Mehrstedt (Germany)
BIOTREE- Biodiversity research on native tree species in different planted combinations - location in the middle of Germany
Description & History
The site Mehrstedt is located at the north-western border of the Thuringian Basin, a relatively flat area, which is mainly used for agricultural production. It is one of the three BIOTREE sites, which are located in Thuringia, Germany, within a radius of 70 km.
The project directly addresses the need to extent functional biodiversity research to forest situations.
The permanent measuring station exists since 2003 and is located at a former military training ground.
The area was afforested with domestic/ indigenous tree species in different mixtures. There are 40 different parts with the size of 1 ha, parts of it get managed and others remain unmanaged.
The power of the station comes from a 230 V line connector near the cemetery of Mehrstedt.
The accessible 5 m high aluminium tower is built of ladder frame.
Measurements of concentration of CO2 and water vapour are stopped at the moment, but could be started any time.
Location
- Reforestation area
- Plots with differing tree species diversity
- Vegetation height variable
Latitude: 51.28
Longitude: 10.66
Elevation: 293 m a.s.l.
Overview
- 2003 to today
- competition experiment
- tree growth
- wood gain
- meteorology
- soil parameters
- soil parameters
Projects
- BIOTREE
- BIOTREE TreeDivNet
Variables & Instruments
Meteorology
- Wind velocity and wind direction - 2D-ultrasonic-anemometer, Thies
- Wind velocity - cup anemometer A100R, Campbell Scientific
- Wind direction - wind vane W200P, Vector Instruments
- Air pressure - barometer
- Air temperature and humidity - temperature-humidity-sensor HMP45D, Vaisala
- Air temperatur at 2 m height - temperature sensor NTC, Campbell Scientific
- Precipitation - heated tipping bucket rain gauge, Thies
- Solar radiation - net radiometer CNR1, Kipp & Zonen
- Terrestrial radiation - net radiometer CNR1, Kipp & Zonen
- Photosynthetically active radiation - PAR sensor LI-190SA, LiCor
Soil conditions
- Soil temperature in 2 profiles - soil temperature sensors PT100, home-made
- Soil moisture in 6 postitions - soil moisture probes ML-2x, Delta-T
- Soil heat flux in 5 locations - soil heat flux plates HP3/CN3, Rimco
Data acquisition
- Meteorological data - datalogger CR23X, Campbell Scientific