New era for field experiments at Skogaryd Research Station
A 38-meter measurement tower at the Skogaryd Research Station has been relocated and will be equipped to study greenhouse gases, microclimate, and radiation balance. It stands on a drained peatland upstream of a rewetting area where selective logging is expected to alter groundwater levels and create new research opportunities.
The measurement tower was previously located at the Central Site in Skogaryd, the University of Gothenburg’s field station for experiments and environmental monitoring of various ecosystems. Following the relocation, the tower now overlooks the treetops between Lake Följesjön and the research area known as Följemaden.
The forest in this area is relatively mixed, with elements of pine and deciduous trees among the spruce. Historical maps show that the area was once part of the wetland that extended southward from Lake Följesjön, but unlike Följemaden, it was not used for agriculture.
Today, parts of the wetland remain intact, but the area is still affected by the drainage carried out in the latter half of the 19th century.
At the new location, measurements will be complemented with so-called sap-flow measurements, involving the installation of sensors in trees that allow researchers to measure water use and the transport of nutrients through the woody tissue of the trunk.
A new level of measurements
Together with ongoing groundwater monitoring and new installations for flow measurements and water chemistry, researchers can now begin analyzing how changes in hydrology and forest management affect the flows of water, nutrients, and greenhouse gases.
"We are truly excited to study rewetted forest landscapes at this level, from hydrology and water chemistry to greenhouse gas exchange", says Amelie Lindgren, station manager of Skogaryd research station.
"The new measurement site gives us unique opportunities to understand how restored forests can contribute to both climate action and nature conservation efforts."
The tower project is supported by the national research program BECC, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate..
For more information, please contact:
Amelie Lindgren, station manager Skogaryd
amelie.lindgren@gu.se
By: Jenny Meyer Daneback
