scholarly journals Can land degradation drive differences in the C exchange of two similar semiarid ecosystems?

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 263-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana López-Ballesteros ◽  
Cecilio Oyonarte ◽  
Andrew S. Kowalski ◽  
Penélope Serrano-Ortiz ◽  
Enrique P. Sánchez-Cañete ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Co2 Exchange ◽  
Striking Difference ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
Natural Site

Abstract. Currently, drylands occupy more than one-third of the global terrestrial surface and are recognized as areas vulnerable to land degradation. The concept of land degradation stems from the loss of an ecosystem's biological productivity due to long-term loss of natural vegetation or depletion of soil nutrients. Drylands' key role in the global carbon (C) balance has been recently demonstrated, but the effects of land degradation on C sequestration by these ecosystems still need to be investigated. In the present study, we compared net C and water vapor fluxes, together with satellite, meteorological and vadose zone (CO2, water content and temperature) measurements, between two nearby (∼ 23 km) experimental sites representing “natural” (i.e., site of reference) and “degraded” grazed semiarid grasslands. We utilized data acquired over 6 years from two eddy covariance stations located in southeastern Spain with highly variable precipitation magnitude and distribution. Results show a striking difference in the annual C balances with an average net CO2 exchange of 196 ± 40 (C release) and −23 ± 2 g C m−2 yr−1 (C fixation) for the degraded and natural sites, respectively. At the seasonal scale, differing patterns in net CO2 fluxes were detected over both growing and dry seasons. As expected, during the growing seasons, greater net C uptake over longer periods was observed at the natural site. However, a much greater net C release, probably derived from subterranean ventilation, was measured at the degraded site during drought periods. After subtracting the nonbiological CO2 flux from net CO2 exchange, flux partitioning results point out that, during the 6 years of study, gross primary production, ecosystem respiration and water use efficiency were, on average, 9, 2 and 10 times higher, respectively, at the natural site versus the degraded site. We also tested differences in all monitored meteorological and soil variables and CO2 at 1.50 m belowground was the variable showing the greatest intersite difference, with ∼ 1000 ppm higher at the degraded site. Thus, we believe that subterranean ventilation of this vadose zone CO2, previously observed at both sites, partly drives the differences in C dynamics between them, especially during the dry season. It may be due to enhanced subsoil–atmosphere interconnectivity at the degraded site.

scholarly journals Can land degradation drive differences in the C exchange of two similar semiarid ecosystems?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana López-Ballesteros ◽  
Cecilio Oyonarte ◽  
Andrew S. Kowalski ◽  
Penélope Serrano-Ortiz ◽  
Enrique P. Sánchez-Cañete ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Striking Difference ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Semiarid Ecosystems ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
Variable Precipitation

Abstract. The concept of land degradation stems from the loss of an ecosystem's biological productivity, which in turn relies on several degradation processes, such as long-term loss of natural vegetation, depletion of soil nutrients, soil compaction or water and wind erosion, to which drylands are especially vulnerable. Currently, drylands occupy more than one third of the global terrestrial surface and will probably expand under future climate change scenarios. Drylands' key role in the global C balance has been recently demonstrated, but the effects of land degradation on C sequestration by these ecosystems needs further research. In the present study, we compare net carbon exchange, together with satellite data and meteorological, ambient and vadose zone (CO2, water content and temperature) variables, between two nearby (~23 km) experimental sites representing natural (i.e. site of reference) and degraded grazed semiarid grasslands located in SE Spain, via eddy covariance measurements over 6 years, with highly variable precipitation magnitude and distribution. Results show a striking difference in the annual C balances with an average release of 196 ± 40 and −23 ± 20 g C m−2 yr−1 for the degraded and natural sites, respectively. At the seasonal scale, differing patterns in net CO2 fluxes were detected over both growing and dry seasons. As expected, during the growing seasons, greater net C uptake over longer periods was observed in the natural site, however, much greater net C release was measured in the degraded site during drought periods. We tested differences in all monitored meteorological and soil variables and found it most relevant that CO2 at 1.50 m belowground was around 1000 ppm higher in the degraded site. Thus, we believe that subterranean ventilation of this vadose zone CO2, previously observed at both sites, largely drives the differences in C dynamics between them, especially during the dry season maybe due to enhanced subsoil-atmosphere interconnectivity in the degraded site. Overall, the 12 site-years of data allow direct exploration of the roles of climate and land degradation in the biological and non-biological processes that ultimately control the C sequestration capacity of semiarid ecosystems.

scholarly journals Effects of a windthrow disturbance on the carbon balance of a broadleaf deciduous forest in Hokkaido, Japan

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 6837-6851 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yamanoi ◽  
Y. Mizoguchi ◽  
H. Utsugi
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Carbon Balance ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
White Birch ◽  
Eddy Covariance Method ◽  
Area Index

Abstract. Forests play an important role in the terrestrial carbon balance, with most being in a carbon sequestration stage. The net carbon releases that occur result from forest disturbance, and windthrow is a typical disturbance event affecting the forest carbon balance in eastern Asia. The CO2 flux has been measured using the eddy covariance method in a deciduous broadleaf forest (Japanese white birch, Japanese oak, and castor aralia) in Hokkaido, where incidental damage by the strong Typhoon Songda in 2004 occurred. We also used the biometrical method to demonstrate the CO2 flux within the forest in detail. Damaged trees amounted to 40 % of all trees, and they remained on site where they were not extracted by forest management. Gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Re), and net ecosystem production were 1350, 975, and 375 g C m−2 yr−1 before the disturbance and 1262, 1359, and −97 g C m−2 yr−1 2 years after the disturbance, respectively. Before the disturbance, the forest was an evident carbon sink, and it subsequently transformed into a net carbon source. Because of increased light intensity at the forest floor, the leaf area index and biomass of the undergrowth (Sasa kurilensis and S. senanensis) increased by factors of 2.4 and 1.7, respectively, in 3 years subsequent to the disturbance. The photosynthesis of Sasa increased rapidly and contributed to the total GPP after the disturbance. The annual GPP only decreased by 6 % just after the disturbance. On the other hand, the annual Re increased by 39 % mainly because of the decomposition of residual coarse-wood debris. The carbon balance after the disturbance was controlled by the new growth and the decomposition of residues. The forest management, which resulted in the dead trees remaining at the study site, strongly affected the carbon balance over the years. When comparing the carbon uptake efficiency at the study site with that at others, including those with various kinds of disturbances, we emphasized the importance of forest management as well as disturbance type in the carbon balance.

scholarly journals The current state of CO2 flux chamber studies in the Arctic tundra

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Virkkala ◽  
Tarmo Virtanen ◽  
Aleksi Lehtonen ◽  
Janne Rinne ◽  
Miska Luoto
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Balance ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
Arctic Tundra ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Flux Chamber

The Arctic tundra plays an important role in the carbon cycle as it stores 50% of global soil organic carbon reservoirs. The processes (fluxes) regulating these stocks are predicted to change due to direct and indirect effects of climate change. Understanding the current and future carbon balance calls for a summary of the level of knowledge regarding chamber-derived carbon dioxide (CO2) flux studies. Here, we describe progress from recently (2000–2016) published studies of growing-season CO2 flux chamber measurements, namely GPP (gross primary production), ER (ecosystem respiration), and NEE (net ecosystem exchange), in the tundra region. We review the study areas and designs along with the explanatory environmental drivers used. Most of the studies were conducted in Alaska and Fennoscandia, and we stress the need for measuring fluxes in other tundra regions, particularly in more extreme climatic, productivity, and soil conditions. Soil respiration and other greenhouse gas measurements were seldom included in the studies. Although most of the environmental drivers of CO2 fluxes have been relatively well investigated (such as the effect of vegetation type and soil microclimate on fluxes), soil nutrients, other greenhouse gases and disturbance regimes require more research as they might define the future carbon balance. Particular attention should be paid to the effects of shrubification, geomorphology, and other disturbance effects such as fire events, and disease and herbivore outbreaks. An improved conceptual framework and understanding of underlying processes of biosphere–atmosphere CO2 exchange will provide more information on carbon cycling in the tundra.

scholarly journals Biophysical controls on net ecosystem CO<sub>2</sub> exchange over a semiarid shrubland in northwest China

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 5089-5122 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Jia ◽  
T. S. Zha ◽  
B. Wu ◽  
Y. Q. Zhang ◽  
J. N. Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Co2 Exchange ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Area Index ◽  
C Cycling ◽  
Sequestration Potential

Abstract. The carbon (C) cycling in semiarid and arid areas remains largely unexplored, despite the wide distribution of drylands globally. Rehabilitation practices have been carried out in many desertified areas, but information on the C sequestration potential of recovering vegetation is still largely lacking. Using the eddy-covariance technique, we measured the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) over a recovering shrub ecosystem in northwest China throughout 2012 in order to (1) quantify NEE and its components, (2) examine the dependence of C fluxes on biophysical factors at multiple timescales. The annual budget showed a gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) of 456 ± 8 g C m−2 yr−1 and an ecosystem respiration (Re) of 379 ± 3 g C m−2 yr−1, resulting in a net C sink of 77 ± 7 g C m−2 yr−1. The maximum daily NEE, GEP and Re were −4.7, 6.8 and 3.3 g C m−2 day−1, respectively. Both the maximum C assimilation rate (i.e., at optimum light intensity) and the quantum yield varied strongly over the growing season, being higher in summer and lower in spring and autumn. At the half-hourly scale, water stress exerted a major control over daytime NEE, and interacted with heat stress and photoinhibition in constraining C fixation by the vegetation. Low soil moisture also reduced the temperature sensitivity of Re (Q10). At the synoptic scale, rain events triggered immediate pulses of C release from the ecosystem, followed by peaks of CO2 uptake 1–2 days later. Over the entire growing season, leaf area index accounted for 45 and 65% of the seasonal variation in NEE and GEP, respectively. There was a linear dependence of daily Re on GEP, with a slope of 0.34. These results highlight the role of abiotic stresses and their alleviation in regulating C cycling in the face of an increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events.

scholarly journals Observed and modelled ecosystem respiration and gross primary production of a grassland in southwestern France

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 429-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Albergel ◽  
J.-C. Calvet ◽  
A.-L. Gibelin ◽  
S. Lafont ◽  
J.-L. Roujean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Net Ecosystem Exchange ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
Single Equation ◽  
Complex Model ◽  
Area Index

Abstract. In this work, a simple representation of the soil moisture effect on the ecosystem respiration is implemented into the A-gs version of the Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA) model. It results in an improvement of the modelled CO2 flux over a grassland, in southwestern France. The former temperature-only dependent respiration formulation used in ISBA-A-gs is not able to model the limitation of the respiration under dry conditions. In addition to soil moisture and soil temperature, the only parameter required in this formulation is the ecosystem respiration parameter Re25. It can be estimated by the mean of eddy covariance measurements of turbulent nighttime CO2 flux (i.e. ecosystem respiration). The resulting correlation between observed and modelled net ecosystem exchange is r2=0.63 with a bias of −2.18 μmol m−2 s−1. It is shown that when CO2 observations are not available, it is possible to use a more complex model, able to represent the heterotrophic respiration and all the components of the autotrophic respiration, to estimate Re25 with similar results. The modelled ecosystem respiration estimates are provided by the Carbon Cycle (CC) version of ISBA (ISBA-CC). ISBA-CC is a version of ISBA able to simulate all the respiration components whereas ISBA-A-gs uses a single equation for ecosystem respiration. ISBA-A-gs is easier to handle and more convenient than ISBA-CC for practical use in atmospheric or hydrological models. Surface water and energy flux observations as well as gross primary production (GPP) estimates are compared with model outputs. The dependence of GPP to air temperature is investigated. The observed GPP is less sensitive to temperature than the modelled GPP. Finally, the simulations of the ISBA-A-gs model are analysed over a seven year period (2001–2007). Modelled soil moisture and leaf area index (LAI) are confronted with the observed root-zone soil moisture content (m3 m−3), and with LAI estimates derived from surface reflectance measurements.

scholarly journals Influence of the Asian Monsoon on net ecosystem carbon exchange in two major plant functional types in Korea

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 10279-10309 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kwon ◽  
J. Kim ◽  
J. Hong
Keyword(s):  
Summer Monsoon ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Co2 Exchange ◽  
Plant Functional Types ◽  
Net Ecosystem Co2 Exchange ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Functional Types ◽  
Net Ecosystem Carbon Exchange

Abstract. Considering the feedback loops in radiation, temperature, and soil moisture with alterations in rainfall patterns, the influence of the changing monsoon on net ecosystem CO2 exchange can be critical to the estimation of carbon balance in Asia. In this paper, we examined the eddy covariance CO2 fluxes observed from 2004 to 2008 in two major plant functional types in KoFlux, i.e., the Gwangneung deciduous forest (GDK) site and the Haenam farmland (HFK) site. The objectives of the study were to (1) quantify the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (RE), and gross primary production (GPP), (2) examine their interannual patterns, and (3) assess the mechanism for the coupling of carbon and water exchange associated with the summer monsoon. The GDK site, which had a maximum leaf area index (LAI) of ~5, was on average a relatively weak carbon sink with NEE of −84 gC m−2 y−1, RE of 1028 gC m−2 y−1, and GPP of 1113 gC m−2 y−1. Despite about 20% larger GPP (of 1321 gC m−2 y−1) in comparison with the GDK site, the HFK site (with the maximum LAI of 3 to 4) was a weaker carbon sink with NEE of −58 gC m−2 y−1 because of greater RE of 1263 gC m−2 y−1. In both sites, the annual patterns of NEE and GPP had a striking "mid-season depression" each year with two distinctive peaks of different timing and magnitude, whereas RE did not. The mid-season depression at the GDK site occurred typically from early June to late August, coinciding with the season of summer monsoon when the solar radiation decreased substantially due to frequent rainfalls and cloudiness. At the HFK site, the mid-season depression began earlier in May and continued until the end of July due to land use management (e.g., crop rotation) in addition to such disturbances as summer monsoon and typhoons. Other flux observation sites in East Asia also show a decline in radiation but with a lesser degree during the monsoon season, resulting in less pronounced depression in NEE. In our study, however, the observed depression in NEE changed the forest and farmland from a carbon sink to a source in the middle of the growing season. Consequently, the annually integrated values of NEE lies on the low end of the range reported in the literature. Such a delicate coupling between carbon and water cycles may turn these ecosystems into a stronger carbon sink with the projected trends of less frequent but more intensive rainfalls in this region.

scholarly journals An empirical model simulating long-term diurnal CO<sub>2</sub> flux for diverse vegetation types

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 4001-4034
Author(s):  
M. Saito ◽  
S. Maksyutov ◽  
R. Hirata ◽  
A. D. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Model ◽  
Vapor Pressure Deficit ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
Co2 Exchange ◽  
Physiological Parameters ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Terrestrial Biomes

Abstract. We present an empirical model for the estimation of diurnal variability in net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE). The model is based on the use of a nonrectangular hyperbola for photosynthetic response of canopy and was constructed by using a dataset obtained from the AmeriFlux network and containing continuous eddy covariance CO2 flux from 26 ecosystems over seven biomes. The model uses simplified empirical expression of seasonal variability in biome-specific physiological parameters with air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and precipitation. The physiological parameters of maximum CO2 uptake rate by the canopy and ecosystem respiration had biome-specific responses to environmental variables. The estimated physiological parameters had reasonable magnitudes and seasonal variation and gave reasonable timing of the beginning and end of the growing season over various biomes, but they were less satisfactory for disturbed grassland and savanna than for forests. Comparison with observational data revealed that the diurnal cycle of NEE was generally well predicted all year round by the model. The model gave satisfactory results even for tundra, which had very small amplitudes of NEE variability. These results suggest that this model with biome-specific parameters will be applicable to numerous terrestrial biomes, particularly forest ones.

Long-term impact of nitrogen addition on the carbon balance of a boreal pine forest in Northern Sweden

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Zhao ◽  
Jinshu Chi ◽  
Mats Nilsson ◽  
Mikaell Ottosson.Lofvenius ◽  
Sune Linder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Gross Primary Production ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Nitrogen Addition ◽  
N Addition ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Sequestration Potential

&lt;p&gt;Nitrogen (N) added through atmospheric deposition or as fertilizer in boreal forests may alter their carbon (C) sequestration potential and sensitivity to climatic changes. While previous studies have primarily explored the responses of individual ecosystem components such as stem biomass production and soil carbon changes following N addition, the long-term impacts of N addition on the ecosystem-scale C balance of boreal forests still remain unclear. Here, we use data from eddy-covariance measurements in a fertilized Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forest (i.e. 16 ha receiving 100 and 50 kg N ha&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; since 2006 and 2012, respectively) and an adjacent unfertilized control stand in boreal Sweden to investigate how one decade of N addition affected the net ecosystem productivity (NEP), gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) over five fertilization years (2015-2019). Results showed that N fertilization increased GPP in all five years with by 18% at average to 1183&amp;#177;41 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the N-fertilized stand compared to 1003&amp;#177;56 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the control stand. ER was also increased from 744&amp;#177;29 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the control stand to 875&amp;#177;37 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the fertilized stand. As a result, fertilization increased NEP from 259&amp;#177;28 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the control stand to 308&amp;#177;20 g C m&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; in the N-fertilized stand. Our results further suggested that the annual NEP was similar between stands during years with normal weather conditions (2015-2016) while NEP diverged due to a larger reduction in the control stand in years with environmental constraints (i.e. a cool summer in 2017 and droughts in 2018 and 2019). These findings indicate that enhanced N input to boreal forests increases and stabilizes their C sequestration potential under future climate conditions.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Stability of Ecosystem CO2 Flux in Response to Changes in Precipitation in a Semiarid Grassland

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiqiang Bao ◽  
Haifeng Tian ◽  
Min Su ◽  
Liping Qiu ◽  
Xiaorong Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
Co2 Exchange ◽  
Semiarid Grassland ◽  
Considerable Uncertainty ◽  
C Cycling ◽  
Precipitation Regimes ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) flux provides feedback between C cycling and the climatic system. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the direction and magnitude of the responses of this process to precipitation changes, hindering accurate prediction of C cycling in a changing world. We examined the responses of ecosystem CO2 flux to ambient precipitation and experimentally decreased (−35%) and increased precipitation (+20%) in a semiarid grassland in China between July 2013 and September 2015. The measured CO2 flux components included the gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (Re), and soil respiration (Rs). The results showed that the seasonal and diurnal patterns of most components of ecosystem CO2 flux were minimally affected by precipitation treatments, with less than 4% changes averaged across the three growing seasons. GEP and NEE had a quadratic relationship, while Re and Rs increased exponentially with soil temperature. GEP, RE, and Rs, however, decreased with soil moisture. Decreased precipitation reduced the dependence of CO2 flux on soil temperature but partly increased the dependence on soil moisture; in contrast, increased precipitation had the opposite influence. Our results suggested a relatively stable CO2 flux in this semiarid grassland across the tested precipitation regimes.

scholarly journals Biophysical controls on net ecosystem CO<sub>2</sub> exchange over a semiarid shrubland in northwest China

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4679-4693 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Jia ◽  
T. S. Zha ◽  
B. Wu ◽  
Y. Q. Zhang ◽  
J. N. Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prediction Interval ◽  
Ecosystem Respiration ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
C Sequestration ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Co2 Exchange ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Area Index ◽  
C Cycling

Abstract. The carbon (C) cycling in semiarid and arid areas remains largely unexplored, despite the wide distribution of drylands globally. Rehabilitation practices have been carried out in many desertified areas, but information on the C sequestration capacity of recovering vegetation is still largely lacking. Using the eddy-covariance technique, we measured the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) over a recovering shrub ecosystem in northwest China throughout 2012 in order to (1) quantify NEE and its components and to (2) examine the dependence of C fluxes on biophysical factors at multiple timescales. The annual budget showed a gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) of 456 g C m−2 yr−1 (with a 90% prediction interval of 449–463 g C m−2 yr−1) and an ecosystem respiration (Re) of 379 g C m−2 yr−1 (with a 90% prediction interval of 370–389 g C m−2 yr−1), resulting in a net C sink of 77 g C m−2 yr−1 (with a 90% prediction interval of 68–87 g C m−2 yr−1). The maximum daily NEE, GEP and Re were −4.7, 6.8 and 3.3 g C m−2 day−1, respectively. Both the maximum C assimilation rate (i.e., at the optimum light intensity) and the quantum yield varied over the growing season, being higher in summer and lower in spring and autumn. At the half-hourly scale, water deficit exerted a major control over daytime NEE, and interacted with other stresses (e.g., heat and photoinhibition) in constraining C fixation by the vegetation. Low soil moisture also reduced the temperature sensitivity of Re (Q10). At the synoptic scale, rain events triggered immediate pulses of C release from the ecosystem, followed by peaks of CO2 uptake 1–2 days later. Over the entire growing season, leaf area index accounted for 45 and 65% of the seasonal variation in NEE and GEP, respectively. There was a linear dependence of daily Re on GEP, with a slope of 0.34. These results highlight the role of abiotic stresses and their alleviation in regulating C cycling in the face of an increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events.

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