Universität Leipzig: Reconstruction of Historical Biodiversity – Lake drilling campaign in the Moroccan Altas Mountains

Mediterranean North Africa is a global hotspot in climate change. The Saharan desert margin suffers from increasing temperatures and decreases in precipitation resulting in reduced water availability and droughts. The effects of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity can only be understood with knowledge about the history of biodiversity and past environmental changes in the region. In this context, an international team of scientists led by Prof. Dr. Christoph Zielhofer, Dr. Alexander Bolland and Laura Bergmann from the Historical Anthropospheres LeipzigLab working group and from the Leipzig Institute of Geography analysed numerous lakes in the Moroccan Middle and High Atlas. The focus of the investigations is on the aquatic biodiversity and terrestrial biodiversity in the area around the lakes. The campaign is in close cooperation with Prof. Dr. Abdelfattah Benkkadour from Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech and with Abdeslam Mikdad from Institute National des Sciences Archéologie et du Patrimoine in Rabat and is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Menschen auf einem Floß in einem blauen See — Team members are from Leipzig University, Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, Institute National des Sciences Archéologie et du Patrimoine (I.N.S.A.P.) in Rabat, Iceland University in Reykjavík, Lyon University and…

During the campaign, a scientifically valuable 22.5 m long sediment core was recovered from Lake Tislit in the High Altas, which allows to examine the environmental conditions and changes in biodiversity over the last 20,000 years in high chronological resolution.

Leipzig University is cooperating closely with the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech in the project. The actually successful campaign was overshadowed by the severe earthquake in Morocco on September 8, 2023. The international working group was not directly affected by the earthquake and all group members were able to return home healthy. “Nevertheless, our thoughts are always with our Moroccan colleagues, especially with the cooperating Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, which was directly affected by the earthquake” says Christoph Zielhofer.

The field campaign will form a promising basis for further scientific cooperation with the Moroccan and international partners from France, Iceland and the United Kingdom in the next years.

Created by: Christoph Zielhofer