The near-pristine bog ecosystems of Tierra del Fuego in southernmost Patagonia have so far not been studied in terms of their current carbon dioxide (CO2) sink strength. CO2 flux data from Southern Hemisphere peatlands are scarce in general. In this study, we present CO2 net ecosystem exchange (NEE) fluxes from two Fuegian bog ecosystems with… More
Most terrestrial carbon sequestration at mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere occurs in seasonal, montane forest ecosystems1. Winter respiratory carbon dioxide losses from these ecosystems are high, and over half of the carbon assimilated by photosynthesis in the summer can be lost the following winter2,3. The amount of winter carbon dioxide loss is potentially susceptible to… More
The respiratory loss of CO2 from soil microbes beneath winter snow in forests from cold climates can significantly influence the annual carbon budget. We explored the magnitude of winter soil respiration using continuous measurements of beneath‐snow CO2 concentration within the footprint of a flux tower in a subalpine forest in the Rocky Mountains. We used… More
The eddy covariance technique, which is used in the determination of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), is subject to significant errors when advection that carries CO2 in the mean flow is ignored. We measured horizontal and vertical advective CO2 fluxes at the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux site (Colorado, USA) using a measurement approach consisting of multiple… More
Eddy covariance measurements of the surface energy balance and carbon dioxide exchange above high-elevation (3,480 m above sea level) alpine tundra located near Niwot Ridge, Colorado, were compared to simultaneous measurements made over an adjacent subalpine forest over two summers and one winter, from June 9, 2007 to July 3, 2008. The surface energy balance… More
A system to make atmospheric measurements from a moving trolley suspended by a stretched cable has been developed. At present, these measurements consist of wind velocity, temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration, though other sensors may be added. The track consists of cable segments attached to turns mounted on standard triangular towers. Using this approach,… More
Ecosystem level ozone (O3) fluxes during four different years were examined at a subalpine forest site in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The local mountain–valley wind system and the proximity of the Denver Metropolitan area leads to high summertime ozone episodes on many afternoons. The timing between these episodes and the ecosystem processes controlling photosynthesis during… More
Recent studies have demonstrated direct methane emission from plant foliage under aerobic conditions, particularly under high ultraviolet (UV) irradiance. We examined the potential importance of this phenomenon in a high-elevation conifer forest using micrometeorological techniques. Vertical profiles of methane and carbon dioxide in forest air were monitored every 2 h for 6 weeks in summer… More
As global temperatures increase, the potential for longer growing seasons to enhance the terrestrial carbon sink has been proposed as a mechanism to reduce the rate of further warming. At the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux site, a subalpine forest in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, we used a 9‐year record (1999–2007) of continuous eddy flux observations to… More
Ecosystem water-use efficiency (eWUE; the ratio of net ecosystem productivity to evapotranspiration rate) is a complex landscape-scale parameter controlled by both physical and biological processes occurring in soil and plants. Leaf WUE (lWUE; the ratio of leaf CO2 assimilation rate to transpiration rate) is controlled at short time scales principally by leaf stomatal dynamics and… More