Validating MODIS-derived land surface evapotranspiration with in situ measurements at two AmeriFlux sites in a semiarid region

Reducing uncertainties in the estimation of land surface evapotranspiration (ET) from remote-sensing data is essential to better understand earth-atmosphere interactions. This paper demonstrates the applicability of temperature-vegetation index triangle (T-s-VI) method in estimating regional ET and evaporative fraction (EF, defined as the ratio of latent heat flux to surface available energy) from MODIS/Terra and MODIS/Aqua products in a semiarid region. We have compared the satellite-based estimates of ET and EF with eddy covariance measurements made over 4 years at two semiarid grassland sites: Audubon Ranch (AR) and Kendall Grassland (KG). The lack of closure in the eddy covariance measured surface energy components is shown to be more serious at MODIS/Aqua overpass time than that at MODIS/Terra overpass time for both AR and KG sites. The T-s-VI-derived EF could reproduce in situ EF reasonably well with BIAS and root-mean-square difference (RMSD) of less than 0.07 and 0.13, respectively. Surface net radiation has been shown to be systematically overestimated by as large as about 60 W/m(2). Satisfactory validation results of the T-s-VI-derived sensible and latent heat fluxes have been obtained with RMSD within 54 W/m(2). The simplicity and yet easy use of the T-s-VI triangle method show a great potential in estimating regional ET with highly acceptable accuracy that is of critical significance in better understanding water and energy budgets on the Earth. Nevertheless, more validation work should be carried out over various climatic regions and under other different land use/land cover conditions in the future.

高寒草甸生态系统陆地生物圈模式研究及应用

改进了适合于高寒草甸生态系统的陆地生态圈模式，分析了模式中温度变化与水分运动分层的物理原因，说明了气候状况对地表面能量交换的影响，给出了净辐射和蒸散量新的计算方法，提出了有很差分计算中具有二阶精度的Euler隐式格式，介绍了中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态站的气候概况和野外观测情况。最后利用本模式对高寒草甸生态站地区的土壤-植被-大气间水热交换过程进行了数值模拟，模拟值与实测值吻合较好。

内蒙古草原温度梯度上3个典型群落的能量平衡研究

通量测量点的能量收支总是表现出不平衡，即使在地势平坦、植被分布均一、稀疏植被下垫面的情况下也有约30%的能量失衡状况。能量平衡闭合 (EBC) 问题在验证涡度相关系统质量方面，得到了广泛的关注。实验在内蒙古草原3个地点，通过涡度相关系统附近移动能量平衡系统的测定手段，采用能量平衡余项法和最小二乘 (OLS) 线性回归法，研究了土壤热通量、净辐射及可供能量空间变异对能量平衡闭合的影响。 结果显示，EBC 在三个研究点的平均余项为8~19 W m-2，OLS 斜率为0.83~0.96。EBC 在土壤湿润情况的站点要高于干旱站点。 土壤热通量的空间变异三站点平均为白天48 W m-2 (占同时间 Rn 的13%)，夜间15 W m-2 (34%)，平均29 W m-2 (24%)。通过8个工作站的测量，这个变异会造成9% (从0.93到1.01) 的 OLS 斜率差别。夜间的能量平衡不闭合可以由土壤热通量的空间变异解释。如果在本研究的的三个草原站点上忽略了土壤热通量，则会造成较大的余项 (峰值时110 W m-2) 产生，从而使 OLS 斜率增大23%。特别是通量板埋置在地面以下30 mm处时，上层的土壤热储部分占到全部土壤热通量的50%，这不仅影响到 EBC 的大小，更起到调节土壤热通量与“真实的波形” 相一致的作用。如果该部分热储被忽略掉，EBC 余项会增加60 W m-2，OLS 斜率也会变化 (减少) 9%。用大尺度多点测量与涡度塔附近的小尺度测定相比较，后者表现出稍高的闭合率，即 OLS 斜率增加4%。 相对于土壤热通量，净辐射的空间变异较小，三站点平均为白天17 W m-2 (5%)，夜间7 W m-2 (13%)，平均 12 W m-2 (5%)。可以引起3% (从0.88到0.91) 的 OLS 斜率差异。研究结果还表明，风速校正应该在 Q7.1 净辐射仪中应用，校正后的结果与 CNR1 的结果在白天有吻合较好，但在其它时段仍有较大差异，特别是在夜间，风速校正基本不起作用，使得两种仪器间差异达20 W m-2。比较表明，风速校正可以提高白天 Rn 的6%，仅降低夜间0.3%。因此，无论是用余项法还是用 OLS 线性回归法，在比较使用不同仪器的站点间的闭合状况时 (本研究的结果适用于草地 Q7.1 与 CNR1 间的比较)，可以用9：00-15：00 h 时段的数据进行比较，这样可以避免因使用不同仪器的差异所造成的影响。用该时段的数据进行比较，仪器间的差异余项法小于6 W m-2，OLS 法小于3%。 受可供能量空间变异影响，三个站点平均 EBC 的不确定性为白天66 W m-2 (19%)，夜间23 W m-2 (50%)，平均42 W m-2 (36%);或者改变 OLS 斜率11%。用最大值和最小值来衡量，EBC 最大不确定性，正午时在站点 I、II 和 III 中分别为81，114和91 W m-2。故在探讨能量平衡和能量平衡闭合问题时，必须充分考虑到这种不确定性，否则会产生偏差，或者得出错误结论。 研究还表明，即使考虑到白天所有可供能量的最大不确定性，仍然不能使能量平衡闭合。中午 (12：00 h)，站点 I，II 和 III 仍然有14±15，48±12和47±14 W m-2 的失衡不能够归因于可供能量的空间不确定性。因此，其它影响因素也需进行细致的探讨。 在两站点不同测量深度土壤热通量结果的差异性比较实验中，无论在站点 I 还是 III，均表现出一致的结论，即随通量板布置深度加深，其测量结果会越高，与浅层布置的相比，差别可高达150 W m-2。深层土壤热通量的计算仍是个难题，需进一步研究。 在不同植被结构对净辐射测定影响的实验中发现，随刈割强度增加，一天中大部分时间净辐射均减少。正午依次为413，395和388 W m-2。无论正午还是全天合计，重度刈割地点的净辐射均比不刈割对照处理少6%，而且，在整个生长季也少6%，约合40,000 W m-2。测量高度不同，不同处理间对测定结果影响不同：刈割处理中，由于下垫面较均一，结果相差不显著;而对照则表现出较高的差异，用两配对样本T检验表明差异达到极显著 (P<0.000，9:30-15:00 h data)。当使用不同新旧程度的 domes 时，对净辐射结果会产生明显的影响。新 domes 的测量结果白天明显高，晚上明显低，使用了11个月的旧 domes，峰值时，白天低估25 W m-2，晚上高估10 W m-2。说明该差异在进行能量平衡闭合计算时，不能忽略。而全用新的和全用旧的进行比较，晚上仅有2-3 W m-2差异。 考虑生态系统中非生物因子对干扰条件下生物多样性动态和功能的影响，有助于更精确地阐明生物多样性-稳定性功能的关系。为此，设计了一个单因子刈割实验——内蒙古地区一种广泛存在的土地利用方式。主要目的是研究不同强度刈割影响下，微气候变量特别是能量平衡各分量和群落结构的变化及二者的关系。连续4年刈割，占第一位的优势种明显由低矮半灌木冷蒿 (Artemisia frigida) 取代了高大丛生禾草克氏针茅 (Stipa kylovii)。重度刈割下，针茅的盖度、生物量和丛重，群落叶面积、绿色生物量、凋落物量和群落高度一致低于轻度刈割/不刈割处理。微气候由于群落特征的这些变化也呈规律性变化。与对照相比，重度刈割降低了生长季土壤含水量的47.5%，但中午和日均土壤表面温度分别增加了7.4和1.2 °C，并且增加地表下2 cm土壤温度日较差 (日最高与最低温度之差) 4.2 °C。刈割处理由于凋落物少、反射强而表现出较低的净辐射，但土壤热通量显著提高，表现为土层加热和冷却快。因此，重度刈割处理较对照降低了可供能量8%，约合52,000 W m-2 。不同刈割强度间来看，NPP 或 LAI 与土壤热通量和净辐射的比值 (G/Rn) 以及波文比 (H/LE) 间呈负相关。重度刈割处理感热通量显著提高，但潜热通量在处理间差异不显著，表明未刈割处理虽然冠层伸展大，但是并没有导致更大的水分亏缺。未刈割处理增加了抵抗物种改变的能力，而刈割处理在连续一年一割的第四年显著增加了物种数，可能与因刈割影响而导致的群落结构与微气候的改变有关。本研究表明，未刈割处理可以减轻高温干旱季节的高温和干旱胁迫，表现出对环境变化的高抵抗性。未刈割处理的凋落物层和较高的垂直结构所形成的遮荫，可以形成一个阻挡蒸发的篱笆，这是维持其水分的保证。因此，为了恢复退化草原生态系统功能，需要修复能导致微气候变化的植物群落结构，否则难以成功。 本研究立足于原创性的实验研究，在中国特有的自然草原生态系统上开展，结合不同温度梯度的三地区涡度相关系统进行了能量平衡闭合的移动比较实验，以及结合常用土地利用方式的定点能量平衡实验。在翔实的数据基础上，为涡度相关方法的陆地表面能量平衡失衡问题提供了解释。增加了对两个主要能量流——土壤热通量和净辐射空间变异规律的认识，研究对于能量平衡和湍流通量相关研究是有价值的。在三个代表性地区首次利用多个净辐射仪和土壤热通量板的结果与三个标准的涡度相关系统进行了比较，这类量化失衡原因的相关研究应受到高度重视并进一步拓展，以提高对能量失衡的认识，进而推进水热和碳循环研究向更深层次发展。

Surface energy partitioning in alpine swamp meadow in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau

Based on surface energy flux data measured by eddy covariance methods from China Flux in alpine swamp meadow of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau in 2005, the daily and seasonal dynamic of surface energy fluxes and their partitioning, as well as abiotic factors effects were analyzed. The results suggested that LE （Latent heat flux） was the largest consumer of the incoming energy. Rn （Net radiation flux） and LE showed clear seasonal variations in sharp hump and up to their maximums in August and July, respectively. H （Sensible heat flux） increased to its peak in August whereafter declined slowly. Precipitation could reduce the components of surface energy. As to Rn and LE, their correlations with abiotic factors were evident while it was not significant in H. Average EBR （Energy balance ratio） was 50.7 %, which was much larger in growing season than non-growing season.

CO2H2O and energy exchange of an Inner Mongolia steppe ecosystem during a dry and wet year

We used an eddy covariance technique to measure evapotranspiration and carbon flux over two very different growing seasons for a typical steppe on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. The rainfall during the 2004 growing season (344.7 mm) was close to the annual average (350.43 mm). In contrast, precipitation during the 2005 growing season was significantly lower than average (only 126 mm). The wet 2004 growing season had a higher peak evapotranspiration (4 mm day(-1)) than did the dry 2005 growing season (3.3 mm day(-1)). In 2004, latent heat flux was mainly a consumption resource for net radiation, accounting for similar to 46% of net radiation. However, sensible heat flux dominated the energy budget over the whole growing season in 2005, accounting for 60% of net radiation. The evaporative rate (LE/R-n) dropped by a factor of four from the non-soil stress to soil water limiting conditions. Maximum half-hourly CO2 uptake was -0.68 mg m(-2) s(-1) and maximum ecosystem exchange was 4.3 g CO2 m(-2) day(-1) in 2004. The 2005 drought growing stage had a maximum CO2 exchange value of only -0.22 mg m(-2) s(-1) and a continuous positive integrated-daily CO2 flux over the entire growing season, i.e. the ecosystem became a net carbon source. Soil respiration was temperature dependent when the soil was under non-limiting soil moisture conditions, but this response declined with soil water stress. Water availability and a high vapor pressure deficit severely limited carbon fixing of this ecosystem; thus, during the growing season, the capacity to fix CO2 was closely related to both timing and frequency of rainfall events. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Seasonal and interannual variation in water vapor and energy exchange over a typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, China

In this study, we conducted eddy covariance (EC) measurements of water vapor exchange over a typical steppe in a semi-arid area of the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. Measurement sites were located within a 25-year-old enclosure with a relatively low leaf area index (similar to 1. 5 m(2) m(-2)) and dominated by Leymus chinensis. Energy balance closure was (H + LE) = 17.09 + 0.69 x (Rn - G) (W/m(2); r(2) = 0.95, n = 6596). Precipitation during the two growing seasons of the study period was similar to the long-term average. The peak evapotranspiration in 2004 was 4 mm d(-1), and 3.5 mm d(-1) in 2003. The maximum latent heat flux was higher than the sensible heat flux, and the sensible heat flux dominated the energy budget at midday during the entire growing season in 2003; latent heat flux was the main consumption component for net radiation during the 2004 growing season. During periods of frozen soil in 2003 and 2004, the sensible heat flux was the primary consumption component for net radiation. The soil heat flux component was similar in 2003 and 2004. The decoupling coefficient (between 0.5 and 0.1) indicates that evapotranspiration was strongly controlled by saturation water vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in this grassland. The results of this research suggest that energy exchange and evapotranspiration were controlled by the phenology of the vegetation and soil water content. In addition, the amount and frequency of rainfall significantly affect energy exchange and evapotranspiration upon the Inner Mongolia plateau. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Energy exchange between the atmosphere and a meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

To reveal the potential contribution of grassland ecosystems to climate change, we examined the energy exchange over an alpine Kobresia meadow on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The annual pattern of energy exchange showed a clear distinction between periods of frozen soil with the daily mean soil temperature at 5 cm (T-s5 &LE; 0 &DEG; C) and non-frozen soil (T-s5 > 0 &DEG; C). More than 80% of net radiation was converted to sensible heat (H) during the frozen soil period, but H varied considerably with the change in vegetation during the non-frozen soil period. Three different sub-periods were further distinguished for the later period: (1) the pre-growth period with Bowen ratio (β) > 1 was characterized by a high β of 3.0 in average and the rapid increase of net radiation associated with the increases of H, latent heat (LE) and soil heat; (2) during the Growth period when β &LE; 1, the LE was high but H fluxes was low with β changing between 0.3 and 0.4; (3) the post-growth period with average β of 3.6 when H increased again and reached a second maximum around early October. The seasonal pattern suggests that the phenology of the vegetation and the soil water content were the major factors affecting the energy partitioning in the alpine meadow ecosystem. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ESTIMATION OF THE RADIATION-INDUCED DAMAGE IN PTFE BY DEPRESSION OF THE MELTING AND CRYSTALLIZATION TEMPERATURES

The radiation induced depression of the melting and crystallization temperatures of PTFE irradiated at various temperatures followed by heat treatment at 380-degrees-C, and their relationship to structural changes, were investigated. The G(-units) values obtained in this work are different from those of samples which have not undergone heat treatment and seem to be more closely associated with radiation induced branched structures.

Effects of solar UV radiation on diurnal photosynthetic performance and growth of Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)

Previous studies on diurnal photosynthesis of macroalgal species have shown that at similar levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700nm) the photosynthetic rate is lower in the afternoon than in the morning. However, the impacts of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280-400nm) have been little considered. We investigated the diurnal photosynthetic behaviour of the economically significant red alga Gracilaria lemaneiformis in the absence or presence of UV-A+B or UV-B with a flow-through system. While UV-A and UV-B, respectively, inhibited noontime Pmax by 22% and 14% on the sunny days, UV-A during sunrise (PAR below about 50Wm-2) increased the net photosynthesis by about 8% when compared with PAR alone. UV-A + PAR also resulted in higher apparent photosynthetic efficiency in the morning than in the afternoon period than PAR alone. Nevertheless, integrated daytime photosynthetic production under solar PAR alone was higher than with either PAR + UV-A+B or PAR + UV-A. Relative growth rate in the long term (9 days) matched the integrated photosynthetic production in that UV-A led to 9-15% and UV-B to 19-22% reduction, respectively. UV-absorbing compounds were found to be higher in the thalli exposed to PAR+UV-A+B than under PAR alone, reflecting a protective response to UVR.

Depression of net ecosystem CO2 exchange in semi-arid Leymus chinensis steppe and alpine shrub

Uptake and release of carbon in grassland ecosystems is very critical to the global carbon balance and carbon storage. In this study, the dynamics of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (FNEE) of two grassland ecosystems were observed continuously using the eddy covariance technique during the growing season of 2003. One is the alpine shrub on the Tibet Plateau, and the other is the sem-arid Leymus chinensis steppe in Inner Mongolia of China. It was found that the FNEE of both ecosystems was significantly depressed under high solar radiation. Comprehensive analysis indicates that the depression of FNEE in the L. chinensis steppe was the results of decreased plant photosynthesis and increased ecosystem respiration (R-eco) under high temperature. Soil water stress in addition to the high atmospheric demand under the strong radiation was the primary factor limiting the stomatal conductance. In contrast, the depression of FNEE in the alpine shrub was closely related to the effects of temperature on both photosynthesis and ecosystem respiration, coupled with the reduction of plant photosynthesis due to partial stomatal closure under high temperature at mid-day. The R,c of the alpine shrub was sensitive to soil temperature during high turbulence (u* > 0.2 m s(-1)) but its FNEE decreased markedly when the temperature was higher than the optimal value of about 12 degrees C. Such low optimal temperature contrasted the optimal value (about 20 degrees C) for the steppe, and was likely due to the acclimation of most alpine plants to the long-term low temperature on the Tibet Plateau. We inferred that water stress was the primary factor causing depression of the FNEE in the semi-arid steppe ecosystem, while relative high temperature under strong solar radiation was the main reason for the decrease of FNEE in the alpine shrub. This study implies that different grassland ecosystems may respond differently to climate change in the future. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.