MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Jena Experiment

This study was conducted in the Jena Experiment (Roscher et al., 2014; Weisser et al. 2017). The study site is located in the floodplain of the River Saale in the north of Jena (Thuringia, Germany, 50°55’ N, 11°35’ E, 130 m a.s.l.). The soil is classified as Eutric Fluvisol, developed from up to 2 m-thick fluvial sediments that are almost free of stones. Soil texture changes gradually from sandy loam to silty clay with decreasing distance from the river (Steinbeiss et al., 2008). During the sampling period of this study (March 2021 to Feb 2022), air and soil characteristics were monitored daily at a meteorological station on site (Fig. 1).