2007_1111MissionSanLuis0142, originally uploaded by deniseakob.
Eva was in the US for 3 months this fall and we had a great time! Please check out the photos on my Flickr site to see all of our adventures!

On Monday, I tagged along on a sample collection trip to a Fen with a few of Kirsten's graduate students.......in case you are wondering "what is a Fen? "....

Well, according to Wikipedia: "a fen is a type of wetland fed by alkaline, mineral-rich groundwater and characterized by a distinctive flora. Fens are often confused with bogs, which are fed primarily by rainwater and often inhabited by sphagnum moss, making them acidic. Like other wetlands, fens will ultimately fill in and become a terrestrial community such as a woodland through the process of ecological succession."

The fen Schloeppnerbrunnen, located in northern Bavaria, is the site of a collaborative ecological study composed of 6 test areas. The purpose of the study is to look at microbial processes in the context of global climate change (for more detailed info check the link below).

A view of the entrance to the Schloeppnerbrunnen fen site:


All of the monitoring equipment is run by solar power and can maintain the equipment for up to 5 days without sunlight:


What we were here to collect...sediment cores (0-40 cm):


Some of the flora and fauna I saw....

a lizard...

a small creek with Sphagnum moss...


...and there is more on the Flickr site (just click on any photo above).

Click here to reidrect to Kirsten's website and information about the fen research: Peatlands

BUGA '07 = Bundesgartenschau 2007

Located in the cities Gera and Ronneburg within the state of Thuringia this is a 6 month long garden show that changes locations each year.

You may remember that Ronneburg is the same site that we collected samples for uranium-conatamination experiments! The photos posted will show a sign for Wismut and a large waste heap (to the right of the photo below). Wismut was the uranium mining company that since the reunification is in charge of environmental remediation. Part of the BUGA is to show the "success" of the remediation activities [--I say "success" because I am too cynical to be fooled by the pretty flowers, sorry.]

The BUGA was a great experience! They had an entire exhibit of carnivorous plants (my favorite!!!), an exhibit of the Wismut activities, a Lego garden, and more. The Lego garden was quite fun--you could build your own Lego flower and add it to the garden! Eva and I had quite a good time making our own flowers!!! Please take a look at the Flickr site for more photos!!!

The Insitute for Ecology had a light trapping (on June 6th) for one of their practical courses. Basically they set up a sheet with a full spectrum light bulb (at night) and wait for all of the insects to arrive. It was really neat to see all of the insects and to visit the southern area of Jena.

Take a look at the other photos for the actual set-up complete with a Florida-style umbrella and more insects.

On June 7th we went to the field to collect contaminated sediment samples for a new set of experiments. We collected samples from the Gessenwald creak, downstream from the former Gessenheap (mound of earth resulting from strip mining activities). The area has been "remediated" although I believe there is quite a bit of residual contaminants in the subsurface. You will also notice a large "hill" in the background and that is a heap of mining wastes that has not been removed yet. I will add more information about the site and my work as soon as I can--please take a look at the other photos!