HelmholtzZentrum München - Abteilung Experimentelle Umweltsimulation (EUS) im Institut für Bodenökologie

Information about the Institute from the GSF Annual Report 2004 (PDF file)

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The influence of global climate change on the growth and yield of crops and on biodiversity is a central issue in environmental research. Reliable statements require realistic but also controllable and reproducible experimental conditions. The Experimental Environmental Simulation department provides an arsenal of experimental facilities for this purpose for German and international research institutes.

• Exposure chambers and sun simulators for controlled pollutant gas exposure and experiments with increased UVB - irradiation,
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• A climate-controlled greenhouse for fumigation experiments,
• A lysimeter facility with 48 single-cell lysimeters for the investigation of mass transfer processes between atmosphere-plant-soil-groundwater,
• An outdoor carbon dioxide enrichment facility (MINIFACE) to study species competition under elevated greenhouse gas conditions,
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Research in the Experimental Environmental Simulation Department focuses on ecophysiological studies and the effect of elevated UV radiation on plants.