Experimental ecology in France: The example of the metatron

Background/Question/Methods

Ecology is entering in its mature phase. As in Physic, there is a need of sophisticated experimental facilities, but there costs prevent to multiply them. The research community has therefore to organize itself around a few sites where these costly facilities are implanted. I will present such a network of facilities which have been raised in France and the basis on which they have been constructed; I will illustrate this initiative by the metatron an experimental facility designed in particular for studying the effect of space on ecological processes. I will present some recent work conducted in this infrastructure where we examined the effect of climate on metapopulation of the common lizards

Results/Conclusions

I will illustrate this initiative by the metatron an experimental facility designed in particular for studying the effect of space on ecological processes. I will present some recent work conducted in this infrastructure where we examined the effect of climate on metapopulation of the common lizards at the southern margin of their distribution. I will then finish by examining some of the limitation of the system and how it can be improved.