date: Fri, 18 May 2001 10:16:15 +0200
from: "MARCO BORGHETTI" <qkkbor@tin.it>
subject: R: treeline proposal
to: <Frank.Berninger@Helsinki.fi>, "Keith Briffa" <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>, <t.m.melvin@uea.ac.uk>, <jgrace@srv0.bio.ed.ac.uk>, <pertti.Hari@Helsinki.fi>, <enikinma@silvia.helsinki.fi>, <emilia@PORTHOS.BIO.UB.ES>, <cescatti@cealp.it>, <koerner@ubaclu.unibas.ch>, <Stephan.Haettenschwiler@unibas.ch>, <federico@imgpf.fi.cnr.it>

Dear Frank

It seems to me that some quite defined topics could emerge in the proposal,
i.e.:

a) sensitivity (vulnerability) to climate change of both basic processes and
growth trends. This topic could allow to clearly state and validate
hypotheses on differential responses and patterns going on in different
climate  (continental vs atlantic vs Mediterranean, positive vs negative
responses, processes involved (assimilation, C-utilization, duration of the
vegetative period, etc : some of the ideas of the old EIFEL proposal as you
should remember). Methods applied by  different groups seem to span usefully
from ecophysiology to tree ring analysis and modelling. The idea of using
tree lines as 'phytometers' is implicit: worth trying to sell it !

b ) reconstruction of tree lines. This can of course be done at different
time and spatial scale. Eg. using fossil data is suitable in boreal (artic)
but much less  in Mediterrenean  alpine conditions. Everywhere we could use
TM diachronic images across the last 25 years, that could be coupled with
tree ring analysis and quite easily result into a GIS representation.
Involment of Russian scientists could allow to build up a very nice large
scale representation. Also in this case I think we could try to state
clearly the working hypotheses: changes in the duration of vegetative
periods across the last decades could be assessed and also, as Ch Korner
suggests, some simple aspects community dynamics
(conifer/broadleaves composition changes, etc.). I understand some group
have permanent plots (long-term ?) information and this could be of great
importance.

I agree with you and Ch Korner that C stuff is a marginal point in the next
EC call and other projects are dealing with this matter. However changes in
leaf area index at tree line  could  have feed-backs effects (as you wrote
down) both on the sensitivity of trees
to climate and on soil C content. We simply pointed out that in
Mediterranean conditions community dynamics at tree lines and edaphic
conditions (soil organic matter content) could heavily interact and we
proposed  to measure soil
respiration across a gradient from the closed forest canopy to isolated
trees. No problem to  agree that
that it coud be better to refrain from talking too much about carbon in this
proposal.

It is not clear to me if we plant to include human effects and try to build
up a broader scenario of tree (timber) line. Thi is surely  relevant in
Mediterranean regions but quite hard to do and I understand no group is
particularly strong on this.

For the meeting we go for July but we could also interact easily by e-mail
and go for a meeting at the end of the summer (end of September/beginning of
October). Basel is ok for us.

All the best

Marco
-------------------------
Marco Borghetti
Dipartimento di Produzione Vegetale
Universita' della Basilicata
via N. Sauro 85
85100 Potenza, I

tel  0971 202171 - 202167
tel  0348 3162264
fax 0971 202269
----- Original Message -----
From: Frank Berninger <Frank.Berninger@Helsinki.fi>
To: Keith Briffa <k.briffa@uea.ac.uk>; <t.m.melvin@uea.ac.uk>;
<jgrace@srv0.bio.ed.ac.uk>; <pertti.Hari@Helsinki.fi>;
<frank.berninger@Helsinki.fi>; <enikinma@silvia.helsinki.fi>;
<emilia@PORTHOS.BIO.UB.ES>; <cescatti@cealp.it>; <koerner@ubaclu.unibas.ch>;
<Stephan.Haettenschwiler@unibas.ch>; <borghetti@unibas.it>;
<federico@imgpf.fi.cnr.it>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 4:40 PM
Subject: treeline proposal


> Dear Colleagues.
>
> A bit of news.
>
> First I got positive replies from all persons I contacted on the
> treeline proposal.
>
> A bit of  summary, please correct me if I am wrong...
>
> Barcelona Emilia Gutierrez is currently working on population structure
> of the treeline in the Pyrenees.
>
> Basel Christian Krner / Stephan Hattenschwiler  working on different
> aspects of treelines (I understood mostly from a plot based
> ecological/ecophysiological approach) Have carbon enrichment experiments
> at the treeline. Working also on biodiversity and CO2 questions.
>
> East Anglia /Keith Briffa / Tom Melvin Could do Treering analysis and
> climate data extraction and downscaling from GCMs.
>
> Alessandro Cescatti (Instituto de Ecologia Alpina). Has access to GIS
> data, modelling and ecophysiological data.
>
> Marco Borghetti / Federico Magnani Modelling, ecophysiological work
> Carbon sequestration (Marco please note that the call for proposals is
> not on carbon sequestration, i..e. C sequestration can be an extra but
> not a major topic.)
>
> Edinburgh/  John Grace ecophysiology and plant sociology.
>
> Helsinki /  others and me, tree line changes, ecophysiology , growth
> variation + trends + modelling.
>
> There were a few proposals on other partners. I will come back to these
> a bit later. I would think that a group of 10 partners is somehow
> managable but I should investigate what to do.
>
> I think that basically the problem is that the group now should be
> strong on trees, but we do not have a to good coverage of how
> biodiversity of treeline ecosystems could change (i.e. few of us have
> good access to good plant sociologists).
>
> Another issue is that I would think that there is pressure in Brussels
> to accept project that involve participants eastern middle Europe.
>
> How to go on:
>
> There is the question if we should have a meeting. I could organise a
> meeting either in Helsinki or in Brussels. If we want the meeting
> somewhere else I would need somebody to volunteer. There is plenty of
> time, but I understood that Southern Europeans are on hollidays in
> August and norther Europeans in July., so we are two months at half
> force. I can organize the conference room, but probably not support your
> trips. The other possibility would be that I try to find fundint to
> visit some of you (not all in August / September). Please tell me what
> you want!
>
> I would try to send a 2 page summary to Brussels for prereview in early
> june. (A kind of possibilitty to get comments  from DGXII)
>
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> --
> _________________________________________
> Frank Berninger (Doc. PhD)
> Research fellow
> Department of Forest Ecology
> POBOX 27 00014 University of Helsinki
> Finland
> Tel +358 9 191 58134
> Fax +358 9 191 58100
> ****************************************
>
>

