Parent institution: CNRS
Active since 2003
Active through Continuous since 2003
Limousin, Jean-marc
email: jean-marc.limousin@cefe.cnrs.fr
The site comprises three distincts experimental set-ups:
(1) a long-term (>15 years) partial throughfall exclusion experiment replicated three times and crossed with a thinning (-30% basal area) experiment aimed at simulating long-term precipitation decrease in accordance with climate change scenario for the Mediterranean area (-30% of precipitation),
(2) a total rainfall exclusion experiment using a mobile roof has been set up to simulate extreme drought events and modify precipitation seasonality, and
(3) an eddy-covariance flux tower running continuously since 2001 to measure seasonal variations in ecosystem functioning and year-to-year flux responses to drought and climate.
Country: France
Latitude: 43.74138889
Longitude: 3.59583333
Nearest town: Puéchabon
Distance from neaerst town: 4 km
Climate change impact on forest vulnerability, drought-induced tree mortality, carbon and water balance of Mediterranean ecosystems, forest management practices for mitigating climate change.
The site is within a typical Mediterranean ecosystem and climate. It has a long record of climatic data and forestry inventory (since 1984). The partial throughfall exclusion is among the world's longest continuously running ecosystem manipulation experiment in a forested ecosystem. The complementarity of the three experiments allows for studying the ecosystem response to changing climate at very different time scales from seasonal to decadal.
Around 500 automatic sensors are already running on the site creating a huge demand for human resources for calibrating, servicing and upgrading the set-up. The plot size of the total rainfall exclusion experiment could be increased to include more trees and reduce the edge effects. In addition, infra-red heaters could be installed under the moving roof to simulate heat waves in addition to extreme drought. The experimental site has so far only focused on the dominant species Quercus ilex, and increasing the number of sensors would allow the study of other less common species also present on site.
Greenhouses are available at the lab (40 km away)
Experiments duration: Years;
Total area: 1800 m²
1200 m² for the partial throughfall exclusion experiment 600 m² for the total rainfall exclusion experiment. The total site area is 50 ha.Available area: 100000 m²
unit size: 100 m²
100 m² for partial rainfall exclusion, 180 m² for total rainfall exclusionReplicates number: 3
3 replicates for the partial throughfall exclusion experiment 1 replicate for the total rainfall exclusion experiment
Electricity available on site.
Years measured: 17
Mean Temperature: 13.2 °C
February Mean Temperature: 6.6 °C
July Mean Temperature: 22 °C
Mean Annual Speed: 2.6 m/s
Max. Annual Speed: m/s
Dominant Direction: sector 337.5°-22.5°:21.5%; sector 22.5°-67.5°:21.3% ; sector 292.5-337.5°:22.5%
Precipitation type: Rain;
Total annual precipitation: 914.5 mm
Mean snow cover duration: days
| Variable | Ecosystem | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Warming | Forest | Planned |
| Precip | Forest | Active |
| Management - other | Forest | Active |
Up to 2 people
Up to 2 people
Up to 2 visitors
No beds on site
No showers on site
No laundry on site