No. 49, May/June 2001
Linkages between Climate Change and Desertification: Smith & Huxman

Figure 1: Single FACE ring at Nevada FACE facility

The gray stand pipes near the top of this picture are located on the upwind side of the study plot. Air mixed with elevated CO2 is continuously released by these pipes, allowing researchers to study the effects of different levels of CO2 in the atmosphere on a desert ecosystem. The white pipes emerging from the soil in the foreground are minirhizotron tubes, into which a camera is inserted to record root growth over time.