S06.04 -2: TERENO – SoilCAN a lysimeter-network in Germany to study the effect of land use and climate change

Abstract

TERENO (TERrestrial ENvironmental Observatories) aims to collect and provide long-term observation data of the hydrosphere, biosphere, pedosphere, lower atmosphere, and anthroposphere across multiple spatial and temporal gradients. Based on the TERENO infrastructure, the lysimeter-network SoilCan a long-term large-scale experiment to study the effects of land use changes of terrestrial systems caused by Global Change, has been implemented and represents one of the key research infrastructures for pedological research in TERENO. Main objectives are the terrestrial hydrology, the N-/C-cycle and the biodiversity. In particular, the analysis of changes in water and matter fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system is in the focus of SoilCan. The gained high-quality data will be used for the development and calibration of computer models in combination with remote sensing. The SoilCan network consists of 126 fully automated lysimeter systems that were installed at 13 highly equipped experimental field sites within the TERENO-observatories and the relevant status variables of each ecosystem are monitored (e.g. climate, hydrology, biosphere-atmosphere exchange, biodiversity, etc.). Lysimeters were either left at their sampling site, transplanted inside the observatory of origin, or moved within or between the four different observatories. The translocation of lysimeters was performed along existing temperature and rainfall gradients in order to simulate climate change. The lysimeters are currently cultivated as grassland or arable land with a standardized crop rotation of winter wheat – pea - winter barley - winter canola. The presentation will comprise the results and experience of 18 months of lysimeter networking and will give an outlook on future work.