Experimental design of the GCEF


There are two treatments realized in the GCEF: (1) climate (2 levels: ambient vs. future) and (2) land use (5 levels: conventional farming, organic farming, intensively used meadow, extensively used meadow and extensively used pasture [sheep grazing]).

The two treatments are arranged in a split-plot design with climate as the mainplot factor and land use as the subplot factor randomly arranged within the mainplots. There are ten mainplots resulting in a total of 50 subplots and 5 replicates per climate x land use-combination.

GCEF - Experimental Layout

The subplot


Every subplot has a size of 16 m x 24 m. There arew buffer strips of 2 m to the eastern and western sides of the subplot (which are equipped with side panels) and buffer strips of 4.5 m to the southern and northern sides of the plot (open sides). Measurements, monitoring and experiments take place in the inner plot of 15 m x 12 m. The are a number of smaller plots and transects in the inner plot for specific measurements.

Subplot design