Controlled environments

Field scale experiments have the advantage of being relatively realistic regarding the ecosystem and the interactions with the treatments. However, natural ecosystems are normally subject to large spatial and temporal variations, which may pose limitations for certain types of studies. Also, testing of interactions with additional impacts may be difficult or practically or economically impossible. In such cases studies will be conducted in the laboratory or in controlled growth chambers. For example meso-ecosystems/monoliths will be transplanted to growth chambers with controlled CO₂ and climate environments to investigate specific mineralization and immobilization processes. Furthermore, interactions between climate and other stress factors such as UVB-radiation, ozone or N deposition may be investigated in controlled environments. The participating institutions have excellent growth chamber and laboratory facilities, which will be employed wherever needed.