Location : Beano, Udine, Italy (46.01° N, 13.01° E) - See map.
Operating institute : Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Category : HIES

MAIN PURPOSE : Influence of agricultural management and climate change soil C cycle.
ECOSYSTEM TYPE : Arable land, maize field.
EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENTS : Tillage systems, soil temperature.

DESCRIPTION : Long term greenhouse gases flux measurement experiment with multiple eddy covariance towers, replicated soil flux automated systems on several agricultural treatments within large (eddy covariance) and small replicated plots (soil and vegetation measurements). Long term treatments are based on land use changes with reduction of agricultural impacts (low inputs, reduce tillage, rotations and re-naturalization). Soil carbon dynamics following land use changes (C3 plants) is also assessed with isotopic methods as soil as a strong C4 signal. Partitioning between fluxes is assessed on air, liquid and solid samples with automatic samplers and mass spectroscopy. Soil N₂O and CH₄ fluxes are also measured continuously using automatic samplers.

ACCESS FOR USERS OR USER GROUPS UNDER ExpeER : On average each user or user group is expected to stay 5-7 days typically organized as follow :
Day 1: meeting at the University and description of the site and activities will be performed.
Days from 2 to 5-7: on site measurements or installation of instrumentation for long term measurements by users with the assistance of local technicians. There will be the possibility to use our laboratories at the University in order to prepare or maintain the collected samples or perform data analysis. Analytical expertise will also be provided for processing project samples with co-funding lab expenses.

Type of equipment/facilities/sites used : Users can have access to all metadata and measured data which are available in a protected online database. Users or groups can also leave their equipment at the site for long time measurements (months, full year). Infrastructure instrumentation will be adjusted to answer to specific user’s needs.

Expected output/deliverables for users : It is expected that users will fill a report form with the main results of their activity at the site and share the collected data on the protected database. Expected outputs also concern with join publication on peer-reviewed journal.

SUPPORT OFFERED : The user will be helped by site technicians during field work and could ask for collaboration from post-docs and researches in setting up experiment and having access to the long term database. User’s expenses to reach and to stay at the site will be covered by the project and there will be the possibility to use our laboratories at the University in order to prepare or maintain the collected samples. Analytical expertise will also be provided for processing project samples with cofunding lab expenses.
Outreach of new users : Beano gives the opportunity to use different approaches to study agro-ecosystems traits and sensitivity to global changes because of long term datasets and different treatments and methods. Among others we foresee the possibility of including the following research topics and methodologies: long and short term SOM dynamics using multiple isotopic approaches; nitrogen cycling with focus on N2O emissions and nitrate leaching with N labeling; microflora and fauna biodiversity and effect on C and N cycling; spectral images coupled with diagnostic and prognostic modeling for up-scaling; aircraft based eddy covariance. We will publish periodic advertisement to underline these possibilities on our website.

Accomodation : University agreement with several hotels in Udine (20 minutes driving distance); 50-75€/night.
Contact of site manager : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it --[+39 0432 558608]
Address : University of Udine - Via delle Scienze 208 - 33100 Udine - Italy.
See the website