Dynamics Of CO2 Exchange Research Articles

Capturing the net ecosystem CO2 exchange dynamics of tidal wetlands with high spatiotemporal resolution by integrating process-based and machine learning estimations

Accurate estimation of the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) at regional scales is of great significance for studying the carbon sink potential of coastal wetland ecosystems and their responses to global climate change. However, current NEE estimation methods are mainly developed for terrestrial ecosystems and are therefore unsuitable for NEE estimation with high spatiotemporal resolution estimation in coastal wetlands subjected to sub-daily tidal flooding. In this study, we proposed a high spatiotemporal resolution NEE estimation method for coastal marsh wetlands that properly considered tidal influence by combining the advantages of process-based modeling and machine learning. This method was verified and applied in the Changjiang estuary and Liaohe estuary marsh wetlands based on eddy covariance and environmental measurements, climate reanalysis data, and satellite images. The proposed method had good performance in the NEE estimation of tidal marsh wetlands, with Phragmites australis, Spartina alterniflora, and Suaeda salsa having coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.850, 0.676, and 0.658, respectively, and root mean square error (RMSE) values of 7.211 μmol m−2 s−1, 8.105 μmol m−2 s−1, and 0.109 μmol m−2 s−1, respectively. By integrating the tide level and salinity, the NEE estimation accuracy for each vegetation type was improved. The total annual NEE values of the Changjiang estuary and Liaohe estuary marsh wetlands in 2022 were estimated to be −0.297 and −0.444 Tg C yr−1, respectively. This study demonstrated that integrating process-based model and machine learning estimation can reliably capture the NEE dynamics of coastal wetlands, providing a useful tool to quantify coastal blue carbon potential with high spatiotemporal resolution at large scales.

Acquisition of green algal photobionts enables both chlorolichens and chloro-cyanolichens to activate photosynthesis at low humidity without liquid water.

Cyanobacteria require liquid water for photosynthesis, whereas green algae can photosynthesise with water vapour alone. We discovered that several Lobaria spp. which normally have cyanobacteria as the sole photobiont, in some regions of the trans-Himalayas also harboured green algae. We tested whether green algal acquisition was: limited to high elevations; obtained from neighbouring chloro-Lobaria species; enabled photosynthesis at low humidity. Lobaria spp. were collected from 2000 to 4000 m elevation. Spectrophotometry quantified green algal abundance by measuring chlorophyll b (absent in cyanobacteria). Thalli cross-sections visually confirmed green algal presence. We sequenced gene regions: Lobaria (ITS-EF-1α-RPB2), green algae (18S-RBC-L) and Nostoc (16S). Phylogenetic analysis determined myco-photobiont associations. We used a custom closed-circuit gas exchange system with an infrared gas analyser to measure CO2 exchange rates for desiccated specimens at 33%, 76%, 86% and 98% humidity. Cross-sections revealed that the photobiont layers in putative cyano-Lobaria contained both cyanobacteria and green algae, indicating that they should be considered chloro-cyanolichens. Chloro-Lobaria had no visible cephalodia nor cyanobacteria in the photobiont layer. Chloro-Lobaria and chloro-cyano-Lobaria had comparable levels of chlorophyll b. Chloro-Lobaria usually contained Symbiochloris. Chloro-cyano-Lobaria mainly associated with Parachloroidium and Nostoc; infrequently with Symbiochloris, Apatococcus, Chloroidium, Pseudochlorella, Trebouxia. Sequences from two green algal genera were obtained from within some thalli. Desiccated specimens of every Lobaria species could attain net photosynthesis with light exposure and 33% humidity. CO2 exchange dynamics over a five-day period differed between species. At all elevations, chloro-cyano-Lobaria spp. had abundant green algae in the photobiont layer, but green algal strains mostly differed to those of chloro-Lobaria spp. Both chloro-Lobaria and chloro-cyano-Lobaria were capable of conducting photosynthesis without liquid water. The data strongly suggest that they attained positive net photosynthesis.

Carbon dioxide balance of an oil palm plantation established on tropical peat

Oil palm plantations have been expanding in recent decades in Indonesia and Malaysia. Carbon-rich tropical peat swamp forest has not been excluded from this expansion, because it was the last frontier suitable for industrial agriculture and more accessible than other undeveloped areas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission through accelerated peat decomposition is one of the main environmental concerns in the conversion of peatlands into plantations, which undergo drainage to increase palm growth rates and production. Changes in aboveground biomass might also significantly alter the CO2 exchange dynamics of the ecosystem. Despite the potential changes in CO2 balance due to land conversion, so far no study has been conducted using the eddy covariance technique about the CO2 balance of oil palm plantations established on peat. We have monitored the eddy CO2 flux above an oil palm plantation on peat in Sarawak, Malaysia since 2011. During the period from 2011 to 2014 (four years), the plantation at 7–10 years of age was a large stable CO2 source with an annual net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of 994 ± 158 g C m−2 yr−1. The NEE was much more positive than that of a peat swamp forest (-136 ± 51 g C m−2 yr−1) in the same region during the same period. The large positive NEE was caused mainly by its relatively small gross primary production (GPP) (2529 ± 125 g C m−2 yr−1) due to low leaf area index resulting from high palm mortality. In addition, a large amount of plant debris left in the plantation probably contributed to the large NEE through decomposition, especially under the many canopy gaps due to high palm mortality mainly caused by toppling on poorly compacted peat. Adequate peat compaction is essential to reduce the mortality rate.

Response of hydrology and CO<sub>2</sub> flux to experimentally altered rainfall frequency in a temperate poor fen, southern Ontario, Canada

Abstract. Predicted changes to the precipitation regime in many parts of the world include intensifying the distribution into lower frequency, large magnitude events. The corresponding alterations to the soil moisture regime may affect plant growth and soil respiration, particularly in peatlands, where large stores of organic carbon are due to gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) exceeding ecosystem respiration (ER). This study uses lab monoliths corroborated with field measurements to examine the effect of changing rainfall frequency on peatland moisture controls on CO2 uptake in an undisturbed cool temperate poor fen. Lab monoliths and field plots containing mosses, sedges, or shrubs received either 2.3, 1, or 0.5 precipitation events per week, with total rainfall held constant. Decreasing rain frequency led to lower near-surface volumetric moisture content (VMC), water table (WT), and soil tension for all vegetation types, with minimal effect on evapotranspiration. The presence of sedges in particular led to soil tensions of ≥100 cm of water for a sizeable duration (37 %) of the experiment. Altered rainfall frequencies affected GEP but had little effect on ER; overall, low-frequency rain led to a reduced net CO2 uptake for all three vegetation types. VMC had a strong control on GEP and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of the Sphagnum capillifolium monoliths, and decreasing rainfall frequency influenced these relationships. Overall, communities dominated by mosses became net sources of CO2 after 3 days without rain, whereas sedge communities remained net sinks for up to 14 days without rain. The results of this study demonstrate the hydrological controls of peatland CO2 exchange dynamics influenced by changing precipitation frequency; furthermore, they suggest these predicted changes in frequency will lead to increased sedge GEP but limit the carbon-sink function of peatlands.

Rotational and continuous grazing does not affect the total net ecosystem exchange of a pasture grazed by cattle but modifies CO2 exchange dynamics

Grassland carbon budgets are known to be greatly dependent on management. In particular, grazing is known to directly affect CO2 exchange through consumption by plants, cattle respiration, natural fertilisation through excreta, and soil compaction. This study investigates the impact of two grazing methods on the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) dynamics and carbon balance, by measuring CO2 fluxes using eddy covariance in two adjacent pastures located in southern Belgium during a complete grazing season. Rotational (RG) grazing consists of an alternation of rest periods and short high stock density grazing periods. Continuous grazing (CG) consists of uninterrupted grazing with variable stocking rates. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the impact of these grazing methods on total net ecosystem exchange and CO2 exchange dynamics using eddy covariance. The results showed that NEE dynamics were greatly impacted by the grazing method. Following grazing events on the RG parcel, net CO2 uptake on the RG parcel was reduced compared to the CG parcel. During the following rest periods, this phenomenon progressively shifted towards a higher assimilation for the RG treatment. This behaviour was attributed to sharp biomass changes in the RG treatment and therefore sharp changes in plant photosynthetic capacity. We found that differences in gross primary productivity at high radiation were strongly correlated to differences in standing biomass. In terms of carbon budgets, no significant difference was observed between the two treatments, neither in cumulative NEE, or in terms of estimated biomass production. The results of our study suggest that we should not expect major benefits in terms of CO2 uptake from rotational grazing management when compared to continuous grazing management in intensively managed temperate pastures.

Analyzing the Effects of Growing Season Length on the Net Ecosystem Production of an Alpine Grassland Using Model\u2013Data Fusion

Alpine ecosystems are, similar to arctic ecosystems, characterized by a very long snow season. Previous studies investigating arctic or alpine ecosystems have shown that winter CO2 effluxes can dominate the annual balance and that the timing and duration of the snow cover plays a crucial role for plant growth and phenology and might also influence the growing season ecosystem CO2 strength and dynamics. The objective of this study was to analyze seasonal and annual CO2 balances of a grassland site at an elevation of 2440 m a.s.l in the Swiss central Alps. We continuously measured the NEP using the eddy covariance method from June 2013 to October 2014, covering two growing seasons and one winter. We analyzed the influence of snow melt date on the CO2 exchange dynamics at this site, because snow melt differed about 24 days between the 2 years. To this end, we employed a process-based ecosystem carbon cycling model to disentangle the co-occurring effects of growing season length, environmental conditions during the growing season, and physiological/structural properties of the canopy on the ecosystem carbon balance. During the measurement period, the site was a net sink for CO2 although winter efflux contributed significantly to the total balance. The cumulative growing season NEP as well as mean and maximum daily CO2 uptake rates was lower during the year with the later snow melt, and the results indicated that the differences were mainly due to differing growing season lengths.

Canopy Chamber: a useful tool to monitor the CO2 exchange dynamics of shrubland

Abstract: A transient state canopy-chamber was developed to monitor CO2 exchange of shrubland ecosystems. The chamber covered 0.64 m2 and it was modular with a variable height. Several tests were carried out to check the potential errors in the flux estimates due to leakages and the environment modifications during the measurements inside the chamber. The laboratory leakages test showed an error below 1% of the flux; the temperature increases inside the chamber were below 1.3 °C at different light intensity and small pressure changes. The radial blowers inside the chamber created different wind speed at different chamber height, with faster speed at the top of the chamber and the minimum wind speed that was recorded at soil level, preventing detectable effects on soil CO2 emission rates. Moreover, the chamber was tested for two years in a semi-arid Mediterranean garrigue, identifying a strong seasonality of CO2 fluxes with the highest rates during spring and lowest rates recorded during the hot dry non-vegetative summer.

Surface CO2 Exchange Dynamics across a Climatic Gradient in McKenzie Valley: Effect of Landforms, Climate and Permafrost

Northern regions are experiencing considerable climate change affecting the state of permafrost, peat accumulation rates, and the large pool of carbon (C) stored in soil, thereby emphasizing the importance of monitoring surface C fluxes in different landform sites along a climate gradient. We studied surface net C exchange (NCE) and ecosystem respiration (ER) across different landforms (upland, peat plateau, collapse scar) in mid-boreal to high subarctic ecoregions in the Mackenzie Valley of northwestern Canada for three years. NCE and ER were measured using automatic CO2 chambers (ADC, Bioscientific LTD., Herts, England), and soil respiration (SR) was measured with solid state infrared CO2 sensors (Carbocaps, Vaisala, Vantaa, Finland) using the concentration gradient technique. Both NCE and ER were primarily controlled by soil temperature in the upper horizons. In upland forest locations, ER varied from 583 to 214 g C·m−2·year−1 from mid-boreal to high subarctic zones, respectively. For the bog and peat plateau areas, ER was less than half that at the upland locations. Of SR, nearly 75% was generated in the upper 5 cm layer composed of live bryophytes and actively decomposing fibric material. Our results suggest that for the upland and bog locations, ER significantly exceeded NCE. Bryophyte NCE was greatest in continuously waterlogged collapsed areas and was negligible in other locations. Overall, upland forest sites were sources of CO2 (from 64 g·C·m−2·year−1 in the high subarctic to 588 g C·m−2·year−1 in mid-boreal zone); collapsed areas were sinks of C, especially in high subarctic (from 27 g·C·m−2 year−1 in mid-boreal to 86 g·C·m−2·year−1 in high subarctic) and peat plateaus were minor sources (from 153 g·C·m−2·year−1 in mid-boreal to 6 g·C·m−2·year−1 in high subarctic). The results are important in understanding how different landforms are responding to climate change and would be useful in modeling the effect of future climate change on the soil C balance in the northern regions.

Carbon dioxide exchange dynamics over a mature switchgrass stand

AbstractSwitchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has gained importance as feedstock for bioenergy over the last decades due to its high productivity for up to 20 years, low input requirements, and potential for carbon sequestration. However, data on the dynamics of CO2 exchange of mature switchgrass stands (>5 years) are limited. The objective of this study was to determine net ecosystem exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (Re), and gross primary production (GPP) for a commercially managed switchgrass field in its sixth (2012) and seventh (2013) year in southern Ontario, Canada, using the eddy covariance method. Average NEE flux over two growing seasons (emergence to harvest) was −10.4 μmol m−2 s−1 and reached a maximum uptake of −42.4 μmol m−2 s−1. Total annual NEE was −380 ± 25 and −430 ± 30 g C m−2 in 2012 and 2013, respectively. GPP reached −1354 ± 23 g C m−2 in 2012 and −1430 ± 50g C m−2 in 2013. Annual Re in 2012 was 974 ± 20 g C m−2 and 1000 ± 35 g C m−2 in 2013. GPP during the dry year of 2012 was significantly lower than that during the normal year of 2013, but yield was significantly higher in 2012 with 1090 g m−2, compared to 790 g m−2 in 2013. If considering the carbon removed at harvest, the net ecosystem carbon balance came to 106 ± 45 g C m−2 in 2012, indicating a source of carbon, and to −59 ± 45 g C m−2 in 2013, indicating a sink of carbon. Our results confirm that switchgrass can switch between being a sink and a source of carbon on an annual basis. More studies are needed which investigate this interannual variability of the carbon budget of mature switchgrass stands.

Low impact of dry conditions on the CO2 exchange of a Northern-Norwegian blanket bog

Northern peatlands hold large amounts of organic carbon (C) in their soils and are as such important in a climate change context. Blanket bogs, i.e. nutrient-poor peatlands restricted to maritime climates, may be extra vulnerable to global warming since they require a positive water balance to sustain their moss dominated vegetation and C sink functioning. This study presents a 4.5 year record of land–atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange from the Andøya blanket bog in northern Norway. Compared with other peatlands, the Andøya peatland exhibited low flux rates, related to the low productivity of the dominating moss and lichen communities and the maritime settings that attenuated seasonal temperature variations. It was observed that under periods of high vapour pressure deficit, net ecosystem exchange was reduced, which was mainly caused by a decrease in gross primary production. However, no persistent effects of dry conditions on the CO2 exchange dynamics were observed, indicating that under present conditions and within the range of observed meteorological conditions the Andøya blanket bog retained its C uptake function. Continued monitoring of these ecosystem types is essential in order to detect possible effects of a changing climate.

Growing season and spatial variations of carbon fluxes of Arctic and boreal ecosystems in Alaska (USA)

To better understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of CO2 exchange between Arctic ecosystems and the atmosphere, we synthesized CO2 flux data, measured in eight Arctic tundra and five boreal ecosystems across Alaska (USA) and identified growing season and spatial variations of the fluxes and environmental controlling factors. For the period examined, all of the boreal and seven of the eight Arctic tundra ecosystems acted as CO2 sinks during the growing season. Seasonal patterns of the CO2 fluxes were mostly determined by air temperature, except ecosystem respiration (RE) of tundra. For the tundra ecosystems, the spatial variation of gross primary productivity (GPP) and net CO2 sink strength were explained by growing season length, whereas RE increased with growing degree days. For boreal ecosystems, the spatial variation of net CO2 sink strength was mostly determined by recovery of GPP from fire disturbance. Satellite-derived leaf area index (LAI) was a better index to explain the spatial variations of GPP and NEE of the ecosystems in Alaska than were the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Multiple regression models using growing degree days, growing season length, and satellite-derived LAI explained much of the spatial variation in GPP and net CO2 exchange among the tundra and boreal ecosystems. The high sensitivity of the sink strength to growing season length indicated that the tundra ecosystem could increase CO2 sink strength under expected future warming, whereas ecosystem compositions associated with fire disturbance could play a major role in carbon release from boreal ecosystems.

Characterizing air–sea CO2 exchange dynamics during winter in the coastal water off the Hugli-Matla estuarine system in the northern Bay of Bengal, India

The distribution of the fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) and air-sea CO2 exchange were comprehensively investigated in the outer estuary to offshore shallow water region (lying adjacent to the Sundarban mangrove forest) covering an area of *2,000 km 2 in the northern Bay of Bengal during the winter. A total of ten sampling surveys were conducted between 1 December, 2011 and 21 February, 2012. Physico- chemical variables like sea surface temperature (SST), salinity, pH, total alkalinity (TAlk), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and in vivo chlorophyll-a along with atmo- spheric variables were measured in order to study their role in controlling the CO2 flux. Surface water fCO2 ranged between 111 and 459 latm which correlated significantly with the SST (r = 0.71, p \ 0.001, n = 62). Neither DIC nor TAlk showed any linear relationship with varying salinity in the estuarine mixing zone, demonstrating the significant pre- sence of non-carbonate alkalinity. An overall net biological control on the surface fCO2 distribution was established during the study, although no significant correlation was found between chlorophyll-a and fCO2 (water). The shallow water region studied was mostly under-saturated with CO2 and acted as a sink for atmospheric CO2. The difference between surface water and atmospheric fCO2 (DfCO2) ranged from -274 to 69 latm, with an average seaward flux of - 10.5 ± 12.6 lmol m -2 h -1 . The DfCO2 and hence the air- sea CO2 exchange was primarily regulated by the variation in sea surface fCO2, since atmospheric fCO2 varied over a com- paratively narrow range of 361.23-399.05 latm.

On the separate effects of soil and land cover on Mediterranean ecohydrology: Two contrasting case studies in Sardinia, Italy

Key Points Comparison of evapotraspiration observations at 2 Mediterranean ecosystems CO2 and water use efficiency at two competitive ecosystems Investigate the role of the vegetation type on ET and CO2 exchange dynamics

北京奥林匹克森林公园绿地碳交换动态及其环境控制因子

北京奥林匹克森林公园绿地碳交换动态及其环境控制因子

Carbon dioxide fluxes in corn–soybean rotation in the midwestern U.S.: Inter- and intra-annual variations, and biophysical controls

Quantifying carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems is critical for better understanding of global carbon cycling and observed changes in climate. This study examined year-round temporal variations of CO2 fluxes in two biennial crop rotations during 4 year of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production. We monitored CO2 fluxes using eddy-covariance (EC) and soil chambers in adjacent production fields near Ames, Iowa. Under the non-limiting soil water availability conditions predominant in these fields, diel and seasonal variations of CO2 fluxes were mostly controlled by ambient temperature and available light. Air temperature explained up to 81% of the variability of soil respiratory losses during fallow periods. In contrast, with full-developed canopies, available light was the main driver of daytime CO2 uptake for both crops. Furthermore, a combined additive effect of both available light and temperature on enhanced CO2 uptake was identified only for corn. Moreover, diurnal hysteresis of net CO2 uptake with available light was also found for both crops with consistently greater CO2 uptake in the mornings than afternoons perhaps primarily owing to delay in peak of soil respiration relative to the time of maximum plant photosynthesis. Annual cumulative CO2 exchange was mainly determined by crop species with consistently greater net uptake for corn and near neutral exchange for soybean (−466±38 and −13±39gCm−2year−1). Concomitantly, within growing seasons, CO2 sink periods were approximately 106 days for corn and 90 days for soybean, and peak rates of CO2 uptake were roughly 1.7-fold higher for corn than soybean. Apparent changes in soil organic carbon estimated after accounting for grain carbon removal suggested soil carbon depletion following soybean years and neutral carbon balance for corn. Overall, results suggest changes in land use and cropping systems have a substantial impact on dynamics of CO2 exchange.

Forest floor photosynthesis and respiration in a drained peatland forest in southern Finland

Background: Although forest floor forms a large biomass pool in forested peatlands, little is known about its role in ecosystem carbon (C) dynamics. Aim: We aimed to quantify forest floor photosynthesis (P FF) and respiration (R FF) as a part of overall C dynamics in a drained peatland forest in southern Finland. Methods: We measured net forest floor CO2 exchange with closed chambers and reconstructed seasonal CO2 exchange in the prevailing plant communities. Results: The vegetation was a mosaic of plant communities that differed in CO2 exchange dynamics. The reconstructed growing season P FF was highest in the Sphagnum community and lowest in the feather moss communities. On the contrary, R FF was highest in the feather moss communities and lowest in the Sphagnum community. CO2 assimilated by the forest floor was 20–30% of the total CO2 assimilated by the forest. The forest floor was a net CO2 source to the atmosphere, because respiration from ground vegetation, tree roots and decomposition of soil organic matter exceeded the photosynthesis of ground vegetation. Conclusions: Tree stand dominates C fluxes in drained peatland forests. However, forest floor vegetation can have a noticeable role in the C cycle of peatlands drained for forestry. Similarly to natural mires, Sphagnum moss-dominated communities were the most efficient assimilators of C.

Spatial variation in CO2 exchange at a northern aapa mire

We compared the CO2 exchange and its controls in the plant communities of a strongly patterned aapa mire, the Kaamanen fen in northern Finland. Based on a systematic vegetation inventory and an ordination analysis, four plant community types were chosen for the study: Ericales–Pleurozium string tops, Betula–Sphagnum string margins, Trichophorum tussock flarks and Carex–Scorpidium wet flarks. We measured plant community CO2 exchange with a closed chamber technique during the growing season of 2007 and early summer of 2008. Nonlinear regression models were used for simulating the CO2 exchange over the measurement period for different mire components and for the whole mire. The CO2 exchange dynamics distinguished two functional components in the mire: an ombrotrophic component (Ericales–Pleurozium string tops) and a minerotrophic component (other plant community types). Minerotrophic plant communities responded similarly to environmental controls, the most important of these being variation in leaf area and aerobic peat volume (water level). The ombrotrophic component dynamics were more obscure; frost and possibly peat moisture played a role. The minerotrophic communities functioned as effective CO2 sinks in the simulation, while the net CO2 exchange of the ombrotrophic community was close to zero. The smaller NEE of the ombrotrophic community was due to less efficient photosynthesis per unit leaf area in combination with high ecosystem respiration resulting from a large aerobic peat volume. Our study shows that a fen/bog functional dichotomy can also exist within one mire. Wet minerotrophic communities within northern mires can act as effective CO2 sinks.

Seasonal dynamics of CO2 exchange during primary succession of boreal mires as controlled by phenology of plants

Vegetation succession in mires is rather well identified using the paleoecological approach. Recently, the ecological succession concept has been extended to ecosystem functions, e.g., carbon dioxide (CO2) dynamics. Although a strong link between mire vegetation and carbon dynamics is well acknowledged, the successional changes in mire ecosystem functions have remained practically unstudied, especially under the same climatic control. To study the patterns and dynamics of CO2 exchange during mire succession, we measured CO2 exchange and vegetation dynamics over 2 growing seasons along a mire chronosequence on the land uplift coast of the Bay of Bothnia in western Finland. The study showed a decrease in photosynthesis during mire succession that was linked to compositional change in vegetation, i.e., replacement of sedge and herb dominance with the dominance of dwarf shrubs and Sphagna. Similarly, the study revealed decreased variation in gross photosynthesis (PG) and ecosystem respiration (RE) over a growing season, which resulted in lower levels of seasonal CO2 dynamics at older stages. The observed successional trend in phenology and CO2 dynamics was largely a consequence of the gradual decrease in the abundance of plant groups with efficient photosynthesis and green area production.

Carbon dioxide dynamics of a restored maritime peatland

The restoration of cutaway peatlands provides an opportunity to return the carbon (C) sink function and to examine the influence of climate on peat formation and C accumulation. We studied CO2 exchange dynamics in 2002 and 2003 at a rewetted cutaway peatland located within the temperate maritime climatic zone. Gross photosynthesis (PG), ecosystem respiration (RTOT), and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) were observed in a range of microsites representing a hydroseral succession gradient: Typha latifolia—Phalaris arundinacea, Eriophorum angustifolium—Carex rostrata, and Juncus effusus—Holcus lanatus vegetation communities and areas of bare (unvegetated) peat. Annual rainfall was 26% higher in 2002 and 4% lower in 2003 than the long-term average and influenced water table position at all microsites. Observed instantaneous CO2 fluxes varied temporally and spatially at all microsites. Modelled PG was strongly dependent on irradiation (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) and the Vascular Green Area index (VGA). RTOT was influenced by the soil temperature at 5 cm depth (T5cm) and the water table position. All microsites were net sources of CO2 in both years of the study, and higher losses (with the exception of Juncus/Holcus) were observed in 2003 at all microsites. In general, losses followed the trend Juncus/Holcus > Phalaris > Typha > bare peat > Eriophorum—Carex in 2002 and Phalaris > Juncus—Holcus > Typha > Eriophorum/Carex > bare peat in 2003. Losses ranged from -163 to -651 g CO2 - C·m−2.y−1 in 2002 and -308 to -760 g CO2 - C·m−2.y−1 in 2003. Considerable wintertime losses were observed at all microsites. The results from this study suggest that these peatlands are vulnerable to interannual variations in climatic inputs and that future predictions of climatic change may make restoration of the C sink function in cutaway peatlands in the temperate maritime climatic zone a considerable challenge in the years ahead.

A high resolution green area index for modelling the seasonal dynamics of CO2 exchange in peatland vascular plant communities

We studied vegetation dynamics at peatlands, differing in their climate, land use management history and vegetation community in Ireland and Finland over a two-year period. Our aim was to develop a species-specific method to be used to (1) describe the seasonal dynamics of green (photosynthetic) area (GA) of the vegetation and (2) incorporate these changes into CO2 exchange models. The extent of temporal and spatial variation between and within communities indicated the need for a two-step calculation approach for each community. Firstly, at biweekly to monthly intervals, GA of all species within a range of vascular plant communities was estimated by non-destructive field measurements. Gaussian or log-normal models were fitted to describe the seasonal dynamics of each species. Secondly, an estimate of community vascular green area (VGA) was obtained by summing the modelled daily GA of all species within the community. The highest values of VGA (2.1–6.0 m2 m−2) occurred within the reed communities at the rewetted cutaway peatland in Ireland and the lowest at the ombrotrophic lawn communities in Finland (0.5–1.0 m2 m−2). The relationship between light saturated gross photosynthesis (PG) and VGA was either linear or hyperbolic depending on the degree of self-shading that occurred within each community. The addition of the VGA term into PG models improved the explaining power of the model by 57.6, 24.5 and 23% within the Typha latifolia, Phalaris arundinacea and Eriophorum angustifolium/Carex rostrata communities, respectively. VGA proved useful in recording the seasonal development of a wide range of peatland vascular plant communities over geographically and climatically different regions.