title: Controlled soil warming powered by alternative energy for remote field sites.
abstract: Experiments using controlled manipulation of climate variables in the field are critical for developing and testing mechanistic models of ecosystem responses to climate change. Despite rapid changes in climate observed in many high latitude and high altitude environments, controlled manipulations in these remote regions have largely been limited to passive experimental methods with variable effects on environmental factors. In this study, we tested a method of controlled soil warming suitable for remote field locations that can be powered using alternative energy sources. The design was tested in high latitude, alpine tundra of southern Yukon Territory, Canada, in 2010 and 2011. Electrical warming probes were inserted vertically in the near-surface soil and powered with photovoltaics attached to a monitoring and control system. The warming manipulation achieved a stable target warming of 1.3 to 2 °C in 1 m(2) plots while minimizing disturbance to soil and vegetation. Active control of power output in the warming plots allowed the treatment to closely match spatial and temporal variations in soil temperature while optimizing system performance during periods of low power supply. Active soil heating with vertical electric probes powered by alternative energy is a viable option for remote sites and presents a low-disturbance option for soil warming experiments. This active heating design provides a valuable tool for examining the impacts of soil warming on ecosystem processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Jill F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada ; Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henkelman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Helgason
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bedard-Haughn
mesh_terms: D057231:Climate Change; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D012107:Research Design; D012987:Soil; D013696:Temperature; D015874:Yukon Territory
chemical_list: D012987:Soil