Maximum In Early Summer Research Articles

Multiple Elevation‐Dependent Climate Signals From Quantitative Wood Anatomical Measurements of Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine

AbstractSouthwestern North America has experienced significant temperature increases over the last century, leading to intensified droughts that significantly affect montane forests. Although tree‐ring data have provided long‐term context for this recent drought severity, the varying physiological responses of trees to climate variability make it challenging to disentangle the combined influence of temperature and soil moisture. Here we investigate complex climate‐growth relationships in Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) at a low‐elevation and a high‐elevation site using quantitative wood anatomy (QWA). Significant correlations with climate were found for low‐elevation tree‐ring width (TRW) and earlywood chronologies, including positive correlations with spring and early summer precipitation and drought indices and negative correlations with spring and early summer maximum temperatures. At high elevations, TRW and earlywood chronologies show positive responses to summer moisture, whereas latewood chronologies correlate positively with August and September maximum temperatures and negatively with August precipitation. We leverage this differing seasonality of moisture and temperature signals and compare the QWA data to known droughts. The earlywood lumen area is found to be highly responsive to drought because of its physiological reliance on water availability for maintaining turgor pressure during cell enlargement. We also observed a decline in temperature sensitivity at the high elevation site, suggesting shifts in the dominance of limiting factors. Integrating QWA with traditional dendrochronology improves interpretations of tree‐ring data for use in climate reconstruction, offering detailed insights into tree physiological responses and the mix of environmental and developmental controls on cell growth.

Initial results of the meteorological data from the first 325 sols of the Tianwen-1 mission

As the Zhurong rover landed on the surface of Mars in 2021, it began a months-long collection of Mars data. Equipped with highly sensitive sensors, Zhurong is capable of being a meteorological station at the surface of Mars. The Mars Climate Station, one of the onboard sensors with high sensitivity, helps the Tianwen-1 lander to collect meteorological data at the Martian surface, via which the air temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction are measured. In this paper, we present results of surface pressure, air temperature and wind data from the Mars Climate Station at Zhurong’s landing site. The data is collected in 176 solar days out of the entire rover’s mission time, 325 solar days. We use a trigonometric function to fit the relationship between the solar longitude (Ls) and the pressure, after which we compare the results with those of Viking I. Our analysis of the temperature shows that seasonal evolution is similar to the patterns concluded in previous Mars missions at different landing sites. We discover that wind speed appears the maximum in early summer near Zhurong’s landing site, and analyze the occurrence of dust storms by combining the data of wind and temperature. Our results provide some evidence of the seasonal changes in meteorological pattern at Tianwen-1’s landing site, south of Utopia Planitia. With the mission ongoing further, more results are expected in the future.

Emerging harmful algal blooms caused by distinct seasonal assemblages of a toxic diatom.

Diatoms in the Pseudo-nitzschia genus produce the neurotoxin domoic acid. Domoic acid bioaccumulates in shellfish, causing illness in humans and marine animals upon ingestion. In 2017, high domoic acid levels in shellfish meat closed shellfish harvest in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island for the first and only time in history, although abundant Pseudo-nitzschia have been observed for over 60 years. To investigate whether an environmental factor altered endemic Pseudo-nitzschia physiology or new domoic acid-producing strain(s) were introduced to Narragansett Bay, we conducted weekly sampling from 2017 to 2019 and compared closure samples. Plankton-associated domoic acid was quantified by LC-MS/MS and Pseudo-nitzschia spp. were identified using a taxonomically improved high-throughput rDNA sequencing approach. Comparison with environmental data revealed a detailed understanding of domoic acid dynamics and seasonal multi-species assemblages. Plankton-associated domoic acid was low throughout 2017-2019, but recurred in fall and early summer maxima. Fall domoic acid maxima contained known toxic species as well as a novel Pseudo-nitzschia genotype. Summer domoic acid maxima included fewer species but also known toxin producers. Most 2017 closure samples contained the particularly concerning toxic species, P. australis, which also appeared infrequently during 2017-2019. Recurring Pseudo-nitzschia assemblages were driven by seasonal temperature changes, and plankton-associated domoic acid correlated with low dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Thus, the Narragansett Bay closures were likely caused by both resident assemblages that become toxic depending on nutrient status as well as the episodic introductions of toxic species from oceanographic and climatic shifts.

Identifying the main drivers of the seasonal decline of near-infrared reflectance of a temperate deciduous forest

The physical mechanisms behind correlations of earth observations and remote sensing products are of vital importance. The so-called ’near-infrared reflectance of vegetation’ (NIRV) and gross primary production (GPP) show high correlations among different ecosystems and temporal scales but the underlying relationship is still poorly understood. NIRV is defined as the product of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and near-infrared (NIR) canopy reflectance (RNIR). We examined this relationship in the case of a temperate deciduous forest in Germany. GPP, RNIR and NIRV all exhibited a strong rise during leaf development in spring and a continual decline after the maximum in early summer. The decline of NIRV in late summer was mainly driven by the decline of RNIR, since NDVI remained saturated.Here we tested the RNIR decline attributions to changes in leaf area index, leaf optical properties, canopy structure, sun-sensor geometry, or understory vegetation by measuring seasonal variations of those factors of the temperate deciduous forest. Leaf area was nearly constant between May and mid September, leaf albedo decreased slightly, leaf angles increased over time towards more vertical leaves, and understory reflectance decreased considerably.We simulated the seasonal RNIR decline of the forest using the radiative transfer model FRT and quantified the sensitivity of the decline to variations in the measured parameters. FRT captured well the observed seasonal RNIR decline by Sentinel 2 using the measured optical and structural properties. Decreasing understory reflectance alone explained 43% of the simulated RNIR decrease, while leaf angle variations explained 31%, the solar zenith angle (SZA) 21%, leaf albedo 7%, and LAI 0%. The effect size of the SZA depended on the viewing angle and would hence be different for different satellites and for local instruments. The results may help to better understand and help to track seasonal changes in forest structure and leaf optical properties using remote sensing techniques. They also suggest that the proposed link between the seasonal evolution of GPP and NIRV may be weaker than expected.

Characterizing phytoplankton biomass seasonal cycles in two NE Atlantic coastal bays

The seasonal and interannual variability of chlorophyll a was studied between 2008 and 2016 in two coastal bays located in the northeastern limit of the Iberia/Canary upwelling ecosystem. The work aims (i) to understand if small latitudinal distances and/or coastline orientation can promote different chlorophyll a seasonal cycles; and (ii) to investigate if different meteorological and oceanographic variables can explain the differences observed on seasonal cycles. Results indicate three main biological seasons with different patterns in the two studied bays. A uni-modal pattern with a short early summer maximum and relatively low chlorophyll a concentration characterized the westernmost sector of the South coast, while a uni-modal pattern characterized by high biomass over a long period, slightly higher in spring than in summer, and high chlorophyll a concentration characterized the central West coast. Comparisons made between satellite estimates of chlorophyll a and in situ data in one of the bays revealed some important differences, namely the overestimation of concentrations and the anticipation of the beginning and end time of the productive period by satellite. Cross-correlation analyses were performed for phytoplankton biomass and different meteorological and oceanographic variables (SST, PAR, UI, MLD and precipitation) using different time lags to identify the drivers that promote the growth and the high levels of phytoplankton biomass. PAR contributed to the increase of phytoplankton biomass observed during winter/mid-spring, while upwelling and SST were the main explanatory drivers to the high Chl-a concentrations observed in late-spring/summer. Zonal transport was the variable that contributed most to the phytoplankton biomass during late-spring/summer in Lisbon Bay, while the meridional transport combined with SST was more important in Lagos Bay.

Trends and annual cycles in soundings of Arctic tropospheric ozone

Abstract. Ozone soundings from nine Nordic stations have been homogenized and interpolated to standard pressure levels. The different stations have very different data coverage; the longest period with data is from the end of the 1980s to 2014. At each pressure level the homogenized ozone time series have been analysed with a model that includes both low-frequency variability in the form of a polynomial, an annual cycle with harmonics, the possibility for low-frequency variability in the annual amplitude and phasing, and either white noise or noise given by a first-order autoregressive process. The fitting of the parameters is performed with a Bayesian approach not only giving the mean values but also confidence intervals. The results show that all stations agree on a well-defined annual cycle in the free troposphere with a relatively confined maximum in the early summer. Regarding the low-frequency variability, it is found that Scoresbysund, Ny Ålesund, Sodankylä, Eureka, and Ørland show similar, significant signals with a maximum near 2005 followed by a decrease. This change is characteristic for all pressure levels in the free troposphere. A significant change in the annual cycle was found for Ny Ålesund, Scoresbysund, and Sodankylä. The changes at these stations are in agreement with the interpretation that the early summer maximum is appearing earlier in the year. The results are shown to be robust to the different settings of the model parameters such as the order of the polynomial, number of harmonics in the annual cycle, and the type of noise.

Hog badger (Arctonyx collaris) latrine use in relation to food abundance: evidence of the scarce factor paradox

Many carnivores use latrines, and investigations of latrine use have typically been concerned with territorial defense, often at the expense of fully evaluating other, not mutually exclusive, functions. In particular, the relationship between food abundance and latrine use patterns has been explored inadequately, where latrine location may be used to aid spatial memory, to stake a claim on access to temporally variable food resources, or to signal the local depletion of resources. Little is known about the hog badger (Arctonyx collaris), however the consensus is that they are solitary, but nonetheless deposit their feces in latrines, but without any group‐territory defense function. This provides an ideal study system to investigate how temporal and spatial variation in latrine use strategy is associated with food resource availability throughout the year. We use generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) and an information‐theoretic approach to test the hypothesis that seasonal latrine use patterns signal the resources most valued (i.e., the foraging book keeping hypothesis). We found that latrine use showed significant seasonal and habitat‐related variations, where the number of feces per latrine reached seasonal maxima in early summer but was lowest in autumn, and was significantly higher in logged forest and selectively logged forest but lowest in farmland. The intensity of latrine use exhibited a significant negative relationship with environmental food abundance, and was related to dietary output (fecal contents). That is, hog badgers invested most in ‘marking' those more limited resources, concurring with the scarce factor paradox, which asserts that the value of any commodity is a function of its rarity.

Seasonal cycles of water‐soluble organic nitrogen aerosols in a deciduous broadleaf forest in northern Japan

AbstractThe seasonal variations in aerosol water‐soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) concentrations measured in a deciduous forest canopy over an approximately 30 month period were investigated for possible sources in the forest. The WSON concentrations (average 157 ± 127 ng N m−3) and WSON/water‐soluble total nitrogen mass fractions (average 20 ± 11%) in the total suspended particulate matter exhibited a clear seasonal cycle with maxima in early summer. The WSON mass was found to reside mostly in the fine‐mode size range (Dp < 1.9 µm) during the summer months. WSON was positively correlated with oxidation products of α‐pinene and isoprene with similar size distributions, suggesting that secondary formation from biogenic hydrocarbon precursors is a plausible source for WSON in summer. In contrast, the majority of WSON in autumn was associated with coarse fraction (Dp > 1.9 µm), which was similar to the size distributions of sugar compounds, indicating that the major WSON sources in autumn are associated with primary biological emissions. The vertical differences in WSON concentrations suggest that the water‐soluble organic aerosol is enriched with nitrogen below the canopy level relative to the forest floor. The WSON concentration increased with enhanced hydrogen ion concentrations in aerosol in the early summer, indicating that aerosol acidity associated with anthropogenic sources outside the forest likely plays an important role in the formation of WSON in that season. The study suggests that multiple sources of WSON within the forest canopy may dominate over others in specific seasons, providing insights into WSON formation processes in forest environments.

A model study of the response of hypoxia to upwelling-favorable wind on the northern Gulf of Mexico shelf

The hypoxic region in the northern Gulf of Mexico, one of the largest man-made hypoxic zones in the world, has received extensive scientific study and management interest. A previous statistical study has concluded that in addition to anthropogenic nitrogen loading, the observed hypoxic extent is correlated to the duration of upwelling favorable (westerly) wind without elucidating the underlying mechanism. In this study, we use a three-dimensional, coupled hydrological–biogeochemical model to mechanistically examine how variations of the hypoxic area are related to the duration of upwelling-favorable wind. We performed scenario experiments with different durations of upwelling-favorable wind using realistic winds from summer 2002 (when upwelling-favorable winds were present only for about 1month) and summer 2009 (when upwelling-favorable conditions started early and persisted for about 2months). While the maximum simulated hypoxic area is approximately 15,000km2 in both cases, the evolutions of the hypoxic area and the dates when its maximum extent are reached are different. With an early start of persistently upwelling-favorable wind in 2009, the hypoxic area reached its maximum in early summer and decreased afterwards. By contrast, the hypoxic area was small in early summer of 2002 and peaked during the short period of upwelling-favorable wind in late summer. The model revealed that the wind influences the evolution of the hypoxic area by changing the vertical and horizontal distributions of the low salinity, high chlorophyll water on the shelf.

Uncertainties on the simulated summer precipitation over Eastern China from the CMIP5 models

AbstractBased on 14 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), uncertainty on the simulated summer precipitation over Eastern China is analyzed by investigating the intercomparison between individual model and multimodel ensemble (MME). Generally, MME has the ability in reproducing summer precipitation over Eastern China. However, large model spread exists among models in both climatology and interannual variation. The possible reason for the large model spread lies in the uncertainties on simulating large‐scale circulations, e.g., East Asian subtropical westerly jet, western Pacific subtropical high, and East Asian summer monsoon. To investigate uncertainties in different regions, Eastern China is divided to four subregions: South China (SC), Yangtze‐Huaihe River Basin (YHRB), North China (NC), and Northeast China (NEC). The annual cycle of regional mean precipitation from 14 CMIP5 models indicates that the model spread approaches maximum in early summer over SC and YHRB and in middle summer over NC and NEC. Uncertainties generally decrease from south to north, with the most sensitive region of SC. For different‐class precipitation, the uncertainties of 14 models are small in relatively weak rain, but large in heavy and nonrainfall for all the four regions. We propose two possible reasons for the large uncertainties: different partitioning of stratiform/convective precipitation and horizontal resolutions.

Long-term observations of saccharides in remote marine aerosols from the western North Pacific: A comparison between 1990–1993 and 2006–2009 periods

Anhydrosugars (galactosan, mannosan and levoglucosan), sugars (xylose, fructose, glucose, sucrose and trehalose) and sugar alcohols (erythritol, arabitol, mannitol and inositol) were measured in the aerosol samples collected in a remote island (Chichi-Jima, Japan) in the western North Pacific from 1990 to 1993 and from 2006 to 2009. Total concentrations of anhydrosugars, the biomass burning tracers, were 0.01–5.57 ng m−3 (average 0.76 ng m−3) during 1990–1993 versus 0.01–7.19 ng m−3 (0.64 ng m−3) during 2006–2009. Their seasonal variations were characterized by winter/spring maxima and summer/fall minima. Such a seasonal pattern should be caused by the enhanced long-range atmospheric transport of biomass burning products and terrestrial organic matter (such as higher plant detritus and soil dust) from the Asian continent in winter/spring seasons, when the westerly or winter monsoon system prevails over the western North Pacific. Sugars and sugar alcohols showed different seasonal patterns. The monthly mean concentrations of erythritol, arabitol, mannitol, inositol, fructose, glucose and trehalose were found to be higher in spring/summer and lower in fall/winter during both 1990–1993 and 2006–2009 periods, indicating an enhanced biogenic emission of aerosols in warm seasons. Interestingly, saccharides showed a gradual decrease in their concentrations from 1991 to 1993 and an increase from 2006 to 2009. In addition, the monthly averaged concentrations of sugars and sugar alcohols showed maxima in early summer during 1990–1993, which occurred about 1–2 months earlier than those during 2006–2009. Such a clear seasonal shift may be attributable to the changes in the strength of westerly and trade wind systems during two periods.

Greenhouse gas observations from Cabauw Tall Tower (1992–2010)

Abstract. Since 1992 semi-continuous in-situ observations of greenhouse gas concentrations have been performed at the tall tower of Cabauw (4.927° E, 51.971° N, −0.7 m a.s.l.). Through 1992 up to now, the measurement system has been gradually extended and improved in precision, starting with CO2 and CH4 concentrations from 200 m a.g.l. in 1992 to vertical gradients at 4 levels of the gases CO2, CH4, SF6, N2O, H2, CO and gradients at 2 levels for 222Rn. In this paper the measurement systems and measurement results are described for the main greenhouse gases and CO, for the whole period. The automatic measurement system now provides half-hourly concentration gradients with a precision better than or close to the WMO recommendations. The observations at Cabauw show a complex pattern caused by the influence of sources and sinks from a large area around the tower with significant contributions of sources and sinks at distances up to 500–700 km. The concentration footprint area of Cabauw is one the most intensive and complex source areas of greenhouse gases in the world. Despite this, annual mean trends for the most important greenhouse gases, compatible with the values derived using the global network, can be reproduced from the measured concentrations at Cabauw over the entire measurement period, with a measured increase in the period 2000–2009 for CO2 of 1.90 ± 0.1 ppm yr−1, for CH4 of 4.4 ± 0.6 ppb yr−1, for N2O of 0.86 ± 0.04 ppb yr−1, and for SF6 of 0.27 ± 0.01 ppt yr−1; for CO no significant trend could be detected. The influences of strong local sources and sinks are reflected in the amplitude of the mean seasonal cycles observed at Cabauw, that are larger than the mean Northern Hemisphere average; Cabauw mean seasonal amplitude for CO2 is 25–30 ppm (higher value for lower sampling levels). The observed CH4 seasonal amplitude is 50–110 ppb. All gases except N2O show highest concentrations in winter and lower concentrations in summer, N2O observations show two additional concentration maxima in early summer and in autumn. Seasonal cycles of the day-time mean concentrations show that surface concentrations or high elevation concentrations alone do not give a representative value for the boundary layer concentrations, especially in winter time, but that the vertical profile data along the mast can be used to construct a useful boundary layer mean value. The variability at Cabauw in the atmospheric concentrations of CO2 on time scales of minutes to hours is several ppm and is much larger than the precision of the measurements (0.1 ppm). The diurnal and synoptical variability of the concentrations at Cabauw carry information on the sources and sinks in the footprint area of the mast, that will be useful in combination with inverse atmospheric transport model to verify emission estimates and improve ecosystem models. For this purpose a network of tall tower stations like Cabauw forms a very useful addition to the existing global observing network for greenhouse gases.

On the coccolithophorid bloom as a factor of the seasonal variability of the chlorophyll “a” in the Black Sea

Based on the comparative analysis of the characteristics of the early summer maxima of the normalized radiance from the satellite ocean color data, the seasonal trend of the concentration of the chlorophyll “a,” and the species composition of the phytoplankton from determinations in water samples from the Black Sea, it is concluded that the summer chlorophyll maximum is due to the coccolithophorid bloom occurring from late May to mid June in the Black Sea basin.

Analysis of 3-year observations of CFC-11, CFC-12 and CFC-113 from a semi-rural site in China

In-situ measurements of atmospheric chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) can be used to the assess their global and regional emissions and to check for compliance with phase-out schedules under Montreal protocol and its amendments. The atmospheric mixing ratios of CFC-11 (CCl 3F), CFC-12 (CCl 2F 2) and CFC-113 (CCl 2F–CClF 2) have been measured by an automated in-situ GC-ECDs system at the regional Chinese Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station Shangdianzi (SDZ), from November 2006 to October 2009. The time series for these three principal CFCs showed large episodic events and background conditions occurred for approximately 30% (CFC-11), 52% (CFC-12) and 56% (CFC-113) of the measurements. The mean background mixing ratios for CFC-11, CFC-12 and CFC-113 were 244.8 ppt (parts per trillion, 10 −12, molar) 539.6 ppt and 76.8 ppt, respectively, for 2006–2009. The enhanced CFC mixing ratios compared to AGAGE sites such as Trinidad Head (THD), US and Mace Head (MHD), Ireland suggest regional influences even during background conditions at SDZ, which is much closer to highly-populated areas. Between 2006 and 2009 background CFCs exhibited downward trends at rates of −2.0 ppt yr −1 for CFC-11, −2.5 ppt yr −1 for CFC-12 and −0.7 ppt yr −1 for CFC-113. De-trended 3-year average background seasonal cycles displayed small fluctuations with peak-to-trough amplitudes of 1.0 ± 0.02 ppt (0.4%) for background CFC-11, 1.3 ± 2.1 ppt (0.3%) for CFC-12 and 0.2 ± 0.4 ppt (0.3%) for CFC-113. On the other hand, during pollution periods these CFCs showed much larger seasonal cycles of 11.2 ± 10.7 ppt (5%) for CFC-11, 7.5 ± 6.5 ppt (2%) for CFC-12 and 1.0 ± 1.2 ppt (1.2%) for CFC-113, with apparent winter minima and early summer maxima. This enhancement was attributed to prevailing wind directions from urban regions in summer and to enhanced anthropogenic sources during the warm season. In general, horizontal winds from northeast showed negative contribution to atmospheric CFCs loading, whereas South Western advection (urban sector: Beijing) had positive contributions.

Environmental controls and patterns of cumulative radial increment of evergreen tree species in montane, temperate rainforests of Chiloé Island, southern Chile

AbstractWe investigated the local environmental controls on daily fluctuations of cumulative radial increment and cambial hydration of three dominant, evergreen tree species from montane, Coastal rainforests of Chiloé Island, Chile (42° 22′ S). During 2 years (1997–1998 and 1998–1999) we recorded hourly cumulative radial increments using electronic band dendrometers in the long‐lived conifer Fitzroya cupressoides (Cupressaceae), the evergreen broad‐leaved Nothofagus nitida (Nothofagaceae), and the narrow‐leaved conifer Podocarpus nubigena (Podocarpaceae). We also measured soil and cambial tissue hydration using capacitance sensors, together with air and soil temperature and rainfall during the period of the study. In addition, we collected cores of these tree species to evaluate how dendrometer measurements reflect annual tree ring width. One‐year long daily time series of cumulative radial increments suggests that radial growth of Fitzroya cupressoides was initiated slowly in early spring, with a maximum in early summer. Multiple regressions showed positive relations between daily precipitation and radial index (i.e. the difference in cumulative radial increment of two consecutive days) in the three species. According to path analysis there was a significant direct effect of changes in tree hydration on radial index of the three focal species. In emergent, pioneer species such as Nothofagus and Fitzroya, radial index was negatively affected by changes in maximum air temperature and photosynthetically active radiation, probably because of high evapotranspiration demand on warm sunny days. The shade‐tolerant species Podocarpus nubigena was positively affected by photosynthetically active radiation. Our diel scale findings support the use of tree ring widths for reconstructing past climate in these southern temperate forests and provide evidence that rainforest trees may be highly sensitive to future declines in rainfall and temperature increases during summer.

Seasonal and diurnal gas exchange differences in ozone-sensitive common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca L.) in relation to ozone uptake

Stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis of common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca L.) plants in two different soil moisture regimes were directly quantified and subsequently modeled over an entire growing season. Direct measurements captured the dynamic response of stomatal conductance to changing environmental conditions throughout the day, as well as declining gas exchange and carbon assimilation throughout the growth period beyond an early summer maximum. This phenomenon was observed in plants grown both with and without supplemental soil moisture, the latter of which should theoretically mitigate against harmful physiological effects caused by exposure to ozone. Seasonally declining rates of stomatal conductance were found to be substantial and incorporated into models, making them less susceptible to the overestimations of effective exposure that are an inherent source of error in ozone exposure indices. The species-specific evidence presented here supports the integration of dynamic physiological processes into flux-based modeling approaches for the prediction of ozone injury in vegetation.

Photosynthetic and structural characteristics of canopy and shrub trees in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaved forest: Implication to the ecosystem carbon gain

To reveal the seasonal change of leaf ecophysiological and canopy characteristics and to evaluate the functional role of canopy and shrub tree species in forest CO 2 uptake, we measured forest canopy leaf area index (LAI) using a hemispherical canopy photography technique, leaf CO 2 gas exchange and shoot architecture for canopy ( Betula ermanii and Quercus crispula) and shrub ( Hydrangea paniculata and Viburnum furcatum) tree species in a deciduous broadleaved forest in a cool-temperate region in central Japan. Canopy LAI and photosynthetic capacity of canopy tree leaves increased rapidly with leaf expansion. LAI reached its maximum in early summer but photosynthetic capacity reached its maximum in late summer. Development of photosynthetic capacity was dependent on the changes of leaf mass per area and leaf chlorophyll content (evaluated by SPAD). The seasonal maximum photosynthetic capacity of the leaves at the forest canopy top ( B. ermanii and sun leaves of Q. crispula) was about more than double of the leaves in the shrub layer ( H. paniculata, shade leaves of Q. crispula and V. furcatum). Light interception and photosynthetic carbon gain at a shoot level were simulated under three air temperature conditions by a three-dimensional canopy photosynthesis model (Y-plant) involving the combined leaf photosynthesis and stomatal conductance responses and shoot architecture. Results showed that (1) calculations without considering the heterogeneous light distribution in a foliage made by geometrical feature of plants would overestimate the photosynthetic carbon gain by +40% even at the canopy surface, and (2) the steep leaf angle in B. ermanii avoided midday depression of photosynthesis while the rather horizontal leaves in Q. crispula received excess light and heat load which led larger midday depression of photosynthesis. In addition to the large capacity of photosynthetic productivity of the canopy top foliage, our model also suggests the functional role of shrub species in forest ecosystem carbon gain, due to their high photosynthetic utilization efficiency of low light incidence available in the forest understory.

Responses of deciduous forest trees to severe drought in Central Europe

In 2003, Central Europe experienced the warmest summer on record combined with unusually low precipitation. We studied plant water relations and phenology in a 100-year- old mixed deciduous forest on a slope (no ground water table) near Basel using the Swiss Canopy Crane (SCC). The drought lasted from early June to mid September. We studied five deciduous tree species; half of the individuals were exposed to elevated CO(2) concentration ([CO(2)]) (530 ppm) using a free-air, atmospheric CO(2)-enrichment system. In late July, after the first eight weeks of drought, mean predawn leaf water potential about 30 m above ground was -0.9 MPa across all trees, dropping to a mean of -1.5 MPa in mid-August when the top 1 m of the soil profile had no plant accessible moisture. Mean stomatal conductance and rates of maximum net photosynthesis decreased considerably in mid-August across all species. However, daily peak values of sap flow remained surprisingly constant over the whole period in Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., and decreased to only about half of the early summer maxima in Fagus sylvatica L. and Carpinus betulus L. (stomatal down- regulation of flux). Although we detected no differences in most parameters between CO(2)-treated and control trees, predawn leaf water potential tended to be less negative in trees exposed to elevated [CO(2)]. Leaf longevity was greater in 2003 compared with the previous years, but the seasonal increase in stem basal area reached only about 75% of that in previous years. Our data suggest that the investigated tree species, particularly Q. petraea, did not experience severe water stress. However, an increased frequency of such exceptionally dry summers may have a more serious impact than a single event and would give Q. petraea a competitive advantage in the long run.

Litterfall dynamics in a mixed conifer‐angiosperm forest in northern New Zealand

SummaryLitterfall in a mixed conifer‐angiosperm temperate forest in northern New Zealand was traced for 5 years to determine the patterns of litter production and turnover for conifer and angiosperm components of the forest. Basal area and above‐ground biomass was shared approximately equally between conifer (mostlyAgathis australis;New Zealand kauri) and angiosperm species (plus tree ferns). The five‐year mean annual litterfall, excluding macro‐litter, was 7.76± 0.39(SEM) t ha−1and ranged from 6.77±0.70 t ha−1in 1983–4 to 8.79±1.00 t ha−1in 1987–8. Mean monthly litterfall showed a strong seasonal pattern with low rates in winter and early spring, increasing to a peak in early autumn. There were major differences in the nature and timing of litterfall between the conifer and angiosperm fractions. Angiosperm leaf litter reached a maximum in early summer, while conifer litterfall showed highest rates for leaves, twigs and cone scales in late summer‐autumn. Conifer reproductive structures (strobili and cone scales) contributed from 13 to 21% of total litterfall, a value high relative to other temperate forests. However, conifer leaf turnover was low relative to that for the angiosperms.Size of the microlitter store was 16.16±1.97 t ha−1prior to conifer cone fall, and 18.70±2.02 t ha−1following it, and conifer litter made up 76–78% of the total litter store. The estimated mean annual decomposition constant, k, was 0.39 overall, 0.33 for conifer leaf litter and 0.71 for angiosperm leaf litter, values which agree well with previously published rates for decomposition in this forest stand. Differences in the costs of biomass production and rates of turnover, as measured by litterfall and decomposition, may help to explain the functional coexistence of conifers and angiosperms in mixed forests.

Temporal and spatial variation in zooplankton populations in the River Great Ouse: an ephemeral food resource for larval and juvenile fish

The spatial and temporal dynamics of zooplankton populations were investigated in a highly engineered and regulated section of the River Great Ouse from 1989 to 1993. In addition to main river sites some secondary channels (back channels) and a marina were also included in the study. At main river sites Rotifera were strongly dominant, with peak numbers of 2000 1−1 to more than 18000 1−1, corresponding closely with spring and early summer maximum concentrations of chlorophyll a. Copepoda (mostly nauplii) were recorded at consistently lower densities (maxima, 20–125 1−1) whereas Cladocera were rarely recorded and never exceed 10 1−1. Most Cladocera belonged to species generally associated with macrophytes rather than truly planktonic species. The situation in main river and back channel situations contrasted markedly with that found in marinas, where densities of Rotifera, although extremely variable spatially, were generally higher than those in the adjacent main river. Copepoda and Cladocera were also much more abundant than at the river sites with taxa such as Bosmina and other typically planktonic taxa predominant. As rotifers are the main food for newly hatched cyprinids, spatial and temporal variation in their abundance relative to the spawning locations and hatching times of cypinid eggs may have important consequences for the growth and survival of young fish. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.