Bulk deposition of base cations in a subalpine natural forest landscape estimated by canopy budget model: A focus on the forest edge canopy

Calculations of base cation inputs of loads in forest edge canopies are rare, although forest edge canopies play a paradoxical role in the effective capture of atmospheric deposition. Throughfall deposition and canopy exchange of base cations were studied with a continuous throughfall investigation under a natural forest edge and a closed canopy in a subalpine forest over a period of 2 years. Compared with precipitation, the concentration of base cations in the throughfall of both canopies was enriched as expected, but the enrichment level in the forest edge was less than that in the closed canopy. Moreover, the throughfall deposition of base cation fluxes in the closed canopy (35.19 kg ha-1 y-1) was slightly higher than that in the forest edge canopy (33.50 kg ha-1 y-1). Seasonally, the base cation input in the rainy season was 2.32–2.70 times higher than that in the snowy season in throughfall in forest edge canopy and the closed canopy. Furthermore, the canopy budget model suggested that the direction and magnitude of canopy exchange and dry deposition controlled the net throughfall fluxes (NTF) of base cations, and obvious differences could be observed between the canopy and seasonal scales. Compared with other elements, K and Mg leached from the main canopy exchange process, while Ca was absorbed by both canopy types in the annual NTF. These results highlight the spatial variability of base cation chemical characteristics, enhance cognitive the deposition of nutrients and regulatory factors in different forest landscapes, preferably guide the formulation forest ecological management strategies.

Canopy Exchange and Modification of Nitrogen Fluxes in Forest Ecosystems

Purpose of Review We provide an overview of the main processes occurring during the interactions between atmospheric nitrogen and forest canopies, by bringing together what we have learned in recent decades, identifying knowledge gaps, and how they can be addressed with future research thanks to new technologies and approaches. Recent Findings There is mounting evidence that tree canopies retain a significant percentage of incoming atmospheric nitrogen, a process involving not only foliage, but also branches, microbes, and epiphytes (and their associated micro-environments). A number of studies have demonstrated that some of the retained nitrogen can be assimilated by foliage, but more studies are needed to better quantify its contribution to plant metabolism and how these fluxes vary across different forest types. By merging different approaches (e.g., next-generation sequence analyzes and stable isotopes, particularly oxygen isotope ratios) it is now possible to unveil the highly diverse microbial communities hidden in forest canopies and their ability to process atmospheric nitrogen through processes such as nitrification and nitrogen fixation. Future work should address the contribution of both foliar nitrogen uptake and biological transformations within forest canopies to whole ecosystem nitrogen cycling budgets. Summary Scientists have studied for decades the role of forest canopies in altering nitrogen derived from atmospheric inputs before they reach the forest floor, showing that tree canopies are not just passive filters for precipitation water and dissolved nutrients. We now have the technological capability to go beyond an understanding of tree canopy itself to better elucidate its role as sink or source of nutrients, as well as the epiphytes and microbial communities hidden within them.

Measurement report: Leaf-scale gas exchange of atmospheric reactive trace species (NO₂, NO, O₃) at a northern hardwood forest in Michigan

During the Program for Research on Oxidants: PHotochemistry, Emissions, and Transport (PROPHET) campaign from 21 July to 3 August 2016, field experiments on leaf-level trace gas exchange of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were conducted for the first time on the native American tree species Pinus strobus (eastern white pine), Acer rubrum (red maple), Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen), and Quercus rubra (red oak) in a temperate hardwood forest in Michigan, USA. We measured the leaf-level trace gas exchange rates and investigated the existence of an NO2 compensation point, hypothesized based on a comparison of a previously observed average diurnal cycle of NOx (NO2+NO) concentrations with that simulated using a multi-layer canopy exchange model. Known amounts of trace gases were introduced into a tree branch enclosure and a paired blank reference enclosure. The trace gas concentrations before and after the enclosures were measured, as well as the enclosed leaf area (single-sided) and gas flow rate to obtain the trace gas fluxes with respect to leaf surface. There was no detectable NO uptake for all tree types. The foliar NO2 and O3 uptake largely followed a diurnal cycle, correlating with that of the leaf stomatal conductance. NO2 and O3 fluxes were driven by their concentration gradient from ambient to leaf internal space. The NO2 loss rate at the leaf surface, equivalently the foliar NO2 deposition velocity toward the leaf surface, ranged from 0 to 3.6 mm s−1 for bigtooth aspen and from 0 to 0.76 mm s−1 for red oak, both of which are ∼90 % of the expected values based on the stomatal conductance of water. The deposition velocities for red maple and white pine ranged from 0.3 to 1.6 and from 0.01 to 1.1 mm s−1, respectively, and were lower than predicted from the stomatal conductance, implying a mesophyll resistance to the uptake. Additionally, for white pine, the extrapolated velocity at zero stomatal conductance was 0.4±0.08 mm s−1, indicating a non-stomatal uptake pathway. The NO2 compensation point was ≤60 ppt for all four tree species and indistinguishable from zero at the 95 % confidence level. This agrees with recent reports for several European and California tree species but contradicts some earlier experimental results where the compensation points were found to be on the order of 1 ppb or higher. Given that the sampled tree types represent 80 %–90 % of the total leaf area at this site, these results negate the previously hypothesized important role of a leaf-scale NO2 compensation point. Consequently, to reconcile these findings, further detailed comparisons between the observed and simulated in- and above-canopy NOx concentrations and the leaf- and canopy-scale NOx fluxes, using the multi-layer canopy exchange model with consideration of the leaf-scale NOx deposition velocities as well as stomatal conductances reported here, are recommended.

Measurement report: Leaf-scale gas exchange of atmospheric reactive trace species (NO₂, NO, O₃) at a northern hardwood forest in Michigan

During the Program for Research on Oxidants: PHotochemistry, Emissions, and Transport (PROPHET) campaign from July 21 to August 3, 2016, field experiments of leaf-level trace gas exchange of nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) were conducted for the first time on the native American tree species Pinus strobus (eastern white pine), Acer rubrum (red maple), Populus grandidentata (bigtooth aspen), and Quercus rubra (red oak) in a temperate hardwood forest in Michigan, USA. We measured the leaf-level trace gas exchange rates and investigated the existence of an NO2 compensation point of 1 ppb, hypothesized based on a comparison of a previously observed average diurnal cycle of NOx (NO2 + NO) concentrations with that simulated using a multi-layer canopy exchange model. Known amounts of trace gases were introduced into a tree branch enclosure and a paired blank reference enclosure. The trace gas concentrations before and after the enclosures were measured, as well as the enclosed leaf area (single-sided) and gas flow rate to obtain the trace gas fluxes with respect to leaf surface. There was no detectable NO uptake for all tree types. The foliar NO2 and O3 uptake largely followed a diurnal cycle, correlating with that of the leaf stomatal conductance. NO2 and O3 fluxes were driven by their concentration gradient from ambient to leaf internal space. The NO2 loss rate at leaf surface, equivalently, the foliar NO2 deposition velocity toward the leaf surface, ranged from 0–3.6 mm s−1 for bigtooth aspen, and 0–0.76 mm s−1 for red oak, both of which are ~ 90 % of the expected values based on the stomatal conductance of water. The deposition velocity for red maple and white pine ranged from 0.3–1.6 mm s−1 and from 0.01–1.1 mm s−1, respectively, and were lower than predicted from the stomatal conductance, implying a mesophyll resistance to the uptake. Additionally, for white pine, the extrapolated velocity at zero stomatal conductance was 0.4 ± 0.08 mm s−1, indicating a non-stomatal uptake pathway. The NO2 compensation point was ≤ 60 ppt for all four tree species and indistinguishable from zero at the 95 % confidence level. This agrees with recent reports for several European and California tree species but contradicts some earlier experimental results where the compensation points were found to be on the order of 1 ppb or higher. Given that the sampled tree types represent 80–90 % of the total leaf area at this site, these results negate the previously hypothesized important role of a leaf-scale NO2 compensation point. Consequently, to reconcile these findings, further detailed comparisons between the observed and the simulated in- and above-canopy NOx concentrations, and the leaf- and canopy-scale NOx fluxes, using the multi-layer canopy exchange model with consideration of the leaf-scale NOx deposition velocities as well as stomatal conductances reported here, are recommended.

Monoterpene chemical speciation in a tropical rainforest:variation with season, height, and time of dayat the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO)

Speciated monoterpene measurements in rainforest air are scarce, but they are essential for understanding the contribution of these compounds to the overall reactivity of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions towards the main atmospheric oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals (OH), ozone (O3) and nitrate radicals (NO3). In this study, we present the chemical speciation of gas-phase monoterpenes measured in the tropical rainforest at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO, Amazonas, Brazil). Samples of VOCs were collected by two automated sampling systems positioned on a tower at 12 and 24 m height and analysed using gas chromatography–flame ionization detection. The samples were collected in October 2015, representing the dry season, and compared with previous wet and dry season studies at the site. In addition, vertical profile measurements (at 12 and 24 m) of total monoterpene mixing ratios were made using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. The results showed a distinctly different chemical speciation between day and night. For instance, α-pinene was more abundant during the day, whereas limonene was more abundant at night. Reactivity calculations showed that higher abundance does not generally imply higher reactivity. Furthermore, inter- and intra-annual results demonstrate similar chemodiversity during the dry seasons analysed. Simulations with a canopy exchange modelling system show simulated monoterpene mixing ratios that compare relatively well with the observed mixing ratios but also indicate the necessity of more experiments to enhance our understanding of in-canopy sinks of these compounds.

Monoterpene chemical speciation in the Amazon tropical rainforest: variation with season, height, and time of day at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO)

Speciated monoterpene measurements in the Amazon rainforest air are scarce, but important in order to understand their contribution to the overall reactivity of volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions towards the main atmospheric oxidants, such as hydroxyl radical (OH), ozone (O3) and nitrate radical (NO3). In this study, we present the chemical speciation of gas phase monoterpenes measured in the tropical rainforest at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO, Amazonas, Brazil). Samples of VOCs were collected by two automatic sampling systems positioned on a tower at 12 and 24 m height and analysed using Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID). The samples were collected in October 2015, representing the dry season, and compared with previous wet and dry season studies at the site. In addition, vertical profile measurements (at 12 and 24 m) of total monoterpene mixing ratios were made using Proton-Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS). The results showed a distinctly different chemical speciation between day and night. For instance, α-pinene was more abundant during the day, whereas limonene was more abundant at night. Reactivity calculations showed that the most abundant compounds may not be the most atmospheric chemically relevant compounds. Furthermore, inter- and intra-annual results demonstrate similar chemodiversity during the dry seasons analysed. Simulations with a canopy exchange modelling system compare relatively well with the observed temporal variability in speciated monoterpene mixing ratios, but also indicate the necessity of more experiments to enhance our understanding of in-canopy sinks of these monoterpenes.

Boreal forest BVOCs exchange: emissions versus in-canopy sinks

A multi-layer gas dry deposition model has been developed and implemented into a 1-dimensional chemical transport model SOSAA (a model to Simulate the concentrations of Organic vapours, Sulphuric Acid and Aerosols) to calculate the dry deposition velocities for all the gas species included in the chemistry scheme. The new model was used to analyse in-canopy sources and sinks, including gas emissions, chemical production and loss, dry deposition and turbulent transport of 12 featured biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) or groups of BVOCs (e.g., monoterpenes, isoprene+2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO), sesquiterpenes and oxidation products of mono- and sesquiterpenes) in July, 2010 at the boreal forest site SMEAR II (Station to Measure Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations II). According to the significance of modeled monthly averaged individual source and sink terms inside the canopy, the selected BVOCs were classified into five categories: (1) most of emitted gases are transported out of the canopy (monoterpenes, isoprene+MBO), (2) chemical reactions remove a significant portion of emitted gases (sesquiterpenes), (3) bidirectional fluxes occur since both emission and dry deposition are crucial for the in-canopy concentration tendency (acetaldehyde, methanol, acetone, formaldehyde), (4) gases removed by deposition inside the canopy are compensated by the gases transported from above the canopy (acetol, pinic acid, β-caryophyllene's oxidation product BCSOZOH), and finally (5) the chemical production is comparable to the sink by deposition (isoprene's oxidation products ISOP34OOH and ISOP34NO3). Most of the simulated sources and sinks were located above about 4 m for oxidation products and above about 8 m for emitted species except formaldehyde. In addition, soil deposition (including deposition onto understory vegetation) contributed 11–61 % to the overall in-canopy deposition. The emission sources peaked at about 14–16 m which was higher than 10 m where the maximum of dry deposition onto overstorey vegetation was located. This study provided a method to enable the quantification of the exchange between atmosphere and biosphere for numerous BVOCs, which could be applied in large-scale models in future. With this more explicit canopy exchange modeling system this study analysed both the temporal and spatial variations of individual in-caonpy sources and sinks, as well as their combined effects on driving BVOCs exchange. Twelve featured BVOCs or BVOC groups were analyzed in this study, more compounds could also be investigated similarly by being classified into the five categories.

Modelling bidirectional fluxes of methanol and acetaldehyde with the FORCAsT canopy exchange model

The FORCAsT canopy exchange model was used to investigate the underlying mechanisms governing foliage emissions of methanol and acetaldehyde, two short chain oxygenated volatile organic compounds ubiquitous in the troposphere and known to have strong biogenic sources, at a northern mid-latitude forest site. The explicit representation of the vegetation canopy within the model allowed us to test the hypothesis that stomatal conductance regulates emissions of these compounds to an extent that its influence is observable at the ecosystem scale, a process not currently considered in regional- or global-scale atmospheric chemistry models.We found that FORCAsT could only reproduce the magnitude and diurnal profiles of methanol and acetaldehyde fluxes measured at the top of the forest canopy at Harvard Forest if light-dependent emissions were introduced to the model. With the inclusion of such emissions, FORCAsT was able to successfully simulate the observed bidirectional exchange of methanol and acetaldehyde. Although we found evidence that stomatal conductance influences methanol fluxes and concentrations at scales beyond the leaf level, particularly at dawn and dusk, we were able to adequately capture ecosystem exchange without the addition of stomatal control to the standard parameterisations of foliage emissions, suggesting that ecosystem fluxes can be well enough represented by the emissions models currently used.

Modelling bi-directional fluxes of methanol and acetaldehyde with the FORCAsT canopy exchange model

The FORCAsT canopy exchange model was used to investigate the underlying mechanisms governing foliage emissions of methanol and acetaldehyde, two short chain oxygenated volatile organic compounds ubiquitous in the troposphere and known to have strong biogenic sources, at a northern mid-latitude forest site. The explicit representation of the vegetation canopy within the model allowed us to test the hypothesis that stomatal conductance regulates emissions of these compounds to an extent that its influence is observable at the ecosystem-scale, a process not currently considered in regional or global scale atmospheric chemistry models. We found that FORCAsT could only reproduce the magnitude and diurnal profiles of methanol and acetaldehyde fluxes measured at the top of the forest canopy at Harvard Forest if light-dependent emissions were introduced to the model. With the inclusion of such emissions FORCAsT was able to successfully simulate the observed bi-directional exchange of methanol and acetaldehyde. Although we found evidence that stomatal conductance influences methanol fluxes and concentrations at scales beyond the leaf-level, particularly at dawn and dusk, we were able to adequately capture ecosystem exchange without the addition of stomatal control to the standard parameterisations of foliage emissions, suggesting that ecosystem fluxes can be well enough represented by the emissions models currently used.