scholarly journals Eucalyptus Obliqua Tall Forest in Cool, Temperate Tasmania Becomes a Carbon Source during a Protracted Warm Spell in November 2017

Author(s):  
Timothy J. Wardlaw

Abstract Tasmania, which has a cool temperate climate, experienced a protracted warm spell in November 2017. In absolute terms, temperatures during the warm spell were lower than those usually characterising heatwaves. Nonetheless the November 2017 warm spell represented an extreme anomaly based on the local historical climate. Eddy covariance measurements of fluxes made in a Eucalyptus obliqua tall forest at Warra, southern Tasmania, recorded a 39% reduction in gross primary productivity (GPP) during the warm spell. A coincident increase in ecosystem respiration during the warm spell resulted in the forest switching from a carbon sink to a source. Net radiation was significantly higher during the warm spell than in the same period in the preceding two years. This additional radiation drove an increase in latent heat but not sensible heat. Stomatal regulation to limit water loss was unlikely based on soil moisture and vapour pressure deficits. Temperatures during the warm spell were supra-optimal for GPP at that site for 75% of the daylight hours. The decline in GPP during the warm spell was therefore most likely due to temperatures exceeding the site optimum for GPP. These forests will be weaker carbon sinks if, as predicted, heatwave events become more common.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Tramontana ◽  
Martin Jung ◽  
Gustau Camps-Valls ◽  
Kazuhito Ichii ◽  
Botond Raduly ◽  
...  

Abstract. Spatial-temporal fields of land-atmosphere fluxes derived from data-driven models can complement simulations by process-based Land Surface Models. While a number of strategies for empirical models with eddy covariance flux data have been applied, a systematic intercomparison of these methods has been missing so far. In this study, we perform a cross-validation experiment for predicting carbon dioxide (CO2), latent heat, sensible heat and net radiation fluxes, in different ecosystem types with eleven machine learning (ML) methods from four different classes (kernel methods, neural network, tree methods, and regression splines). We employ two complementary setups: (1) eight days average fluxes based on remotely sensed data, and (2) daily mean fluxes based on meteorological data and mean seasonal cycle of remotely sensed variables. The pattern of predictions from different ML and setups were very consistent. There were systematic differences in performance among the fluxes, with the following ascending order: net ecosystem exchange (R2 < 0.5), ecosystem respiration (R2 > 0.6), gross primary production (R2 > 0.7), latent heat (R2 > 0.7), sensible heat (R2 > 0.7), net radiation (R2 > 0.8). ML methods predicted very well the across sites variability and the seasonal cycle (R2 > 0.7) of the observed fluxes, while the eight days deviations from the mean seasonal cycle were not well predicted (R2 < 0.5). Fluxes were better predicted at forested and temperate climate sites than at ones growing in extreme climates or less representated in training data (e.g. the tropics). The large ensemble of ML based models evaluated will be the basis of new global flux products.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 4291-4313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Tramontana ◽  
Martin Jung ◽  
Christopher R. Schwalm ◽  
Kazuhito Ichii ◽  
Gustau Camps-Valls ◽  
...  

Abstract. Spatio-temporal fields of land–atmosphere fluxes derived from data-driven models can complement simulations by process-based land surface models. While a number of strategies for empirical models with eddy-covariance flux data have been applied, a systematic intercomparison of these methods has been missing so far. In this study, we performed a cross-validation experiment for predicting carbon dioxide, latent heat, sensible heat and net radiation fluxes across different ecosystem types with 11 machine learning (ML) methods from four different classes (kernel methods, neural networks, tree methods, and regression splines). We applied two complementary setups: (1) 8-day average fluxes based on remotely sensed data and (2) daily mean fluxes based on meteorological data and a mean seasonal cycle of remotely sensed variables. The patterns of predictions from different ML and experimental setups were highly consistent. There were systematic differences in performance among the fluxes, with the following ascending order: net ecosystem exchange (R2 < 0.5), ecosystem respiration (R2 > 0.6), gross primary production (R2> 0.7), latent heat (R2 > 0.7), sensible heat (R2 > 0.7), and net radiation (R2 > 0.8). The ML methods predicted the across-site variability and the mean seasonal cycle of the observed fluxes very well (R2 > 0.7), while the 8-day deviations from the mean seasonal cycle were not well predicted (R2 < 0.5). Fluxes were better predicted at forested and temperate climate sites than at sites in extreme climates or less represented by training data (e.g., the tropics). The evaluated large ensemble of ML-based models will be the basis of new global flux products.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Jun-Lan Xiao ◽  
Feng Zeng ◽  
Qiu-Lan He ◽  
Yu-Xia Yao ◽  
Xiao Han ◽  
...  

Forests play a pivotal role in mitigating global warming as an important carbon sink. Recent global greening trends reflect a positive influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 on terrestrial carbon uptake. However, increasingly frequent and intense drought events endanger the carbon sequestration function of forests. This review integrates previous studies across scales to identify potential global trends in forest responses to drought and elevated CO2 as well as to identify data needs in this important research field. The inconsistent responses of ecosystem respiration to drought contributes to the change of forest net CO2 exchange, which depends on the balance of opposite effects of warming and water stress on respiration. Whether CO2 fertilization can offset the effects of drought remains controversial, however, we found a potential overestimation of global CO2 fertilization effects because of increasing water stress and other limitations such as light and nutrients (N, P) as well as the possibility of photosynthetic acclimation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1867-1883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Pavlovskii ◽  
Masaki Hayashi ◽  
Daniel Itenfisu

Abstract. Snowpack accumulation and depletion are important elements of the hydrological cycle in the Canadian prairies. The surface runoff generated during snowmelt is transformed into streamflow or fills numerous depressions driving the focussed recharge of groundwater in this dry setting. The snowpack in the prairies can undergo several cycles of accumulation and depletion in a winter. The timing of the melt affects the mechanisms of snowpack depletion and their hydrological implications. The effects of midwinter melts were investigated at four instrumented sites in the Canadian prairies. Unlike net radiation-driven snowmelt during spring melt, turbulent sensible heat fluxes were the dominant source of energy inputs for midwinter melt occurring in the period with low solar radiation inputs. Midwinter melt events affect several aspects of hydrological cycle with lower runoff ratios than subsequent spring melt events, due to their role in the timing of the focussed recharge. Remote sensing data have shown that midwinter melt events regularly occur under the present climate throughout the Canadian prairies, indicating applicability of the study findings throughout the region.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1595-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. Thomas ◽  
Y. Malhi ◽  
K. M. Fenn ◽  
J. B. Fisher ◽  
M. D. Morecroft ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present results from a study of canopy-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide from 2007 to 2009 above a site in Wytham Woods, an ancient temperate broadleaved deciduous forest in southern England. Gap-filled net ecosystem exchange (NEE) data were partitioned into gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Re) and analysed on daily, monthly and annual timescales. Over the continuous 24 month study period annual GPP was estimated to be 21.1 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 and Re to be 19.8 Mg C ha−1 yr−1; net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was 1.2 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. These estimates were compared with independent bottom-up estimates derived from net primary productivity (NPP) and flux chamber measurements recorded at a plot within the flux footprint in 2008 (GPP = 26.5 ± 6.8 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, Re = 24.8 ± 6.8 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, biomass increment = ~1.7 Mg C ha−1 yr−1). Over the two years the difference in seasonal NEP was predominantly caused by changes in ecosystem respiration, whereas GPP remained similar for equivalent months in different years. Although solar radiation was the largest influence on daily values of CO2 fluxes (R2 = 0.53 for the summer months for a linear regression), variation in Re appeared to be driven by temperature. Our findings suggest that this ancient woodland site is currently a substantial sink for carbon, resulting from continued growth that is probably a legacy of past management practices abandoned over 40 years ago. Our GPP and Re values are generally higher than other broadleaved temperate deciduous woodlands and may represent the influence of the UK's maritime climate, or the particular species composition of this site. The carbon sink value of Wytham Woods supports the protection and management of temperate deciduous woodlands (including those managed for conservation rather than silvicultural objectives) as a strategy to mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide increases.


1984 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 122-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sato ◽  
S. Takahashi ◽  
R. Naruse ◽  
G. Wakahama

A good correlation was found between the ablation of snow and degree day index (cumulative values of positive daily mean air temperature) during the summer of 1978 on the Yukikabe snow patch in the Daisetsu mountains, central Hokkaido. The volume change of the snow patch in the ablation season of any year can hence be estimated from air temperature using this relationship. Each of the heat-balance terms controlling the ablation is evaluated separately by using empirical equations and assumed values for meteorological parameters at the snow patch. Triangular diagrams are constructed in order to illustrate the relative contributions of sensible heat, latent heat, and net radiation, the main three heat sources. A higher contribution from sensible and latent heat is found for the snow patches of Japan than for many glaciers and ice caps elsewhere. This may be due to higher mid-summer air temperatures than in other glaciated parts of the world.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 13713-13742 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. K. Runkle ◽  
T. Sachs ◽  
C. Wille ◽  
E.-M. Pfeiffer ◽  
L. Kutzbach

Abstract. This paper evaluates the relative contribution of light and temperature on net ecosystem CO2 uptake during the 2006 growing season in a~polygonal tundra ecosystem in the Lena River Delta in Northern Siberia (72°22´ N, 126°30´ E). We demonstrate that the timing of warm periods may be an important determinant of the magnitude of the ecosystem's carbon sink function, as they drive temperature-induced changes in respiration. Hot spells during the early portion of the growing season are shown to be more influential in creating mid-day surface-to-atmosphere net ecosystem CO2 exchange fluxes than those occurring later in the season. In this work we also develop and present a bulk flux partition model to better account for tundra plant physiology and the specific light conditions of the arctic region that preclude the successful use of traditional partition methods that derive a respiration-temperature relationship from all night-time data. Night-time, growing season measurements are rare during the arctic summer, however, so the new method allows for temporal variation in the parameters describing both ecosystem respiration and gross uptake by fitting both processes at the same time. Much of the apparent temperature sensitivity of respiration seen in the traditional partition method is revealed in the new method to reflect seasonal changes in basal respiration rates. Understanding and quantifying the flux partition is an essential precursor to describing links between assimilation and respiration at different time scales, as it allows a more confident evaluation of measured net exchange over a broader range of environmental conditions. The growing season CO2 sink estimated by this study is similar to those reported previously for this site, and is substantial enough to withstand the long, low-level respiratory CO2 release during the rest of the year to maintain the site's CO2 sink function on an annual basis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1207-1221 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zhao ◽  
J. Li ◽  
S. Xu ◽  
H. Zhou ◽  
Y. Li ◽  
...  

Abstract. Alpine wetland meadow could functions as a carbon sink due to it high soil organic content and low decomposition. However, the magnitude and dynamics of carbon stock in alpine wetland ecosystems are not well quantified. Therefore, understanding how environmental variables affect the processes that regulate carbon fluxes in alpine wetland meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is critical. To address this issue, Gross Primary Production (GPP), Ecosystem Respiration (Reco), and Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) were examined in an alpine wetland meadow using the eddy covariance method from October 2003 to December 2006 at the Haibei Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Seasonal patterns of GPP and Reco were closely associated with leaf area index (LAI). The Reco showed a positive exponential to soil temperature and relatively low Reco occurred during the non-growing season after a rain event. This result is inconsistent with the result observed in alpine shrubland meadow. In total, annual GPP were estimated at 575.7, 682.9, and 630.97 g C m−2 in 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively. Meanwhile, the Reco were equal to 676.8, 726.4, 808.2 g C m−2, and thus the NEE were 101.1, 44.0 and 173.2 g C m−2. These results indicated that the alpine wetland meadow was a moderately source of carbon dioxide (CO2). The observed carbon dioxide fluxes in the alpine wetland meadow were higher than other alpine meadow such as Kobresia humilis meadow and shrubland meadow.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeyong Hu ◽  
Xiaoqiang Yan

&lt;p&gt;Based on multi-level AWS data during 2001 to 2015 and eddy covariance data during 2011 to 2014 at Nagqu Station of Plateau Climate and Environment, the turbulent fluxes were calculated by a surface energy balance combination (CM) and eddy covariance ( EC) method. A long-term heat fluxes and surface heat source were obtained with comparison and correction of EC and CM fluxes. The surface energy closure ratio is close to 1 in spring, summer and autumn. But it reaches to 1.34 in winter due to low net radiation observation value on snow surface. The sensible heat flux shows a ascend trend while latent heat flux shows a descend trend during 2002 to 2015. The surface heat source shows a descend trend. The analysis of the surface heat source indicates that it has a significant relationship with net radiation flux, surface temperature, soil moisture and wind speed. Particularly, the surface heat source has a significant response to net radiation flux throughout the year. There are obvious influences of surface temperature and soil moisture on the surface heat source in spring, autumn and winter. And the influence of wind speeds on surface heat source is strong only in spring. The annual variation of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux are obvious. Sensible heat flux reaches the maximum value of the year in April and the minimum value in July. however, latent heat flux shows the maximum value in July and the minimum value in January.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuula Larmola ◽  
Liisa Maanavilja ◽  
Heikki Kiheri ◽  
Mats Nilsson ◽  
Matthias Peichl

&lt;p&gt;In order to assess peatland carbon sink potential under multiple global change perturbations, we examined the individual and combined effects of long-term warming and enhanced nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition on ecosystem CO&lt;sub&gt;2 &lt;/sub&gt;exchange at one of the longest-running experiments on peatlands, Deger&amp;#246; Stormyr poor fen, Sweden. The site has been treated with NH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; (15 times ambient annual wet deposition), Na&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;SO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; (6 times ambient annual wet deposition) and elevated temperature (air +3.6 C) for 23 years. Gross photosynthesis, ecosystem respiration and net CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; exchange were measured weekly during June-August using chambers. After 23 years, two of the experimental perturbations: N addition and warming individually reduced net CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; uptake potential down to 0.3-0.4 fold compared to the control mainly due to lower gross photosynthesis. Under S only treatment ecosystem CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; fluxes were largely unaltered. In contrast, the combination of S and N deposition and warming led to a more pronounced effect and close to zero net CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; uptake potential or net C source. Our study emphasizes the value of the long-term multifactor experiments in examining the ecosystem responses: simultaneous perturbations can have nonadditive interactions that cannot be predicted based on individual responses and thus, must be studied in combination when evaluating feedback mechanisms to ecosystem C sink potential under global change.&lt;/p&gt;


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