ALFAwetlands consists of an experts team from 14 organisations +1 affiliated
entity across 10 EU countries. One of them is the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), who had recently hosted ALFAwetlands Annual meeting in Toulouse.
About CNRS
CNRS is one of the most renowned public research organisations in the world. For more than 80 years, it has been meeting the highest standards of excellence in recruitment and developing multi- and cross-disciplinary research throughout France, Europe and the world. The CNRS is above all 32,000 men and women as well as 200 professions. Its 1,000 laboratories, most of which are shared with universities, schools and other research organisations, employ over 120,000 people. The close link between its research activities and their transfer to society makes it a key player in innovation today.
The CNRS team is studying and monitoring several sites in France. Two of them are part of the ALFAwetlands project and defined as Living Lab sites:
- a floodplain site along the Garonne river near the city of Toulouse
- and a mountainous peatland , Haut-Vicdessos in the Pyrenees.
CNRS role in ALFAwetlands project
The CNRS is mainly involved in the Work Package 3 of the project (Efficiency of innovative ecosystem scale restoration practices), by monitoring greenhouse gases fluxes (CO2, CH4, N2O) and several other environmental variables on the two study sites. CNRS is also leader of the Task 3.4, goal of which is to provide methods to measure biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) of wetlands and to assess BES responses under different land-uses, restoration practices and management regimes. The CNRS team has also expertise in modelling and is working on GHGE models.
CNRS ALFAwetlands team
The CNRS ALFAwetlands team is located in Toulouse, South-West of France, and is part of the Functional Ecology and Environment Laboratory (LEFE). The ALFAwetlands CNRS team is led by José-Miguel Sánchez-Pérez, specialist in biogeochemistry and modelling, who is also in charge of the Garonne floodplain monitoring. Sabine Sauvage is the specialist on modelling and is involved in biogeochemistry and GHGE measurements. Mr. Sánchez-Pérez and Mrs. Sauvage are supported by Rana Kanaan, PhD student working on N2O emissions and microbiology. The monitoring of the Bernadouze peatland, in the Pyrenees, is leaded by Laure Gandois, specialist in GHGE measurements. The team is also composed of Gaël Le Roux and Vincent Jassey, specialists of peatlands biochemistry and microbiology, and of Mathilde Joffre and Magali Gerino working on wetland biodiversity and ecosystem services. The technical staff consists of of Virginie Payre, Franck Granouillac, Thierry Camboulive, Corinne Pautot, Bruno Dumora; measurements and administrative tasks are performed by Cécile Barat, Delphine Dubs, Emmmanuel Delecambre and Rachida Lyoubi.
ALFAwetlands, among other, is a great opportunity for research on the efficiency of innovative ecosystem scale restoration practices and experience exchange. We are looking forward to share our results in the course of the project!
