BIOKLIMA National Infrastructure for Studying Climate Effects in Natural and Agro-ecosystems

The BIOKLIMA pre-proposal aims to design a national facility enabling integration of a wide range of science disciplines to address the challenges posed by the expected climate change. Disiplines included are plant biology, agronomy, plant pathology, m icrobiology, molecular biology, soil science, biogeochemistry, ecophysiology, food science, forestry, functional ecology, population and community dynamics, palaeoecology, evolutionary biology, hydrology, landscape ecology, ecotoxicology, micrometeorolog y and biodiversity. In the first part of the pre-project, we will review and align the research needs of each discipline, then proceed to detailed planning of physical facilities. The following sub-goals are specified: - Technical review of existing nat ional and international research facilities for controlled climate regulated research, including visits to selected facilities. -Review needs for state of the art technical facilities by the following four working groups; (1) Plants, algae and microbes (Bioforsk/NTNU/UiO/UiS/UiT/UMB/Graminor/NGF), (2) Soil and aquatic systems (Skog og landskap/Bioforsk/UiO/NGI/NIVA/NINA/UMB), (3) Atmosphere (Bioforsk/UMB/UiB/NILU) and (4) Technical and economical feasibility (UMB/UiO/NTNU/Ext.experts). -Establish an i nternational Advisory board/expert group. - Based on the recomendations of the WPs and the Advisory board, draw up detailed plans for the BIOKLIMA facility by integrating existing facilities with a new central facility to fulfil the identified needs. -Technical design of buildings, location and budgeting. -Sumbmit the full BIOKLIMA proposal in June of 2011.