The TasFACE climate-change impacts experiment: design and performance of combined elevated CO2 and temperature enhancement in a native Tasmanian grassland
M. J. Hovenden A D , F. Miglietta B , A. Zaldei B , J. K. Vander Schoor A , K. E. Wills A and P. C. D. Newton CA School of Plant Science, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 55, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
B Istituto di Biometeorologia, via Giovanni Caproni 8, Firenze 50145, Italy.
C Land and Environmental Management, AgResearch, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
D Corresponding author. Email: Mark.Hovenden@utas.edu.au
Australian Journal of Botany 54(1) 1-10 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT04194
Submitted: 24 November 2004 Accepted: 1 August 2005 Published: 22 February 2006
Abstract
The potential impacts of climate change on both natural and managed ecosystems are far-reaching and are only beginning to be understood. Here we describe a new experiment that aims to determine the impacts of elevated concentration of CO2 ([CO2]) and elevated temperature on a native Themeda–Austrodanthonia-dominated grassland ecosystem in south-eastern Tasmania. The experimental site contains 60 vascular plant species. The experiment combines the latest developments in free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology with the use of infrared (IR) heaters to mimic environmental conditions expected to exist in the year 2050. The CO2 concentration in the FACE treatments is reliably maintained at 550 µmol mol–1 and leaf temperature is elevated by an average of 2.1°C by the IR treatment, with 1-cm soil temperature being elevated by 0.8°C. Measurements being made in the experiment cover plant ecophysiological responses, plant population dynamics and community interactions. Soil processes and ecosystem effects, including nutrient cycling and plant animal interactions, are also being investigated. Collaborations are invited from interested parties.
Acknowledgments
The TasFACE facility is the result of a collaboration between the University of Tasmania, Australia, and the Istituto di Biometeorologia, Italy. Construction, installation and the first 2 years of operation have been funded directly by these institutes. The operation of the TasFACE program from January 2004 to December 2006 is funded through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects grant scheme. We particularly thank Professor Andrew Glenn, Professor Gustaaf Hallegraeff, Professor Rob Clark and Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick for support in establishing the facility. Leigh Johnson and Andrea Malpezzi provided excellent assistance in the installation of the facility. We thank the Australian Department of Defence for permission to locate the experiment on the Pontville range complex, particularly Major Simon Barker, Major Travis Collins, Warrant Officer Bob Parsons and Mr Peter Dorrell.
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