We are very pleased to announce that next year, with MIREN, we will be heavily involved in two large international projects that have been recommended for funding through BiodivERsA (https://www.biodiversa.org).

The first project is called RangeX (“Mechanisms underlying the success and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of range-expanding species under climate change”; https://www.mountaininvasions.org/rangex), and emerged from the MIREN workshop held at the Furkapass in Switzerland in 2019. RangeX will examine processes and impacts of plants that are expanding their ranges following climate warming, and aims to use this knowledge to inform policy regarding range-expanding plant species in mountain regions. It will combine replicated experiments in MIREN regions, observations of biotic interactions above and below-ground across elevation gradients, and analyses of MIREN survey data to derive insights into the mechanisms of plant range expansions in mountains. Finally, it will also provide information relevant for management and policy related to range expansions of both native and nonnative species.

The second BiodivERsA project is ASICS (https://www.coldregioninvasives.com/the-asics-project), which will combine MIREN data with other data from a range of taxa to study the redistribution of biodiversity in cold environments (Arctic, Antarctic, alpine) globally. More information on this project will follow soon!

We are really excited to get started with these projects in 2021! The3DLab will be most heavily involved in ASICS, where we function as representative of both MIREN and the SoilTemp-network. However, RangeX is now already recruiting four postdoc and one doctoral researchers to begin in April 2021, so that is worth the share. All information on that can be found in this PDF or on the dedicated website of RangeX.