„Cryptogamic communities and their role in a changing climate” | Bettina Weber | Cryptogamic communities (CC) consist of lichens, bryophytes, algae and cyanobacteria, associated with a wealth of microfungi, archaea, and bacteria. They cover soil, rocks and the bark of trees and occur in nearly all biomes around the word. During my talk, I will introduce you to the hidden world of CC. I will illustrate the effect of global change on the biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes operated by CC, but also show that CC themselves affect the regional and even global climate.
“Groundwater in Climate Change” | Steffen Birk | Groundwater sustains ecosystems and provides the majority of drinking water in many countries. As opposed to surface water, groundwater usually responds more slowly to changes in the water cycle, making impacts of climate change less obvious. Using examples from Austria, this talk aims to illustrate how groundwater systems function and how they may be affected by changes in the water cycle.
This event for scientific exchange within the Field of Excellence is meant to be a Brown Bag Talk. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.