Outreach

June 2013: biomet in the press

Following a press release prepared by Gabriele Rampl (Scinews), reports on our research on mountain grasslands and in particular about our recent paper on the effects of changes in snow melt on mountain grassland carbon dioxide source/sink strength have appeared in several newspapers (WienerZeitung, Standardonline, Salzburger Nachrichten) and media (ipoint of the University of Innsbruck, ORFonScience, Innovationsreport, APAScience, zukunft forschung).

March 2013: Teaching stomatal conductance

Within the TeefürPUK project we have today hosted a class from the Reithmanngymnasium in order to introduce the pupils into leaf gas exchange. Georg discussed with the pupils the basics of leaf CO2 and water vapour exchange and in particular strategies of plants involved in the regulation of stomatal conductance. Then pupils could get a hands-on experience with the Decagon porometers measuring stomatal conductance on a reference group of plants, drought-stressed plants and plants kept in the dark (simulating nighttime). Finally, results obtained by the pupils were discussed and related to the importance of stomatal conductance in regulating the water cycle and near-surface climate and the implications of changing environmental conditions.

March 2013: StartClim 2011 wrap-up

StartClim 2011, to which we, together with Stefan Mayr from the Institute of Botany, contributed a project component on the response of transpiration of Austrian tree species to drought has been officially closed this week with a press release (APA1, APA2, APA3).

December 2012: Eduard Wallnöfer Anerkennungspreis 2012

Albin and Georg received the Eduard Wallnöfer Anerkennungspreis 2012 for their project GrassClim Next Generation – see the corresponding press release:

April 2012: biomet on TV

Stefanie Hörbst and Felix Spielmann did measurements as part of a course at the University of Innsbruck comparing air temperatures in urban and rural environments. They had the opportunity to explain their work to a wider audience during their appearance in the Tirol Heute weather forecast! Here’s a video and some pictures: