Baur Bruno

Subterranean fauna in rock glaciers and permafrost soils in the Swiss National Park (SNP)

Project Number: CH-6757

Project Type:	Research_Project
Project Duration:	05/01/2020 - 09/12/2023
Funding Source:	other ,
Leading Institution:	Institut Natur-, Landschafts- und Umweltschutz, Universität Basel
Project Leader:	Prof. em. Bruno Baur Im Birspark 3 4147 Aesch Phone: +41 (0) 61 701 20 39 e-Mail: bruno.baur(at)unibas.ch

related to this project.

for which the project has a relevance.

Research Areas:

PARKRESEARCH

Disciplines:

general biology

Abstract:
Ice-rich permafrost bodies are poorly studied with respect to the inhabiting invertebrate fauna. It is not known how soil-living invertebrates react to the changing habitat in alpine environments. In our project, we will focus on changes in invertebrates communities living in rock glaciers and in the surrounding permafrost soils (space-for-time approach). We will use a novel approach to survey the subterranean arthropod communities of rock glaciers in the SNP. In summer 2019, we installed eight subterranean sampling devices (SSD, a 1-m long multi-perforated PVC tube, vertically buried in the ground (mainly rocky debris), with a pitfall trap at its bottom) in the rock glacier of Val Sassa. Four of them were placed in the scree of the rock glacier, two in its foreland, and two in the lateral scree nearby the glacier. In summer 2020, we plan to extend this study by installing eight SSDs in the rock glacier of Valletta, its glacier foreland and adjacent lateral scree. The study site is along the path to the summit of Piz Quattervals. Field work will be done using the Cluozza cabin as base. We plan to run the survey until autumn 2021 (with the option for another year). We expect that the invertebrate specimens collected will provide a unique insight into the subterranean fauna in a changing high elevation habitat.


Last update: 10/5/22
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-6757

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