On Measuring Net Ecosystem Carbon Exchange Over Tall Vegetation on Complex Terrain

To assess annual budgets of CO₂ exchange betweenthe biosphere and atmosphere over representativeecosystems, long-term measurements must be made overecosystems that do not exist on ideal terrain. How tointerpret eddy covariance measurements correctlyremains a major task. At present, net ecosystemCO₂ exchange is assessed, by members of themicrometeorological community, as the sum of eddycovariance measurements and the storage of CO₂ inthe underlying air. This approach, however, seemsunsatisfactory as numerous investigators are reportingthat it may be causing nocturnal respiration fluxdensities to be underestimated.A new theory was recently published by Lee (1998, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 91: 39–50) for assessing net ecosystem-atmosphere CO₂ exchange(N_e) over non-ideal terrain. Itincludes a vertical advection term. We apply thisequation over a temperate broadleaved forest growingin undulating terrain. Inclusion of the verticaladvection term yields hourly, daily and annual sums ofnet ecosystem CO₂ exchange that are moreecologically correct during the growing season.During the winter dormant period, on the other hand,corrected CO₂ flux density measurements of anactively respiring forest were near zero. Thisobservation is unrealistic compared to chambermeasurements and model calculations. Only duringmidday, when the atmosphere is well-mixed, domeasurements of N_e match estimatesbased on model calculations and chamber measurements. On an annual basis, sums of N_ewithout the advection correction were 40% too large,as compared with computations derived from a validatedand process-based model. With the inclusion of theadvection correction term, we observe convergencebetween measured and calculated values ofN_e on hourly, daily and yearly time scales. We cannot, however, conclude that inclusion of aone-dimensional, vertical advection term into thecontinuity equation is sufficient for evaluatingCO₂ exchange over tall forests in complexterrain. There is an indication that the neglected term,( c¯/ x), isnon-zero and that CO₂ may be leakingfrom the sides of the control volume during the winter. In this circumstance, forest floor CO₂ effluxdensities exceed effluxes measured above the canopy.     

Spatial representativeness of single tower measurements and the imbalance problem with eddy-covariance fluxes: results of a large-eddy simulation study

A large-eddy simulation (LES) study is presented that investigates the spatial variability of temporal eddy covariance fluxes and the systematic underestimation of representative fluxes linked to them. It extends a prior numerical study by performing high resolution simulations that allow for virtual measurements down to 20 m in a convective boundary layer, so that conditions for small tower measurement sites can be analysed. It accounts for different convective regimes as the wind speed and the near-surface heat flux are varied. Moreover, it is the first LES imbalance study that extends to the stable boundary layer. It reveals shortcomings of single site measurements and the necessity of using horizontally-distributed observation networks. The imbalances in the convective case are attributed to a locally non-vanishing mean vertical advection due to turbulent organised structures (TOS). The strength of the TOS and thus the imbalance magnitude depends on height, the horizontal mean wind and the convection type. Contrary to the results of a prior study, TOS cannot generally be responsible for large energy imbalances: at low observation heights (corresponding to small towers and near-surface energy balance stations) the TOS related imbalances are generally about one order of magnitude smaller than those in field experiments. However, TOS may cause large imbalances at large towers not only in the case of cellular convection and low wind speeds, as found in the previous study, but also in the case of roll convection at large wind speeds. In the stably stratified boundary layer for all observation heights neither TOS nor significant imbalances are observed. Attempting to reduce imbalances in convective situations by applying the conventional linear detrending method increases the systematic flux underestimation. Thus, a new filter method is proposed.     

Similarity theory and calculation of turbulent fluxes at the surface for the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer

In this paper we revise the similarity theory for the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), formulate analytical approximations for the wind velocity and potential temperature profiles over the entire ABL, validate them against large-eddy simulation and observational data, and develop an improved surface flux calculation technique for use in operational models.     

On the gap in the spectra of surface-layer atmospheric turbulence

A large set of tower data was used to identify the gap that separates small-scale turbulence and mesoscale structures in the cospectra of surface fluxes. The cospectra were obtained using a multi-resolution decomposition algorithm. The gap time scale τ _g was found by fitting a fifth-order polynomial to the cospectra and identifying special points occurring after the peak at small scales. In unstable conditions (day) τ _g was found to fall as the mean wind speed increased, while no such dependence was observed in stable conditions (night). The gap scale was found to change very weakly with stability both in moderately stable and moderately unstable conditions, with a sharp drop from about 1100 to 250 s occurring in near-neutral conditions. The vertical fluxes computed at different averaging intervals were found to correlate exceptionally well with each other, the scatter being somewhat larger during the night. Although considerable discrepancy may occur for individual records, when averaged over 10 months, the difference in the flux estimated at 7 to 109 min intervals never exceeded 4%, which is comparable or less than the instrumental error.     

Global significance of the carbon cycle in the karst dynamic system: evidence from geological and ecological processes

On the basis of proposing the existence of a karst carbon cycle and carbon sink at a watershed scale, this paper provides four pieces of evidence for the integration of geology and ecology during the carbon cycle processes in the karst dynamic system, and estimated the karst carbon sink effect using the methods of comparative monitoring of paired watersheds and the carbon stable isotope tracer technique. The results of the soil carbon cycle in Maocun, Guilin, showed that the soil carbon cycle in the karst area, the weathering and dissolution of carbonate rocks under the soil, resulted in a lower soil respiration of 25% in the karst area than in a non-karst area (sandstone and shale), and the carbon isotope results indicated that 13.46% of the heavy carbon of the limestone is involved in the soil carbon cycle. The comparative monitoring results in paired watersheds, suggesting that the HCO₃^- concentration in a karst spring is 10 times that of a rivulet in a non-karst area, while the concentration of inorganic carbon flux is 23.8 times. With both chemical stoichiometry and carbon stable isotopes, the proportion of carbon in karst springs derived from carbonate rocks was found to be 58.52% and 37.65% respectively. The comparison on carbon exchange and isotopes at the water-gas interface between the granite and carbonate rock basins in the Li River showed that the CO₂ emission of the karst water is 10.92 times that of the allogenic water from the non-karst area, while the carbon isotope of HCO₃^- in karst water is lighter by 8.62‰. However, this does not mean that the karst water body has a larger carbon source effect. On the contrary, it means the karst water body has a greater karst carbon sink effect. When the karst subterranean stream in Zhaidi, Guilin, is exposed at the surface, carbon-rich karst water stimulated the growth of aquatic plants. The values of carbon stable isotopes in the same species of submerged plants gradually becomes heavier and heavier, and the 512 m flow process has a maximum range of 15.46‰. The calculation results showed that 12.52% of inorganic carbon is converted into organic carbon. According to the data that has been published, the global karst carbon sink flux was estimated to be 0.53-0.58 PgC/a, equivalent to 31.18%-34.41% of the global forest carbon sink flux. In the meanwhile, the karst carbon sink flux in China was calculated to be 0.051 PgC/a, accounting for 68% of its forest carbon sink flux.     

Earthworm Calcite Granule —A New Proxy for Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction

Earthworm calcite granules (ECG), generally produced in Morren's glands of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris and Lumbricus rubellus, are commonly preserved in Quaternary soils and sediments well. These granules can not only provide radio-carbon dating (Carbon-14) with the efficacious materials, but accurately record a wealth of climatic and environmental information on temperature and precipitation. For instance, researchers from France reconstructed the paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation during the last glacial in west part of Europe by taking advantage of δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C signal contained in ECG. Additionally, scientists from Germany and France carried out radiocarbon dating of ECG from two different loess-paleosol sequences, and the results showed consistency with the dating results of other materials (such as charcoal, bone, plant calcified root cells, etc.). Therefore, this new bio-indicator has been confirmed as a proxy for paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstruction, hopefully becoming the golden key to understanding the paleoclimate change. This paper, based on the previous literatures, reviewed the present research status of ECG in paleoclimatology, mainly consisting of five aspects: (i) ECGs' production mechanism and their characteristics; (ii) The theoretical foundation of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in terrestrial fossil earthworm calcite granules for paleoclimatic reconstruction; (iii) The pre-treatment of ECG samples; (iv) Current applications in chronology and paleoclimatology of earthworm calcite granules;(v) Major problems at present regarding paleoclimatic explanation and radiocarbon-14 dating of ECG. Finally, we proposed the future research and development direction in this field, which is expected to make a reference to the future researches.     

Airline Network Carbon Emission Model and the Analysis of External Factors

In the face of the challenges posed by low-carbon aviation development to the aviation industry and the transformation of the emission reduction mechanism, based on the external perspective, firstly, the general expression of the environment damage model of aviation carbon emission and the element about the damage factors of carbon emission environment and the application of sensitivity analysis method were introduced and analyzed. Then, the external factors of carbon emissions in the airline network were analyzed systematically—The influence of the flight operation stage (LTO phase and cruise phase), the sector distance, the flight type and the terminal area airspace. The existing research showed that the two types of airline network model about the environment damage of aviation carbon emission were in different ways and sizes, and the city-pairs was lower than the hub-spoke; the environment damage of aviation carbon emission was the formation of the above four elements with the aircraft type and airline type. The hub airport’s carbon emissions triggered a challenge to the hub-spoke airline network model. In the low-carbon economy, corresponding suggestions on the airline network model were also faced with the hinterland market.     

Estimating the value of carbon sequestration ecosystem services in the Mediterranean Sea: An ecological economics approach

Ocean and marine ecosystems provide a range of valuable services to humans, including benefits such as carbon sequestration, whose economic value are as yet poorly understood. This paper presents a novel contribution to the valuation of carbon sequestration services in marine ecosystems with an application to the Mediterranean Sea. We combine a state-of-the-art biogeochemical model with various estimates of the social cost of carbon emissions to provide a spatially explicit characterization of the current flow of values that are attributable to the various sequestration processes, including the biological component. Using conservative estimates of the social cost of carbon, we evaluate the carbon sequestration value flows over the entire basin to range between 127 and 1722 million €/year. Values per unit area range from −135 to 1000 €/km² year, with the exclusive economic zone of some countries acting as net carbon sources. Whereas the contribution of physical processes can be either positive or negative, also depending on the properties of incoming Atlantic water, the contribution of biological processes to the marine “blue carbon” sequestration is always positive, and found to range between 100 to 1500 million €/year for the whole basin.     

A large epeiric methanogenic Bambuí sea in the core of Gondwana supercontinent?

Carbon isotope compositions of both sedimentary carbonate and organic matter can be used as key proxies of the global carbon cycle and of its evolution through time,as long as they are acquired from waters where the dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC)is in isotope equilibrium with the atmospheric CO2.However,in shallow water platforms and epeiric settings,the influence of local to regional parameters on carbon cycling may lead to DIG isotope variations unrelated to the global carbon cycle.This may be especially true for the terminal Neoproterozoic,when Gondwana assembly isolated waters masses from the global ocean,and extreme positive and negative carbon isotope excursions are recorded,potentially decoupled from global signals.To improve our understanding on the type of information recorded by these excursions,we investigate the pairedδ^13Ccarb andδ^13Corg evolution for an increasingly restricted late Ediacaran-Cambrian foreland system in the West Gondwana interior:the basal Bambui Group.This succession represents a 1~(st)-order sedimentary sequence and records two majorδ^13Ccarb excursions in its two lowermost lower-rank sequences.The basal cap carbonate interval at the base of the first sequence,deposited when the basin was connected to the ocean,hosts antithetical negative and positive excursions forδ^13Ccarb andδ^13Corg,respectively,resulting inΔ^13C values lower than 25‰.From the top of the basal sequence upwards,an extremely positiveδ^13Ccarb excursion is coupled toδ^13Corg,reaching values of+14‰and-14‰,respectively.This positive excursion represents a remarkable basin-wide carbon isotope feature of the Bambui Group that occurs with only minor changes inΔ^13C values,suggesting change in the DIC isotope composition.We argue that this regional isotopic excursion is related to a disconnection between the intrabasinal and the global carbon cycles.This extreme carbon isotope excursion may have been a product of a disequilibria between the basin DIC and atmospheric CO2 induced by an active methanogenesis,favored by the basin restriction.The drawdown of sulfate reservoir by microbial sulfate reduction in a poorly ventilated and dominantly anoxic basin would have triggered methanogenesis and ultimately methane escape to the atmosphere,resulting in a^13C-enriched DIC influenced by methanogenic CO2.Isolated basins in the interior of the Gondwana supercontinent may have represented a significant source of methane inputs to the atmosphere,potentially affecting both the global carbon cycle and the climate.     

从碳源到碳汇：大陆弧演化过程中岩浆与剥蚀作用对长期碳循环的影响

在百万年时间尺度上,大气、海洋中的二氧化碳浓度(P_CO2,二氧化碳分压)和长期变化主要受岩浆-变质脱碳作用和硅酸盐风化作用(消耗二氧化碳)控制。因此,地球表层主要构造活动带的构造-岩浆活动对长期碳循环具有重要的驱动作用。本文在总结已发表文献的基础上,系统评估了大陆弧,尤其是晚白垩世大陆弧的岩浆作用和剥蚀作用的碳通量,并以此为依据探讨了大陆弧演化对于全球长期碳循环的影响。大陆弧岩浆作用以周期性(几十万年至一百百万年)岩浆爆发(magmatic flare-ups)为特征。在一个周期内,大规模岩浆喷发会导致CO₂排放量大幅度增加,促进温室效应。但同时,大规模的岩浆作用又会导致地壳增厚和和地表抬升,从而促进剥蚀作用、提高化学风化通量,进而增加CO₂消耗量。对于单个的大陆弧来说,在其演化的不同阶段对于碳循环扮演着不同的角色：演化早期由于岩浆作用起主导作用,表现为净碳源;而在岩浆作用减弱或停止后,由于剥蚀作用的持续进行,表现为净碳汇。因此,从长周期和全球尺度上讲,大陆弧岩浆活动表现的“碳源属性”受到化学风化作...