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Human activity lead to increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations that again will affect the global climate causing global warming and changes in precipitation patterns. The “Research Centre on Biological Effects of Climate Change” – CLIMAITE – is a multidisciplinary national Danish research initiative bringing together 6 research groups to study the biological effects of such climatic changes in terrestrial ecosystems.
CLIMAITE will particularly focus on two issues:
- Multifactor manipulation of all three climate change factors: atmospheric CO2 concentrations, temperature and water availability.
- Changes in temporal variation patterns including extension of the growing season, increased frequency of freeze/thaw cycles, number of frost free days, frequency of extreme weather events, etc.
Cover for nighttime warming at the CLIMAITE field site at Brandbjerg. The cover reflects some IR radiation from the ecosystem back to the air and reduces air exchange and thereby warms the ecosystem.
The studies are being carried out in a new unique experimental field site in a semi natural terrestrial ecosystem where experimental manipulations with CO2, temperature and water are being conducted. The effects of the treatments on individual species, ecosystem structure and ecosystem functioning will be investigated through targeted studies on the soil, plants, meso- and micro fauna and microorganisms. The studies will include changes in carbon and nutrient balances and circulation, stress tolerance and adaptation, species competition and composition and plant tissue chemistry and herbivory. The research will take advantage of novel research tools including field scale ecosystem manipulations, stable isotope techniques, controlled herbivory and DNA techniques.
Participants:
CLIMAITE involves a consortium of 6 research groups from Risø National Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University and the National Environmental Research Institute.
Role:
Risø leads the centre and is responsible for the development and running of experimental facility at Brandbjerg. Risø is involved in research activities relating to carbon exchange at the leaf and ecosystem level, nutrient cycling, C and N interactions and leaching of nutrients to the ground water.
Resources:
CLIMAITE is mainly financed by the VILLUM KANN RASMUSSEN FOUNDATION and is further supported by the participating institutes and private companies
Duration:
CLIMAITE is funded to run from 2004 through 2012.
Web page:
Climaite has a webpage for further information at www.climaite.dk
Employees involved:
Claus Beier (head), Teis N. Mikkelsen (field site responsible), Per Ambus (C & N cycling), Kim Pilegaard (syntheses), Leon Gareth Linden (modelling), Andreas Ibrom (syntheses and modelling), Mette Sustman Carter (green house gasses), Kristian Rost Albert (Ecophysiology), Klaus Steenberg Larsen (nutrient leaching), Merete Bang Selsted (Carbon balance),Nina Wiese Thomsen (field site), Poul Therkild Sørensen (field site) Preben Jørgensen (field site), Liselotte Meltofte (soil and water analyses), Bente Anni Andersen (soil water carbon analyses), Anja Nielsen (gas analyses)
Student projects:
A series of student projects are offered in connection to the project.
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