Macrocosms

The Macrocosmes platform is the largest of the three platforms at the European Ecotron in Montpellier. It consists of 12 identical, independent experimental units dedicated to research on ecosystems and biological communities.

Each experimental unit consists of a transparent FEP dome (volume of ~40 m³) in which atmospheric conditions are controlled. Designed to operate under natural light, the platform can also function under controlled lighting conditions.
Beneath each dome, a technical room houses an instrumented lysimeter (2 to 12 metric tons; soil depth up to 2 m; canopy area 2, 4, or 5 m²; canopy height up to 2 m), as well as the equipment for climate control.

The facility is one of a kind because it allows for the simulation of a wide range of climate scenarios and the measurement of evapotranspiration fluxes, while simultaneously providing ecosystem-scale measurements of the fluxes of the main greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O). The gas measurement system remains flexible and allows for additional measurements to be taken.