CLIMED

"Climate Change, Water and Productivity in the Mediterranean: Capacity Building for Geospatial Modelling"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The aim of this research is capacity building through exchanging young scientist to estimate both hydrological and rates of biogeochemical cycling in order to test hypotheses on the relationship between climate change and ecosystem productivity in the Mediterranean environment. Remotely sensed-data, GIS and process-based simulation models have provided the capability to assess ecological change at broad spatio-temporal scales. The proposed exchange programme can be considered as a chance of connecting the hydrology and the remote sensing communities from Europe and US to develop tools for understanding of climate change consequences using geospatial technologies. The requested EU exchange project pursues a clear application and enables to transfer expertise from science into practice and on the other hand the mutual exchange of knowledge between research groups from Turkey, Germany, England and US. The major focus of the project using geospatial technologies is in two folds: i) Climate change and water management and modelling; Water scarcity and management is a cross-cutting issue in the world. This is especially true in the Mediterranean region where water resources are limited and water issues are the most urgent. Modelling the water, solute and erosion dynamics will be done by means of the J2000 physically based system which will be supported by GIS-analysis and remote sensing; ii) Climate change and the ecosystem productivity; The main steps are, a) Classification, quantification and analysis of land-use, b) Collection of inputs (climate, soil and biotic data) for simulation models, c) Quantification of C-N budgets and simulation of temperature rise scenarios. These topics are interdisciplinary in nature and involve processes that are relevant to biophysical ecology, biogeography, and climate. To study these topics, the research relies heavily on remote sensing, biophysical models of land-atmosphere energy exchange, GIS and statistical methods.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Sitting at the juncture between marine and continental climates, the Turkey eastern Mediterranean region has high mountains and vast semi-arid plains. Researchers identified best strategies for halting the decline of local ecosystems in the area.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The CLIMED project investigated both hydrological and biochemical cycling rates to determine the relationship between climate change and ecosystem productivity. It used remotely sensed data, geographic information systems (GIS) and process-based simulation models to assess ecological changes over time and space at a large scale.

Researchers modelled the current and future dynamics of the net primary productivity (NPP) and hydrology of the Seyhan River Basin on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. CLIMED's aim was to produce a highly detailed case study connecting hydrology with vegetation structure and function in a Mediterranean mountain catchment.

Project partners developed two sets of tools based on geospatial technologies for understanding climate change. Water scarcity is a particular challenge in the Mediterranean region where resources are limited. The first set of tools focused on climate change and water management, and modelled water, and solute and erosion dynamics supported by GIS analysis and remote sensing.

The second group of tools linked climate change and ecosystem productivity by quantifying and analysing land use, and collecting climate, soil and biological data. Researchers also quantified carbon and nitrogen budgets, and carried out simulations of temperature rise scenarios.

Data was generated from 45 climate stations in the study area and applied to a regional climate model for the year 2070. The model was used to predict precipitation, evapotranspiration and run-off generation. The monthly NPP flux, defined as net fixation of carbon dioxide by vegetation, was also determined.

CLIMED also built research capacity through the exchanging of young scientists. This resulted in valuable links between the hydrology and remote sensing communities in England, Germany, Turkey and the United States.

The tools developed by CLIMED will therefore help to increase understanding of the consequences of climate change on ecosystems in the eastern Mediterranean.