|
Plant and microbial populations, communities, and model ecosystems can be studied under climate conditions ranging from subarctic to tropical. In addition, RERAF constitutes a completely closed exposure and environmental risk assessment facility, where experiments with toxic substances, radioisotopes, gaseous air pollutants, trace elements, plant nutrients, transgenic organisms and climate change problems can be performed without risk to the environment.
 
6 chambers with flowering oli seed rape plants
The RERAF Facility
RERAF belongs to a new generation of controlled environments, which are unique systems for conducting a wide range of experiments on plant production, microbiological turnover and dynamics, element cycling, soil pollution, air pollution and environmental risk assessment in relation to industrial and agricultural products and production. Physical, chemical and biological conditions existing in nature and in plant production systems can be simulated in a near natural manner.
Separate root and shoot compartments make it possible to operate and independently control experimental conditions of both above- and below-ground compartments of model communities or ecosystems.
RERAF consists today of six physically and electronically integrated, gas tight chambers, which allow exposure of plants to different air pollutants. Additional chambers are planned to be built in a new wing in the near future. RERAF is housed at Risø DTU, Denmark.
RERAF is unique in the world because:
- it has both above- and below-ground compartments
- it is gas tight
- climate can be completely and accurately controlled
- it allows experiments with transgenic organisms and radioisotopes without risks for the environment
|