BIFoR FACE: A ten-year Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) Experiment in Old Growth Deciduous English Woodland

Abstract:

The Birmingham Institute of Forest research (BIFoR) will perform fundamental physical, biological, ecological, social and cultural research of direct relevance to forested landscapes worldwide. A core platform for BIFoR to study the ten-year response of a mature temperate deciduous forest ecosystem to against a large step-change in atmospheric [CO₂] is the BIFoR Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment.

BIFoR FACE is being established in Mill Haft, a mature (~150 year-old) oak (Quercus robur) and hazel (Corylus avellana) coppice-with-standards woodland in central England. The facility will enable elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) treatments to be introduced in 30 m diameter rings (3 treatment and 6 control plots), commencing in spring 2016. Under eCO₂ conditions primary research questions will investigate carbon uptake and storage, corresponding nutrient limitations, and biodiversity and ecosystem responses.

As well as describing the facility and experimental design, we present baseline data collected throughout 2015, prior to fumigation. These data include: biophysical tree properties; atmospheric CO₂/H₂O fluxes; airborne and ground laser scatterometry; leaf area index; geophysical survey data; phenology camera derivatives; soil and water chemical and physical properties; and invertebrate surveys.

Data from an intensive campaign conducted during august 2015 are also shown, including in- and above- canopy characterisation of biogenic VOCs using a Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer, aerosol loading including bioaerosols, and enhanced atmospheric chemistry. Further campaign results are presented from leaf level photosynthetic carbon-dioxide response curve (A/Ci) performed at different canopy heights on oak trees, and on the dominant understory species – hazel and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatinus) across the site.

BIFoR FACE is an exciting new international facility for forest science - ideas for collaborations are encouraged. Please see http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/bifor for more details.