Water and heat fluxes above a lowland dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia

We measured the fluxes of sensible and latent heat between a low‐land dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia and the atmosphere. No clear seasonal or interannual changes in latent heat flux were found from 2003 to 2005, while sensible heat flux sometimes fluctuated depending on the fluctuation of incoming radiation between wet and dry seasons. The evapotranspiration rates averaged for the period between 2003 and 2005 were 2·77 and 3·61 mm day^?1 using eddy covariance data without and with an energy balance correction, respectively. Average precipitation was 4·74 mm day^?1. Midday surface conductance decreased with an increasing atmospheric water vapour pressure deficit and thus restricted the excess water loss on sunny days in the dry season. However, the relationship between the surface conductance and vapour pressure deficit did not significantly decline with an increase in volumetric soil water content even during a period of extremely low rainfall. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diurnal variations in streamflow and water quality during the summer dry season

In a headwater basin covered with boreal forest in northern Japan, the summer dry flow was monitored each summer from 1985 to 1993. Streamflow and specific electrical conductance fluctuated diurnally and these variations were attributed to daytime evapotranspiration. In 1989, the daytime reduction in streamflow and conductance were accompanied by a reduction in the HCO^?₃ concentration. The low flow hydrograph was separated into two components using HCO^?₃ and Cl^? concentrations in August 1989, assuming low flow to be a mixture of delayed subsurface flow and of quick shallow flow. The slight diurnal variation in the ratio of shallow flow to subsurface flow caused the diurnal variation in conductance by changing the HCO^?₃ concentration.     

Response of water and energy exchange to the environmental variable in a desert‐oasis wetland of Northwest China

A case study on a desert‐oasis wetland ecosystem in the arid region of Northwest China measured the seasonal and interannual variation in energy partitioning and evapotranspiration to analyse the response of water and energy exchange on soil moisture, groundwater, and environmental variables. Energy partitioning showed a clear seasonal and interannual variability, and the process of water and energy exchange differed significantly in the monthly and interannual scales. The net radiation was 7.31 MJ m^?2· day^?1, and sensible heat flux accounted for 50.42% of net radiation in energy fluxes, 40.56% for latent heat flux, and 9.02% for ground heat flux. The parameters in energy fluxes were best described by a unimodal curve, whereas sensible heat flux followed a bimodal curve. Variations in the daily evapotranspiration and crop evapotranspiration also exhibited a single peak curve with annual values of 569.84 and 644.47 mm, respectively. Canopy conductance averaged 20.77 ± 13.75 mm s^?1 and varied from 0.16 to 83.96 mm s^?1 during the two hydrological years. The variation in water and energy exchange reflected environmental conditions and depended primarily on vapour pressure deficit, net radiation, soil moisture, and water depth. Although the effects of precipitation on evapotranspiration showed that the response of this ecosystem to climate changes was not obvious, the variation of air temperatures had a strong influence on evapotranspiration, resulting in a significant increase in evapotranspiration (R = 0.730; P < 0.01). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal variation in the energy and water exchanges above and below a larch forest in eastern Siberia

The water and energy exchanges in forests form one of the most important hydro‐meteorological systems. There have been far fewer investigations of the water and heat exchange in high latitude forests than of those in warm, humid regions. There have been few observations of this system in Siberia for an entire growing season, including the snowmelt and leaf‐fall seasons. In this study, the characteristics of the energy and water budgets in an eastern Siberian larch forest were investigated from the snowmelt season to the leaf‐fall season. The latent heat flux was strongly affected by the transpiration activity of the larch trees and increased quickly as the larch stand began to foliate. The sensible heat dropped at that time, although the net all‐wave radiation increased. Consequently, the seasonal variation in the Bowen ratio was clearly ‘U’‐shaped, and the minimum value (1·0) occurred in June and July. The Bowen ratio was very high (10–25) in early spring, just before leaf opening. The canopy resistance for a big leaf model far exceeded the aerodynamic resistance and fluctuated over a much wider range. The canopy resistance was strongly restricted by the saturation deficit, and its minimum value was 100 s m^?1 (10 mm s^?1 in conductance). This minimum canopy resistance is higher than values obtained for forests in warm, humid regions, but is similar to those measured in other boreal conifer forests. It has been suggested that the senescence of leaves also affects the canopy resistance, which was higher in the leaf‐fall season than in the foliated season. The mean evapotranspiration rate from 21 April 1998 to 7 September 1998 was 1·16 mm day^?1, and the maximum rate, 2·9 mm day^?1, occurred at the beginning of July. For the growing season from 1 June to 31 August, this rate was 1·5 mm day^?1. The total evapotranspiration from the forest (151 mm) exceeded the amount of precipitation (106 mm) and was equal to 73% of the total water input (211 mm), including the snow water equivalent. The understory evapotranspiration reached 35% of the total evapotranspiration, and the interception evaporation was 15% of the gross precipitation. The understory evapotranspiration was high and the interception evaporation was low because the canopy was sparse and the leaf area index was low. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of forest litter on snow energy budget in the Tianshan Mountains,China

Forest litter exerts an impact on the energy budget of snow surfaces, which lie beneath forest canopies. In this study, we measured shortwave and longwave radiation levels, as well as quantities of Asian spruce (Picea schrenkinan ) forest litter, over 3 snow study plots that representing an open environment, 20% forest canopy openness (20% FCO), and 80% forest canopy openness (80% FCO). The fractional litter coverage (lc ) was obtained through the binarization of digital photographs of forest litter. The effects of forest litter on snow surface albedo (α ), snow surface temperature (T _s ), upward shortwave and longwave radiation (K _↑ and L _↑), and sensible heat flux (H ) were then analyzed. According to our results, the energy budget over snow surface influenced by forest litter principally due to forest litter forcing α decrease and T _s increase. The effects of forest litter on the energy budget increased with time and lc . We found that forest litter exerted the most significant impact on K _↑ and L _↑ at daytime during the latter stages of the snowmelt period. The influence of forest litter on H was more apparent on windy days. The presence of forest litter increased gains in shortwave radiation and losses in longwave radiation and decreased gains in H . Compared to the simulated energy (K _↑ + L _↑ + H ) over a snow surface without litter, the calculated energy decreased by ?13.4 W/m² and increased by 9.0 W/m², respectively, at the 20% FCO and 80% FCO sites during the latter stages of the snowmelt period. Overall, forest litter facilitated snow surface energy gains at the 80% FCO site and impeded them at the 20% FCO site during the latter stages of the snowmelt period.     

Hydrometeorological behaviour of pine and larch forests in eastern Siberia

Seasonal changes in the water and energy exchanges over a pine forest in eastern Siberia were investigated and compared with published data from a nearby larch forest. Continuous observations (April to August 2000) were made of the eddy‐correlation sensible heat flux and latent heat flux above the canopy. The energy balance was almost closed, although the sum of the turbulent fluxes sometimes exceeded the available energy flux (R_n ? G) when the latent heat flux was large; this was related to the wind direction. We examined the seasonal variation in energy balance components at this site. The seasonal variation and magnitude of the sensible heat flux (H) was similar to that of the latent heat flux (λE), with maximum values occurring in mid‐June. Consequently, the Bowen ratio was around 1·0 on many days during the study period. On some clear days just after rainfall, λE was very large and the sum of H and λE exceeded R_n ? G. The evapotranspiration rate above the dry canopy from May to August was 2·2 mm day^?1. The contributions of understory evapotranspiration (E_u) and overstory transpiration (E_o) to the evapotranspiration of the entire ecosystem (E_t) were both from 25 to 50% throughout the period analysed. These results suggest that E_u plays a very important role in the water cycle at this site. From snowmelt through the tree growth season (23 April to 19 August 2000), the total incoming water, comprised of the sum of precipitation and the water equivalent of the snow at the beginning of the melt season, was 228 mm. Total evapotranspiration from the forest, including interception loss and evaporation from the soil when the canopy was wet, was 208–254 mm. The difference between the incoming and outgoing amounts in the water balance was from +20 to ?26 mm. The water and energy exchanges of the pine and larch forest differed in that λE and H increased slowly in the pine forest, whereas λE increased rapidly in the larch forest and H decreased sharply after the melting season. Consequently, the shape of the Bowen ratio curves at the two sites differed over the period analysed, as a result of the differences in the species in each forest and in soil thawing. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimate of productivity in ecosystem of the broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Mountain

We measured soil, stem and branch respiration of trees and shrubs, foliage photosynthesis and respiration in ecosystem of the needle and broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain by LI-6400 CO₂ analysis system. Measurement of forest microclimate was conducted simultaneously and a model was found for the relationship of soil, stem, leaf and climate factors. CO₂ flux of different components in ecosystem of the broad-leaved Korean pine forest was estimated based on vegetation characteristics. The net ecosystem exchange was measured by eddy covariance technique. And we studied the effect of temperature and photosynthetic active radiation on ecosystem CO₂ flux. Through analysis we found that the net ecosystem exchange was affected mainly by soil respiration and leaf photosynthesis. Annual net ecosystem exchange ranged from a minimum of about ?4.671 μmol·m^?2·s^?1 to a maximum of 13.80 μmol·m^?2·s^?1, mean net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ flux was ?2.0 μmol·m^?2·s^?1 and 3.9 μmol·m^?2·s^?1 in winter and summer respectively (mean value during 24 h). Primary productivity of tree, shrub and herbage contributed about 89.7%, 3.5% and 6.8% to the gross primary productivity of the broad-leaved Korean pine forest respectively. Soil respiration contributed about 69.7% CO₂ to the broad-leaved Korean pine forest ecosystem, comprising about 15.2% from tree leaves and 15.1% from branches. The net ecosystem exchange in growing season and non-growing season contributed 56.8% and 43.2% to the annual CO₂ efflux respectively. The ratio of autotrophic respiration to gross primary productivity (R _a:GPP) was 0.52 (NPP:GPP=0.48). Annual carbon accumulation underground accounted for 52% of the gross primary productivity, and soil respiration contributed 60% to gross primary productivity. The NPP of the needle and broad-leaved Korean pine forest was 769.3 gC·m^?2·a^?1. The net ecosystem exchange of this forest ecosystem (NEE) was 229.51 gC·m^?2·a^?1. The NEE of this forest ecosystem acquired by eddy covariance technique was lower than chamber estimates by 19.8%.     

Measurement of evaporation from the forest floor in a deciduous forest throughout the year using microlysimeter and closed‐chamber systems

Evaporation from the forest floor (E_FF) in a deciduous broadleaf forest was measured using microlysimeter and closed‐chamber systems. The microlysimeter was used at six points in the experimental basin, and measurements gave different E_FF values at different points. This could be attributed to the local photoenvironment of each sampling point, rather than to litter conditions, if the spatial variation in air temperature (Ta) or vapour pressure deficit (VPD) at the forest floor was small within this basin. A detachable microlysimeter measured condensation in the litter layer during the night, indicating that the litter layer, as well as the mulch layer, played a role in preventing evaporation from the soil layer. The closed‐chamber system made it possible to continuously measure long‐term E_FF. E_FF was closely related to VPD; even during the night, when solar radiation was zero, E_FF amounted to 14·0% of the daily E_FF. The daily E_FF was 0·20 ± 0·13 mm day^?1 during the study period, with two seasonal peaks: in late spring (0·31 mm day^?1 in April) and early fall (0·22 mm day^?1 in September). The former peak has been reported from two deciduous forests in Japan and is strongly related to the solar radiation reaching the forest floor when the trees are dormant. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water balance,nutrient and carbon export from a heath forest catchment in central Amazonia,Brazil

Carbon storage values in the Amazon basin have been studied through different approaches in the last decades in order to clarify whether the rainforest ecosystem is likely to act as a sink or source for carbon in the near future. This water balance, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient export study were carried out in a micro‐scale heath forest (Campina) catchment in central Amazonia, Brazil. For a 1‐year study period (18 March 2007 until 19 March 2008), rainfall amounted to 3054 mm; of which, 1532 mm was evaporated by the forest (4.1 mm day^?1). Rainfall interception loss amounted to 15.6% of gross rainfall. Surface runoff amounted to 485 mm, whereas another 1071 mm was discharged as regional groundwater outflow. Accumulated DOC exports in surface runoff amounted to 15.3 g m^?2 year^?1, whereas the total carbon exported was 55.9 g m^?2. This is much higher than that observed for a nearby tall rainforest catchment in central Amazonia (DOC export < 20 g m^?2). As Campina heath forest areas cover a significant proportion of the Amazon Basin, these differences in ecosystem hydrological carbon exports should be taken into account in future studies assessing the carbon budget for the Amazon Basin. Macro‐nutrient exports were low, but those of calcium and potassium were higher than those observed for tall rainforest in the Amazon, which may be caused by a lower retention capacity of the heath forest ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil partitioning and surface store controls on spring runoff from a boreal forest peatland basin in north‐central Manitoba,Canada

The mid‐ to high‐boreal forest in Canada occupies the discontinuous permafrost zone, and is often underlain by glaciolacustrine sediments mantled by a highly porous organic mat. The result is a poorly drained landscape dominated by wetlands. Frost‐table dynamics and surface storage conditions help to control runoff contributions from various landscape elements, hydrological linkages between these elements, and basin streamflow during spring snowmelt. Runoff components and pathways in a forested peatland basin were assessed during two spring snowmelts with contrasting input and basin conditions. Runoff from relatively intense melt (up to 16 mm day^?1) on slopes with limited soil thawing combined with large pre‐melt storage in surface depressions to produce high flows composed primarily of meltwater (78% of the 0·29 m³ s^?1 peak discharge) routed over wetland surfaces and through permeable upper peat layers. Melt intensity was less in the subsequent year (maximum of 10 mm day^?1) and active layer development was relatively greater (0·2 m deeper at the end of spring melt), resulting in less slope runoff. Coupling of reduced slope contributions with lower storage levels in basin wetlands led to relatively subdued streamflows dominated by older water (73% of the 0·09 m³ s^?1 peak discharge) routed through less‐permeable deeper peat layers and mineral soil. Interannual differences in runoff conditions provide important insight for the development of distributed hydrological models for boreal forest basins and into potential influences on biogeochemical cycling in this landscape under a warming climate. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration in a sub‐alpine spruce forest ecosystem

In this study, we examined the year 2011 characteristics of energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration of a sub‐alpine spruce forest underlain by permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QPT). Energy balance closure on a half‐hourly basis was H + λE = 0.81 × (R_n ? G ? S) + 3.48 (W m^?2) (r² = 0.83, n = 14938), where H, λE, R_n, G and S are the sensible heat, latent heat, net radiation, soil heat and air‐column heat storage fluxes, respectively. Maximum H was higher than maximum λE, and H dominated the energy budget at midday during the whole year, even in summer time. However, the rainfall events significantly affected energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration. The mean value of evaporative fraction (Λ = λE/(λE + H)) during the growth period on zero precipitation days and non‐zero precipitation days was 0.40 and 0.61, respectively. The mean daily evapotranspiration of this sub‐alpine forest during summer time was 2.56 mm day^?1. The annual evapotranspiration and sublimation was 417 ± 8 mm year^?1, which was very similar to the annual precipitation of 428 mm. Sublimation accounted for 7.1% (30 ± 2 mm year^?1) of annual evapotranspiration and sublimation, indicating that the sublimation is not negligible in the annual water balance in sub‐alpine forests on the QPT. The low values of the Priestley–Taylor coefficient (α) and the very low value of the decoupling coefficient (Ω) during most of the growing season suggested low soil water content and conservative water loss in this sub‐alpine forest. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alkalinization and acidification of stream water with changes in atmospheric deposition in a tropical dry evergreen forest of northeastern Thailand

Field surveys on atmospheric deposition and stream water chemistry were conducted in an evergreen forest in northeastern Thailand characterized by a tropical savanna climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. Atmospheric deposition of ion constituents by throughfall and stemflow was shown to increase in the beginning and end of the wet season, reflecting the precipitation pattern. The pH and electrical conductivity of stream water increased with alkalinity and base cation concentrations due to mineralization of organic matter by the first rain and retention of anions in soil during the start of the wet season. After initial alkalinization, the pH and alkalinity declined rapidly with the highest SO₄^2? concentration displayed in the middle towards the end of the wet season. The magnitude of peaks in SO₄^2? concentration (13.5–60.6 μmol_c/L) reflects deposition during the first 2 months of the wet season (March and April) in respective years (60.8–170 mol_c/ha). Release of SO₄^2? with H⁺, which is retained in soil during the early wet season, may cause acidification later in the season. The deposition and concentration of SO₄^2? declined over 6 years. However, the pH of stream water declined with increasing concentrations of SO₄^2? and other major ions. The release of materials accumulated in the ecosystem was facilitated by the decrease in SO₄^2? concentration/deposition and increased precipitation in the middle–late wet season. The retention‐release cycle of SO₄^2? largely contributed to both seasonal and interannual variations in stream water chemistry in the tropical savanna climate studied.     

It goes both ways: measurements of simultaneous evapotranspiration and fog droplet deposition at a montane cloud forest

Fluxes of latent heat, sensible heat, and water vapor, including turbulent deposition of fog droplets, were measured for two months in autumn 2005 within a subtropical montane cypress forest in Taiwan. The goal of the study was to determine whether significant evapotranspiration can occur during foggy conditions. Water vapor fluxes, Q_W, as determined with the Bowen Ratio method, were compared to those simultaneously measured with the eddy covariance method. The median Bowen Ratio was 1.06, and the median Q_W flux was 5 · 2 × 10^?5 kg m^?2 s^?1. The vertical gradients of temperature and specific humidity over the forest, ΔT and Δq, peaked around noon during days without fog, and were reduced during foggy conditions. For 66% of the data points, ΔT and Δq were negative, corresponding to positive (upward) fluxes of sensible heat Q_H and latent heat Q_E. A Monte Carlo simulation proved that statistically significant evapotranspiration rates, i.e., upward water vapor fluxes, occurred during fog. At the same time, deposition fluxes of fog droplets occurred. Our results show that even during fog events, significant evapotranspiration may occur. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transpiration and plant water relations of evergreen woody vegetation on a recently constructed artificial ecosystem under seasonally dry conditions in Western Australia

Understanding transpiration and plant physiological responses to environmental conditions is crucial for the design and management of vegetated engineered covers. Engineered covers rely on sustained transpiration to reduce the risk of deep drainage into potentially hazardous wastes, thereby minimizing contamination of water resources. This study quantified temporal trends of plant water potential (ψ_p), stomatal conductance (g_s), and transpiration in a 4‐year‐old evergreen woody vegetation growing on an artificial sandy substrate at a mine waste disposal facility. Transpiration averaged 0.7 mm day^?1 in winter, when rainfall was frequent, but declined to 0.2 mm day^?1 in the dry summer, when the plants were quite stressed. In winter, the mean ψ_p was ?0.6 MPa at predawn and ?1.5 MPa at midday, which were much higher than the corresponding summer values of ?2.0 MPa and ?4.8 MPa, respectively. The g_s was also higher in winter (72.1–95.0 mmol m^?2 s^?1) than in summer (<30 mmol m^?2 s^?1), and negatively correlated with ψ_p (p < 0.05, r² = 0.71–0.75), indicating strong stomatal control of transpiration in response to moisture stress. Total annual transpiration (147.2 mm) accounted for only 22% of the annual rainfall (673 mm), compared with 77% to 99% for woody vegetation in Western Australia. The low annual transpiration was attributed to the collective effects of a sparse and young vegetation, low moisture retention of the sandy substrate, and a superficial root system constrained by high subsoil pH. Amending the substrate with fine‐textured materials should improve water storage of the substrate and enhance canopy growth and deep rooting, while further reducing the risk of deep drainage during the early stages of vegetation establishment and in the long term. Overall, this study highlights the need to understand substrate properties, vegetation characteristics, and rainfall patterns when designing artificial ecosystems to achieve specific hydrological functions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> flux evaluation over the evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Dinghushan,China

The Dinghushan flux observation site, as one of the four forest sites of ChinaFLUX, aims to acquire long-term measurements of CO₂ flux over a typical southern subtropical evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest ecosystem using the open path eddy covariance method. Based on two years of data from 2003 to 2004, the characteristics of temporal variation in CO₂ flux and its response to environmental factors in the forest ecosystem are analyzed. Provided two-dimensional coordinate rotation, WPL correction and quality control, poor energy-balance and underestimation of ecosystem respiration during nighttime implied that there could be a CO₂ leak during the nighttime at the site. Using daytime (PAR > 1.0 μmol^?1·m^?2·s^?1) flux data during windy conditions (u* > 0.2 m·s^?1), monthly ecosystem respiration (Reco) was derived through the Michaelis-Menten equation modeling the relationship between net ecosystem C0₂ exchange (NEE) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Exponential function was employed to describe the relationship between Reco and soil temperature at 5 cm depth (Ts05), then Reco of both daytime and nighttime was calculated respectively by the function. The major results are: (i) Derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation, the apparent quantum yield (α) was 0.0027±0.0011 mgCO₂·μmol^?1 photons, and the maximum photosynthetic assimilation rate (Amax) was 1.102±0.288 mgCO₂·m^?2·s^?1. Indistinctive seasonal variation of α or Amax was consistent with weak seasonal dynamics of leaf area index (LAf) in such a lower subtropical evergreen mixed forest, (ii) Monthly accumulated Reco was estimated as 95.3±21.1 gC·m^?2mon^?1, accounting for about 68% of the gross primary product (GPP). Monthly accumulated WEE was estimated as ?43.2±29.6 gC·m^?2·mon^?1. The forest ecosystem acted as carbon sink all year round without any seasonal carbon efflux period. Annual NEE of 2003 and 2004 was estimated as ?563.0 and ?441.2 gC·m^?2·a^?1 respectively, accounting for about 32% of GPP.     

Energy budget above a temperate mixed forest in northeastern China

Components of the energy budget were measured continuously above a 300‐year‐old temperate mixed forest at the Changbaishan site, northeastern China, from 1 January to 31 December 2003, as a part of the ChinaFlux programme. The albedo values above the canopy were lower than most temperate forests, and the values for snow‐covered canopy were over 50% higher than for the snow‐free canopy. In winter, net radiation R_n was generally less than 5% of the summer value due to high albedo and low incoming solar radiation. The annual mean latent heat LE was 37·5 W m^?2, accounting for 52% of R_n. The maximum daily evaporation was about 4·6 mm day^?1 in summer. Over the year, the accumulated precipitation was 578 mm; this compares with 493 mm of evapotranspiration, which shows that more than 85% of water was returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. The LE was strongly affected by the transpiration activity and increased quickly as the broadleaved trees began to foliate. The sensible heat H dropped at that time, although R_n increased. Consequently, the seasonal variation in the Bowen ratio β was clearly U‐shaped, and the minimum value (0·1) occurred on a sunny day just after rain, when most of the available energy was used for evapotranspiration. Negative β values occurred occasionally in the non‐growing season as a result of intensive radiative cooling and the presence of water on the surface. The β was very high (up to 13·0) in snow‐covered winter, when evapotranspiration was small due to low surface temperature and available soil water. Vegetation phenology and soil moisture were the key variables controlling the available energy partitioning between H and LE. Energy budget closure averaged better than 86% on a half‐hourly basis, with slightly greater closure on a daily basis. The degree of closure showed a dependence on friction velocity u*. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growing Spirodela polyrrhiza in Swine Wastewater for the Production of Animal Feed and Fuel Ethanol: A Pilot Study

To evaluate the performance of Spirodela polyrrhiza grown in swine wastewater for protein and starch production under field conditions, a pilot‐scale duckweed culture pond was installed at Barham Farm, Zebulon, North Carolina and operated from May to November 2010. The anaerobically treated swine wastewater was fed to the duckweed pond intermittently to provide nutrients for the growth of duckweed, and the duckweed biomass was harvested regularly from the pond and prepared as a protein‐ or starch‐rich feedstock for the production of animal feed or fuel ethanol. Over the experimental period, the duckweed pond produced protein and starch at rates of 2.68 and 1.88 g m^?2 day^?1, respectively. During the same time, NH₄–N and o‐PO₄–P in the wastewater were, respectively, removed at rates of 92.9 and 2.90 mmol m^?2 day^?1.     

Spatio-temporal patterns of forest carbon dioxide exchange based on global eddy covariance measurements

Spatio-temporal patterns and driving mechanisms of forest carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange are the key issues on terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycles, which are the basis for developing and validating ecosystem carbon cycle models, assessing and predicting the role of forests in global carbon balance. Eddy covariance (EC) technique, an important method for measuring energy and material exchanges between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, has made a great contribution to understanding CO2 exchanges in the biosphere during the past decade. Here, we synthesized published EC flux measurements at various forest sites in the global network of eddy flux tower sites (FLUXNET) and regional flux networks. Our objective was to explore spatio-temporal patterns and driving factors on forest carbon fluxes, i.e. net ecosystem productivity (NEP), gross primary productivity (GPP) and total ecosystem respiration (TER). Globally, forest NEP exhibited a significant latitudinal pattern jointly controlled by GPP and TER. The NEP decreased in an order of warm temperate forest > cold temperate and tropical rain forests > boreal and subalpine forests. Mean annual temperature (MAT) made a greater contribution to forest carbon fluxes than sum of annual precipitation (SAP). As MAT increased, the GPP increased linearly, whereas the TER increased exponentially, resulting in the NEP decreasing beyond an MAT threshold of 20°C. The GPP, TER and NEP varied substantially when the SAP was less than 1500 mm, but tended to increase with increasing SAP. Temporal dynamics in forest carbon fluxes and determinants depended upon time scales. NEP showed a significant interannual variability mainly driven by climate fluctuations and different responses of the GPP and TER to environmental forcing. In a longer term, forest carbon fluxes had a significant age effect. The ecosystem was a net carbon source right after clearcutting, gradually switched to a net carbon sink when the relative stand age (i.e. ratio of actual stand age to the stand rotation age) approached 0.3, and maximized carbon sequestration capacity at premature or mature stand stages. This temporal pattern of NEP was correlated with stand leaf area index and associated GPP. This study highlights the significance of spatio-temporal dynamics in the CO2 exchange in forest carbon cycling studies. It is also suggested that in addition to forest biomes, interannual variations and stand age effects of forest carbon fluxes should be considered in the global carbon balance.     

CO2 flux evaluation over the evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Dinghushan,China

The Dinghushan flux observation site, as one of the four forest sites of ChinaFLUX, aims to acquire long-term measurements of CO₂ flux over a typical southern subtropical evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest ecosystem using the open path eddy covariance method. Based on two years of data from 2003 to 2004, the characteristics of temporal variation in CO₂ flux and its response to environmental factors in the forest ecosystem are analyzed. Provided two-dimensional coordinate rotation, WPL correction and quality control, poor energy-balance and underestimation of ecosystem respiration during nighttime implied that there could be a CO₂ leak during the nighttime at the site. Using daytime (PAR > 1.0 μmol⁻¹·m⁻²·s⁻¹) flux data during windy conditions (u* > 0.2 m·s⁻¹), monthly ecosystem respiration (Reco) was derived through the Michaelis-Menten equation modeling the relationship between net ecosystem C0₂ exchange (NEE) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Exponential function was employed to describe the relationship between Reco and soil temperature at 5 cm depth (Ts05), then Reco of both daytime and nighttime was calculated respectively by the function. The major results are: (i) Derived from the Michaelis-Menten equation, the apparent quantum yield (α) was 0.0027±0.0011 mgCO₂·μmol⁻¹ photons, and the maximum photosynthetic assimilation rate (Amax) was 1.102±0.288 mgCO₂·m⁻²·s⁻¹. Indistinctive seasonal variation of α or Amax was consistent with weak seasonal dynamics of leaf area index (LAf) in such a lower subtropical evergreen mixed forest, (ii) Monthly accumulated Reco was estimated as 95.3±21.1 gC·m⁻²mon⁻¹, accounting for about 68% of the gross primary product (GPP). Monthly accumulated WEE was estimated as −43.2±29.6 gC·m⁻²·mon⁻¹. The forest ecosystem acted as carbon sink all year round without any seasonal carbon efflux period. Annual NEE of 2003 and 2004 was estimated as −563.0 and −441.2 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹ respectively, accounting for about 32% of GPP.