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| Titel |
Net ecosystem exchange of two tropical ecosystems in Panama |
| VerfasserIn |
S. Wolf, N. Buchmann, W. Eugster |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2009
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 11 (2009) |
| Datensatznummer |
250024185
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Land-use change, particularly in the tropics, has a significant impact on the global climate
due to biophysical and biogeochemical feedbacks. With a changing climate, an
improved understanding of changes in net primary productivity and carbon storage
potentials of tropical ecosystems is needed. However, continuous measurements of
ecosystem fluxes are sparse in tropical regions and only few localities exist in Central
America.
Thus, our objective is to analyse the Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of two tropical
ecosystems in Sardinilla, Central Panama (9.3Ë N, 79.6Ë W, 70 m a.s.l.) and to assess their
carbon storage potentials based on flux tower measurements using the eddy covariance
method. Ecosystem CO2 and H2O fluxes of a native tree plantation (planted in 2001) and an
adjacent, traditionally grazed pasture are measured continuously and simultaneously since
June 2007.
Our results of nearly two years of continuous operation show clear seasonal and annual
differences of NEE between a tropical pasture and a native tree plantation in Panama.
Although midday photosynthetic activity of the pasture vegetation leads to high productivity
of the dominating C4 grasses, respiration losses exceed photosynthetic inputs and the pasture
ecosystem is a carbon source on an annual scale. In contrast, our results indicate a clear
carbon storage potential for the plantation ecosystem.
Since our measurements only provide an insight into the initial establishment phase of an
improved afforestation project, it will be essential to investigate whether these differences
already allow to estimate carbon sequestration potentials, or whether longer-term
developments will reduce these differences of CO2 uptake with increasing age of the
plantation. |
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