Mapping and monitoring of leaf area index (LAI) is important for spatially distributed modeling of vegetation productivity, evapotranspiration, and surface energy balance. Global LAI surfaces will be an early product of the MODIS Land Science Team, and the requirements for LAI validation at selected sites have prompted interest in accurate LAI mapping at a more… More
In tallgrass prairie, plant species interactions regulated by their associated mycorrhizal fungi may be important forces that influence species coexistence and community structure; however, the mechanisms and magnitude of these interactions remain unknown. The objective of this study was to determine how interspecific competition, mycorrhizal symbiosis, and their interactions influence plant community structure. We conducted… More
Substantial research seeks to improve estimates of ecosystem processes and fluxes at a range of scales, notably from the stand scale (<1 km2) using ecosystem physiology and eddy covariance techniques, to the landscape (∼102 km2) and global (108 km2) scales using a variety of modeling and data acquisition approaches. One approach uses remotely sensed ecosystem… More
Vegetation light use efficiency is a key physiological parameter at the canopy scale, and at the daily time step is a component of remote sensing algorithms for scaling gross primary production (GPP) and net primary production (NPP) over regional to global domains. For the purposes of calibrating and validating the light use efficiency (εg) algorithms,… More
To address the need for a high quality data set based upon field observations suitable for parameterization, calibration, and validation of terrestrial biosphere models, we have developed a comprehensive global database on net primary productivity (NPP). We have compiled field measurements of biomass and associated environmental data for multiple study sites in major grassland types… More
Spring burning of dead biomass in tallgrass prairie is a common practice that may influence heat and water vapor transport from the landscape. Bowen ratio methods were used to measure the surface energy balances and evapotranspiration (ET) from burned (B) and unburned (UB) prairie near Manhattan, KS, USA. Data were collected from day of year… More
The global terrestrial carbon sink offsets one-third of the world’s fossil fuel emissions, but the strength of this sink is highly sensitive to large-scale extreme events. In 2012, the contiguous United States experienced exceptionally warm temperatures and the most severe drought since the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, resulting in substantial economic damage. It… More
The global terrestrial carbon sink offsets one-third of the world’s fossil fuel emissions, but the strength of this sink is highly sensitive to large-scale extreme events. In 2012, the contiguous United States experienced exceptionally warm temperatures and the most severe drought since the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, resulting in substantial economic damage. It… More
The AmeriFlux Tech Team has completed another successful site visit season. Nine (9) site visits were completed.