SIGNAL_CRUISE_1

The SIGNAL research project, funded by the BiodivERsA call of the ERA-Net, focuses on the effects of extreme weather events on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, resilience and tipping points in grasslands along a pan-European climatic gradient. Studying the effects of extreme drought on biodiversity and ecosystem functions is a key facet of current climate change research. SIGNAL will investigate mechanisms of resilience in European grassland prone to novel climate extremes and identify early warning signals of thresholds and regime shifts by installation of replicated experimental manipulations of climate extremes at 8 grassland sites across Europe (field experiments and mesocoms including legumes, invasive species, species richness and within-species diversity). SIGNAL results will provide experimental evidence on mechanisms of resilience across European gradients, which may serve to regulate ecosystem services in the face of climate extremes and foster the identification of early warning signals of thresholds of regime shift. SIGNAL is well-connected within the scientific community, members belonging to large research initiatives such as CLIMMANI, CExtreme, Precip-Net, TERRAC, INTERFACE producing outstanding scientific insights, contributing to global science networks, such as IGBP and DIVERSITAS. SIGNAL will intensely serve the science-policy interface by delivering timely, highly relevant and understandable information to policymakers and stakeholders about European gradients of resilience and indicators of tipping points in the face of climate extremes, supporting EU policies and national legislative frameworks.