Monitoring volcanic hazard using eddy covariance at Solfatara volcano, Naples, Italy

An eddy covariance (EC) station was deployed at Solfatara crater, Italy, June 8–25, 2001 to assess if EC could reliably monitor CO₂ fluxes continuously at this site. Deployment at six different locations within the crater allowed areas of focused gas venting to be variably included in the measured flux. Turbulent (EC) fluxes calculated in 30-min averages varied between 950 and 4460 g CO₂ m⁻² d⁻¹; the highest measurements were made downwind of degassing pools. Comparing turbulent fluxes with chamber measurements of surface fluxes using footprint models in diffuse degassing regions yielded an average difference of 0% (±4%), indicating that EC measurements are representative of surface fluxes at this volcanic site. Similar comparisons made downwind of degassing pools yielded emission rates from 12 to 27 t CO₂ d⁻¹ for these features. Reliable EC measurements (i.e. measurements with sufficient and stationary turbulence) were obtained primarily during daytime hours (08:00 and 20:00 local time) when the wind speed exceeded 2 m s⁻¹. Daily average EC fluxes varied by ±50% and variations were likely correlated to changes in atmospheric pressure. Variations in CO₂ emissions due to volcanic processes at depth would have to be on the same order of magnitude as the measured diurnal variability in order to be useful in predicting volcanic hazard. First-order models of magma emplacement suggest that emissions could exceed this rate for reasonable assumptions of magma movement. EC therefore provides a useful method of monitoring volcanic hazard at Solfatara. Further, EC can monitor significantly larger areas than can be monitored by previous methods.     

Can biomass burning produce a globally significant carbon-isotope excursion in the sedimentary record?

Negative carbon-isotope excursions have been comprehensively studied in the stratigraphic record but the discussion of causal mechanisms has largely overlooked the potential role of biomass burning. The carbon-isotopic ratios (δ¹³C) of vegetation, soil organic matter and peat are significantly lower than atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), and thereby provide a source of low ¹³C CO₂ when combusted. In this study, the potential role of biomass burning to generate negative carbon isotope excursions associated with greenhouse climates is modeled. Results indicate that major peat combustion sustained for 1000 yr increases atmospheric CO₂ from 2.5× present atmospheric levels (PAL) to 4.6× PAL, and yields a pronounced negative δ¹³C excursion in the atmosphere ( 2.4‰), vegetation ( 2.4‰) and the surface ocean ( 1.2‰), but not for the deep ocean ( 0.9‰). Release of CO₂ initiates a short-term warming of the atmosphere (up to 14.4 °C, with a duration of 1628 yr), which is consistent with the magnitude and length of an observed Toarcian excursion event. These results indicate that peat combustion is a plausible mechanism for driving negative δ¹³C excursions in the rock record, even during times of elevated pCO₂.     

山西地震带北段与张家口——渤海地震带不同深度CO_2和Rn气体通量的差异性

2014年在山西地震带北段和张家口—渤海地震带布设35个测量剖面,测量土壤气CO_2、Rn浓度及深度20 cm、1 m的CO_2和Rn通量。测量结果表明:(1) CO_2、Rn浓度与深度20 cm、1 m的CO_2、Rn通量的平均值和最大值变化趋势大致相同,均呈自西向东的增大趋势;(2)深度20 cm、1 m的CO_2和Rn通量相关性均不明显,但1 m深的CO_2、Rn通量明显较高;(3) CO_2和Rn浓度、通量变化主要与区域复杂的地震活动性和断层活动性有关,主要受到地表化学成分和区域岩石地球化学影响。     

Daily variation characteristics of CO_2 emission fluxes and contributions of environmental factors in semiarid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China

Soil respiration refers to the process of soil gener-ating and emitting CO2to the atmosphere under the synthetic effect of different environmental factors,which includes mineralization of soil organic matter involved by microorganism and respiration of plant root system and soil animals.The emission of CO2to the atmosphere through soil respiration is the most important link of carbon cycle process of grassland ecosystem,and also the key ecological process of grassland ecosystem exerting effec…     

Der Kohlendioxid-Gehalt und die Kalzitsättigung der Ilm, einschließlich einiger Vergleichsuntersuchungen im Thüringer Raum

The CO₂ content, air saturation and calcite equilibrium of the River Ilm and some of its tributaries were analysed. CO₂ content was measured by degasing the CO₂ from water. The CO₂ level is a very sensitive indicator for a low pollution in oxygen saturated waters. Clean running waters have a CO₂ content close to the air saturation of 0.1–0.3 mg C l⁻¹. Ground water and springs are rich in CO₂. Polluted waters are characterised by higher CO₂ contents, also organic pollution can result in high values of CO₂. Carbon dioxide concentration of streams and brooks is limited by re-aeration.

The headwater region (softwater) of the River Ilm is unsaturated, the hard water in the middle- and underflow is oversaturated. In summer and autumn high saturation could be found, but without autochthonous calcite precipitation like in hard water lakes.     

Ages and composition of gas trapped in Allan Hills and Byrd core ice

Gas is extracted from large (6–31 kg) Antarctic ice samples to obtain sufficient CO₂ for¹⁴C measurements with small low-level proportional counters. The¹⁴C ages of Byrd core ice are in accord with glaciological estimates ranging from (2.2_−1.1^+1.4)×10³ yr at 271 m depth to more than 8 × 10³ yr at 1071 m depth. The CO₂ abundances in gas extracted from Byrd core ice range from 0.0216 to 0.051%, with below present-day atmosphere CO₂ abundances for ice from 1068 and 1469 m depths. The CO₂ abundance in gas from Allan Hills surface ice samples ranges between four and six times the atmospheric value and the CO₂ had a specific activity three times that of contemporary carbon. A possible explanation for the anomalously high specific activity is surface melting with the incorporation into CO₂ of¹⁴C produced by cosmic ray spallation of oxygen in ice. The CO₂ abundance in gas extracted from subsurface Allan Hills ice ranged from 0.030 to 0.065%, and the specific activities are below contemporary carbon, indicating ages greater than 5×10³ yr. The¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio of oxygen in the trapped gas is the same as that of atmospheric oxygen and differs markedly from the¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratio in the ice. The O₂, N₂, and Ar abundances and isotopic compositions are similar to those in contemporary air, except for positive¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratios in a few samples.     

大气CO2浓度非均匀动态分布条件下的气候模拟

利用现有大气本底站的大气CO₂浓度观测信息,综合考虑不同经济区划与土地覆盖类型对应的CO₂浓度差异及其季节变化规律,构建模式区域内以月为单位的网格化大气CO₂浓度非均匀动态分布数据模型.由此数据模型驱动RegCM4-CLM3.5区域气候模式运行,对东亚区2000年3月—2009年2月之间的气候变化特征进行了模拟,进而对大气CO₂浓度非均匀动态分布可能引起的区域气候效应进行了初步研究.结果表明:目前气候模式中CO₂浓度的常态均匀分布假设可能将温室效应夸大了10%左右.对大气CO₂浓度非均匀动态分布影响气温变化的可能机制进行研究表明:CO₂的自身效应(改变大气透射率)并不是导致Exp2试验温度降低的主要原因.大气CO₂浓度的变化影响了大气与植物胞间CO₂分压差,陆地植被通过改变气孔阻力适应这种变化,气孔阻力的变化直接影响到植物与大气间水分的交换,这种作用一方面通过蒸发冷却改变环境温度,另一方面,蒸发水分改变了近地面层湿度,进而水汽扩散到空中影响低云的分布.冬季,植物处于非生长季,对大气CO₂浓度变化响应微弱,湿度和低云变化不明显;夏季,植物生长旺盛,由CO₂生理学强迫激发的云反馈效应强烈,其效果是使中低云趋于增加,进而减弱了到达对流层低层的太阳短波辐射,造成温室效应减弱.     

An integrated paleomagnetic study of Rio Grande de Santiago volcanic succession (trans-Mexican volcanic belt): revisited

We carried out an integrated paleomagnetic, rock-magnetic and paleointensity study of Miocene volcanic succession from the trans-Mexican volcanic belt (TMVB) north of Guadalajara. A total of 37 consecutive basaltic lava flows (326 oriented standard paleomagnetic cores) were collected at Lazo locality. Continuous susceptibility measurements with temperature and hysteresis experiments yield in most cases reasonably reversible curves with Curie points close to that of pseudo-single-domain magnetite. Two geomagnetic reversals were observed in the 300 m thick composite section. Paleosecular variation was lower than the one observed in general during Miocene. It appears that the volcanic units have been emplaced during a relatively short time span of about 1 Ma. The mean paleomagnetic directions obtained from this study do not differ significantly from that expected for the middle Miocene. The mean paleomagnetic direction calculated from all data is I=31.1°, D=354.6°, k=124 and ₉₅=2.1°, N=37. Seventy-two samples with apparently preserved primary magnetic mineralogy and without secondary magnetization, mostly belonging to reverse polarity chron were pre-selected for Thellier paleointensity determination. The flow-mean paleointensity values are ranging from 22.4±3.4 to 53.8±6.0 μT and the corresponding virtual dipole moments (VDMs) are ranging from (5.4±0.8) to (12.0±1.4)×10²² A m². This corresponds to mean value of (7.7±2.2)×10²² A m², which is close to present day geomagnetic field strength. Altogether, our data suggest the existence of relatively high geomagnetic field strength undergoing low fluctuations.     

Experimental study on soil CO2 emission in the alpine grassland ecosystem on Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau, the Roof of the World, is the highest plateau with a mean elevation of 4000 m. It is characterized by high levels of solar radiation, low air temperature and low air pressure compared to other regions around the world. The alpine grassland, a typical ecosystem in the Tibetan Plateau, is distributed across regions over the elevation of 4500 m. Few studies for carbon flux in alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau were conducted due to rigorous natural conditions. A study of soil respiration under alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau from October 1999 to October 2001 was conducted at Pangkog County, Tibetan Plateau (31.23°N, 90.01°E, elevation 4800 m). The measurements were taken using a static closed chamber technique, usually every two weeks during the summer and at other times at monthly intervals. The obvious diurnal variation of CO2 emissions from soil with higher emission during daytime and lower emission during nighttime was discovered. Diurnal CO2 flux fluctuated from minimum at 05:00 to maximum at 14:00 in local time. Seasonal CO2 fluxes increased in summer and decreased in winter, representing a great variation of seasonal soil respiration. The mean soil CO2 fluxes in the alpine grassland ecosystem were 21.39 mgCO2 · m-2 · h-1, with an average annual amount of soil respiration of 187.46 gCO2 · m-2 · a-1. Net ecosystem productivity is also estimated, which indicated that the alpine grassland ecosystem is a carbon sink.     

致密油藏不同开发方式原油动用规律实验研究

致密油是重要的非常规石油资源,但由于其一次采收率低,需要开展提高采收率研究。由于致密油储层孔隙结构复杂,不同孔隙对产量的贡献差异很大,需要深入研究不同孔隙中原油的动用情况进而优化开发方式。本文采用核磁共振测试与驱替实验相结合的方法开展研究,直观反映不同注入条件下注入介质与原油的驱替过程,明确了注水和注CO₂两种开发方式不同孔隙中原油的动用规律。结果表明:水驱和CO₂驱不同孔隙区间原油动用程度随着驱替压差逐渐增大而增大;水驱和CO₂驱大孔隙中的原油绝大部分被动用,随着孔隙半径逐渐减小,原油动用的比例逐渐降低;小于0.01μm微小孔隙中CO₂驱动用效果明显好于水驱,致密油藏中CO₂更易进入小孔隙提高致密油采收率。      

Kohlendioxid-Messungen in einem Durchfluß-Meßsystem mit einem neu entwickelten CO2-Sensor am Beispiel eines Hartwassersees (Willersinnweiher, Ludwigshafen am Rhein)

The concentrations of free dissolved carbon dioxide in lake water were measured with a newly developed CO₂ sensor, which was installed in a through-flow measurement system. The results of measurements demonstrate the CO₂ dynamics in lake Willersinnweiher. The CO₂ concentrations showed a correlation with the oxidation of CH₄ in the metalimnion and caused shifts in the carbonate system, thus affecting the autochthonous precipitation and dissolution of calcite.

From the results of measurement appears that the CO₂ sensor is capable of very exact measurements of dissolved free CO₂ in lake water. At the same time, the parameter is easily determined in the field without large expenditures.     

唐山断裂带南西段和北东段土壤气Rn和CO2浓度特征

本文通过测量唐山断裂带南西段王兰庄和北东段巍峰山的土壤气Rn和CO₂浓度, 探讨了Rn和CO₂浓度的空间分布特征及其与断裂活动的关系。 测量结果显示, 王兰庄剖面和巍峰山剖面土壤气Rn浓度范围分别为691~57 671 Bq/m³和471~32 739 Bq/m³, CO₂浓度范围分别为0.17%~7.21%和0.08%~1.71%。 两个剖面Rn和CO₂浓度均高于区域背景值, 这与唐山断裂带断层的开放状态有关。 Rn和CO₂释放强度(K_Q)在王兰庄剖面分别为2.90和4.04, 在巍峰山剖面释放强度分别为0.90和0.99。 王兰庄剖面测线中部土壤气浓度明显高于两端, 而巍峰山剖面测线中部与两端浓度平均值相近, 这种浓度空间分布特征的差异主要是断层破碎程度不同所致。 巍峰山剖面土壤气Rn浓度水平较高, 地球物理学研究发现此区域应力值高, 断层活动性较强, 表明土壤气Rn浓度与断层活动性有着密切的关系。     

口泉断裂断层气地球化学变化特征及断层活动性

2015年对口泉断裂进行了3期断层气地球化学重复观测, 分析了中段石井村剖面和北段上皇庄剖面CO₂、 Rn、 Hg浓度及通量时空变化特征, 发现这两条剖面内CO₂、 Rn浓度及通量时空变化特征基本一致。 石井村剖面CO₂通量、 Rn浓度及通量高于上皇庄剖面。 上皇庄剖面Hg浓度及通量3期随时间持续上升。 认为口泉断裂断层活动活跃, 第四纪活动性中段高于北段, 且北段断层活动呈增强趋势。     

首都圈地区土壤气Rn， Hg， CO2地球化学特征及其成因

对首都圈地区跨18条活动断裂的35条剖面进行了土壤气浓度和通量测量, 结果显示: 各测量剖面土壤气Rn, Hg和CO₂的浓度平均值分别为3.2—45.0 kBq/m3, 3.9—24.9 ng/m3和0.154%—2.175%; 其通量平均值分别为3.8—152.1 mBq/(m2·s), 0.1-42.6 ng/(m2·h)和8.5—89.4 g/(m2·d)． 研究区土壤气Rn, Hg和CO₂的浓度和通量均呈东高西低的变化趋势, 与首都圈地区由西至东应力水平增高、 地壳厚度逐渐减薄、 沉积层厚度增大、 地震活动逐渐增强等趋势相对应, 这表明首都圈地区土壤气的区域地球化学特征主要受控于上地壳物质结构、 深部气体补给和地震活动, 同时也受到自然环境及土壤类型的影响．      

The impact of using area-averaged land surface properties —topography, vegetation condition, soil wetness—in calculations of intermediate scale (approximately 10 km) surface-atmosphere heat and moisture fluxes

It is commonly assumed that biophysically based soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) models are scale-invariant with respect to the initial boundary conditions of topography, vegetation condition and soil moisture. In practice, SVAT models that have been developed and tested at the local scale (a few meters or a few tens of meters) are applied almost unmodified within general circulation models (GCMs) of the atmosphere, which have grid areas of 50–500 km². This study, which draws much of its substantive material from the papers of Sellers et al. (1992c, J. Geophys. Res., 97(D17): 19033–19060) and Sellers et al. (1995, J. Geophys. Res., 100(D12): 25607–25629), explores the validity of doing this. The work makes use of the FIFE-89 data set which was collected over a 2 km × 15 km grassland area in Kansas. The site was characterized by high variability in soil moisture and vegetation condition during the late growing season of 1989. The area also has moderate topography.

The 2 km × 15 km ‘testbed’ area was divided into 68 × 501 pixels of 30 m × 30 m spatial resolution, each of which could be assigned topographic, vegetation condition and soil moisture parameters from satellite and in situ observations gathered in FIFE-89. One or more of these surface fields was area-averaged in a series of simulation runs to determine the impact of using large-area means of these initial or boundary conditions on the area-integrated (aggregated) surface fluxes. The results of the study can be summarized as follows:

1. 1. analyses and some of the simulations indicated that the relationships describing the effects of moderate topography on the surface radiation budget are near-linear and thus largely scale-invariant. The relationships linking the simple ratio vegetation index (SR), the canopy conductance parameter (_F) and the canopy transpiration flux are also near-linear and similarly scale-invariant to first order. Because of this, it appears that simple area-averaging operations can be applied to these fields with relatively little impact on the calculated surface heat flux.

2. 2. The relationships linking surface and root-zone soil wetness to the soil surface and canopy transpiration rates are non-linear. However, simulation results and observations indicate that soil moisture variability decreases significantly as an area dries out, which partially cancels out the effects of these non-linear functions.In conclusion, it appears that simple averages of topographic slope and vegetation parameters can be used to calculate surface energy and heat fluxes over a wide range of spatial scales, from a few meters up to many kilometers at least for grassland sites and areas with moderate topography. Although the relationships between soil moisture and evapotranspiration are non-linear for intermediate soil wetnesses, the dynamics of soil drying act to progressively reduce soil moisture variability and thus the impacts of these non-linearities on the area-averaged surface fluxes. These findings indicate that we may be able to use mean values of topography, vegetation condition and soil moisture to calculate the surface-atmosphere fluxes of energy, heat and moisture at larger length scales, to within an acceptable accuracy for climate modeling work. However, further tests over areas with different vegetation types, soils and more extreme topography are required to improve our confidence in this approach.

     

华北地区冬小麦田水热、二氧化碳和甲烷湍流输送特征的实验研究

本文利用2012年4月30日至5月10日华北地区大气湍流实验资料,分析了冬小麦田下垫面温度、湿度、二氧化碳(CO2)和甲烷(CH4)的湍流统计和输送特征,利用涡旋相关法计算的CH4通量值确定了松弛涡旋累积(REA)法计算CH4通量的经验系数.结果表明,不稳定层结下,温度、湿度、CO2和CH4的归一化标准差随稳定度参数z/L的关系满足-1/3幂次关系.热量、水汽和CO2水平方向的湍流输送和垂直方向的比值与稳定度参数z/L存在一定的相关关系,但CH4没有类似特征.实验期间,感热通量数值较低,潜热通量较高;CO2在夜间表现出微弱的向上输送,其余时段为向下输送,可以认为实验站所在地区是碳汇;CH4的湍流输送整体为向下输送,无明显的日变化规律,可以认为是CH4汇.利用松弛涡旋累积法获取CO2和CH4通量的参数取值分别为0.61和0.30.     

我国对流层二氧化碳非均匀动态分布特征及其成因

人类活动导致大气中温室气体浓度上升,是全球气候变暖的主要原因之一.本文针对已经连续运行13年的AIRS（Atmospheric Infrared Sounder）卫星反演的对流层中层CO₂浓度资料,利用地基观测结果对其进行验证,同时结合多种相关资料对我国区域CO₂浓度的时空分布及季节变化进行研究.结果显示：北半球30°N—60°N是CO₂浓度高值带,低值中心主要出现在15°S—15°N,140°W向东至100°E的低纬地区.地基观测与AIRS卫星反演结果基本一致,年增长率约为1.926 ppmv·a^-1.我国区域CO₂浓度空间分布上呈现北高南低的非均匀分布特征,4个高值中心分别位于东北地区西南部、内蒙古西部、新疆地区东部和西部,低值中心在云南和西藏地区.我国区域CO₂浓度有明显的季节变化特征,最高值出现在春季,冬夏季次之,秋季最低,其季节演变特点与风场的输送、降水量的清除和植被的吸收等密切相关.     

吉兰泰断陷盆地周缘断裂带气体释放及其对断层活动性的指示意义

为了研究吉兰泰断陷盆地周缘断裂带气体排放及其对断层活动性的指示意义,在盆地周缘4条活动断裂上布设了5条土壤气测量剖面和1条电磁测量剖面,观测了土壤气中Rn,Hg和CO₂的浓度、释放通量和地电阻率,对各测量剖面进行了土壤化学组分分析,计算得到了断层活动性相对指数K_Q。研究结果显示:土壤气体CO₂和Rn受渗透性较低的粉砂土阻挡,主要沿结构破碎的断层上盘逃逸,并形成浓度高峰;吉兰泰盆地南缘土壤气Rn,Hg和CO₂的浓度和释放通量最高,可能与盆地西南缘花岗岩中U和Ra的运移以及盆地南缘碳酸盐岩的分解有一定的关系。各测量剖面的断层活动性相对指数K_Q值的变化特征表明,正断层和逆断层的K_Q值大于走滑断层,且巴彦乌拉山山前断裂上的K_Q值最高,揭示其活动性最强,有可能是地震发生的潜在危险区。      

Bomb C time history recorded in two modern stalagmites — importance for soil organic matter dynamics and bomb C distribution over continents

Carbon 14 activity measurements made by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry on two modern stalagmites from the Han-sur-Lesse cave (Belgium) and from the Postojna Cave (Slovenia) permit the construction of ¹⁴C activity (a¹⁴C) time series over the last 50 years. A high precision chronology is given by annual laminae in the first stalagmite and by a specific mark (explosion in the Postojna Cave in 1944) in the second one. In both stalagmites, ¹⁴C activity increase due to nuclear tests in the atmosphere is remarkable. However, instead of a sharp peak like the one observed in the atmosphere around 1963–1964, the ¹⁴C activities of the stalagmite CaCO₃ show an abrupt increase, with an offset of 1–10 years, followed by a high activity plateau for the Han-sur-Lesse sample and a slight decrease for the Postojna sample. For both stalagmites, the variation of the a¹⁴C amplitude between pre- and post-bomb period is much lower than the atmospheric record, which demonstrates the damping effect of the soil carbon reservoir. We have modeled the CaCO₃ activities using fractionation processes between atmosphere CO₂, soil CO₂ and organic matter (OM), dissolved inorganic carbon and stalagmite CaCO₃. In both cases studied, the model and former soil studies suggest that CO₂ from soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, which has a slow turnover (i.e. >1 y), is of major importance in winter, when the development of speleothem is the most important. Combined with the fact that 80–90% of the stalagmite carbon comes from soil CO₂, this produces a damping effect on the speleothem a¹⁴C. Consequently, the ‘geochemical time resolution', at least for speleothem carbon, is much lower than the structural resolution given by annual laminae alternations and is mainly controlled by soil carbon dynamics: a¹⁴C and δ¹³C are smoothed over several years. Differences between the ¹⁴C time series of the Han-sur-Lesse and Postojna stalagmites are likely to be due to the double amount of precipitation in Postojna, which produces a faster soil OM turnover and thus a ‘system' which is more sensitive to atmospheric changes.     

Measuring water use efficiency of Eucalypt trees with chambers and micrometeorological techniques

Enclosure appears to be the only feasible way to examine the gas exchange of small groups of trees or to answer questions about the effects of increased atmospheric CO₂ on the assimilation, evaporation and water use efficiency of forests. To be effective, enclosures must necessarily change the microclimate, but few studies have been made of the consequences. In this paper, the assimilation, evaporation and water use efficiency of a community of Eucalyptus trees inside a ventilated chamber are compared with the same attributes for the surrounding forest. Assimilation and evaporation for the chamber were measured by the depletion in CO₂ and the enrichment in water vapour of air passing through the chamber. For the forest, assimilation and evaporation were determined by micrometeorological techniques based on the energy balance, and for CO₂, additional chamber measurements of the soil effiux. Water use efficiencies were calculated as the ratio of mol CO₂ assimilated to mol water evaporated. There are some important microclimatic differences between chamber and forest: net radiation is reduced by about 30% in the chamber, the vapour pressure deficit of the chamber air is lower, and the light climate there tends to be diffuse rather than direct. Despite these differences, evaporation rates for both chamber and forest were generally similar, perhaps due to compensating effects in the chamber from higher boundary layer conductances (because of greater ventilation rates) and higher stomatal conductances (because of increased humidity). However, assimilation rates and water use efficiencies were markedly different for the two communities in clear sky conditions, with higher values of both being recorded in the chamber for most of the daylight hours. Only on cloudy days, when the light climate was diffuse in both chamber and forest, were similar assimilation rates and water use efficiencies observed. This behaviour seems to be attributable in part to the light climate in the chamber being predominantly diffuse and that in the forest predominantly direct. Diffuse light enhances the photosynthesis of lower leaves in the canopy. This contention is supported by model calculations of canopy assimilation under diffuse and direct radiation which produced qualitatively the same light response functions as observed for chamber and forest. The study suggests that the use of chambers for exploring questions of forest productivity and water use efficiency must be circumspect. The act of enclosure, by itself, can change the daily water use efficiency of the tree community by as much as 50%.