Ebook: Fluxes of Carbon, Water and Energy of European Forests

After years of technological development and its important achievements to make our life easier and more comfortable, human society is going to face one of the most difficult challenges of the last century: to stabilize the concentra­ tion levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to prevent harmful effects on the climate system. Through a delicate balance between photosynthesis and respiration, terres­ trial ecosystems, and in particular forests, are today thought to take up a sig­ nificant part of the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, sometimes called the "terrestrial carbon sink". However, the location, magnitude, and vulnerability of the carbon dioxide sink of the terrestrial biota are still uncer­ tain. The suite of traditional tools in an ecologist's toolbox for studying ecosys­ tem productivity and carbon balance include leaf cuvettes, whole-plant and soil chambers for gas exchange, and biomass and soil carbon inventories. While each of the cited methods has distinct advantages, they are limited with regards to their ability to measure net carbon dioxide exchange of the whole ecosystem across a variety of time scales. This book present a compendium of results of a European project (EURO­ FLUX), funded by the European Commission through its fourth framework program, aiming to elucidate the role of forests in continental carbon balance.

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This is a synthesis of several studies on fluxes of carbon, water and energy conducted in a range of European forests encompassing different climates, soils and biomes. The volume covers methodological issues, particularly the eddy covariance technique describing its limitations and practical use. Further, major insights in ecosystem processes gained through investigations in evergreen coniferous, mediterranean and broad-leaved forests are presented. In an integrated effort, atmospheric physicists, ecologists, ecosystem modellers, and remote sensing scientists elucidate the impact of terrestrial ecosystems on the global biogeochemistry of the earth.

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This is a synthesis of several studies on fluxes of carbon, water and energy conducted in a range of European forests encompassing different climates, soils and biomes. The volume covers methodological issues, particularly the eddy covariance technique describing its limitations and practical use. Further, major insights in ecosystem processes gained through investigations in evergreen coniferous, mediterranean and broad-leaved forests are presented. In an integrated effort, atmospheric physicists, ecologists, ecosystem modellers, and remote sensing scientists elucidate the impact of terrestrial ecosystems on the global biogeochemistry of the earth.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XX
EUROFLUX: An Integrated Network for Studying the Long-Term Responses of Biospheric Exchanges of Carbon, Water, and Energy of European Forests....Pages 1-8
Methodology for Data Acquisition, Storage, and Treatment....Pages 9-35
Measurement of Soil Respiration....Pages 37-54
Deciduous Forests: Carbon and Water Fluxes, Balances and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 55-70
Coniferous Forests (Scots and Maritime Pine): Carbon and Water Fluxes, Balances, Ecological and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 71-97
Spruce Forests (Norway and Sitka Spruce, Including Douglas Fir): Carbon and Water Fluxes and Balances, Ecological and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 99-123
Evergreen Mediterranean Forests. Carbon and Water Fluxes, Balances, Ecological and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 125-149
A Model-Based Study of Carbon Fluxes at Ten European Forest Sites....Pages 151-177
A Model-Based Approach for the Estimation of Carbon Sinks in European Forests....Pages 179-206
Factors Controlling Forest Atmosphere Exchange of Water, Energy, and Carbon....Pages 207-223
The Carbon Sink Strength of Forests in Europe: a Synthesis of Results....Pages 225-232
Climatic Influences on Seasonal and Spatial Differences in Soil CO2 Efflux....Pages 233-253
Conclusions: The Role of Canopy Flux Measurements in Global C-Cycle Research....Pages 255-266
Back Matter....Pages 267-273

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This is a synthesis of several studies on fluxes of carbon, water and energy conducted in a range of European forests encompassing different climates, soils and biomes. The volume covers methodological issues, particularly the eddy covariance technique describing its limitations and practical use. Further, major insights in ecosystem processes gained through investigations in evergreen coniferous, mediterranean and broad-leaved forests are presented. In an integrated effort, atmospheric physicists, ecologists, ecosystem modellers, and remote sensing scientists elucidate the impact of terrestrial ecosystems on the global biogeochemistry of the earth.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XX
EUROFLUX: An Integrated Network for Studying the Long-Term Responses of Biospheric Exchanges of Carbon, Water, and Energy of European Forests....Pages 1-8
Methodology for Data Acquisition, Storage, and Treatment....Pages 9-35
Measurement of Soil Respiration....Pages 37-54
Deciduous Forests: Carbon and Water Fluxes, Balances and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 55-70
Coniferous Forests (Scots and Maritime Pine): Carbon and Water Fluxes, Balances, Ecological and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 71-97
Spruce Forests (Norway and Sitka Spruce, Including Douglas Fir): Carbon and Water Fluxes and Balances, Ecological and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 99-123
Evergreen Mediterranean Forests. Carbon and Water Fluxes, Balances, Ecological and Ecophysiological Determinants....Pages 125-149
A Model-Based Study of Carbon Fluxes at Ten European Forest Sites....Pages 151-177
A Model-Based Approach for the Estimation of Carbon Sinks in European Forests....Pages 179-206
Factors Controlling Forest Atmosphere Exchange of Water, Energy, and Carbon....Pages 207-223
The Carbon Sink Strength of Forests in Europe: a Synthesis of Results....Pages 225-232
Climatic Influences on Seasonal and Spatial Differences in Soil CO2 Efflux....Pages 233-253
Conclusions: The Role of Canopy Flux Measurements in Global C-Cycle Research....Pages 255-266
Back Matter....Pages 267-273
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