Muntatschinig

The Muntatschinig site was first established in 2008 as a weather station and is still the most extensive of the four sites. In 2010 the University of Innsbruck installed an eddy covariance station. Nine automatic lysimeters were added to measure evapotranspiration and water use efficiency. Since 2012 a rain-out shelter system has been used for simulating spring and summer droughts. This site is one of the sites along the elevation transect used for grassland transplantation experiments.
Measurements:
Microclimate (air temperature, absolute and relative humidity, wind speed and direction, precipitation, snow and vegetation height, soil temperature, soil moisture, soil water potential), radiation (short- and longwave), photosynthetically active radiation
Net ecosystem carbon retention, water vapour and energy fluxes, primary production (including dry biomass and Leaf Area Index)
Evapotranspiration via automatic weighing lysimeters
Soil chemistry
Ecosystem respiration (NEE-chamber measurements)
Other parameters:
Plant diversity (quantitative and qualitative)
Microbial activity in the topsoil
Mycorrhiza
Mykorrhiza

Location and amenities:

This site is accessible throughout the year by car with a special road permit. There are accommodation options within ca. 300 m. Electricity is produced onsite via solar panels (220 V). There are two 4x7 m tents for drought experiments and an automatic watering system with a water storage tank.

Other research sites