Releases of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from thawing permafrost are expected to be among the largest feedbacks to climate from arctic ecosystems. However, the current net carbon (C) balance of terrestrial arctic ecosystems is unknown. Recent studies suggest that these ecosystems are sources, sinks, or approximately in balance at present…. More
We investigated the impact of the 2011 severe drought on summer evapotranspiration (ET) and energy partitioning of a managed Old World bluestem grassland in the Southern Great Plains and compared the results with those from 2010, a hydrologically wet year. Measurements of CO2, latent heat (LE), and sensible heat (H) fluxes were made using an… More
Environmental and management factors are critical in determining the C source or sink status of agroecosystems. Information on the C dynamics of an ecosystem from source to sink and vice versa are critical in determining the role of that ecosystem in regional and global C balances. We investigated the impact of the 2011 mega-drought on… More