Measurements Of Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange Research Articles

Accounting for foliar gradients in Vcmax and Jmax improves estimates of net CO2 exchange of forests

Vertical gradients in the canopy represent a major challenge for scaling from foliar photosynthesis to ecosystem-level CO2 fluxes. We tested whether accounting for independent gradients of carboxylation capacity (Vcmax) and photosynthetic electron transport (Jmax) improves estimates of forest net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE).We modified the process-based Soil-Plant-Atmosphere (SPA) model to represent different gradients of foliar N allocation to Vcmax and Jmax in the canopy, and inversely calibrated the model via Bayesian inference using eddy covariance measurements of NEE and evapotranspiration from a mixed-deciduous forest.Inversely calibrated N allocation resulted in highest Vcmax at the top and highest Jmax at the bottom of the canopy, which is similar to N allocation gradients from measured foliar traits. These vertical gradients resulted in the best fit of simulated CO2 fluxes to measured NEE compared to alternative N allocation schemes, due to a higher, more realistic foliar CO2 uptake in the lower canopy.Canopy gradients of Vcmax and Jmax are thus important drivers of NEE and need to be considered to improve simulations of ecosystem-level CO2 fluxes of forests.

Contrasting Temperature Sensitivity of CO2 Exchange in Peatlands of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Canada

AbstractIt remains uncertain how the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of diverse peatlands will respond to warming. Here we compare five years of eddy covariance measurements of NEE and estimates of gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration between a fen dominated by deciduous vegetation and an adjacent bog with evergreen vegetation in the Canadian Hudson Bay Lowlands. At the bog, daily net CO2 uptake lasted from snowmelt to snow cover onset, while at the fen, net CO2 uptake was delayed in spring and ended earlier in fall. Greater midsummer net CO2 uptake at the fen compensated for shoulder season net CO2 losses resulting in similar annual NEE at the two sites (fen: −52 ± 16 g C m−2, bog: −80 ± 14 g C m−2). Observations of a satellite‐based productivity index also suggest lower shoulder season and higher peak vegetation productivity at these deciduous versus evergreen plant‐dominated peatlands. The response of NEE to warmer weather differed between sites. Warming during the shoulder seasons increased net CO2 uptake at the evergreen plant‐dominated bog, while it increased net CO2 losses at the fen where deciduous leaves had not yet emerged or had senesced. In contrast, warmer weather during the peak growing season appeared to reduce net CO2 uptake more at the bog than the fen resulting from both increasing ecosystem respiration and decreasing gross primary productivity. In the short term, warming will likely decrease annual net CO2 uptake of these and similar peatlands, although the magnitude will depend on factors including vegetation dynamics and seasonality of warming.

Multi-scale dynamics and environmental controls on net ecosystem CO2 exchange over a temperate semiarid shrubland

Our understanding of the variability in net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) across different timescales is still limited, as terrestrial carbon cycle models often mismatch data at multiple timescales. Especially, multi-scale environmental controls on NEE are less well understood in semiarid shrublands than in mesic ecosystems. We collected eddy-covariance measurements of NEE over five years (2012–2016) from a semiarid shrubland in northern China, and then used continuous wavelet transform (CWT), wavelet coherence (WTC), and partial wavelet coherence (PWC) analysis to investigate how photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), air temperature (Ta), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and soil water content (at 30-cm depth, SWC30) modulate the variability of NEE in the time-frequency domain. CWT revealed that NEE not only had clear daily and annual periodicities, but also oscillated strongly at intermediate scales (days, weeks to months). At the 1-day period, NEE showed significant WTC with PAR, Ta, and VPD during growing seasons, with NEE leading PAR by about 1.0 h and leading Ta and VPD by over 3.5 h. At the 1-year period, NEE also showed strong WTC with PAR, Ta, and VPD throughout time, with NEE lagging Ta by 19 days and lagging PAR and VPD by about 40 days. At intermediate periods, non-continuous areas of significant WTC were observed between NEE and environmental factors, notably between NEE and PAR at 4–32-day periods during growing seasons. PWC revealed a greater modulating effect of PAR than that of Ta on NEE at intermediate periods. However, the intermediate-scale PAR effects were largely weakened during spring or summer drought periods (i.e., low SWC30). In addition, drought events were identified as hotspots of WTC between NEE and SWC30 at monthly or longer timescales. This study highlights the need for a multi-scale approach to understanding the temporal dynamics of NEE. Modeling efforts should take into account these multi-temporal correlations between NEE and environmental factors in order to improve model-data agreement across timescales.

Coupled eco-hydrology and biogeochemistry algorithms enable the simulation of water table depth effects on boreal peatland net CO<sub>2</sub> exchange

Abstract. Water table depth (WTD) effects on net ecosystem CO2 exchange of boreal peatlands are largely mediated by hydrological effects on peat biogeochemistry and the ecophysiology of peatland vegetation. The lack of representation of these effects in carbon models currently limits our predictive capacity for changes in boreal peatland carbon deposits under potential future drier and warmer climates. We examined whether a process-level coupling of a prognostic WTD with (1) oxygen transport, which controls energy yields from microbial and root oxidation–reduction reactions, and (2) vascular and nonvascular plant water relations could explain mechanisms that control variations in net CO2 exchange of a boreal fen under contrasting WTD conditions, i.e., shallow vs. deep WTD. Such coupling of eco-hydrology and biogeochemistry algorithms in a process-based ecosystem model, ecosys, was tested against net ecosystem CO2 exchange measurements in a western Canadian boreal fen peatland over a period of drier-weather-driven gradual WTD drawdown. A May–October WTD drawdown of ∼ 0.25 m from 2004 to 2009 hastened oxygen transport to microbial and root surfaces, enabling greater microbial and root energy yields and peat and litter decomposition, which raised modeled ecosystem respiration (Re) by 0.26 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1 per 0.1 m of WTD drawdown. It also augmented nutrient mineralization, and hence root nutrient availability and uptake, which resulted in improved leaf nutrient (nitrogen) status that facilitated carboxylation and raised modeled vascular gross primary productivity (GPP) and plant growth. The increase in modeled vascular GPP exceeded declines in modeled nonvascular (moss) GPP due to greater shading from increased vascular plant growth and moss drying from near-surface peat desiccation, thereby causing a net increase in modeled growing season GPP by 0.39 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1 per 0.1 m of WTD drawdown. Similar increases in GPP and Re caused no significant WTD effects on modeled seasonal and interannual variations in net ecosystem productivity (NEP). These modeled trends were corroborated well by eddy covariance measured hourly net CO2 fluxes (modeled vs. measured: R2 ∼ 0.8, slopes ∼ 1 ± 0.1, intercepts ∼ 0.05 µmol m−2 s−1), hourly measured automated chamber net CO2 fluxes (modeled vs. measured: R2 ∼ 0.7, slopes ∼ 1 ± 0.1, intercepts ∼ 0.4 µmol m−2 s−1), and other biometric and laboratory measurements. Modeled drainage as an analog for WTD drawdown induced by climate-change-driven drying showed that this boreal peatland would switch from a large carbon sink (NEP ∼ 160 g C m−2 yr−1) to carbon neutrality (NEP ∼ 10 g C m−2 yr−1) should the water table deepen by a further ∼ 0.5 m. This decline in projected NEP indicated that a further WTD drawdown at this fen would eventually lead to a decline in GPP due to water limitation. Therefore, representing the effects of interactions among hydrology, biogeochemistry and plant physiological ecology on ecosystem carbon, water, and nutrient cycling in global carbon models would improve our predictive capacity for changes in boreal peatland carbon sequestration under changing climates.

Large interannual variability in net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange of a disturbed temperate peatland

Peatland ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle as significant C sinks. However, human-induced disturbances can turn these sinks into sources of atmospheric CO2. Long-term measurements are needed to understand seasonal and interannual variability of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and effects of hydrological conditions and their disturbances on C fluxes. Continuous eddy-covariance measurements of NEE were conducted between August 2010 and April 2014 at Yenicaga temperate peatland (Turkey), which was drained for agricultural usage and for peat mining until 2009. Annual NEE during the three full years of measurement indicated that the peatland acted as a CO2 source with large interannual variability, at rates of 246, 244 and 663gCm−2yr−1 for 2011, 2012, and 2013 respectively, except for June 2011, and May to July 2012. The emission strengths were comparable to those found for severely disturbed tropical peatlands. The peak CO2 emissions occurred in the dry summer of 2013 when water table level (WTL) was below a threshold value of −60cm and soil water content (SCW) below a threshold value of 70% by volume. Water availability index was found to have a stronger explanatory power for variations in monthly ecosystem respiration (ER) than the traditional water status indicators (SCW and WTL). Air temperature, evapotranspiration and vapor pressure deficient were the most significant variables strongly correlated with NEE and its component fluxes of gross primary production and ER.

Atmospheric observations inform CO2 flux responses to enviroclimatic drivers

AbstractUnderstanding the response of the terrestrial biospheric carbon cycle to variability in enviroclimatic drivers is critical for predicting climate‐carbon interactions. Here we apply an atmospheric‐inversion‐based framework to assess the relationships between the spatiotemporal patterns of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and those of enviroclimatic drivers. We show that those relationships can be directly observed at 1° × 1° 3‐hourly resolution from atmospheric CO2 measurements for four of seven large biomes in North America, namely, (i) boreal forests and taiga; (ii) temperate coniferous forests; (iii) temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands; and (iv) temperate broadleaf and mixed forests. We find that shortwave radiation plays a dominant role during the growing season over all four biomes. Specific humidity and precipitation also play key roles and are associated with decreased CO2 uptake (or increased release). The explanatory power of specific humidity is especially strong during transition seasons, while that of precipitation appears during both the growing and dormant seasons. We further find that the ability of four prototypical terrestrial biospheric models (TBMs) to represent the spatiotemporal variability of NEE improves as the influence of radiation becomes more dominant, implying that TBMs have a better skill in representing the impact of radiation relative to other drivers. Even so, we show that TBMs underestimate the strength of the relationship to radiation and do not fully capture its seasonality. Furthermore, the TBMs appear to misrepresent the relationship to precipitation and specific humidity at the examined scales, with relationships that are not consistent in terms of sign, seasonality, or significance relative to observations. More broadly, we demonstrate the feasibility of directly probing relationships between NEE and enviroclimatic drivers at scales with no direct measurements of NEE, opening the door to the study of emergent processes across scales and to the evaluation of their scaling within TBMs.

Effect of open water pools on ecosystem scale surface-atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange in a boreal peatland

Peatland carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange can vary spatially over a few meters because of the heterogeneity in plant communities, differing responses to environmental conditions, and the presence of pools in patterned peatlands. In contrast to the plant communities comprising a peatland’s vegetated surface, permanent pools that are characteristic of peatlands in temperate to subarctic regions are net sources of CO2 to the atmosphere. Measurements of net ecosystem CO2 exchange using the eddy covariance (EC) technique over peatlands without permanent pools do not show the smaller plant scale spatial heterogeneity in fluxes because the atmosphere mixes the variations in fluxes over the EC tower source area. However, if different vegetation communities and pools approach the spatial scale that they form a significant proportion of an EC tower’s source area, such as might be the case in peatlands with pools, they should be able to be discriminated if the surface fluxes by cover type are significantly different. In the present study, we evaluate if the observed variability in peatland surface CO2 exchange can be identified from 30-min net ecosystem CO2 exchange measurements using the proportion of the different plant communities or pools within the eddy covariance tower source area. Our results show that the variability in CO2 exchange at the local scale across the peatland surface has a measureable impact on the ecosystem level measurement, primarily when open water pools are present within the tower source area. Our results also suggest that large CO2 exchange rates measured above Sphagnum spp. hummocks with Picea mariana, combined with their large fractional contribution to the source area, counterbalanced the CO2 loss from the open water pools, explaining why the ecosystem as a whole was a net CO2 sink during the measurement period.

Confounding Effects of Soil Moisture on the Relationship Between Ecosystem Respiration and Soil Temperature in Switchgrass

Understanding the response of ecosystem respiration (ER) to major environmental drivers is critical for estimating carbon sequestration and large-scale modeling research. Temperature effect on ER is modified by other environmental factors, mainly soil moisture, and such information is lacking for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) ecosystems. The objective of this study was to examine seasonal variation in ER and its relationship with soil temperature (Ts) and moisture in a switchgrass field. ER from the nighttime net ecosystem CO2 exchange measurements by eddy covariance system during the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons was analyzed. Nighttime ER ranged from about 2 (early growing season) to as high as 13 μmol m−2 s−1 (peak growing period) and showed a clear seasonality, with low rates during warm (>30 °C) and dry periods ( 0.20 m3 m−3), indicating that soil moisture 0.35 m3 m−3) as well. Consequently, both dry and wet conditions lowered temperature sensitivity of respiration (Q10). Stronger ER–Ts relationships were observed at higher soil moisture levels. These results demonstrate that soil moisture greatly influences the dynamics of ER and its relationship with Ts in drought prone switchgrass ecosystems.

Net ecosystem CO2 exchange and plant biomass responses to warming and N addition in a grass-dominated system during two years of net CO2 efflux

Climate warming and increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition both have the potential to increase plant productivity over the next century, yet they can also increase decomposition and respiration. Our aim was to examine the extent to which warming and N addition can, on balance, alter net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in a grass-dominated system. We measured NEE responses to warming and N addition over two growing seasons in a temperate old field using steady-state flow-through chambers, which allowed for the integrated measurement of respiration and photoassimilation effects on net CO2 flux over diel periods. We also assessed the relationship between NEE and plant biomass responses to the warming and N treatments. In both years, our study system was a net source of carbon (C) during the snow-free season. N addition did not significantly affect diel NEE or dark respiration in either year, despite a doubling in aboveground plant biomass in response to N addition in the second year, and a corresponding increase in peak daily net CO2 photoassimilation in N addition plots. The warming treatment also had no significant effect on NEE, although the flow-through chambers required warming to be temporarily halted during NEE measurements. Overall, our results both highlight the potential divergence of plant and soil responses to N addition and demonstrate the capacity for a grass-dominated system to function as a net source of C in consecutive years.

Carbon sequestration potential of tropical pasture compared with afforestation in Panama

AbstractTropical forest ecosystems play an important role in regulating the global climate, yet deforestation and land‐use change mean that the tropical carbon sink is increasingly influenced by agroecosystems and pastures. Despite this, it is not yet fully understood how carbon cycling in the tropics responds to land‐use change, particularly for pasture and afforestation. Thus, the objectives of our study were: (1) to elucidate the environmental controls and the impact of management on gross primary production (GPP), total ecosystem respiration (TER) and net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE); (2) to estimate the carbon sequestration potential of tropical pasture compared with afforestation; and (3) to compare eddy covariance‐derived carbon budgets with biomass and soil inventory data. We performed comparative measurements of NEE in a tropical C4 pasture and an adjacent afforestation with native tree species in Sardinilla (Panama) from 2007 to 2009. Pronounced seasonal variation in GPP, TER and NEE were closely related to radiation, soil moisture, and C3 vs. C4 plant physiology. The shallow rooting depth of grasses compared with trees resulted in a higher sensitivity of the pasture ecosystem to water limitation and seasonal drought. During 2008, substantial amounts of carbon were sequestered by the afforestation (–442 g C m–2, negative values denote ecosystem carbon uptake), which was in agreement with biometric observations (–450 g C m–2). In contrast, the pasture ecosystem was a strong carbon source in 2008 and 2009 (261 g C m–2), associated with seasonal drought and overgrazing. In addition, soil carbon isotope data indicated rapid carbon turnover after conversion from C4 pasture to C3 afforestation. Our results clearly show the potential for considerable carbon sequestration of tropical afforestation and highlight the risk of carbon losses from pasture ecosystems in a seasonal tropical climate.

Oxygen isotope composition of evapotranspiration and its relation to C4photosynthetic discrimination

[1] The oxygen isotope of water (18O-H2O) and carbon dioxide (18O-CO2) is an important signal of global change and can provide constraints on the coupled carbon-water cycle. Here, simultaneous observations of 18O-H2O (liquid and vapor phases) and 18O-CO2 were used to investigate the relation between canopy leaf water 18O enrichment, 18O-CO2 photosynthetic discrimination (18Δ), isotope disequilibrium (Deq), and the biophysical factors that control their temporal variability in a C4 (Zea mays L.) ecosystem. Data and analyses are presented from a 74 day experiment conducted in Minnesota during summer 2009. Eddy covariance observations indicate that the oxygen isotope composition of C4 evapotranspiration (δE) ranged from about −20‰ (VSMOW scale) in the early morning to −5‰ after midday. These values were used to estimate the isotope composition at the sites of leaf water evaporation (δL,e) assuming non-steady-state conditions and revealed a strong diurnal pattern ranging from about −5‰ in the early morning to +10‰ after midday. With the addition of net ecosystem CO2 exchange measurements and carbonic anhydrase (CA) assays, we derived canopy-scale 18Δ. These estimates typically varied from 11.3 to 27.5‰ (VPDB scale) and were shown to vary significantly depending on the steady state or non-steady-state assumptions related to leaf water enrichment. We demonstrate that the impact of turbulence on kinetic fractionation and steady state assumptions result in larger estimates of 18Δ and Deq. Further, the results indicate that both leaf-scale and canopy-scale CO2 hydration efficiency may be substantially lower than that previously reported for laboratory conditions. These results may have important implications for interpreting variations in atmospheric 18O-CO2 and constraining regional carbon budgets based on the oxygen isotope tracer approach.

An empirical model simulating diurnal and seasonal CO<sub>2</sub> flux for diverse vegetation types and climate conditions

Abstract. We present an empirical model for the estimation of diurnal variability in net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in various biomes. The model is based on the use of a simple saturated function for photosynthetic response of the canopy, and was constructed using the AmeriFlux network dataset that contains continuous eddy covariance CO2 flux data obtained at 24 ecosystems sites from seven biomes. The physiological parameters of maximum CO2 uptake rate by the canopy and ecosystem respiration have biome-specific responses to environmental variables. The model uses simplified empirical expression of seasonal variability in biome-specific physiological parameters based on air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and annual precipitation. The model was validated using measurements of NEE derived from 10 AmeriFlux and four AsiaFlux ecosystem sites. The predicted NEE had reasonable magnitude and seasonal variation and gave adequate timing for the beginning and end of the growing season; the model explained 83–95% and 76–89% of the observed diurnal variations in NEE for the AmeriFlux and AsiaFlux ecosystem sites used for validation, respectively. The model however worked less satisfactorily in two deciduous broadleaf forests, a grassland, a savanna, and a tundra ecosystem sites where leaf area index changed rapidly. These results suggest that including additional plant physiological parameters may improve the model simulation performance in various areas of biomes.

Soil CO2 efflux in contrasting boreal deciduous and coniferous stands and its contribution to the ecosystem carbon balance

AbstractSimilar nonsteady‐state automated chamber systems were used to measure and partition soil CO2 efflux in contrasting deciduous (trembling aspen) and coniferous (black spruce and jack pine) stands located within 100 km of each other near the southern edge of the Boreal forest in Canada. The stands were exposed to similar climate forcing in 2003, including marked seasonal variations in soil water availability, which provided a unique opportunity to investigate the influence of climate and stand characteristics on soil CO2 efflux and to quantify its contribution to the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) as measured with the eddy‐covariance technique. Partitioning of soil CO2 efflux between soil respiration (including forest‐floor vegetation) and forest‐floor photosynthesis showed that short‐ and long‐term temporal variations of soil CO2 efflux were related to the influence of (1) soil temperature and water content on soil respiration and (2) below‐canopy light availability, plant water status and forest‐floor plant species composition on forest‐floor photosynthesis. Overall, the three stands were weak to moderate sinks for CO2 in 2003 (NEE of −103, −80 and −28 g C m−2 yr−1 for aspen, black spruce and jack pine, respectively). Forest‐floor respiration accounted for 86%, 73% and 75% of annual ecosystem respiration, in the three respective stands, while forest‐floor photosynthesis contributed to 11% and 14% of annual gross ecosystem photosynthesis in the black spruce and jack pine stands, respectively. The results emphasize the need to perform concomitant measurements of NEE and soil CO2 efflux at longer time scales in different ecosystems in order to better understand the impacts of future interannual climate variability and vegetation dynamics associated with climate change on each component of the carbon balance.

The impact of invasion and subsequent removal of an exotic thistle, Cynara cardunculus, on CO2 and H2O vapor exchange in a coastal California grassland

Changes in vegetation structure and composition, particularly due to the invasion of exotic species, are predicted to influence biosphere-atmosphere exchanges of mass and energy. Invasion of Cynara cardunculus (cardoon or artichoke thistle), a perennial, non-native thistle in coastal California grasslands presently dominated by non-native annual grasses, may alter rates of ecosystem CO2 exchange and evapotranspiration (ET). During spring and summer 2006, we compared midday maximum net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and ET among adjacent grassland plots where Cynara was present and where it was absent. Measurements of NEE supported the prediction that deeply-rooted Cynara increase midday ecosystem C-assimilation. Cynara-mediated shifts in NEE were associated with increases in ecosystem photosynthesis rather than changes in ecosystem respiration. Furthermore, the presence of Cynara was associated with increased ET during the growing season. An increase in aboveground live biomass (a proxy for leaf area) associated with Cynara invasion may underlie shifts in ecosystem CO2 and water vapor exchange. Following mid-growing season sampling during April, we removed Cynara from half of the Cynara-containing plots with spot applications of herbicide. Three weeks later, midday fluxes in removal plots were indistinguishable from those in plots where Cynara was never present suggesting a lack of biogeochemical legacy effects. Similar to woody-encroachment in some semi-arid ecosystems, Cynara invasion increases midday ecosystem CO2 assimilation and evapotranspiration rates and has the potential to increase C-storage in California coastal grasslands.

Sphagnum production and decomposition in a restored cutover peatland

Natural peatlands represent a long-termsink of atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO2), however, drained and extractedpeatlands can represent a source ofatmospheric CO2. The restoration ofSphagnum mosses on abandoned milledpeatlands has the potential to sequesteratmospheric CO2 thereby returning thepeatland to a peat accumulating system.Micrometeorological and chambermeasurements of net ecosystem CO2exchange are proven methods forinvestigating production and decompositionprocesses in both natural, extracted, andrestored peatlands. However, this approachis relatively expensive because ofinfrastructure and human resources that notonly limits potential use for ecologicalmanagers but it limits the number of sitesthat can be monitored due to high spatialvariability. Here we present crank wire anddestructive sampling productionmeasurements, litter bag decompositionmeasurements and measurements of netecosystem CO2 exchange made in arestored peatland and natural peatlandsites nearby. The objectives were to assessproduction and decomposition rates in thetwo systems as well as to compare thedifferent measurements techniques.Estimates of Sphagnum fuscumproduction at a restored peatland, usingthe different methods, followed the trend:crank wire S.capillifolium) according to their abilityto withstand harsh conditions on restoredpeat surfaces. Decomposition rate was alsosignificantly greater (p<0.05) for S. capillifolium than S. fuscum,resulting in an overall plant accumulationgreater for S. fuscum. Although therestored surfaces were fairly young,production rates estimated on cutoversurfaces that were fully covered with athin Sphagnum mat compared withproduction rates observed in natural sitesnearby.

Cross validation of open‐top chamber and eddy covariance measurements of ecosystem CO2 exchange in a Florida scrub‐oak ecosystem

AbstractSimultaneous measurements of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) were made in a Florida scrub‐oak ecosystem in August 1997 and then every month between April 2000 to July 2001, using open top chambers (NEEO) and eddy covariance (NEEE). This study provided a cross validation of these two different techniques for measuring NEE. Unique characteristics of the comparison were that the measurements were made simultaneously, in the same stand, with large replicated chambers enclosing a representative portion of the ecosystem (75 m2, compared to approximately 1–2 ha measured by the eddy covariance system). The value of the comparison was greatest at night, when the microclimate was minimally affected by the chambers. For six of the 12 measurement periods, night NEEO was not significantly different to night NEEE, and for the other periods the maximum difference was 1.1 µmol m−2s−1, with an average of 0.72 ± 0.09 µmol m−2s−1. The comparison was more difficult during the photoperiod, because of differences between the microclimate inside and outside the chambers. During the photoperiod, air temperature (Tair) and air vapour pressure deficits (VPD) became progressively higher inside the chambers until mid‐afternoon. In the morning NEEO was higher than NEEE by about 26%, consistent with increased temperature inside the chambers. Over the mid‐day period and the afternoon, NEEO was 8% higher that NEEE, regardless of the large differences in microclimate. This study demonstrates both the uses and difficulties associated with attempting to cross validate NEE measurements made in chambers and using eddy covariance. The exercise was most useful at night when the chamber had a minimal effect on microclimate, and when the measurement of NEE is most difficult.

Year‐round observations of the net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide in a native tallgrass prairie

SummaryAn Ameriflux site was established in mid 1996 to study the exchange of CO2 in a native tallgrass prairie of north‐central Oklahoma, USA. Approximately the first 20 months of measurements (using eddy covariance) are described here. This prairie, dominated by warm season C4 grasses, is typical of the central Kansas/northern Oklahoma region. During the first three weeks of the measurement period (mid‐July–early August 1996), moisture‐stress conditions prevailed. For the remainder of the period (until March 1998), however, soil moisture was nonlimiting. Mid‐day net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), under well‐watered conditions, reached a maximum magnitude of 1.4 mg CO2 m−2 s−1 (flux toward the surface is positive) during peak growth (mid‐July 1997), with green leaf area index of 2.8. In contrast, under moisture‐stress conditions in the same growth stage in 1996, mid‐day NEE was reduced to near‐zero. Average night NEE ranged from near‐zero, during winter dormancy, to − 0.50 mg CO2 m−2 s−1, during peak growth. Most of the variance in average night NEE was explained by changes in soil temperature (0.1 m depth) and green leaf area. The daytime NEE measurements were examined in terms of a rectangular hyperbolic relationship with incident photosynthetically active radiation. The analysis showed that the quantum yield during peak growth was similar to those measured in other prairies and the y‐intercept, so obtained, can be potentially used as an estimate of night‐time CO2 emissions when eddy covariance data are unavailable. Daily integrated NEE reached its peak magnitude of 30.8 g CO2 m−2 d−1 (8.4 g C m−2 d−1) in mid‐July when the green LAI was the largest (about 2.8). In general, the seasonal trend of daily NEE (on relatively clear days) followed that of green LAI. Annually integrated carbon exchange, between prescribed burns in 1997 and 1998, was 268 g C m−2 y−1. After incorporating carbon loss during the prescribed burn , the net annual carbon exchange in this prairie was near‐zero in 1998.

Partitioning net ecosystem carbon exchange with isotopic fluxes of CO2

SummaryBecause biological and physical processes alter the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2, variations in isotopic content can be used to investigate those processes. Isotopic flux measurements of 13CO2 above terrestrial ecosystems can potentially be used to separate net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) into its component fluxes, net photosynthetic assimilation (FA) and ecosystem respiration (FR). In this paper theory is developed to partition measured NEE into FA and FR, using measurements of fluxes of CO2 and 13CO2, and isotopic composition of respired CO2 and forest air. The theory is then applied to fluxes measured (or estimated, for 13CO2) in a temperate deciduous forest in eastern Tennessee (Walker Branch Watershed). It appears that there is indeed enough additional information in 13CO2 fluxes to partition NEE into its photosynthetic and respiratory components. Diurnal patterns in FA and FR were obtained, which are consistent in magnitude and shape with patterns obtained from NEE measurements and an exponential regression between night‐time NEE and temperature (a standard technique which provides alternate estimates of FR and FA). The light response curve for photosynthesis (FA vs. PAR) was weakly nonlinear, indicating potential for saturation at high light intensities. Assimilation‐weighted discrimination against 13CO2 for this forest during July 1999 was 16.8–17.1‰, depending on canopy conductance. The greatest uncertainties in this approach lie in the evaluation of canopy conductance and its effect on whole‐canopy photosynthetic discrimination, and thus the indirect methods used to estimate isotopic fluxes. Direct eddy covariance measurements of 13CO2 flux are needed to assess the validity of the assumptions used and provide defensible isotope‐based estimates of the component fluxes of net ecosystem exchange.

Intercomparison among chamber, tower, and aircraft net CO2 and energy fluxes measured during the Arctic System Science Land‐Atmosphere‐Ice Interactions (ARCSS‐LAII) Flux Study

Measurements of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and energy balance were made using chamber‐, tower‐, and aircraft‐based measurement techniques in Alaskan arctic tundra ecosystems during the 1994–1995 growing seasons (June‐August). One of our objectives was to quantify the interrelationships between the NEE and the energy balance measurements made from different sampling techniques. Qualitative and quantitative intercomparisons revealed that on average the correspondence between the mass and energy fluxes measured by these sampling methods was good despite potential spatial and temporal mismatches in sampling scale. Quantitative comparisons using least squares linear regression analyses with the tower‐based measurements of NEE as the independent variable indicate that the chamber‐ and aircraft‐based NEE measurements were generally lower relative to the tower‐based measurements (slope =0.76–0.86). Similarly, tower‐aircraft comparisons of latent (Le) and sensible (H) heat exchange indicated that the aircraft‐based measurements were lower than the tower‐based measurements (slope =0.72–0.80). Qualitative comparisons, however, indicate that the correspondence among the chamber‐, tower‐, and aircraft‐measured fluxes varied both seasonally and interannually, suggesting the lack of a consistent bias between the sampling techniques. The results suggest that differences observed between the chamber, tower, and aircraft flux measurements were primarily due to the failure to account for the spatial distribution of surface types in the tower and aircraft sampling footprint, problems involved in the comparison of temporal and spatial averages, and temporal (e.g., seasonal and interannual) variance in rates of mass and energy flux for a given point. Other potential sources of variance include the underestimation of nocturnal NEE by the tower‐based eddy covariance system, and the periodic occurrence of an elevated CO2 plume in the atmosphere over the Prudhoe Bay oil field. Even with these potential sources of variation, the results reveal that the various methods give comparable estimates of NEE and energy flux within a range of temporal or spatial variability.

Net ecosystem CO2 exchange in a boreal peatland, northern Manitoba

Net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) was measured by a chamber technique from June to September, 1994, at five peatland sites where the water table was close to the peat surface, ranging from ombrotrophic bog to minerotrophic fen, near Thompson, Manitoba. NEE measurements were made during three 10-14-day periods, and CO2 exchange relationships with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), air and soil temperatures, and water table were used to model net ecosystem productivity (NEP) for the season. Daily NEE ranged from -3 to 5 g CO2-C m-2 d-1, with positive values indicating uptake by the land surface. Two of the sites became sources of CO2 during the late summer, associated with plant senescence and falling water tables. Average NEP for June to August ranged from 1.4 to 2.5 g CO2-C m-2 d-1. Both water table position and end-of-season above-ground sedge biomass were strong predictors of NEP during each measurement period, as well as over the June to August period. Sites with high NEP had high aboveground sedge biomass (75 to 100 g m-2) and low water tables (seasonal average -5 to -10 cm).