Network

CO-FAIR Partner Network

A growing collaborative network of ecotron facilities, research institutions, and national laboratories united by the goal of open, interoperable soil science data.

Ecotron & Ecotron-Like Facilities

U.S. Partner Facilities

Key ecotron, phytotron, growth chamber, and rhizotron facilities that have agreed to participate in the CO-FAIR network.

Deep Soil Ecotron

University of Idaho — Moscow, ID

Large-scale ecotron for deep soil ecosystem research. 24 EcoUnits with soil columns up to 3m deep. The pilot facility for CO-FAIR.

Lead Institution
EcoCELLs

Desert Research Institute — Reno, NV

Enclosed ecosystem chambers for whole-ecosystem studies including gas exchange, hydrology, plant stress, and climate change research.

Confirmed Partner
Georgia Envirotron

University of Georgia — Griffin, GA

Growth chambers and rainout plots for stress studies in sustainable agriculture and environmental effects research.

Confirmed Partner
Smart Soils Testbed

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab — Berkeley, CA

Controlled system for plant-soil-microbe interaction studies at watershed scales, focusing on genomics and climate change.

Confirmed Partner
Soil Carbon Solutions Center Rhizotron

Colorado State University

Controlled chambers for plant root studies focusing on climate change, carbon sequestration, and plant-soil interactions.

Confirmed Partner
EcoPODs

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab — Berkeley, CA

Controlled chambers for plant-soil-microbe interaction studies, bioenergy crops, and soil cycling research.

Biosphere 2

University of Arizona — Oracle, AZ

Glass-enclosed biomes for Earth science research on climate impacts, ecosystem resilience, and biogeochemical cycles.

ISU Enviratron

Iowa State University — Ames, IA

Autonomous phenotyping chambers for climate studies in plant response to stress and crop phenomics.

SPAR Facility

Mississippi State University — Starkville, MS

Sunlit chambers for plant-soil-atmosphere interaction, climate change modeling, and soil carbon research.

Global Reach

Extending to European Partners

Approximately 13 ecotron facilities exist globally, with the majority in Europe. CO-FAIR aims to establish partnerships extending beyond the United States to include major European ecotron facilities.

Notable international facilities include the Ecotron Montpellier in France, which offers versatile platforms for ecosystem experimentation, and the Ecotron at the University of Hasselt in Belgium, focusing on environmental variability impact studies.

By connecting U.S. and European ecotrons through shared data standards and interoperable infrastructure, CO-FAIR will enable truly global comparative research on subsurface ecosystems.

Collaborating Institutions
  • University of Wyoming
    Ecosystem science & environmental change
  • University of Hawaii
    Tropical soil ecosystems
  • University of Delaware
    Soil carbon & environmental variability
  • University of Colorado Boulder
    Microbial ecology & biodiversity
  • Pacific Northwest National Lab
    Earth system modeling & hydrology
  • North Dakota State University
    Agricultural soils & stress responses

Operate an Ecotron or Related Facility?

We are actively seeking new partners to join the CO-FAIR network. Bring your facility's data into a connected, interoperable ecosystem.

Join the Network