The TasFACE climate-change impacts experiment: design and performance of combined elevated CO2 and temperature enhancement in a native Tasmanian grassland

The potential impacts of climate change on both natural and managed ecosystems are far-reaching and are only beginning to be understood. Here we describe a new experiment that aims to determine the impacts of elevated concentration of CO2 ([CO2]) and elevated temperature on a native Themeda–Austrodanthonia-dominated grassland ecosystem in south-eastern Tasmania. The experimental site contains 60 vascular plant species. The experiment combines the latest developments in free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology with the use of infrared (IR) heaters to mimic environmental conditions expected to exist in the year 2050. The CO2 concentration in the FACE treatments is reliably maintained at 550 µmol mol–1 and leaf temperature is elevated by an average of 2.1°C by the IR treatment, with 1-cm soil temperature being elevated by 0.8°C. Measurements being made in the experiment cover plant ecophysiological responses, plant population dynamics and community interactions. Soil processes and ecosystem effects, including nutrient cycling and plant animal interactions, are also being investigated. Collaborations are invited from interested parties.