In the context of climate change, mountain environments are dramatically affected. Glaciers are retreating, lake levels are falling, the supply of water to rivers and streams is endangered. At all elevations, all environments such as forests, mountain pastures, snow cover, are affected. We are facing visible changes but also invisible ones.
Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms of very small size (a few thousandths of a millimeter), either unicellular or forming colonies of a few cells. They are well known in the plankton of oceans, lakes and rivers, but they also develop in all types of environments exposed to light: soil, snow, ice. Thanks to photosynthesis they capture CO2 when they are exposed to light, making them pioneer organisms capable of colonizing terrestrial environments and serving as food for a variety of organisms.
Despite this vital role, helping to form the basis of ecosystems, the microalgae that inhabit terrestrial environments are still poorly understood. They are impacted by climate change, favored by the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, and this is expected to destabilize ecosystems, but also accelerate certain negative effects on some environments, in particular glaciers.
However, there is a lack fundamental scientific knowledge about these species, to be able to understand their role in the accelerated evolution of mountain environments.
For this reason, we worked with ALPALGA raising funds for two genetic sequencing of two species that have not been studied yet; being able to reach new information crucial for the environment.
Read the full article to learn more about it.
