Global change and anthropogenic influences pose complex, multi-layered challenges to terrestrial ecosystems. Consequently, essential ecosystem functions and services are threatened, with negative impacts on key areas such as food production in agroecosystems. To analyze these dynamics, multidimensional environmental experiments are becoming essential. Within this context, ecotrons enable the controlled manipulation and observation of ecosystem components and processes, while weighing lysimeters deliver highly precise, high-resolution measurements of soil water balance dynamics. Enhanced by state-of-the-art control and monitoring systems – such as temperature regulation (heating/cooling), elevated CO2 regimes, non-destructive root monitoring, and stable isotope technologies to trace water, gas, and nutrient fluxes – these platforms allow the simulation and investigation of complex, realistic (future) scenarios. In combination, ecotrons and lysimeters close a gap in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum (SPAC), enabling a holistic, integrated system view.

We invite contributions that utilize these experimental platforms or similar techniques to address fundamental and applied questions in the fields of ecosystem research, soil science, hydrology, biogeochemistry, plant ecology, agricultural sciences, and climate impact research. We welcome contributions on the following topics (including but not limited to):

(1) Processes in the SPAC: analyzing water, nutrient, and gas fluxes, including non-rainfall water inputs (e.g., dew, fog, soil water vapor adsorption).

(2) Ecosystem functioning and multi-stress analyses: assessing and comparing ecosystem functions under controlled conditions (e.g., by decoupling individual environmental drivers and analyzing combined stressors).

(3) Scaling, representativeness, and validation: approaches for upscaling to the landscape scale, comparisons with other in-situ instruments, representativeness and uncertainty assessments, and validation studies (e.g., via remote sensing).

(4) Modeling ecosystem processes: application and advancement of hydrological and ecosystem models directly utilizing high-resolution in-situ data from ecotrons and lysimeters.

(5) Methodological and technological developments: innovations in ecotron and lysimeter technology, including approaches and algorithms for data processing.