was clarified as well as the most appropriate mode of involvement of National Park of Guadeloupe in this project.

Pix 12: Olivier & Alain, using the laser distance meter to measure the tree height

Pix 13: Vegetation type at 450 m

Pix 14: Setting up the plot of 10 X10 m

Friday 8^th

Plots at 300 m, relatively slightly modified rain forest, on rocky soil. This plot is not located in the National Park area.

Pix 15: Vegetation type at 300 m

Saturday 9^th

Departure to Paris and preparation of the kick off meeting.

Dr Alain Rousteau (University of Antilles Guyane) and Marion his PhD student were with us the last two days for collecting data about the vegetation structure of the plots (canopy height, tree species identification and diameter). Hervé Magnin (National Park of Guadeloupe) and his collaborator joined on a midday trip.

A very nice weather, a good understanding and cooperation between the partners with a very nice and friendly atmosphere made this mission very pleasant and successful as all sampling was efficiently done!

Authors: Elisabeth Lavocat Bernard and Jean-François Bernard

Photographs: C. Ah-Peng & E. Lavocat-Bernard

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Monday 11th June: Kick off meeting in Paris

at the National Museum of Natural History (Paris Vè)

The kick off meeting was hosted by Jacques Bardat in Paris, were present (left to right):
Philippe Feldman, Lisa Lavocat, Terry Hedderson, Rosalina Gabriel,  Jacques Bardat, Claudine Ah-Peng, Olivier Flores, Juergen Kluge & Samir Ait-Amar (not on the picture).

We had a fruitful day of presentations and discussion of the project from 8.30 am to 6 pm.

A report of this meeting will be sent to all collaborators.

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