Partitioning net ecosystem carbon exchange with isotopic fluxes of CO2

Because 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 (F_A) and ecosystem respiration (F_R). In this paper theory is developed to partition measured NEE into F_A and F_R, 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 F_A and F_R 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 F_R and F_A). The light response curve for photosynthesis (F_A 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.     

Seasonal and interannual variations in carbon dioxide exchange over a cropland in the North China Plain

In China, croplands account for a relatively large form of vegetation cover. Quantifying carbon dioxide exchange and understanding the environmental controls on carbon fluxes over croplands are critical in understanding regional carbon budgets and ecosystem behaviors. In this study, the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) at a winter wheat/summer maize rotation cropping site, representative of the main cropping system in the North China Plain, was continuously measured using the eddy covariance technique from 2005 to 2009. In order to interpret the abiotic factors regulating NEE, NEE was partitioned into gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R_eco). Daytime R_eco was extrapolated from the relationship between nighttime NEE and soil temperature under high turbulent conditions. GPP was then estimated by subtracting daytime NEE from the daytime estimates of R_eco. Results show that the seasonal patterns of the temperature responses of R_eco and light‐response parameters are closely related to the crop phenology. Daily R_eco was highly dependent on both daily GPP and air temperature. Interannual variability showed that GPP and R_eco were mainly controlled by temperature. Water availability also exerted a limit on R_eco. The annual NEE was ?585 and ?533 g C m^?2 for two seasons of 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, respectively, and the wheat field absorbed more carbon than the maize field. Thus, we concluded that this cropland was a strong carbon sink. However, when the grain harvest was taken into account, the wheat field was diminished into a weak carbon sink, whereas the maize field was converted into a weak carbon source. The observations showed that severe drought occurring during winter did not reduce wheat yield (or integrated NEE) when sufficient irrigation was carried out during spring.     

三江源地区人工草地的生态系统CO2净交换、总初级生产力及其影响因子

为了揭示三江源区垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)人工草地生态系统(100°26′-100°41′ E, 34°17′-34°25′ N, 海拔3 980 m)的净生态系统CO₂交换(NEE), 该研究利用2006年涡度相关系统观测的数据分析了该人工草地的NEE, 总初级生产力(GPP)、生态系统呼吸(R_eco)以及R_eco/GPP的变化特征及其影响因子。CO₂日最大吸收值为6.56 g CO₂·m^-2·d^-1, 最大排放值为4.87 g CO₂·m^-2·d^-1。GPP年总量为1 761 g CO₂·m^-2, 其中约90%以上被生态系统呼吸所消耗, CO₂的年吸收量为111 g CO₂·m^-2。5月的R_eco/GPP略高于生长季的其他月份, 为90%; 6月R_eco/GPP比值最低, 为79%。生态系统的呼吸商(Q₁₀)为4.81, 显著高于其他生态系统。该研究表明: 生长季的NEE主要受光量子通量密度(PPFD)、温度和饱和水汽压差(VPD)的影响, 生态系统呼吸则主要受土壤温度的控制。     

Latitudinal patterns of magnitude and interannual variability in net ecosystem exchange regulated by biological and environmental variables

Over the last two and half decades, strong evidence showed that the terrestrial ecosystems are acting as a net sink for atmospheric carbon. However the spatial and temporal patterns of variation in the sink are not well known. In this study, we examined latitudinal patterns of interannual variability (IAV) in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO₂ based on 163 site-years of eddy covariance data, from 39 northern-hemisphere research sites located at latitudes ranging from ∼29°N to ∼64°N. We computed the standard deviation of annual NEE integrals at individual sites to represent absolute interannual variability (AIAV), and the corresponding coefficient of variation as a measure of relative interannual variability (RIAV). Our results showed decreased trends of annual NEE with increasing latitude for both deciduous broadleaf forests and evergreen needleleaf forests. Gross primary production (GPP) explained a significant proportion of the spatial variation of NEE across evergreen needleleaf forests, whereas, across deciduous broadleaf forests, it is ecosystem respiration (Re). In addition, AIAV in GPP and Re increased significantly with latitude in deciduous broadleaf forests, but AIAV in GPP decreased significantly with latitude in evergreen needleleaf forests. Furthermore, RIAV in NEE, GPP, and Re appeared to increase significantly with latitude in deciduous broadleaf forests, but not in evergreen needleleaf forests. Correlation analyses showed air temperature was the primary environmental factor that determined RIAV of NEE in deciduous broadleaf forest across the North American sites, and none of the chosen climatic factors could explain RIAV of NEE in evergreen needleleaf forests. Mean annual NEE significantly increased with latitude in grasslands. Precipitation was dominant environmental factor for the spatial variation of magnitude and IAV in GPP and Re in grasslands.     

Paired comparisons of carbon exchange between undisturbed and regenerating stands in four managed forests in Europe

The effects of harvest on European forest net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon and its photosynthetic and respiratory components (GPP (gross primary production) and TER (total ecosystem respiration)) were examined by comparing four pairs of mature/harvested sites in Europe via a combination of eddy covariance measurements and empirical modeling. Three of the comparisons represented high coniferous forestry (spruce in Britain, and pines in Finland and France), while a coppice‐with‐standard oak plantation was examined in Italy. While every comparison revealed that harvesting converted a mature forest carbon sink into a carbon source of similar magnitude, the mechanisms by which this occurred were very different according to species or management practice. In Britain, Finland, and France the annual sink (source) strength for mature (clear‐cut) stands was estimated at 496 (112), 138 (239), and 222 (225) g C m^?2, respectively, with 381 (427) g C m^?2 for the mature (coppiced) stand in Italy. In all three cases of high forestry in Britain, Finland, and France, clear‐cutting crippled the photosynthetic capacity of the ecosystem – with mature (clear‐cut) GPP of 1970 (988), 1010 (363), and 1600 (602) g C m^?2– and also reduced ecosystem respiration to a lesser degree – TER of 1385 (1100), 839 (603), and 1415 (878) g C m^?2, respectively. By contrast, harvesting of the coppice oak system provoked a burst in respiration – with mature (clear‐cut) TER estimated at 1160 (2220) gC m^?2– which endured for the 3 years sampled postharvest. The harvest disturbance also reduced GPP in the coppice system – with mature (clear‐cut) GPP of 1600 (1420) g C m^?2– but to a lesser extent than in the coniferous forests, and with near‐complete recovery within a few years. Understanding the effects of harvest on the carbon balance of European forest systems is a necessary step towards characterizing carbon exchange for timberlands on large scales.     

The annual carbon budget of a French pine forest (Pinus pinaster) following harvest

Eddy covariance measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide and sensible and latent heat have operated since clear felling of a 50‐year old maritime pine stand in Les Landes, in Southwestern France. Turbulent fluxes from the closed‐path system are computed via different methodologies, including those recommended from EUROFLUX (Adv. Ecol. Res. 30 (2000) 113; Agric. Forest Meteorol. 107 (2001a, b) 43 and 71), and sensitivity analysis demonstrates the merit of post‐processing for accurate flux calculation. Footprint modeling, energy balance closure, and empirical modeling corroborate the eddy flux measurements, indicating best reliability in the daytime. The ecosystem, a net source of atmospheric CO₂, is capable of fixing carbon during fair weather during any season due to the abundance of re‐growing species (mostly grass), formerly from the understorey. Annual carbon loss of 200–340 g m^?2 depends on the period chosen, with inter‐annual variability evident during the 18‐month measurement period and apparently related to available light. Empirical models, with weekly photosynthetic parameters corresponding to seasonal vegetation and respiration depending on soil temperature, fit the data well and allow partitioning of annual NEE into GPP and TER components. Comparison with a similar nearby mature forest (Agric. Forest Meteorol. 108 (2001) 183) indicates that clear‐cutting reduces GPP by two thirds but TER by only one third, transforming a strong forest sink into a source of CO₂. Likewise, the loss of 50% of evapotranspiration (by the trees) leads to increased temperatures and thus reduced net radiation (by one third), and a 50% increase in sensible heat loss by the clear cut.     

Direct and indirect climate change effects on carbon dioxide fluxes in a thawing boreal forest–wetland landscape

In the sporadic permafrost zone of northwestern Canada, boreal forest carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes will be altered directly by climate change through changing meteorological forcing and indirectly through changes in landscape functioning associated with thaw‐induced collapse‐scar bog (‘wetland’) expansion. However, their combined effect on landscape‐scale net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE_LAND), resulting from changing gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER), remains unknown. Here, we quantify indirect land cover change impacts on NEE_LAND and direct climate change impacts on modeled temperature‐ and light‐limited NEE_LAND of a boreal forest–wetland landscape. Using nested eddy covariance flux towers, we find both GPP and ER to be larger at the landscape compared to the wetland level. However, annual NEE_LAND (?20 g C m^?2) and wetland NEE (?24 g C m^?2) were similar, suggesting negligible wetland expansion effects on NEE_LAND. In contrast, we find non‐negligible direct climate change impacts when modeling NEE_LAND using projected air temperature and incoming shortwave radiation. At the end of the 21st century, modeled GPP mainly increases in spring and fall due to reduced temperature limitation, but becomes more frequently light‐limited in fall. In a warmer climate, ER increases year‐round in the absence of moisture stress resulting in net CO₂ uptake increases in the shoulder seasons and decreases during the summer. Annually, landscape net CO₂ uptake is projected to decline by 25 ± 14 g C m^?2 for a moderate and 103 ± 38 g C m^?2 for a high warming scenario, potentially reversing recently observed positive net CO₂ uptake trends across the boreal biome. Thus, even without moisture stress, net CO₂ uptake of boreal forest–wetland landscapes may decline, and ultimately, these landscapes may turn into net CO₂ sources under continued anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. We conclude that NEE_LAND changes are more likely to be driven by direct climate change rather than by indirect land cover change impacts.     

Partitioning of the net CO2 exchange using an automated chamber system reveals plant phenology as key control of production and respiration fluxes in a boreal peatland

The net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) drives the carbon (C) sink–source strength of northern peatlands. Since NEE represents a balance between various production and respiration fluxes, accurate predictions of its response to global changes require an in depth understanding of these underlying processes. Currently, however, detailed information of the temporal dynamics as well as the separate biotic and abiotic controls of the NEE component fluxes is lacking in peatland ecosystems. In this study, we address this knowledge gap by using an automated chamber system established across natural and trenching/vegetation removal plots to partition NEE into its production (i.e., gross and net primary production; GPP and NPP) and respiration (i.e., ecosystem, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration; ER, Rh and Ra) fluxes in a boreal peatland in northern Sweden. Our results showed that daily NEE patterns were driven by GPP while variations in ER were governed by Ra rather than Rh. Moreover, we observed pronounced seasonal shifts in the Ra/Rh and above/belowground NPP ratios throughout the main phenological phases. Generalized linear model analysis revealed that the greenness index derived from digital images (as a proxy for plant phenology) was the strongest control of NEE, GPP and NPP while explaining considerable fractions also in the variations of ER and Ra. In addition, our data exposed greater temperature sensitivity of NPP compared to Rh resulting in enhanced C sequestration with increasing temperature. Overall, our study suggests that the temporal patterns in NEE and its component fluxes are tightly coupled to vegetation dynamics in boreal peatlands and thus challenges previous studies that commonly identify abiotic factors as key drivers. These findings further emphasize the need for integrating detailed information on plant phenology into process‐based models to improve predictions of global change impacts on the peatland C cycle.     

Net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange over grazed steppe in central Mongolia

This paper presents results of 1 year (from March 25, 2003 to March 24, 2004, 366 days) of continuous measurements of net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) above a steppe in Mongolia using the eddy covariance technique. The steppe, typical of central Mongolia, is dominated by C₃ plants adapted to the continental climate. The following two questions are addressed: (1) how do NEE and its components: gross ecosystem production (GEP) and total ecosystem respiration (R_eco) vary seasonally? (2) how do NEE, GEP, and R_eco respond to biotic and abiotic factors? The hourly minimal NEE and the hourly maximal R_eco were −3.6 and 1.2 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹, respectively (negative values denoting net carbon uptake by the canopy from the atmosphere). Peak daily sums of NEE, GEP, and R_eco were −2.3, 3.5, and 1.5 g C m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively. The annual sums of GEP, R_eco, and NEE were 179, 138, and −41 g C m⁻², respectively. The carbon removal by sheep was estimated to range between 10 and 82 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ using four different approaches. Including these estimates in the overall carbon budget yielded net ecosystem productivity of −23 to +20 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. Thus, within the remaining experimental uncertainty the carbon budget at this steppe site can be considered to be balanced. For the growing period (from April 23 to October 21, 2003), 26% and 53% of the variation in daily NEE and GEP, respectively, could be explained by the changes in leaf area index. Seasonality of GEP, R_eco, and NEE was closely associated with precipitation, especially in the peak growing season when GEP and R_eco were largest. Water stress was observed in late July to early August, which switched the steppe from a carbon sink to a carbon source. For the entire growing period, the light response curves of daytime NEE showed a rather low apparent quantum yield (α=−0.0047 μmol CO₂ μmol⁻¹ photons of photosynthetically active radiation). However, the α values varied with air temperature (T_a), vapor pressure deficit, and soil water content.     

Seasonal and interannual variation in carbon dioxide exchange and carbon balance in a northern temperate grassland

Net ecosystem carbon dioxide (CO₂) exchange (NEE) was measured in a northern temperate grassland near Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada for three growing seasons using the eddy covariance technique. The study objectives were to document how NEE and its major component processes—gross photosynthesis (GPP) and total ecosystem respiration (TER)—vary seasonally and interannually, and to examine how environmental and physiological factors influence the annual C budget. The greatest difference among the three study years was the amount of precipitation received. The annual precipitation for 1998 (481.7 mm) was significantly above the 1971–2000 mean (± SD, 377.9 ± 97.0 mm) for Lethbridge, whereas 1999 (341.3 mm) was close to average, and 2000 (275.5 mm) was significantly below average. The high precipitation and soil moisture in 1998 allowed a much higher GPP and an extended period of net carbon gain relative to 1999 and 2000. In 1998, the peak NEE was a gain of 5 g C m^?2 d^?1 (day 173). Peak NEE was lower and also occurred earlier in the year on days 161 (3.2 g C m^?2 d^?1) and 141 (2.4 g C m^?2 d^?1) in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Change in soil moisture was the most important ecological factor controlling C gain in this grassland ecosystem. Soil moisture content was positively correlated with leaf area index (LAI). Gross photosynthesis was strongly correlated with changes in both LAI and canopy nitrogen (N) content. Maximum GPP (A_max: value calculated from a rectangular hyperbola fitted to the relationship between GPP and incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD)) was 27.5, 12.9 and 8.6 µmol m^?2 s^?1 during 1998, 1999 and 2000, respectively. The apparent quantum yield also differed among years at the time of peak photosynthetic activity, with calculated values of 0.0254, 0.018 and 0.018 during 1998, 1999 and 2000, respectively. The ecosystem accumulated a total of 111.9 g C m^?2 from the time the eddy covariance measurements were initiated in June 1998 until the end of December 2000, with most of that C gained during 1998. There was a net uptake of almost 21 g C m^?2 in 1999, whereas a net loss of 18 g C m^?2 was observed in 2000. The net uptake of C during 1999 was the combined result of slightly higher GPP (287.2 vs. 272.3 g C m^?2 year^?1) and lower TER (266.6 vs. 290.4 g C m^?2 year^?1) than occurred in 2000.     

On the separation of net ecosystem exchange into assimilation and ecosystem respiration: review and improved algorithm

This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods that separate net ecosystem exchange (NEE) into its major components, gross ecosystem carbon uptake (GEP) and ecosystem respiration (R_eco). In particular, we analyse the effect of the extrapolation of night‐time values of ecosystem respiration into the daytime; this is usually done with a temperature response function that is derived from long‐term data sets. For this analysis, we used 16 one‐year‐long data sets of carbon dioxide exchange measurements from European and US‐American eddy covariance networks. These sites span from the boreal to Mediterranean climates, and include deciduous and evergreen forest, scrubland and crop ecosystems. We show that the temperature sensitivity of R_eco, derived from long‐term (annual) data sets, does not reflect the short‐term temperature sensitivity that is effective when extrapolating from night‐ to daytime. Specifically, in summer active ecosystems the long‐term temperature sensitivity exceeds the short‐term sensitivity. Thus, in those ecosystems, the application of a long‐term temperature sensitivity to the extrapolation of respiration from night to day leads to a systematic overestimation of ecosystem respiration from half‐hourly to annual time‐scales, which can reach >25% for an annual budget and which consequently affects estimates of GEP. Conversely, in summer passive (Mediterranean) ecosystems, the long‐term temperature sensitivity is lower than the short‐term temperature sensitivity resulting in underestimation of annual sums of respiration. We introduce a new generic algorithm that derives a short‐term temperature sensitivity of R_eco from eddy covariance data that applies this to the extrapolation from night‐ to daytime, and that further performs a filling of data gaps that exploits both, the covariance between fluxes and meteorological drivers and the temporal structure of the fluxes. While this algorithm should give less biased estimates of GEP and R_eco, we discuss the remaining biases and recommend that eddy covariance measurements are still backed by ancillary flux measurements that can reduce the uncertainties inherent in the eddy covariance data.     

Linking flux network measurements to continental scale simulations: ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange capacity under non-water-stressed conditions

This paper examines long‐term eddy covariance data from 18 European and 17 North American and Asian forest, wetland, tundra, grassland, and cropland sites under non‐water‐stressed conditions with an empirical rectangular hyperbolic light response model and a single layer two light‐class carboxylase‐based model. Relationships according to ecosystem functional type are demonstrated between empirical and physiological parameters, suggesting linkages between easily estimated parameters and those with greater potential for process interpretation. Relatively sparse documentation of leaf area index dynamics at flux tower sites is found to be a major difficulty in model inversion and flux interpretation. Therefore, a simplification of the physiological model is carried out for a subset of European network sites with extensive ancillary data. The results from these selected sites are used to derive a new parameter and means for comparing empirical and physiologically based methods across all sites, regardless of ancillary data. The results from the European analysis are then compared with results from the other Northern Hemisphere sites and similar relationships for the simplified process‐based parameter were found to hold for European, North American, and Asian temperate and boreal climate zones. This parameter is useful for bridging between flux network observations and continental scale spatial simulations of vegetation/atmosphere carbon dioxide exchange.     

The influence of drought and heat stress on long‐term carbon fluxes of bioenergy crops grown in the Midwestern USA

Perennial grasses are promising feedstocks for bioenergy production in the Midwestern USA. Few experiments have addressed how drought influences their carbon fluxes and storage. This study provides a direct comparison of ecosystem‐scale measurements of carbon fluxes associated with miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), restored native prairie and maize (Zea mays)/soybean (Glycine max) ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of a naturally occurring drought during 2012 on key components of the carbon cycle and plant development relative to non‐extreme years. The perennials reached full maturity 3–5 years after establishment. Miscanthus had the highest gross primary production (GPP) and lowest net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in 2012 followed by similar values for switchgrass and prairie, and the row crops had the lowest GPP and highest NEE. A post‐drought effect was observed for miscanthus. Over the duration of the experiment, perennial ecosystems were carbon sinks, as indicated by negative net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB), while maize/soybean was a net carbon source. Our observations suggest that perennial ecosystems, and in particular miscanthus, can provide a high yield and a large potential for CO₂ fixation even during drought, although drought may negatively influence carbon uptake in the following year, questioning the long‐term consequence of its maintained productivity.     

Relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of Kobresia humilis meadows and Potentilla fruticosa meadows

Carbon dioxide fluxes of Kobresia humilis and Potentillafruticosa shrub meadows,two typical ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,were measured by eddy covariance technology and the data collected in August 2003 were employed to analyze the relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of the ecosystems.August is the time when the two ecosystems reach their peak leaf area indexes and stay stable,and also the period when the net carbon absorptions of Kobresia humilis and Potentilla photo flux densities (PPFD),the carbon dioxide-uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow is higher than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow;where the PPFD are rates of the two ecosystems declined as air temperature increased,but the carbon dioxide uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow decreased more quickly (-0.086) than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow (-0.016).Soil moistures exert influence on the soil respirations and this varies with the vegetation type.The daily carbon dioxide absorptions of the ecosystems increase with increased diurnal temperature differences and higher diurnal temperature differences result in higher carbon dioxide exchanges.There exists a negative correlation between the vegetation albedos and the carbon dioxide fluxes.     

Carbon sequestration and ecosystem respiration for 4 years in a Scots pine forest

The net exchange of CO₂ (NEE) between a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forest ecosystem in eastern Finland and the atmosphere was measured continuously by the eddy covariance (EC) technique over 4 years (1999–2002). The annual temperature coefficient (Q₁₀) of ecosystem respiration (R) for these years, respectively, was 2.32, 2.66, 2.73 and 2.69. The light‐saturated rate of photosynthesis (A_max) was highest in July or August, with an annual average A_max of 10.9, 14.6, 15.3 and 17.1 μmol m^?2 s^?1 in the 4 years, respectively. There was obvious seasonality in NEE, R and gross primary production (GPP), exhibiting a similar pattern to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and air temperature. The integrated daily NEE ranged from 2.59 to ?4.97 g C m^?2 day^?1 in 1999, from 2.70 to ?4.72 in 2000, from 2.61 to ?4.71 in 2001 and from 5.27 to ?4.88 in 2002. The maximum net C uptake occurred in July, with the exception of 2000, when it was in June. The interannual variation in ecosystem C flux was pronounced. The length of the growing season, based on net C uptake, was 179, 170, 175 and 176 days in 1999–2002, respectively, and annual net C sequestration was 152, 101, 172 and 205 g C m^?2 yr^?1. It is estimated that ecosystem respiration contributed 615, 591, 752 and 879 g C m^?2 yr^?1 to the NEE in these years, leading to an annual GPP of ?768, ?692, ?924 and ?1084 g C m^?2 yr^?1. It is concluded that temperature and PAR were the main determinants of the ecosystem CO₂ flux. Interannual variations in net C sequestration are predominantly controlled by average air temperature and integrated radiation in spring and summer. Four years of EC data indicate that boreal Scots pine forest ecosystem in eastern Finland acts as a relatively powerful carbon sink. Carbon sequestration may benefit from warmer climatic conditions.     

Estimates of CO2 uptake and release among European forests based on eddy covariance data

The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of forests represents the balance of gross primary productivity (GPP) and respiration (R). Methods to estimate these two components from eddy covariance flux measurements are usually based on a functional relationship between respiration and temperature that is calibrated for night‐time (respiration) fluxes and subsequently extrapolated using daytime temperature measurements. However, respiration fluxes originate from different parts of the ecosystem, each of which experiences its own course of temperature. Moreover, if the temperature–respiration function is fitted to combined data from different stages of biological development or seasons, a spurious temperature effect may be included that will lead to overestimation of the direct effect of temperature and therefore to overestimates of daytime respiration. We used the EUROFLUX eddy covariance data set for 15 European forests and pooled data per site, month and for conditions of low and sufficient soil moisture, respectively. We found that using air temperature (measured above the canopy) rather than soil temperature (measured 5 cm below the surface) yielded the most reliable and consistent exponential (Q₁₀) temperature–respiration relationship. A fundamental difference in air temperature‐based Q₁₀ values for different sites, times of year or soil moisture conditions could not be established; all were in the range 1.6–2.5. However, base respiration (R₀, i.e. respiration rate scaled to 0°C) did vary significantly among sites and over the course of the year, with increased base respiration rates during the growing season. We used the overall mean Q₁₀ of 2.0 to estimate annual GPP and R. Testing suggested that the uncertainty in total GPP and R associated with the method of separation was generally well within 15%. For the sites investigated, we found a positive relationship between GPP and R, indicating that there is a latitudinal trend in NEE because the absolute decrease in GPP towards the pole is greater than in R.     

Relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of Kobresia humilis meadows and Potentilla fruticosa meadows

Carbon dioxide fluxes of Kobresia humilis and Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadows, two typical ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, were measured by eddy covariance technology and the data collected in August 2003 were employed to analyze the relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of the ecosystems. August is the time when the two ecosystems reach their peak leaf area indexes and stay stable, and also the period when the net carbon absorptions of Kobresia humilis and Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadows reach 56.2 g C·m⁻² and 32.6 g C·m⁻², with their highest daily carbon dioxide absorptions standing at 12.7 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ and 9.3 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, and their highest carbon discharges at 5.1 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ and 5.7 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, respectively. At the same photosynthetic photo flux densities (PPFD), the carbon dioxide-uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow is higher than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow; where the PPFD are higher than 1,200 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹. The carbon dioxide uptake rates of the two ecosystems declined as air temperature increased, but the carbon dioxide uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow decreased more quickly (−0.086) than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow (−0.016). Soil moistures exert influence on the soil respirations and this varies with the vegetation type. The daily carbon dioxide absorptions of the ecosystems increase with increased diurnal temperature differences and higher diurnal temperature differences result in higher carbon dioxide exchanges. There exists a negative correlation between the vegetation albedos and the carbon dioxide fluxes. Translated from Acta Bot Boreal—Occident Sin, 2006, 26(1): 133–142 [译自: 西北植物学报]     

Unchanged carbon balance driven by equivalent responses of production and respiration to climate change in a mixed‐grass prairie

Responses of grassland carbon (C) cycling to climate change and land use remain a major uncertainty in model prediction of future climate. To explore the impacts of global change on ecosystem C fluxes and the consequent changes in C storage, we have conducted a field experiment with warming (+3 °C), altered precipitation (doubled and halved), and annual clipping at the end of growing seasons in a mixed‐grass prairie in Oklahoma, USA, from 2009 to 2013. Results showed that although ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross primary production (GPP) negatively responded to warming, net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ (NEE) did not significantly change under warming. Doubled precipitation stimulated and halved precipitation suppressed ER and GPP equivalently, with the net outcome being unchanged in NEE. These results indicate that warming and altered precipitation do not necessarily have profound impacts on ecosystem C storage. In addition, we found that clipping enhanced NEE due to a stronger positive response of GPP compared to ER, indicating that clipping could potentially be an effective land practice that could increase C storage. No significant interactions between warming, altered precipitation, and clipping were observed. Meanwhile, we found that belowground net primary production (BNPP) in general was sensitive to climate change and land use though no significant changes were found in NPP across treatments. Moreover, negative correlations of the ER/GPP ratio with soil temperature and moisture did not differ across treatments, highlighting the roles of abiotic factors in mediating ecosystem C fluxes in this grassland. Importantly, our results suggest that belowground C cycling (e.g., BNPP) could respond to climate change with no alterations in ecosystem C storage in the same period.     

Comparison of carbon dioxide fluxes over three boreal black spruce forests in Canada

Although mature black spruce forests are a dominant cover type in the boreal forest of North America, it is not clear how their carbon (C) budgets vary across the continent. The installation of an eddy covariance flux tower on an Old Black Spruce (OBS) site in eastern Canada (EOBS, Québec) provided a first opportunity to compare and contrast its annual (2004) and seasonal C exchange with two other pre-existing OBS flux sites from different climatic regions located in Saskatchewan [Southern OBS (SOBS)] and Manitoba [Northern OBS (NOBS)]. Although there was a relatively uniform seasonal pattern of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) among sites, EOBS had a lower total annual NEP than the other two sites. This was primarily because warmer soil under a thicker snowpack at EOBS appeared to increase winter C losses and low light suppressed both NEP and gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in June. Across sites, greater total annual GEP and ecosystem respiration ( R ) were associated with greater mean annual air temperatures and an earlier beginning of the growing season. Also, GEP at all three sites showed a stronger relationship with air temperature in spring and early summer compared with later in the growing season, highlighting the importance of springtime conditions to the C budget of these boreal ecosystems. The three sites had different parameter estimates describing the responses of R and GEP at the half hour time scale to near surface temperature and light, respectively. On the other hand, the responses of both R and GEP to temperature at the monthly scale did not differ among sites. These results suggest that a general parameterization could be sufficient at coarse time resolutions to model the response of C exchange to environmental factors of mature black spruce forests from different climatic regions.