Location
The research farm “Scheyern” is a 150 ha cloister estate located 40 km north of the city of Munich at an altitude of 445-498 above sea level. The farm land is used already since more than 5 centuries and is situated in the tertiary hills, a landscape demonstrating typical problems associated with intensive agricultural use, such as erosion, soil compaction, groundwater contamination, impoverishment of flora and fauna. Since 1992 two farming systems, an integrated crop production and an organic farm system, were installed and permanently monitored to analyse the ecological and economical sustainability of the agricultural systems. In particular the impact of reduced N input on the production systems itself and neighbouring ecosystems is studied. Average annual precipitation is 803 mm and mean annual temperature is 7.4°C.
The research farm Scheyern is equipped since 1992 with hydrological observation systems and automated chambers to measure N2O, CH4, CO2 concentrations at the soil surface. The measurement systems include soil hydrological stations, groundwater multi-level wells, groundwater gages, weirs and drains, surface runoff and erosion measurement devices and several plots to monitor crop production systems depending on soil cultivation type. To study trace gas fluxes between soil and atmosphere the research farm will be equipped for TERENO with additional climate stations, a rainscanner, TDL-systems for N2O and CH4 flux measurements, runoff and soil erosion observation systems, a wireless soil moisture sensor network, a lysimeter station and a soil heating system.
More information: http://teodoor.icg.kfa-juelich.de/observatories/BAPA_Observatory