Who are we ?

The LECA is a Joint Research Unit (UMR 5553) bringing together researchers from the CNRS, the University of Grenoble Alpes and the University of Savoie Mont-Blanc, member of the Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers de Grenoble (OSUG).

The aim of the unit’s research is to understand how ecosystems work and how biodiversity is maintained. We are developing integrated research to describe biodiversity patterns (spatial, temporal) from local to global scales, to understand the processes (evolutionary, ecological) at their origin and the mechanisms underlying their dynamics under the influence of environmental forcings (climate change, pollution, land use change, etc.).

Our work is based on observation (short and long term), experimentation and modelling. Our work allows us to develop models that predict the response of biodiversity to change. We apply them to solve societal issues related to the valuation of ecosystem services, environmental management, and biodiversity conservation.
An important part of our activity is focused on high altitude ecosystems.