"The network INCREASE consists of 6 infrastructures (large-scale field sites) with experimental manipulation of climate e.g night time warming and extended summer drought. Within INCREASE we will improve the technology and methodology for studies of climate change effects on European shrublands. The main objectives of INCREASE are: 1. To optimize technologies and methodologies for non-intrusive field manipulation of climate change in shrubland ecosystems by development, testing and application of new technology and methods i) to optimize the field manipulations of warming to 3-4 °C (in agreement with the newest predictions of global warming by the IPCC (2007)), ii) to develop, test and apply the combination of warming and drought and the combination with CO2. 2. To improve and develop non-destructive techniques and methods for measurements of physical, chemical and biological effects of climate. 3. To stimulate collaboration within the scientific community around climate manipulation experiments i) within the infrastructure by means of e.g. common research, common protocols, test of equipment, data syntheses, ii) between the infrastructure and related infrastructures beyond the proposal, and iii) scientists within relevant fields 4. To provide access to a unique set of large scale climate change experiment for European scientists. 5. To develop and provide access to a comprehensive data base of experimental data. 6. To develop and provide access to a dynamic ecosystem model for scrubland ecosystems 7. To test and apply non-destructive methods for ecosystem carbon assessment and important underlying processes of root dynamics and carbon transformations in the soil."