Alpine Plants

This project is a short video about the research of the Population Biology Group at the Botanical Institute of the University of Basel, Switzerland. The Population Biology Group under supervision of Prof. Dr. Jürg Stöcklin investigates the evolutionary forces that cause the diversity in plant live that we can observe in Swiss mountains. The alpine Scheuchzer's Bell Flower, for example, has much larger flowers than its sister species from lower elevations. The increase of flower size along elevation is very common among plants, but the causes and consequences of this phenomenon are not known. What does the increase in flower size mean for the plants interaction with its pollinating bees for example? This video will take you on a journey into beautiful mountain landscapes and into the depths of the evolutionary ecology of alpine plants. Credits: Producer - alivesea Director - Halil Kesselring Aerial photography - Felix Hosenseidl | Flymotions.com Technicalities: Shot on Sony FS700 cine4k ProRes 10-bit Aerial footage shot on Sony FS5 cine4k ProRes 10-bit Veydra mini prime lenses 19mm, 35mm, 85mm

Password: Campanula

Scheuchzers bell flower (Campanula scheuchzeri) is an alpine plant that only occurs at high elevations from 1400m a.s.l. in the European Alps and presumably in more northerly regions.
A late flower bud with the petals removed and with two anthers removed to expose the brush-like stylum.
The brush-like structure of the stylum for secondary pollen presentation. Pollen is being deposited in the comb-like hairs of the stylum as the anthers mature, because the anthers are pressed against the stylum firmly by the flower petals. The anthers are the male reproductive organs of the hermaphroditic flower and they are the place where pollen grains mature.

Behind the scenes photo of the shooting of the aerial videos.

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