CEABN present at ISA's Open Day; Wednesday, May 11th 2022

1st Activity: Acacias, Fires and Renewable Energy!

At 10:00 am Researchers Conceição Colaço (CEABN) and Solange Araújo (CEF)  will welcome students.

Acacia species are exotic plants with extremely invasive patterns. Their impact on natural environment is very negative in such a way that they harm indigenous plants and consequently reduce biodiversity.  Acacias take advantage on high temperatures and therefore increase dominance after each fire.  Keeping control of Acacias is difficult but possible. On Open Day at ISA students will have a hands-on experience and will learn some of the techniques of how to transform this plant in wood pellets generating electricity and thermal energy.

2nd Activity:  “Who is Eating our Corks!”

2:30 pm at CEABN lab Researcher Tara Canelo will reveal “who is eating our corks!”

"The azinheiras and sobreiros (cork oaks) are getting attacked by a lot of different species of caterpillars. That happens because leaves are their main food. Defoliation affects the acorn production of these trees and eventually, their survival. However, the biodiversity of the caterpillars is as well important as the plants that they affect negatively and for this reason it is necessary to protected their natural habitat. Our job is to found the balance and the only way for that is through
• increasing our knowledge for these species and their biological cicle of life
• understanding their interaction with their natural environment and
• to forecast their population changes under climate change effects.
In this presentation you will have the opportunity to meet and see some of these caterpillars and their different stages of life (Caterpillars- pupae- Butterfly). Let's meet  at the CEBN lab."

Monday, 09 May 2022