Laqueuille - France

The French Laqueuille site (ICOS code FR-Lqu) is part of the long-term national research platform on biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles (SOERE-ACBB) and is located on permanent semi-natural upland grassland in the Massif Centrale, France. Historically, the area was converted (from crop) into grassland more than sixty years ago, so the station is surrounded by mown and grazed grasslands. The climate is semi-continental and the soil is an Andosol (16% clay, 56% silt, 28% sand) with 11% carbon and 18% organic matter in the top 10 cm, resulting a mean soil organic soil C stock of 23 kgC m-2 in 0-60cm layer.