Isotope Seminar in Slovenia Forestry Institute 

I was recently in Ljubljana to help give a seminar on stable isotope applications in forest research. There is quite a lot of ground to cover for such a course, but one week was sufficient for the Slovenian post-docs and PhD students. 

We also went to their field site where they maintain two eddy-covariance towers. They compare the two towers, one in the open grassland and the other in a sparse woody landscape, to get a handle on woody encroachment. This site is particularly special because not only is there the non-homogenous canopy to deal with (reminiscent of the California Foothills) .....

but also these sink holes. 

These are dotted across the landscape and can be easily seen from satellite imagery. The locals have actually surrounded the edges with limestone so they show up even clearer in the picture. In the past, Slovenians would plant gardens in the sinkholes because they are more fertile and have a deeper soil layer. Clearly these are hotspots of biogeochemistry and could play an important role in the landscape.

I had a good time overall and I was able to see a few uniquely Slovenian creations:

A Shepard's temporary home

And these hand sewn/crafted trees displayed in the SFI's main building. I can't imagine the amount of time and skill it took to craft the forest they house.