UHasselt Ecotrons infrastructure

The UHasselt ecotrons is a large, high-tech research infrastructure to study the effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning. It contains 12 closed units that are independantly controlled and monitored. Each contains a cylindrical heathland sample of two meters diameter and one and a half meters deep. In the upper part (transparent dome), it is possible to contol CO2 concentrations, temperature, rain amount and intensity, and wind speed and direction; in the lower part, the soil water tension and soil temperature. Additionally, N2O, O2, PAR, IR+UV (in the dome) and water content, soil CO2 concentrations are continously measured. The whole facility is connected to an ICOS meteorological and GHG measuring tower in a nearby heathland, to adjust atmospheric parameters to field values in real time .