Discovery and science
Researchers from the Alpine Ecology Laboratory (Université Grenoble Alpes, Savoie Mont Blanc University, and CNRS) are setting up a large-scale project, with the support of the Lautaret Garden and the municipality of Monêtier-les-Bains, to better understand how our mountain pastures will respond to climate change. From September 26 to 30, 2017, small plots of land taken at an altitude of 2,500 m on the slopes of Galibier will be transferred by helicopter some 600 m lower down. This forced descent should mimic a sudden global warming of around 3°C. Researchers will examine how plants, insects, and soil microorganisms acclimatize to this new environment. Monitoring will continue for at least ten years.
80m² of land will be flown away by helicopter on Wednesday, September 28, after a week of intense preparation involving a total of more than twenty people over 10 days. Ultimately, information panels aimed at the general public will be provided to help develop scientific tourism in our region.
