18th of Nov – 1st of Dec doctoral students and researchers from three Estonian universities, University of Tartu, University of Life Sciences and Tallinn University of Technology, participated in the scientific expedition to tropical Réunion island, funded by Doctoral School of Earth Sciences and Ecology. Its purpose was to give opportunity to different Estonian universities doctoral student to explore the nature of Reunion island and collect valuable scientific data and samples. Unexpectedly, most of the roads were blocked, gas stations and local university closed because of the protests against the gas price rise and general poverty on the island. Therefore, our young scientists could move around mostly by foot and on a limited area around their guest house. But thanks to locals help and quick reorganization of students plans almost everybody still managed to make their fieldwork.
Elisabeth Prangel from our workgroup participated also in that expedition. She collected soil samples from tropical rainforest, palm plantations and sugar cane plantations to study whether soil carbon sequestration is influenced by different land-use.
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