Vegetation-Air Exchange in Non-ideal Conditions

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this project is to investigate processes that control surface-air exchange of carbon dioxide, heat and water vapor over forest vegetation in non-ideal conditions (hilly terrain, patchy canopy, free convection, rain and stable stratification) through critical analysis of existing data and data from ongoing field experiments. The primary motivation for this research is that there is considerable interest among the scientific community in long-term, micrometeorological studies to understand the role of forest ecosystems in atmospheric carbon, energy and water cycles. Quantitative knowledge of atmospheric processes in these non-ideal conditions is needed. The ultimate goal of this project is to advance micrometeorological theory beyond the traditional focus on ideal conditions. Data will be acquired through collaborations with various researchers. They will come from the 1994 and 1996 BOREAS (Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Studies) experiments and from ongoing experiments at two other forest sites, an AmeriFlux site on flat terrain near Toronto, Canada, and a new site on moderate topography in Connecticut. The data include tower-based flux observation, meteorology, soil chamber, soil carbon and physical property, and biometric monitoring.