Aerial view. Photo: Tricklabor / Service Drone

Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF)

The Global Change Experimental Facility is the first experiment which investigates the consequences of climate change on ecosystem processes in different land-use types on large field plots. The facility was established as part of the field research station of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Bad Lauchstädt in 2013. The manipulation of climate and the establishment of land-use types (different grasslands and crop fields) started in 2014.

Research focus

  • Impact of climate change on ecosystem functions under different land-use regimes
  • Influences on community structure, especially food web structure and species interactions
  • Effects on soil functions, especially structure and function of the soil microbial community and processes related to nutrient cycling
  • The importance of and the effects on genetic diversity and microevolutionary processes
GCEF
GCEF
GCEF
(Photo: UFZ)
GCEF
Sheep grazing, August 2015
(Photo: UFZ)
GCEF
GCEF
(Photo: UFZ)

Platform data

  • Location: Bad Lauchstädt, field research station of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
  • Platform type: Experimental field facility, mobile roofs and side panels, irrigation system, 50 plots (each 16 x 24 m), grasslands and agricultural crops
  • Research groups involved: Scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig University, University of Halle, University Hohenheim, iDiv and its partners