RMBL warming experiment

Knowledge graph centered on RMBL warming experiment with 75 nodes and 168 connections. Top connected: Hummingbird, Bombus, Ligusticum porteri, Delphinium, Bombus terrestris.

Method synopsis

29-year experimental warming using overhead infrared radiators to increase soil temperature by 2°C in subalpine grassland plots. Heat flux of 22 W/m² applied continuously from 1991-2019.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 14 papers using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Experimental warming decouples plant-fungal symbiont interactions and leads to a more conservative ecosystem (2026), PNAS. The protocol was originally introduced by Shifts in plant dominance control short and long-term carbon-cycle responses to widespread drought (2006). Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Establish experimental plots and warming treatment
   Ten experimental plots (30-m²) were established in a montane Rocky Mountain subalpine meadow grassland in 1991. Overhead infrared radiators actively warmed five plots with a constant increment of 22 W/m² downward heat flux from 1991 to 2019. Five control plots remained at ambient temperature.
   Quantities: 10 total plots, 5 warmed plots, 5 control plots, 30 m² per plot, 22 W/m² heat fluxDuration: 29 years (1991-2019)Conditions: Subalpine meadow grassland at 2,920 m elevation
   Equipment: overhead infrared radiators

Typical Equipment

• overhead infrared radiators

Output Measurements

• soil temperature
• plant community composition
• ecosystem responses

Papers Using This Protocol (14)

Species Studied With This Protocol