Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

1 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Environment

A CO₂ Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO₂ Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

Philip A. Fay¹, Lara G. Reichmann², Michael J. Aspinwall², Albina R. Khasanova¹, H. Wayne Polley¹

¹USDA-ARS, Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory, ²Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin

The Lysimeter Carbon Dioxide Gradient Facility creates a 250 to 500 µl L^-1 linear carbon dioxide gradient in temperature-controlled chambers housing grassland plant communities on clay, silty clay, and sandy soil monoliths. The facility is used to determine how past and future carbon dioxide levels affect grassland carbon cycling.