Arctic ecosystem responses to changes in water availability and warming: Short and long-term responses

Arctic soils store close to 14% of the global soil carbon. Most of arctic carbon is stored below ground in the permafrost. With climate warming the decomposition of the soil carbon could represent a significant positive feedback to global greenhouse warming. Recent evidence has shown that the temperature of the Arctic is already increasing, and this change is associated mostly with anthropogenic activities. Warmer soils will contribute to permafrost degradation and accelerate organic matter decay and thus increase the flux of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Temperature and water availability are also important drivers of ecosystem performance, but effects can be complex and in opposition. Temperature and moisture changes can affect ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross primary productivity (GPP) independently; an increase in the net ecosystem exchange can be a result of either a decrease in ER or an increase in GPP. Therefore, understanding the effects of changes in ecosystem water and temperature on the carbon flux components becomes key to predicting the responses of the Arctic to climate change. The overall goal of this work was to determine the response of arctic systems to simulated climate change scenarios with simultaneous changes in temperature and moisture. A temperature and hydrological manipulation in a naturally-drained lakebed was used to assess the short-term effect of changes in water and temperature on the carbon cycle. Also, as part of International Tundra Experiment Network (ITEX), I determined the long-term effect of warming on the carbon cycle in a natural hydrological gradient established in the mid 90's. I found that the carbon balance is highly sensitive to short-term changes in water table and warming. However, over longer time periods, hydrological and temperature changed soil biophysical properties, nutrient cycles, and other ecosystem structural and functional components that down regulated GPP and ER, especially in wet areas.

Seasonal differences in the CO2 exchange of a short-hydroperiod Florida Everglades marsh

Although wetlands are among the world's most productive ecosystems, little is known of long-term CO2 exchange in tropical and subtropical wetlands. The Everglades is a highly managed wetlands complex occupying >6000 km2 in south Florida. This ecosystem is oligotrophic, but extremely high rates of productivity have been previously reported. To evaluate CO2 exchange and its response to seasonality (dry vs. wet season) in the Everglades, an eddy covariance tower was established in a short-hydroperiod marl marsh. Rates of net ecosystem exchange and ecosystem respiration were small year-round and declined in the wet season relative to the dry season. Inundation reduced macrophyte CO2 uptake, substantially limiting gross ecosystem production. While light and air temperature exerted the primary controls on net ecosystem exchange and ecosystem respiration in the dry season, inundation weakened these relationships. The ecosystem shifted from a CO2 sink in the dry season to a CO2 source in the wet season; however, the marsh was a small carbon sink on an annual basis. Net ecosystem production, ecosystem respiration, and gross ecosystem production were −49.9, 446.1 and 496.0 g C m−2 year−1, respectively. Unexpectedly low CO2 flux rates and annual production distinguish the Everglades from many other wetlands. Nonetheless, impending changes in water management are likely to alter the CO2 balance of this wetland and may increase the source strength of these extensive short-hydroperiod wetlands.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and net ecosystem calcification and production in a coral community Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, 2011

Net ecosystem calcification rates (NEC) and net photosynthesis (NP) were determined from CO2 seawater parameters on the barrier coral reef of Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Autosamplers were deployed to collect samples on the barrier reef every 2 hours for six 48-hour deployments, two each in June 2008, August 2009, and January/February 2010. NEC on the Kaneohe Bay barrier reef increased throughout the day and decreased at night. Net calcification continued at low rates at night except for six time periods when net dissolution was measured. The barrier reef was generally net photosynthetic (positive NP) during the day and net respiring (negative NP) at night. NP controlled the diel cycles of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and aragonite saturation state resulting in high daytime aragonite saturation state levels when calcification rates were at their peak. However, the NEC and NP diel cycles can become decoupled for short periods of time (several hours) without affecting calcification rates. On a net daily basis, net ecosystem production (NEP) of the barrier reef was found to be sometimes net photosynthetic and sometimes net respiring and ranged from -378 to 80 mmol m-2 d-1 when calculated using simple box models. Daily NEC of the barrier reef was positive (net calcification) for all deployments and ranged from 174 to 331 mmol CaCO3 m-2 d-1. Daily NEC was strongly negatively correlated with average daily pCO2 (R2 = 0.76) which ranged from 431 to 622 µatm. Daily NEC of the Kaneohe Bay barrier reef is similar to or higher than daily NEC measured on other coral reefs even though aragonite saturation state levels (mean aragonite saturation state = 2.85) are some of the lowest measured in coral reef ecosystems. It appears that while calcification rate and ?arag are correlated within a single coral reef ecosystem, this relationship does not necessarily hold between different coral reef systems. It can be expected that ocean acidification will not affect coral reefs uniformly and that some may be more sensitive to increasing pCO2 levels than others.

内蒙古羊草草原碳通量观测及其驱动机制分析

植被与大气间CO2通量的长期观测能够使人们加深对陆地生态系统在全球碳循环中科学地位的理解。在生态系统水平上，涡度相关技术是评价植被/大气间净生态系统CO2交换量的主要手段。本研究以内蒙古羊草草原通量站为试验平台，以涡度相关技术为主要技术手段，以内蒙古草原生态系统定位研究站羊草草原围封样地2003～2005年开路涡度相关系统观测的CO2通量数据为基础，深入探讨了内蒙古羊草草原生态系统CO2通量不同时间尺度上的变化特征及其驱动机制。 在建立生态系统尺度CO2通量观测基本方法论的前提下，集中探讨了不同时间尺度内蒙古羊草草原生态系统净生态系统碳交换、呼吸作用以及碳吸收的季节变异特征及其控制机制，初步建立了内蒙古羊草草原净生态系统CO2交换量估算的基本方法，可为生态系统过程模拟与模型预测提供科学依据和技术支撑。主要结果包括以下几个方面： 1. 功率谱和协谱分析表明，开路涡度相关系统对高频湍流信号的响应能力可以满足内蒙古草原生态系统实际观测要求。与闭路涡度相关系统和常规气象系统对比分析表明，开路涡度相关系统在CO2通量长期观测中仪器性能稳定，可以满足CO2通量长期观测的客观需要。坐标旋转校正是复杂地形条件下CO2通量测定理想的倾斜校正途径。能量平衡闭合的测试仅可以作为数据质量评价的参考标准之一，而不能作为CO2通量数据质量评价的绝对标准并用于数据校正。 2. 按照CO2通量吸收的高峰特征划分，正常降水年，内蒙古羊草草原CO2通量同时具有一个吸收高峰和两个吸收高峰的特征。而极端干旱年蒙古羊草草原的CO2通量具有两个吸收高峰的特征。在严重干旱胁迫条件下，2005年内蒙古羊草草原生态系统净生态系统交换出现显著下降的趋势。净生态系统交换下降主要是降雨量减少的影响。 3. 通过分析不同时间尺度上CO2通量和环境因子的关系，发现小时尺度上，内蒙古羊草草原生态系统的净生态系统交换主要由光合有效辐射控制，而饱和水汽压差和土壤含水量是影响生态系统光合作用的另外两个关键因素。在更大的时间尺度上降雨量和物候相的变化是调节生态系统碳通量大小的主要因素。最大的生物量和LAI出现的时间和最大的NEE出现的时间相吻合，但是降雨量的变化可以改变这种关系。 4. 在内蒙古羊草草原区>3mm的降雨被认为是对生态系统有效的。土壤含水量(0~20cm)在一次有效降雨事件发生后，约1~2天后才会发生响应， 2003年和2004年，NEE在 >3mm的降雨事件发生后，NEE开始增加，4~6天后达到高峰。随着降雨的结束，NEE在达到高峰后开始降低，10天后达到初始值的60~70%。 5. 在生态系统水平上，温度和土壤水分条件的季节动态是控制生态系统呼吸季节变化模式的重要环境要素，在干旱胁迫的条件下，水分条件也可能成为生态系统呼吸的主导因素，生态系统呼吸在干旱条件降低。

暖温带典型森林生态系统未来碳平衡的LPJ-GUESS模型模拟与分析

森林作为陆地生态系统的主体，在全球陆地碳循环中起着决定性作用。实测和模型研究均表明北半球的森林是重要的大气CO2汇，在缓解全球碳收支失衡中发挥着关键作用。过去几十年北半球所经历的显著气候变化，已经很大地改变了陆地生态系统的碳平衡状况。随着未来100年气候变化继续增大，对未来气候变化下森林生态系统碳平衡的预测研究就尤为重要。 北京山区森林属于典型的暖温带森林生态系统，前人对本区森林的植被特征、生态系统结构和功能、养分循环以及长期动态变化等都进行了深入的研究。然而长期的人类活动已使本区原生的地带性植被破坏殆尽。因此，对该区域森林生态系统碳平衡的模拟研究可以帮助我们认识其生态系统碳平衡变化特点及未来气候变化对其潜在的影响。 本研究采用LPJ-GUESS植被动态机理模型，利用IPCC于2000年发布的《排放情景特别报告》(SRES)的A2和B2两种情景下不同气候模式对华北地区未来100年温度和降水预测的平均值以及相应大气CO2浓度变化情景进行驱动，模拟北京山区未来100年暖温带森林生态系统的净初级生产力和碳平衡，尽可能真实地反映未来百年的变化趋势。通过比较当前和未来气候情景下北京山区以辽东栎（Quercus liaotungensis）为优势种的落叶阔叶林、以白桦（Betula platyphylla）为主的落叶阔叶林和油松（Pinus tabulaeformis）为主的针阔混交林三种典型暖温带森林生态系统的碳平衡差异，了解未来北京山区这三种暖温带森林生态系统的碳源汇功能，认识气候变化和大气CO2浓度升高对净初级生产力（Net primary productivity, NPP）、净生态系统碳交换（Net ecosystem exchange, NEE）、土壤异养呼吸（Heterotrophic respiration, Rh）和碳储量（Carbon biomass, C biomass）的影响，以及不同生态系统碳平衡对气候变化响应的异质性。 结果表明，未来100年两种气候情景下三种森林生态系统的NPP和Rh均增加，并且A2情景下增加的程度更大。由于三种生态系统树种组成的不同，未来气候情景下各自NPP和Rh增加的比例不同，导致三者NEE的变化也相异：100年后辽东栎林由碳汇转变为弱碳源，白桦林仍保持为碳汇但功能减弱，油松林成为一个更大的碳汇。三种森林生态系统的碳生物量在未来气候情景下均增大，21世纪末与20世纪末相比：辽东栎林在A2情景下碳生物量增加的比例为27.6%，大于B2情景下的19.3%；白桦林和油松林在B2情景下碳生物量增加的比例分别为34.2%和52.2%，大于A2情景下的30.8%和28.4%。各森林类型碳平衡状况不同，原因除气候因素外，主要是由于树种组成的差异所导致。SRES A2和B2两种气候情景相比，相对较低的排放情景（B2）下，生态系统有更高的碳储量。

太阳辐射对长白山阔叶红松林净生态系统碳交换的影响

太阳辐射是植物进行光合作用的前提条件,因此成为影响植被吸收大气CO2的重要环境因子。该研究基于30min通量和常规气象数据,以相对辐射和晴空指数为指标,分析了2003～2006年生长旺季(6～8月)太阳辐射的改变对长白山阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林净生态系统碳交换(Net ecosystem exchange,NEE)的影响。结果表明:天空有一定云层的覆盖对阔叶红松林碳的净吸收有明显的促进作用。4年里6～8月间生态系统最大光合速率在天空有云覆盖时较晴空条件下分别提高了34%、25%、4%和11%。在晴空指数约为0.5的中等辐射条件下,该生态系统的NEE达到最大。对生态系统碳的净吸收有促进作用的临界相对辐射约为37%,而使该生态系统NEE达到最大的最适相对辐射约为75%。进一步分析表明,天空云量的增多和云层厚度的增加会引起散射辐射比例的增加、大气温度和水汽亏缺程度的降低等环境效应,由此可能会导致冠层光合作用的增加和地上部分呼吸的减弱,从而共同决定了净生态系统碳吸收作用的增强。

Modeling gross primary production of alpine ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau using MODIS images and climate data

The eddy covariance technique provides measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) Of CO2 between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems, which is widely used to estimate ecosystem respiration and gross primary production (GPP) at a number Of CO2 eddy flux tower sites. In this paper, canopy-level maximum light use efficiency, a key parameter in the satellite-based Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM), was estimated by using the observed CO2 flux data and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) data from eddy flux tower sites in an alpine swamp ecosystem, an alpine shrub ecosystem and an alpine meadow ecosystem in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. The VPM model uses two improved vegetation indices (Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Land Surface Water Index (LSWI)) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectral radiometer (MODIS) data and climate data at the flux tower sites, and estimated the seasonal dynamics of GPP of the three alpine grassland ecosystems in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The seasonal dynamics of GPP predicted by the VPM model agreed well with estimated GPP from eddy flux towers. These results demonstrated the potential of the satellite-driven VPM model for scaling-up GPP of alpine grassland ecosystems, a key component for the study of the carbon cycle at regional and global scales. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulated and observed fluxes of sensible and latent heat and CO2 at the WLEF-TV tower using SiB2.5

Three years of meteorological data collected at the WLEF-TV tower were used to drive a revised version of the Simple Biosphere (SiB 2.5) Model. Physiological properties and vegetation phenology were specified from satellite imagery. Simulated fluxes of heat, moisture, and carbon were compared to eddy covariance measurements taken onsite as a means of evaluating model performance on diurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual time scales. The model was very successful in simulating variations of latent heat flux when compared to observations, slightly less so in the simulation of sensible heat flux. The model overestimated peak values of sensible heat flux on both monthly and diurnal scales. There was evidence that the differences between observed and simulated fluxes might be linked to wetlands near the WLEF tower, which were not present in the SiB simulation. The model overestimated the magnitude of the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 in both summer and winter. Mid-day maximum assimilation was well represented by the model, but late afternoon simulations showed excessive carbon uptake due to misrepresentation of within-canopy shading in the model. Interannual variability was not well simulated because only a single year of satellite imagery was used to parameterize the model.

An assessment of observed vertical flux divergence in long-term eddy-covariance measurements over two Midwestern forest ecosystems

Vertical divergence of CO2 fluxes is observed over two Midwestern AmeriFlux forest sites. The differences in ensemble averaged hourly CO2 fluxes measured at two heights above canopy are relatively small (0.2–0.5 μmol m−2 s−1), but they are the major contributors to differences (76–256 g C m−2 or 41.8–50.6%) in estimated annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in 2001. A friction velocity criterion is used in these estimates but mean flow advection is not accounted for. This study examines the effects of coordinate rotation, averaging time period, sampling frequency and co-spectral correction on CO2 fluxes measured at a single height, and on vertical flux differences measured between two heights. Both the offset in measured vertical velocity and the downflow/upflow caused by supporting tower structures in upwind directions lead to systematic over- or under-estimates of fluxes measured at a single height. An offset of 1 cm s−1 and an upflow/downflow of 1° lead to 1% and 5.6% differences in momentum fluxes and nighttime sensible heat and CO2 fluxes, respectively, but only 0.5% and 2.8% differences in daytime sensible heat and CO2 fluxes. The sign and magnitude of both offset and upflow/downflow angle vary between sonic anemometers at two measurement heights. This introduces a systematic and large bias in vertical flux differences if these effects are not corrected in the coordinate rotation. A 1 h averaging time period is shown to be appropriate for the two sites. In the daytime, the absolute magnitudes of co-spectra decrease with height in the natural frequencies of 0.02–0.1 Hz but increase in the lower frequencies (<0.01 Hz). Thus, air motions in these two frequency ranges counteract each other in determining vertical flux differences, whose magnitude and sign vary with averaging time period. At night, co-spectral densities of CO2 are more positive at the higher levels of both sites in the frequency range of 0.03–0.4 Hz and this vertical increase is also shown at most frequencies lower than 0.03 Hz. Differences in co-spectral corrections at the two heights lead to a positive shift in vertical CO2 flux differences throughout the day at both sites. At night, the vertical CO2 flux differences between two measurement heights are 20–30% and 40–60% of co-spectral corrected CO2 fluxes measured at the lower levels of the two sites, respectively. Vertical differences of CO2 flux are relatively small in the daytime. Vertical differences in estimated mean vertical advection of CO2 between the two measurement heights generally do not improve the closure of the 1D (vertical) CO2 budget in the air layer between the two measurement heights. This may imply the significance of horizontal advection. However, a reliable assessment of mean advection contributions in annual NEE estimate at these two AmeriFlux sites is currently an unsolved problem.

Fluxes of CO(2) above a plantation of Eucalyptus in southeast Brazil

Eddy-covariance measurements of net ecosystem exchange of CO(2) (NEE) and estimates of gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and ecosystem respiration (R(E)) were obtained in a 2-4 year old Eucalyptus plantation during two years with very different winter rainfall In the first (drier) year the annual NEE GEP and RE were lower than the sums in the second (normal) year and conversely the total respiratory costs of assimilated carbon were higher in the dry year than in the normal year Although the net primary production (NPP) in the first year was 23% lower than that of the second year the decrease in the carbon use efficiency (CUE = NPP/GEP) was 11% and autotrophic respiration utilized more resources in the first dry year than in the second normal year The time variations in NEE were followed by NPP because in these young Eucalyptus plantations NEE is very largely dominated by NPP and heterotrophic respiration plays only a relatively minor role During the dry season a pronounced hysteresis was observed in the relationship between NEE and photosynthetically active radiation and NEE fluxes were inversely proportional to humidity saturation deficit values greater than 0 8 kPa Nighttime fluxes of CO(2) during calm conditions when the friction velocity (u) was below the threshold (0 25 ms(-1)) were estimated based on a Q(10) temperature-dependence relationship adjusted separately for different classes of soil moisture content which regulated the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

Seasonal drought stress in the Amazon: Reconciling models and observations

The Amazon Basin is crucial to global circulatory and carbon patterns due to the large areal extent and large flux magnitude. Biogeophysical models have had difficulty reproducing the annual cycle of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon in some regions of the Amazon, generally simulating uptake during the wet season and efflux during seasonal drought. In reality, the opposite occurs. Observational and modeling studies have identified several mechanisms that explain the observed annual cycle, including: (1) deep soil columns that can store large water amount, (2) the ability of deep roots to access moisture at depth when near-surface soil dries during annual drought, (3) movement of water in the soil via hydraulic redistribution, allowing for more efficient uptake of water during the wet season, and moistening of near-surface soil during the annual drought, and (4) photosynthetic response to elevated light levels as cloudiness decreases during the dry season. We incorporate these mechanisms into the third version of the Simple Biosphere model (SiB3) both singly and collectively, and confront the results with observations. For the forest to maintain function through seasonal drought, there must be sufficient water storage in the soil to sustain transpiration through the dry season in addition to the ability of the roots to access the stored water. We find that individually, none of these mechanisms by themselves produces a simulation of the annual cycle of NEE that matches the observed. When these mechanisms are combined into the model, NEE follows the general trend of the observations, showing efflux during the wet season and uptake during seasonal drought.

Fluxes of CO2 above a sugarcane plantation in Brazil

Fluxes of CO2 were measured above a sugarcane plantation using the eddy-covariance method covering two growth cycles, representing the second and third re-growth (ratoons) harvested with stubble burning. The total net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in the first cycle (second ratoon, 393 days long) was −1964 ± 44 g C m−2; the gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) was 3612 ± 46 g C m−2 and the ecosystem respiration (RE) was 1648 ± 14 g C m−2. The NEE and GEP totals in the second cycle (third ratoon, 374 days long) decreased 51% and 25%, respectively and RE increased 7%. Accounting for the carbon emitted during biomass burning and the removal of stalks at harvest, net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) totals were 102 ± 130 g C m−2 and 403 ± 84 g C m−2 in each cycle respectively. Thus the sugarcane agrosystem was approximately carbon neutral in the second ratoon. Yield in stalks fresh weight (SFW) attained the regional average (8.3 kg SFW m−2). Although it was a carbon source to the atmosphere, observed productivity (6.2 kg SFW m−2) of the third ratoon was 19% lower than the regional average due to the lower water availability observed during the initial 120 days of re-growth. However, the overall water use efficiency (WUE) achieved in the first cycle (4.3 g C kg−1 H2O) decreased only 5% in the second cycle. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Soil organic carbon dynamics under perennial energy crops

The European renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC (E.C. 2009) provides a legislative framework for reducing GHG emissions by 20%, while achieving a 20% share of energy from renewable sources by 2020. Perennial energy crops could significantly contribute to limit GHG emissions through replacing equivalent fossil fuels and by sequestering a considerable amount of carbon into the soil through the large amounts of belowground biomass produced. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of land use change that perennial energy crops have on croplands (switchgrass) and marginal grasslands (miscanthus). For that purpose above and belowground biomass, SOC variation and Net Ecosystem Exchange were evaluated after five years of growth. At aboveground level both crops produced high biomass under cropland conditions as well as under marginal soils. At belowground level they also produced large amounts of biomass, but no significant influences on SOC in the upper layer (0-30 cm) were found. This is probably because of the "priming effect" that caused fast carbon substitution. In switchgrass only it was found a significant SOC increase in deeper layers (30-60 cm), while in the whole soil profile (0-60 cm) SOC increased from 42 to 51 ha-1. However, the short experimental periods (for both switchgrass and miscanthus), in which land use change was evaluated, do not permit to determine the real capacity of perennial energy crops to accumulate SOC. In conclusion the large amounts of belowground biomass enhanced the SOC dynamic through the priming effect resulting in increased SOC in cropland but not in marginal grassland.