Net carbon dioxide exchange in canopies of burned and unburned tallgrass prairie

Summary Net carbon dioxide exchange (NCE) rates were measured in a tallgrass prairie, a grassland with high productivity, to determine photosynthetic rates of the canopy. Canopy measurements were made in large, plexiglass chambers (1.21 m long; 0.91 m wide; 1.40 m tall) placed on burned and unburned areas of the prairie. The NCE rates of the canopy were compared with those of individual leaves ofAndropogon gerardii Vitman (big bluestem). In addition, CO₂ flux from the soil was quantified and compared with net photosynthetic flux. The canopy NCE rates were generally lower than those made on individual leaves. In mid-summer (11 July 1987), the maximum canopy NCE rates were 55% and 64% of those measured on individual leaves in burned and unburned treatments, respectively. Canopy NCE rates were lower than individual-leaf NCE rates for two reasons. First, the individualleaf measurements were made on young, unshaded, healthy leaves, while the canopy measurements were made on all types of leaves including senescing, shaded, and damaged leaves. Second, soil CO₂ flux into the chambers lowered NCE values. The CO₂ flux from the soil ranged from 7.2% to 28.4% of the total NCE. One needs to add soil CO₂ flux rates to the measured canopy NCE rates to obtain canopy NCE rates closer to individual-leaf NCE rates. Soil CO₂ flux decreased when conditions became dry, reaching a low of 0.06 mg CO₂m^–2s^–1, but increased after rain to 0.16 mg CO₂m^–2s^–1. Also, after rain, when plants were well watered, they were not light saturated at 1 900 µEm^–2s^–1. The NCE rates on the burned treatment were either higher or similar to those on the unburned treatment. For example, on 11 July 1987, NCE rates were higher on the burned treatment (0.66 mg CO₂m^–2s^–1) compared to the unburned treatment (0.47 mg CO₂m^–2s^–1). During the rest of July and August, the rates of the two treatments were not significantly different. But in September and October, the NCE rates were again higher on the burned treatment compared to the unburned treatment. The results indicated that canopy NCE rates may be more indicative of the productivity of the prairie than individual-leaf measurements made only on young, highly productive leaves.Contribution No. 89-82-J from the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. This research was supported, in part, by Grant No. DE-FG02-84ER60253.A000.With 4 Figures     

The European and global potential of carbon dioxide sequestration in tackling climate change

Although, it has received relatively little attention as a potential method of combating climate change in comparison to energy reduction measures and development of carbon-free energy technologies, sequestration of carbon dioxide in geologic or biospheric sinks has enormous potential. This paper reviews the potential for sequestration using geological and ocean storage as a means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.Considerable quantities of carbon dioxide separated from natural gas deposits and from hydrogen production from steam reforming of methane are already used in enhanced oil recovery and in extraction of coalbed methane, the carbon dioxide remaining sequestered at the end of the process. A number of barriers lie in the way of its implementation on a large scale. There are concerns about possible environmental effects of large-scale injection of carbon dioxide especially into the oceans. Available technologies, especially of separating and capturing the carbon dioxide from waste stream, have high costs at present, perhaps representing an additional 40–100% onto the costs of generating electricity. In most of the world there are no mechanisms to encourage firms to consider sequestration.Considerable R&D is required to bring down the costs of the process, to elucidate the environmental effects of storage and to ensure that carbon dioxide will not escape from stores in unacceptably short timescales. However, the potential of sequestration should not be underestimated as a contribution to global climate change mitigation measures.     

Global transport and inter-reservoir exchange of carbon dioxide with particular reference to stable isotopic distributions

A two-dimensional model of global atmospheric transport is used to relate estimated air-to-surface exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and isotopic composition. The atmospheric model coupled with models of the biosphere and mixed layer of the ocean describes the gross features of the global carbon cycle. In particular this paper considers the change in isotopic composition due to interreservoir exchanges and thus the potential application and measurement requirements of new isotopic observational programs.A comparison is made between the model-generated CO₂ concentration variation and those observed on secular, interannual and seasonal time scales and spatially through the depth of the troposphere and meridionally from pole-to-pole.The relationship between isotopic and concentration variation on a seasonal time-scale is discussed and it is shown how this can be used to quantitatively estimate relative contributions of biospheric and oceanic CO₂ exchange. Further, it is shown that the interhemispheric gradient of concentration and isotopic ratio results primarily from the redistribution of fossil fuel CO₂. Both isotopic and concentration data indicate that tropical deforestation contributes less than 2 Gt yr^-1 of carbon to the atmosphere.The study suggests that changes in the rate of change of the ratio of ¹³C to ¹²C in the atmosphere of less than 0.03 yr^-1 might be expected if net exchanges with the biosphere are the cause of interannual variations of CO₂ concentrations.     

Determination of tropospheric mean carbon dioxide concentration from satellite high spectral resolution IR-sounder data

In view of the importance of studying a global carbon cycle and inadequacy of a ground-based network of observations of the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations and its fluxes, the feasibility of remote sensing of the atmospheric CO₂ concentration obtained from the satellite high-spectral resolution IR-sounder data is studied. In reference to the AIRS infrared-sounder measurements (the EOS Aqua satellite) the satellite data informativeness is analyzed, and a subset of most sensitive channels in respect to the CO₂ concentration variations is selected. A method of retrieving the carbon dioxide concentration \(X_{CO_2 } \) averaged over height from the AIRS data (in the middle and upper troposphere) is suggested and tested. The method is based on a numerical solution of an inverse problem. The comparison of satellite estimates of \(X_{CO_2 } \) averaged over a month with the aircraft (in situ) data on observations over the areas of boreal forests (the Novosibirsk region) and ecosystems (the region of Surgut) for 10 months of 2003 confirms the possibility to trace a seasonal trend of \(X_{CO_2 } \) with an error not worse than 1%.     

Productivity response of climax temperate forests to elevated temperature and carbon dioxide: a north american comparison between two global models

We assess the appropriateness of using regression- and process-based approaches for predicting biogeochemical responses of ecosystems to global change. We applied a regression-based model, the Osnabruck Model (OBM), and a process-based model, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM), to the historical range of temperate forests in North America in a factorial experiment with three levels of temperature (+0 °C, +2 °C, and +5 °C) and two levels of CO₂ (350 ppmv and 700 ppmv) at a spatial resolution of 0.5° latitude by 0.5° longitude. For contemporary climate (+0 °C, 350 ppmv), OBM and TEM estimate the total net primary productivity (NPP) for temperate forests in North America to be 2.250 and 2.602 × 10¹⁵ g C ? yr^?1, respectively. Although the continental predictions for contemporary climate are similar, the responses of NPP to altered climates qualitatively differ; at +0 °C and 700 ppmv CO₂, OBM and TEM predict median increases in NPP of 12.5% and 2.5%, respectively. The response of NPP to elevated temperature agrees most between the models in northern areas of moist temperate forest, but disagrees in southern areas and in regions of dry temperate forest. In all regions, the response to CO₂ is qualitatively different between the models. These differences occur, in part, because TEM includes known feedbacks between temperature and ecosystem processes that affect N availability, photosynthesis, respiration, and soil moisture. Also, it may not be appropriate to extrapolate regression-based models for climatic conditions that are not now experienced by ecosystems. The results of this study suggest that the process-based approach is able to progress beyond the limitations of the regression-based approach for predicting biogeochemical responses to global change.     

Response of carbon dioxide exchange to grazing intensity over typical steppes in a semi-arid area of Inner Mongolia

The eddy covariance technique was used to measure the CO₂ flux over four differently grazed Leymus chinensis steppe ecosystems (ungrazed since 1979 (UG79), winter grazed (WG), continuously grazed (CG), and heavily grazed (HG) sites) during four growing seasons (May to September) from 2005 to 2008, to investigate the response of the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) over grassland ecosystems to meteorological factors and grazing intensity. At UG79, the optimal air temperature for the half-hourly NEE occurred between 17 and 20 °C, which was relatively low for semi-arid grasslands. The saturated NEE (NEE_sat) and temperature sensitivity coefficient (Q ₁₀) of ecosystem respiration (RE) exhibited clear seasonal and interannual variations, which increased with canopy development and the soil water content (SWC, at 5 cm). The total NEE values for the growing seasons from 2005 to 2008 were ?32.0, ?41.5, ?66.1, and ?89.8 g C m^?2, respectively. Both the amounts and distribution of precipitation during the growing season affected the NEE. The effects of grazing on the CO₂ flux increased with the grazing intensity. During the peak growth stage, heavy grazing and winter grazing decreased NEE_sat and gross primary production (45 % for HG and 34 % for WG) due to leaf area removal. Both RE and Q ₁₀ were clearly reduced by heavy grazing. Heavy grazing changed the ecosystem from a CO₂ sink into a CO₂ source, and winter grazing reduced the total CO₂ uptake by 79 %. In the early growing season, there was no difference in the NEE between CG and UG79. In addition to the grazing intensity, the effects of grazing on the CO₂ flux also varied with the vegetation growth stages and SWC.     

Phytomass carbon pool of trees and forests in India

The study reports estimates of above ground phytomass carbon pools in Indian forests for 1992 and 2002 using two different methodologies. The first estimate was derived from remote sensing based forest area and crown density estimates, and growing stock data for 1992 and 2002 and the estimated pool size was in the range 2,626–3,071 Tg C (41 to 48 Mg C ha^???1) and 2,660–3,180 Tg C (39 to 47 Mg C ha^???1) for 1992 and 2002, respectively. The second methodology followed IPCC 2006 guidelines and using an initial 1992 pool of carbon, the carbon pool for 2002 was estimated to be in the range of 2,668–3,112 Tg C (39 to 46 Mg C ha^???1), accounting for biomass increment and removals for the period concerned. The estimated total biomass increment was about 458 Tg over the period 1992–2002. Removals from forests include mainly timber and fuel wood, whereby the latter includes large uncertainty as reported extraction is lower than actual consumption. For the purpose of this study, the annual extraction values of 23 million m³ for timber and 126 million m³ for fuel wood were used. Out of the total area, 10 million ha are plantation forests with an average productivity (3.2 Mg ha^???1 year^???1) that is higher than natural forests, a correction of 408 Tg C for the 10 year period was incorporated in total estimated phytomass carbon pool of Indian forests. This results in an estimate for the net sink of 4 Tg C year^???1. Both approaches indicate Indian forests to be sequestering carbon and both the estimates are in agreement with recent studies. A major uncertainty in Indian phytomass carbon pool dynamics is associated with trees outside forests and with soil organic carbon dynamics. Using recent remote-sensing based estimates of tree cover and growing stock outside forests, the estimated phytomass carbon pool for trees outside forests for the year 2002, is 934 Tg C with a national average tree carbon density of 4 Mg C ha^???1 in non-forest area, in contrast to an average density of 43 Mg C ha^???1 in forests. Future studies will have to consider dynamics in both trees outside forests and soil for total terrestrial carbon dynamics.     

LC播撒设备研制与播撒试验

研制出一套适于陕西播云作业的液态二氧化碳(LC)播撒设备，开发LC催化技术方法，通过试验得出最佳播撒速率，提高作业效果；根据播云作业需要提出技术指标，并进行地面、空中试验(包括静态、动态试验)。结果表明：LC的纯度是决定喷撒质量的关键；当环境温度较高时LC小粒子浓度较高，谱型较窄，当环境温度较低时粒子谱明显拓宽，峰值浓度降低；地面使用0．6mm喷头，喷撒速率为10～12g／s，喷头距离激光束为10cm时，PMS粒子测量系统检测到LC粒子谱宽在0．5～175pm之间，小粒子平均总数密度为146个／cm^3。冰雪晶平均总数密度为71个／L；陕西春、秋季适宜催化的降水云系云体温度较高，LC宜作为播云首选冷云催化剂。当播撒率为10～12g／s时，作业数分钟后．机载PMS粒子测量系统和地面雷达检测到云物理响应参数与云的本底值对比分析证明：播撒LC有利于云水向雨水的转化，催化效果较好。     

Infrared device for simultaneous measurement of fluctuations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and water vapor

An infrared device designed to measure simultaneous fluctuations of atmospheric CO₂ and water vapor concentrations is described. The measuring frequency is 30 Hz. The sensing path length is 20 cm. It is compatible with the path length of the standard type of a sonic anemometer. The noise level of the device is equivalent to fluctuations of about 0.8 ppm peak-to-peak for CO₂ and 0.02 g kg^-1 peak-to-peak for water vapor. Field tests have showed that the device is suitable for simultaneous measurement of turbulent fluxes of CO₂ and water vapor in conjunction with a sonic anemometer.     

Mathematical modelling of the heat exchange between a river and the atmosphere

Some numerical models of various degrees of complexity for studying river atmosphere heat exchange are discussed. Also described are issues related to obtaining the basic meteorological and the required hydrological data. As meteorological and hydrological parameters vary strongly within one year and from year to year, a large amount of information has to be collected and analysed for obtaining a representative picture.The necessary effort depends clearly on the application. It is much larger, when the absolute temperature and the transient response have to be calculated, than when only the average temperature increase due to anthropogenic heat discharges is of interest.Results for the exchange of radiative, latent and sensible heat between atmosphere and water surface including the overall exchange coefficient are given for 21 years, in detail for Basel and summarised for 8 locations along the Rhein. Yearly averages vary little, monthly averages show the expected seasonal variation.     

Some aspects of carbion dioxide exchange between atmosphere and Indian plant biota

A study has been undertaken to understand some of the aspects of carbon-dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and Indian plant biota. The net primary production and the total pool of carbon in forests, cultivated land, and grassland during 1980 is estimated. The flux of carbon dioxide due to deforestation and the consumption of firewood is also estimated. The total pool of carbon in a forest ecosystem shows a very low value when compared with the size and climate of the country. On the other hand, carbon-dioxide emission due to firewood combustion shows a very high value.     

A parameterization for modelling the meteorological effects of tall forests — A case study of a large clearing

A parameterization scheme has been developed to describe the effects of a tall forest on the mean structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The main advantage of the scheme is that dynamical and thermodynamical effects of a forest surface can be simulated satisfactorily using only a coarse-grid resolution within numerical models. Thereby, the canopy layer is parameterized as a quasi-subgrid phenomenon. This makes it possible to study meteorological phenomena within the ABL in a very economical way (with respect to computational time) whereby, nevertheless, more detailed information concerning the forest surface is taken into account than could be done using the same grid resolution and quite simple assumptions describing the canopy, e.g., the effective roughness.The applicability in numerical models is shown by using a slightly modified two-dimensional version of the mesoscale model FITNAH. For comparison, simulations with a high numerical grid resolution within the canopy have been carried out.Model results reproduce the known meteorological phenomena in forested areas, e.g., a stable thermal stratification near the surface during the day, and at night, a neutral — or slightly unstable condition — and, in general, reduced windspeed within the canopy layer.Diurnal variations and spatial distributions of temperature and humidity are found to be similar for both cases. Also, a thermally-induced local circulation system in the vicinity of a large clearing has been simulated satisfactorily.A comparison of the calculated results verifies that the parameterization scheme is quite suitable for simulating the effects of plant canopies on the distributions of meteorological variables in the ABL.     

Present and future near-surface wind climate of Greenland from high resolution regional climate modelling

The present and twenty-first century near-surface wind climate of Greenland is presented using output from the regional atmospheric climate model RACMO2. The modelled wind variability and wind distribution compare favourably to observations from three automatic weather stations in the ablation zone of southwest Greenland. The Weibull shape parameter is used to classify the wind climate. High values (κ > 4) are found in northern Greenland, indicative of uniform winds and a dominant katabatic forcing, while lower values (κ < 3) are found over the ocean and southern Greenland, where the synoptic forcing dominates. Very high values of the shape parameter are found over concave topography where confluence strengthens the katabatic circulation, while very low values are found in a narrow band along the coast due to barrier winds. To simulate the future (2081–2098) wind climate RACMO2 was forced with the HadGEM2-ES general circulation model using a scenario of mid-range radiative forcing of +4.5 W m^?2 by 2100. For the future simulated climate, the near-surface potential temperature deficit reduces in all seasons in regions where the surface temperature is below the freezing point, indicating a reduction in strength of the near-surface temperature inversion layer. This leads to a wind speed reduction over the central ice sheet where katabatic forcing dominates, and a wind speed increase over steep coastal topography due to counteracting effects of thermal and katabatic forcing. Thermally forced winds over the seasonally sea ice covered region of the Greenland Sea are reduced by up to 2.5 m s^?1.     

Convergence of per capita carbon dioxide emissions: implications and meta-analysis

There is a rich empirical literature testing whether per capita carbon dioxide emissions tend to converge over time and across countries. This article provides a meta-analysis of the results from this research, and discusses how carbon emissions convergence may be understood in, for instance, the presence of international knowledge spillovers and policy convergence. The results display evidence of either divergence or persistent gaps at the global level, but convergence of per capita carbon dioxide emissions between richer industrialized countries. However, the results appear sensitive to the choice of data sample and choice of convergence concept, e.g. stochastic convergence versus β-convergence. Moreover, peer-reviewed studies have a higher likelihood of reporting convergence in carbon dioxide emissions compared to non-refereed work.

POLICY RELEVANCE

The empirical basis for an egalitarian rule of equal emissions per capita in the design of global climate agreements is not solid; this supports the need to move beyond single allocation rules, and increase knowledge about the impacts of combined scenarios. However, even in the context of the 2015 Paris Agreement with its emphasis on voluntary contributions and ‘national circumstances’, different equity-based principles could serve as useful points of reference for how the remaining carbon budget should be allocated.