Just days after the last snow had melted, the PHOTOPLANT team returned to the Bruno Peyronel Alpine Botanical Garden to launch a key phase of the project.

During this field mission, the experimental setup was installed to investigate how alpine plants respond to extreme light and temperature conditions. In particular, a lamp equipped with a dusk sensor was mounted; it automatically switches on at sunset to simulate a “day without night,” similar to conditions in Arctic regions during summer. The system is powered by a solar panel connected to a battery.

Vegetation swards, collected from both the Dolomites and the Svalbard Islands, were arranged into two experimental groups: one exposed to continuous light from the lamp and one under natural light conditions. Some swards were also placed inside special structures (Open Top Chambers) to simulate the temperature increase expected with climate change, while others are being used as controls.

Previously planted swards from last year were also checked: among the most abundant and vigorous species was Salix. Local Juncus swards were temporarily removed and transferred to the Botanical Garden of Pavia, where they will remain safely stored until the end of the experiment, after which they will be returned to their original location.

With this new setup in place, the PHOTOPLANT experiment is entering a crucial phase: in the coming months, data will be collected to closely observe how alpine plants respond to future climate scenarios.