PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 66: Ecological Studies at Biosphere II.
Presiding: ML Martinez Vazquez
Thursday, August 7. 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM, SITCC Meeting Room 104.
Biosphere2 Center - A large scale controlled environment facility for experimental science.
Wright, Allen*,1, 2, Murthy, Ramesh1, 2, Barron-Gafford, Greg2, Grieve, Katie2, Paige, Terence2, Patterson, Randy2, Griffin, Kevin1, 1 Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA2 Biosphere 2 Center, Oracle, AZ, USA
ABSTRACT- Experimental Climate Change science provides information to researchers investigating scientific questions through measurements obtained from manipulative experiments. In contrast to observational science, it uses controlled experiments to test hypotheses leading to mechanistic understanding of biosphere processes. Through its capacity to support large-scale experimental research in complex mini-ecosystems (mesocosms) under controlled conditions, the Biosphere 2 Laboratory is a unique facility for accelerating our understanding of the causes of, responses to, and consequences of global climate change in marine and terrestrial ecosystems (Osmond 2002). We describe the use of several large (>1200 m2) environmentally controlled mesocosms at the Biosphere 2 Laboratory facility. The five mesocosms currently available for research are rainforest, ocean, desert, savannah, and agriforest. The agriforest mesocosm is divided into three chambers of 500 m2 each. Temperature, absolute humidity, CO2, and water can be controlled in each mesocosm. Additionally, Biosphere 2 is capable of mass and isotopic balance, replication in time, accelerated testing, process studies, model validation, canopy access, and technology calibration. These mesocosms provide model systems within which one can study the effects of well-controlled single factors or a suite of factors on entire stands of trees. We have outlined the technical aspects of this facility, the types of experiments that have been undertaken and how such a facility could complement research efforts in other large-scale experiments.
Key words: temperature, Biosphere 2 Center, closed system, vapor pressure deficit (VPD)