To evaluate the carbon budget of a boreal deciduous forest, we measured CO2 fluxes using the eddy covariance technique above an old aspen (OA) forest in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1994 and 1996 as part of the Boreal Ecosystem‐Atmosphere Study (BOREAS). We found that the OA forest is a strong carbon sink sequestering 200 ± 30 and 130 ± 30 g C m–2 y–1 in 1994 and 1996, respectively. These measurements were 16–45% lower than an inventory result that the mean carbon increment was about 240 g C m–2 y–1 between 1919 and 1994, mainly due to the advanced age of the stand at the time of eddy covariance measurements. Assuming these rates to be representative of Canadian boreal deciduous forests (area ≈ 3 × 105 km2), it is likely they can sequester 40–60 Tg C y–1, which is 2–3% of the missing global carbon sink. The difference in carbon sequestration by the OA forest between 1994 and 1996 was mainly caused by the difference in leaf emergence date. The monthly mean air temperature during March–May 1994, was 4.8 °C higher than in 1996, resulting in leaf emergence being 18–24 days earlier in 1994 than 1996. The warm spring and early leaf emergence in 1994 enabled the aspen forest to exploit the long days and high solar irradiance of mid‐to‐late spring. In contrast, the 1996 OA growing season included only 32 days before the summer solstice. The earlier leaf emergence in 1994 resulted 16% more absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and a 90 g C m–2 y–1 increase in photosynthesis than 1996. The concomitant increase in respiration in the warmer year (1994) was only 20 g C m–2 y–1. These results show that an important control on carbon sequestration by boreal deciduous forests is spring temperature, via the influence of air temperature on the timing of leaf emergence.
Abstract. Many peatlands have been drained and harvested for peat mining, agriculture, and other purposes, which has turned them from carbon (C) sinks into C emitters. Rewetting of disturbed peatlands facilitates their ecological recovery and may help them revert to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) sinks. However, rewetting may also cause substantial emissions of the more potent greenhouse gas (GHG) methane (CH 4 ). Our knowledge of the exchange of CO 2 and CH 4 following rewetting during restoration of disturbed peatlands is currently limited. This study quantifies annual fluxes of CO 2 and CH 4 in a disturbed and rewetted area located in the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area in Delta, BC, Canada. Burns Bog is recognized as the largest raised bog ecosystem on North America's west coast. Burns Bog was substantially reduced in size and degraded by peat mining and agriculture. Since 2005, the bog has been declared a conservancy area, with restoration efforts focusing on rewetting disturbed ecosystems to recover Sphagnum and suppress fires. Using the eddy covariance (EC) technique, we measured year-round (16 June 2015 to 15 June 2016) turbulent fluxes of CO 2 and CH 4 from a tower platform in an area rewetted for the last 8 years. The study area, dominated by sedges and Sphagnum, experienced a varying water table position that ranged between 7.7 (inundation) and −26.5 cm from the surface during the study year. The annual CO 2 budget of the rewetted area was −179 ± 26.2 g CO 2 -C m −2 yr −1 (CO 2 sink) and the annual CH 4 budget was 17 ± 1.0 g CH 4 -C m −2 yr −1 (CH 4 source). Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) exceeded ecosystem respiration (R e ) during summer months (June-August), causing a net CO 2 uptake. In summer, high CH 4 emissions (121 mg CH 4 -C m −2 day −1 ) were measured. In winter (December-February), while roughly equal magnitudes of GEP and R e made the study area CO 2 neutral, very low CH 4 emissions (9 mg CH 4 -C m −2 day −1 ) were observed. The key environmental factors controlling the seasonality of these exchanges were downwelling photosynthetically active radiation and 5 cm soil temperature. It appears that the high water table caused by ditch blocking suppressed R e . With low temperatures in winter, CH 4 emissions were more suppressed than R e . Annual net GHG flux from CO 2 and CH 4 expressed in terms of CO 2 equivalents (CO 2 eq.) during the study period totalled −22 ± 103.1 g CO 2 eq. m −2 yr −1 (net CO 2 eq. sink) and 1248 ± 147.6 g CO 2 eq. m −2 yr −1 (net CO 2 eq. source) by using 100-and 20-year global warming potential values, respectively. Consequently, the ecosystem was almost CO 2 eq. neutral during the study period expressed on a 100-year time horizon but was a significant CO 2 eq. source on a 20-year time horizon.
<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Many peatlands have been drained and harvested for peat mining, which has turned them from carbon (C) sinks into C emitters. Rewetting of disturbed peatlands facilitates their ecological recovery, and may help them revert to carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) sinks. However, rewetting may also cause substantial emissions of the more potent greenhouse gas (GHG) methane (CH<sub>4</sub>). Our knowledge on the exchange of CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> following rewetting during restoration of disturbed peatlands is currently limited. This study quantifies annual fluxes of CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> in a disturbed and rewetted area located in the Burns Bog Ecological Conservancy Area in Delta, BC, Canada. Burns Bog is recognized as the largest raised bog ecosystem on North America's West Coast. Burns Bog was substantially reduced in size and degraded by peat mining and agriculture. Since 2005, the bog has been declared a conservancy area, with restoration efforts focusing on rewetting disturbed ecosystems to recover Sphagnum and suppress fires. Using the eddy-covariance (EC) technique, we measured year-round (16<sup>th</sup> June 2015 to 15<sup>th</sup> June 2016) turbulent fluxes of CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> from a tower platform in an area rewetted for the last 8 years. The study area, dominated by sedges and Sphagnum, experienced a varying water table position that ranged between 7.7 (inundation) and &#8722;26.5&#8201;cm from the surface during the study year. The annual CO<sub>2</sub> budget of the rewetted area was &#8722;179&#8201;g CO<sub>2</sub>-C m<sup>&#8722;2</sup> year<sup>&#8722;1</sup> (CO<sub>2</sub> sink) and the annual CH<sub>4</sub> budget was 16&#8201;g CH<sub>4</sub>-C m<sup>&#8722;2</sup> year<sup>&#8722;1</sup> (CH<sub>4</sub> source). Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) exceeded ecosystem respiration (Re) during summer months (June&#8211;August), causing a net CO<sub>2</sub> uptake. In summer, high CH<sub>4</sub> emissions (121&#8201;mg CH<sub>4</sub>-C m<sup>&#8722;2</sup> day<sup>&#8722;1</sup>) were measured. In winter (December&#8211;February), while roughly equal magnitudes of GEP and Re made the study area CO<sub>2</sub> neutral, very low CH<sub>4</sub> emissions (9&#8201;mg CH<sub>4</sub>-C m<sup>&#8722;2</sup> day<sup>&#8722;1</sup>) were observed. The key environmental factors controlling the seasonality of these exchanges were downwelling photosynthetically active radiation and 5-cm soil temperature. It appears that the high water table caused by ditch blocking which suppresses Re. With low temperatures in winter, CH<sup>4</sup> emission was more suppressed than Re. Annual net GHG flux from CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> expressed in terms of CO<sub>2</sub> equivalents (CO<sub>2</sub>e) during the study period totaled to &#8722;55&#8201;g CO<sub>2</sub>e m<sup>&#8722;2</sup> year<sup>&#8722;1</sup> (net CO<sub>2</sub>e sink) and 1147&#8201;g CO<sub>2</sub>e m<sup>&#8722;2</sup> year<sup>&#8722;1</sup> (net CO<sub>2</sub>e source) by using 100-year and 20-year global warming potential values, respectively. Consequently, the ecosystem was almost CO<sub>2</sub>e neutral during the study period expressed on a 100-year time horizon but was a significant CO<sub>2</sub>e source on a 20-year time horizon.</p>
Abstract. A method for directly measuring carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions using a mobile sensor network in cities at fine spatial resolution was developed and tested. First, a compact, mobile system was built using an infrared gas analyzer combined with open-source hardware to control, georeference, and log measurements of CO 2 mixing ratios on vehicles (car, bicycles). Second, two measurement campaigns, one in summer and one in winter (heating season) were carried out. Five mobile sensors were deployed within a 1 × 12.7 km transect across the city of Vancouver, BC, Canada. The sensors were operated for 3.5 h on pre-defined routes to map CO 2 mixing ratios at street level, which were then averaged to 100 × 100 m grid cells. The averaged CO 2 mixing ratios of all grids in the study area were 417.9 ppm in summer and 442.5 ppm in winter. In both campaigns, mixing ratios were highest in the grid cells of the downtown core and along arterial roads and lowest in parks and well vegetated residential areas. Third, an aerodynamic resistance approach to calculating emissions was used to derive CO 2 emissions from the gridded CO 2 mixing ratio measurements in conjunction with mixing ratios and fluxes collected from a 28 m tall eddycovariance tower located within the study area. These measured emissions showed a range of −12 to 226 CO 2 ha −1 h −1 in summer and of −14 to 163 kg CO 2 ha −1 h −1 in winter, with an average of 35.1 kg CO 2 ha −1 h −1 (summer) and 25.9 kg CO 2 ha −1 h −1 (winter). Fourth, an independent emissions inventory was developed for the study area using buildings energy simulations from a previous study and routinely available traffic counts. The emissions inventory for the same area averaged to 22.06 kg CO 2 ha −1 h −1 (summer) and 28.76 kg CO 2 ha −1 h −1 (winter) and was used to compare against the measured emissions from the mobile sensor network. The comparison on a grid-by-grid basis showed linearity between CO 2 mixing ratios and the emissions inventory (R 2 = 0.53 in summer and R 2 = 0.47 in winter). Also, 87 % (summer) and 94 % (winter) of measured grid cells show a difference within ±1 order of magnitude, and 49 % (summer) and 69 % (winter) show an error of less than a factor 2. Although associated with considerable errors at the individual grid cell level, the study demonstrates a promising method of using a network of mobile sensors and an aerodynamic resistance approach to rapidly map greenhouse gases at high spatial resolution across cities. The method could be improved by longer measurements and a refined calculation of the aerodynamic resistance.
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