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Abstract: The adaptation of a national/continental-scale model of carbon uptake to the local-scale using highly detailed airborne discrete lidar and hyperspectral data was investigated at a boreal forest mixedwood site in northern Ontario. Spatially explicit maps of canopy chlorophyll concentration and the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the canopy (FPAR) under direct and diffuse radiative conditions were developed for five time periods in 2004 (i.e., winter (January 1–May 31), leaf-out (June 1–20), summer (June 21–July 31 and August 1–31) and senescence (September 1–30)). The maps were used in conjunction with meteorological measurements, such as incident total and diffuse PAR, global solar radiation, and air temperature, taken on a flux tower which is located at the center of the study. Distinct spatial patterns in FPAR, a result of changes in canopy chlorophyll concentration, are increasingly evident throughout the season because of the variation in species groupings within the 1-km radius surrounding the flux tower. In general, the model shows a good correlation to flux-tower-measured gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) (r 2 =0.70 for 10-day averages throughout the year), with the largest deviations occurring in June–July. Species-level data shows the influence of a large homogenous patch of black spruce on the tower measured GEP and demonstrates the contribution of white birch, by far the most dominant species, to the total GEP for the area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A long-term flux measurement station has been established in a 74-year-old mixedwood forest ecosystem, located approximately 80km west of Timmins in northern Ontario, as part of the Fluxnet-Canada Research Network (FCRN). Measurements of energy, water vapour, and carbon dioxide fluxes have been made continuously since August 2003 using the eddy covariance technique, along with ancillary meteorological variables. The spatial structure of the site was evaluated using a variety of sources and techniques, including remote sensing, showing that this forest is mixed but relatively homogeneous. The canopy top height is remarkably constant at between 30 and 32m. The basal area varies from 18 to 27m2 ha−1, and the aboveground biomass ranges from 82 to 122Mgha−1. In this paper, we summarize the diurnal and seasonal patters of carbon dioxide exchange and water loss from September 1, 2003 to August 31, 2004. Net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is strongly related to temperature. Atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in this ecosystem exerted strong biophysical control on the daily gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and evapotranspiration. Seasonal change in shortwave albedo, as a result of the presence of mixed deciduous and coniferous species, was clearly evident. Albedo changes were comparable to the seasonal pattern of NEP. The dormant season lasts more than 6 months of the year at this station. This forest was a moderate sink of carbon over the measurement period. Annual values of GEP, ecosystem respiration (R), and NEP were 1075, 919, and 156±35gCm−2, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Temporal and spatial variability of soil respiration (R s) was measured and analyzed in a 74-year-old, mixedwood, boreal forest in Ontario, Canada, over a period of 2 years (August 2003–July 2005). The ranges of R s measured during the two study years were 0.5–6.9μmolCO2 m−2 s−1 for 2003–2004 (Year 1) and 0.4–6.8μmolCO2 m−2 s−1 for 2004–2005 (Year 2). Mean annual R s for the stand was the same for both years, 2.7μmolCO2 m−2 s−1. Temporal variability of R s was controlled mainly by soil temperature (T s), but soil moisture had a confounding effect on T s. Annual estimates of total soil CO2 emissions at the site, calculated using a simple empirical R s–T s relationship, showed that R s can account for about 88±27% of total annual ecosystem respiration at the site. The majority of soil CO2 emissions came from the upper 12 to 20cm organic LFH (litter–fibric–humic) soil layer. The degree of spatial variability in R s, along the measured transect, was seasonal and followed the seasonal trend of mean R s: increasing through the growing season and converging to a minimum in winter (coefficient of variation (CV) ranged from 4 to 74% in Year 1 and 4 to 62% in Year 2). Spatial variability in R s was found to be negatively related to spatial variability in the C:N ratio of the LHF layer at the site. Spatial variability in R s was also found to depend on forest tree species composition within the stand. R s was about 15% higher in a broadleaf deciduous tree patch compared to evergreen coniferous area. However, the difference was not always significant (at 95% CI). In general, R s in the mixedwood patch, having both deciduous and coniferous species, was dominated by broadleaf trees, reflecting changing physiological controls on R s with seasons. Our results highlight the importance of discerning soil CO2 emissions at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. They also suggest including the LFH soil layer and allowing for seasonal variability in CO2 production within that layer, when modeling soil respiration in forest ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The spatial variability of the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the canopy (fPAR) was characterized for a heterogeneous boreal mixedwood forest site located in northern Ontario, Canada, based on relationships found between fPAR and light detection and ranging (lidar) data over different canopy architectures. Estimates of fPAR were derived from radiation measurements made above the canopy at a flux tower and below-canopy radiation was measured across a range of species compositions and canopy architectures. Airborne lidar data were used to characterize spatial variability of canopy structure around the flux tower and a map of mean canopy chlorophyll concentration was derived from airborne hyperspectral imagery. Different volumes of lidar points for the locations directly above each photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensor were examined to determine if there is an optimal method of relating lidar returns to estimated fPAR values. The strongest correlations between mean lidar height and fPAR occurred when using points that fell within a theoretical cone which originated at the PAR sensor having a solid angle α =55°. For diffuse conditions, the correlation (r) between mean lidar height versus fPAR×chlorophyll was stronger than between mean lidar height versus fPAR by 8% for mean daily fPAR and from 10 to 20% for diurnal fPAR, depending on solar zenith angle. For direct light conditions, the relationship was improved by 12% for mean daily fPAR and 12–41% for diurnal relationships. Linear regression models of mean daily fPAR×chlorophyll versus mean lidar height were used in conjunction with gridded lidar data and the canopy chlorophyll map to generate maps of mean daily fPAR for direct and diffuse sunlight conditions. Site average fPAR calculated from these maps was 0.79 for direct light conditions and 0.78 for diffuse conditions. When compared to point estimates of mean daily fPAR calculated on the tower, the average fPAR was significantly lower than the point estimate. Subtracting the direct sunlight fPAR map from the diffuse sunlight fPAR map revealed a distinct spatial pattern showing that areas with open canopies and relatively low chlorophyll (e.g., black spruce patches) have a higher fPAR under direct sunlight conditions, while closed canopies with higher chlorophyll (e.g., deciduous species) absorb more PAR under diffuse conditions. These findings have implications for scaling from point measurements at flux towers to larger resolution satellite imagery and addressing local scale heterogeneity in flux tower footprints. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Light detection and ranging (lidar) is becoming an increasingly popular technology among scientists for the development of predictive models of forest biophysical variables. However, before this technology can be adopted with confidence for long-term monitoring applications in Canada, robust models must be developed that can be applied and validated over large and complex forested areas. This will require "scaling-up" from current models developed from high-density lidar data to low-density data collected at higher altitudes. This paper investigates the effect of lowering the average point spacing of discrete lidar returns on models of forest biophysical variables. Validation of results revealed that high-density models are well correlated with mean dominant height, basal area, crown closure, and average aboveground biomass (R2 = 0.84, 0.89, 0.60, and 0.91, respectively). Low-density models could not accurately predict crown closure (R2 = 0.36). However, they did provide slightly improved estimates for mean dominant height, basal area, and average aboveground biomass (R2 = 0.90, 0.91, and 0.92, respectively). Maps were generated and validated for the entire study area from the low-density models. The ability of low-density models to accurately map key biophysical variables is a positive indicator for the utility of lidar data for monitoring large forested areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates a direct remote sensing approach from space for the determination of ecosystem photosynthetic light use efficiency (LUE), through measurement of vegetation reflectance changes expressed with the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI). The PRI is a normalized difference index based on spectral changes at a physiologically active wavelength (~ 531 nm) as compared to a reference waveband, and is only available from a very few satellites. These include the two Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) on the Aqua and Terra satellites each of which have a narrow (10 nm) ocean band centered at 531 nm. We examined several PRI variations computed with candidate reference bands, since MODIS lacks the traditional 570 nm reference band. The PRI computed using MODIS land band 1 (620–670 nm) gave the best performance for daily LUE estimation. Through rigorous statistical analyses over a large image collection (n = 420), the success of relating in situ daily tower-derived LUE to MODIS observations for northern forests was strongly influenced by satellite viewing geometry. LUE was calculated from CO 2 fluxes (mol C mol − 1 absorbed quanta) measured at instrumented Canadian Carbon Program flux towers in four Canadian forests: a mature fir site in British Columbia, mature aspen and black spruce sites in Saskatchewan, and a mixed deciduous/coniferous forest site in Ontario. All aspects of the viewing geometry had significant effects on the MODIS-PRI, including the view zenith angle (VZA), the view azimuth angle, and the displacement of the view azimuth relative to the solar principal plane, in addition to illumination related variables. Nevertheless, we show that forward scatter sector views (VZA, 16°–45°) provided the strongest relationships to daily LUE, especially those collected in the early afternoon by Aqua (r 2 = 0.83, RMSE = 0.003 mol C mol − 1 absorbed quanta). Nadir (VZA, 0° ± 15°) and backscatter views (VZA, − 16° to − 45°) had lower performance in estimating LUE (nadir: r 2 ~ 0.62–0.67; backscatter: r 2 ~ 0.54–0.59) and similar estimation error (RMSE = 0.004–0.005). When directional effects were not considered, only a moderately successful MODIS-PRI vs. LUE relationship (r 2 = 0.34, RMSE = 0.007) was obtained in the full dataset (all views & sites, both satellites), but site-specific relationships were able to discriminate between coniferous and deciduous forests. Overall, MODIS-PRI values from Terra (late morning) were higher than those from Aqua (early afternoon), before/after the onset of diurnal stress responses expressed spectrally. Therefore, we identified ninety-two Terra-Aqua “same day” pairs, for which the sum of Terra morning and Aqua afternoon MODIS-PRI values (PRI sum ) using all available directional observations was linearly correlated with daily tower LUE (r 2 = 0.622, RMSE = 0.013) and independent of site differences or meteorological information. Our study highlights the value of off-nadir directional reflectance observations, and the value of pairing morning and afternoon satellite observations to monitor stress responses that inhibit carbon uptake in Canadian forest ecosystems. In addition, we show that MODIS-PRI values, when derived from either: (i) forward views only, or (ii) Terra/Aqua same day (any view) combined observations, provided more accurate estimates of tower-measured daily LUE than those derived from either nadir or backscatter views or those calculated by the widely used semi-operational MODIS GPP model (MOD17) which is based on a theoretical maximum LUE and environmental data. Consequently, we demonstrate the importance of diurnal as well as off-nadir satellite observations for detecting vegetation physiological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comparison and integration of three methods commonly used to estimate the amount of forest ecosystem carbon (C) available for storage. In particular, we examine the representation of living above- and below-ground biomass change (net accumulation) using plot-level biometry and repeat airborne laser scanning (ALS) of three dimensional forest plot structure. These are compared with cumulative net CO 2 fluxes (net ecosystem production, NEP) from eddy covariance (EC) over a six-year period within a jack pine chronosequence of four stands (~ 94, 30, 14 and 3 years since establishment from 2005) located in central Saskatchewan, Canada. Combining the results of the two methods yield valuable observations on the partitioning of C within ecosystems. Subtracting total living biomass C accumulation from NEP results in a residual that represents change in soil and litter C storage. When plotted against time for the stands investigated, the curve produced is analogous to the soil C dynamics described in Covington (1981). Here, ALS biomass accumulation exceeds EC-based NEP measured in young stands, with the residual declining with age as stands regenerate and litter decomposition stabilizes. During the 50–70 year age-period, NEP and live biomass accumulation come into balance, with the soil and litter pools of stands 70–100 years post-disturbance becoming a net store of C. Biomass accumulation was greater in 2008–2011 compared to 2005–2008, with the smallest increase in the 94-year-old “old jack pine” stand and greatest in the 14-year-old “harvested jack pine 1994” stand, with values of 1.4 (± 3.2) tC ha − 1 and 12.0 (± 1.6) tC ha − 1 , respectively. The efficiency with which CO 2 was stored in accumulated biomass was lowest in the youngest and oldest stands, but peaked during rapid regeneration following harvest (14-year-old stand). The analysis highlights that the primary source of uncertainty in the data integration workflow is in the calculation of biomass expansion factors, and this aspect of the workflow needs to be implemented with caution to avoid large error propagations. We suggest that the adoption of integrated ALS, in situ and atmospheric flux monitoring frameworks is needed to improve spatio-temporal partitioning of C balance components at sub-decadal scale within rapidly changing forest ecosystems and for use in national carbon accounting programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous biometric measurements of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and eddy-covariance measurements of gross primary production (GPP) were made at 18 forest stands with 80 site-years of data across Canada – to assess the fraction of photosynthesis that is used to produce plant tissues and the consistency of carbon allocation patterns across forest ecosystems. The stands included boreal and temperate forests and spanned very young to mature stand ages. Across all sites, ANPP averaged 298±138gCm−2 yr−1 (mean±1 s.d.), with the highest values for temperate white pine plantations (307–630gCm−2 yr−1) and harvested Douglas-fir stands (219–459gCm−2 yr−1), and the lowest values for boreal harvested jack pine stands (97–185gCm−2 yr−1). ANPP more than doubled from newly established (≤12 years) to young (13–25 years) stands, then stabilized in young to mature (≥51 years) stands but with diverging trends among species. Inter-site variations in ANPP and GPP were closely related to site characteristics, in particular, to leaf area index, which explained 66% of the variation in ANPP and 80% of the variation in GPP, and absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, which explained 80% of the variation in ANPP and 82% of the variation in GPP. Both ANPP and GPP were also positively correlated with mean annual air temperature, mean annual precipitation, and total soil nitrogen in the upper 10cm of the mineral soil. ANPP was strongly, positively correlated with GPP and the ANPP/GPP ratio was relatively constant (0.29±0.06), with no consistent differences among species or age classes. The results support the use of a constant ANPP/GPP ratio as a reasonable assumption in models of forest productivity for boreal and northern temperate forests. A similar conclusion is reached for the NPP/GPP ratio when published values of belowground NPP are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The eddy-covariance method often underestimates fluxes under stable, low-wind conditions at night when turbulence is not well developed. The most common approach to resolve the problem of nighttime flux underestimation is to identify and remove the deficit periods using friction–velocity (u * ) threshold filters (u * Th ). This study modifies an accepted method for u * Th evaluation by incorporating change-point-detection techniques. The original and modified methods are evaluated at 38 sites as part of the North American Carbon Program (NACP) site-level synthesis. At most sites, the modified method produced u * Th estimates that were higher and less variable than the original method. It also provided an objective method to identify sites that lacked a u * Th response. The modified u * Th estimates were robust and comparable among years. Inter-annual u * Th differences were small, so that a single u * Th value was warranted at most sites. No variation in the u * Th was observed by time of day (dusk versus mid or late night), however, a few sites showed significant u * Th variation with time of year. Among-site variation in the u * Th was strongly related to canopy height and the mean annual nighttime u * . The modified u * Th estimates excluded a high fraction of nighttime data – 61% on average. However, the negative impact of the high exclusion rate on annual net ecosystem production (NEP) was small compared to the larger impact of underestimating the u * Th . Compared to the original method, the higher u * Th estimates from the modified method caused a mean 8% reduction in annual NEP across all site-years, and a mean 7% increase in total ecosystem respiration (R e ). The modified method also reduced the u * Th -related uncertainties in annual NEP and R e by more than 50%. These results support the use of u * Th filters as a pragmatic solution to a complex problem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Proper management and accounting of forest carbon requires good knowledge of how disturbances and climate affect the carbon dynamics of different stand types. We have investigated such relationships by measuring, over a 5-year period (2003–2007), the net ecosystem productivity (NEP), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) of 26 forest sites in Canada using the eddy covariance technique. The study included black spruce, jack pine, Douglas-fir, aspen, boreal mixedwood and white pine forest ecosystems ranging in age from 1- to 153-years. The dataset included six chronosequences (one afforested plantation, three harvested and two burned). Following planting, the afforested white pine stands quickly became carbon sinks and offset initial carbon losses after 4years. Depending on forest type, the other forest stands were carbon sources for 10–18years following a disturbance, offset initial carbon losses after 19–47years, and showed net total gains ranging from 38 to 86MgCha−1 at 80years. Peak NEP ranged from 0.9 to 2.9MgCha−1 year−1 at ages of 35–55years except for the afforested white pine where it was 6.9MgCha−1 year−1 at 15–20years. Stepwise regression and Pearson correlation analyses indicated that the GEP and ER of mature stands (>70years old) were driven mainly by climate, while fluxes of young stands (<19years old) were driven by both leaf area index and climate. Although stand age of the afforested white pine plantations did not affect the GEP growing season lengths, the growing season length of the other forests increased with age until about 20years and this coincided with the switch from carbon source to sink. With the exception of the afforested white pine, peak GEP/ER ratios of the youngest sites occurred later in the growing season compared to older sites. The strong influence of stand age on the seasonal dynamics of GEP fluxes needs to be considered to avoid confounding the impacts of climate change with those of disturbance. These age-related seasonality effects are continental in scope and should be important in interpreting the time series of atmospheric CO2 concentration measurements at regional and global scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The eddy-covariance method has become a cornerstone in the study of the surface energy and water balances, yet the oft-reported lack of energy-balance closure adds uncertainty to its measurements of evapotranspiration. This study explores the issue of closure based on 10 years of energy and water balance measurements at seven flux-tower sites in the southern boreal forests of western Canada. The sites include mature aspen, black spruce and jack pine forests, three young jack pine forests following harvesting, and one fen. Careful attention was paid to the measurement of evapotranspiration E, surface available energy (net radiation minus storage), precipitation P, and soil water storage S including root-zone soil water and water table elevation. Stand-level outflow O at the flux-tower sites was estimated annually as a residual term in the vertical water balance (O = P − E −ΔS), with and without energy-closure adjustments to E. Six of the flux towers were located within or near the gauged White Gull Creek watershed (603km2). The comparison of measured streamflow from the White Gull Creek with estimated outflow, scaled from the flux towers to the watershed, provides an independent test of the need for energy-closure adjustments to flux-tower E. Measured streamflow from the White Gull Creek watershed had a long-term mean (S.D.) of 101 (54)mmy−1 but was highly variable among years, ranging from 30mmy−1 during an extreme dry year to 204mmy−1 during an extreme wet year. Stand-level outflow, estimated with an energy-closure adjustment to E, varied by land-cover type, from a mean (S.D.) of 30 (35)mmy−1 at the mature aspen forest and 52 (125)mmy−1 at the fen to 108 (85)mmy−1 at the mature black spruce forest and 187 (55) and 250 (64)mmy−1 at the mature and young (harvested) jack pine forests, respectively. The dominant land-cover type, mature black spruce forest, typified the hydrology of the boreal forest landscape, with outflow similar to the watershed mean. The warm-season, eddy-covariance sensible and latent heat fluxes were 15±4% (annual mean±S.D.) smaller than surface available energy, with reasonable similarity among sites and years. When scaled from stand to watershed, the tower-based estimates of outflow agreed with measured streamflow only when outflow was calculated with an energy-closure adjustment to E. The annual means for the 2002–2009 hydrologic years were: 131mmy−1 (measured streamflow); 182mmy−1 (tower-based outflow calculated without energy-closure adjustments to E); and 112 and 127mmy−1 (tower-based outflow calculated with energy-closure adjustments to E from two different schemes). This result corroborates the need for energy-closure adjustments to eddy-covariance measurements of E, but it does not provide guidance about how the adjustments should be implemented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Large-scale weather events such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and droughts are known to cause substantial interannual variation in the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of tropical, temperate and boreal forests. Hypotheses for the impacts on NEP of changes in air temperature (T a) and precipitation associated with these events were tested at diurnal, seasonal and annual time scales using the terrestrial ecosystem model ecosys with measurements of CO2 and energy exchange from 1998 to 2006 at eddy covariance (EC) flux towers along a transcontinental transect of forest stands in the Fluxnet-Canada Research Network (FCRN). 1 [1] Now the Canada Carbon Project. These tests were supported at seasonal time scales by remotely-sensed vegetation indices, and at decadal time scales by wood growth increments from tree-ring and inventory studies. Collectively, results from this testing indicate that large-scale weather events during the study period caused spatially coherent changes in NEP, although these changes may vary with climate zone, species and topography. High T a episodes, such as occurred with greater frequency during ENSO/PDO events, adversely affected diurnal CO2 exchange of temperate and boreal conifers, but had little effect on that of a boreal deciduous forest. These contrasting responses of CO2 exchange to T a were attributed in the model to greater xylem resistance to water uptake in coniferous vs. deciduous trees. Sustained warming such as occurred during ENSO/PDO events extended the period of net C uptake and thus raised annual NEP at boreal coniferous and deciduous sites, but did not do so at a temperate coniferous site where annual NEP was reduced. However the rise in NEP of boreal conifers with warming was partially offset by the adverse effects of high T a on diurnal CO2 exchange, so that the rise in NEP with warming remained smaller than that at a boreal deciduous site. A 3-year drought during the study period adversely affected annual NEP of well-drained boreal deciduous forests but did not affect that of poorly-drained boreal conifers. This lack of effect was attributed in the model to low coniferous evapotranspiration rates and to subsurface water recharge. Drought effects on NEP were therefore largely determined by topography. These contrasting responses of different forest stands to warming and drought indicate divergent changes in forest growth with interannual changes in weather. Such divergent changes are consistent with the complex changes in forest NDVI and net C uptake observed over time in several large-scale remote-sensing studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fire and harvesting are major forest renewal processes in the Canadian boreal forest. The eddy covariance method was used to compare ecosystem fluxes of carbon dioxide between harvested and burned boreal forest sites in Saskatchewan, Canada. The harvest chronosequence had sites harvested in 2002 (HJP02), 1994 (HJP94) and 1975 (HJP75), whereas the fire chronosequence sites were burned in 1998 (F98), 1989 (F89), 1977 (F77) and 1929 (OJP). All sites were dominated by jack pine prior to the disturbance. During 2004 and 2005, net ecosystem production showed an average carbon gain (gCm−2 year−1) at F89=84, HJP75=80, HJP94=14 and OJP=20. The other sites lost carbon (gCm−2 year−1) at HJP02=−139, F98=−20, and F77=−58. Gross ecosystem production (GEP), ecosystem respiration (R e) and evapotranspiration tended to be greater at the burned sites than the harvested sites. The F89 and F77 sites had the strongest response of GEP to photosynthetically active radiation, and the strongest response of R e to soil temperature at the 2-cm depth. HJP02 had the weakest responses, followed by HJP94. This apparent greater ecosystem activity at the burned sites is likely caused by local differences in soil moisture and nutrients, differences in vegetation development, and differences in the decomposition of coarse woody debris. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Direct estimation of photosynthetic light-use efficiency (LUE) from space would be of significant benefit to LUE-based models which use inputs from remote sensing to estimate terrestrial productivity. The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) has shown promise in tracking LUE at the leaf- to small canopy levels, but its use at regional to global scales still remains a challenge. In this study, we used different formulations of PRI calculated from the MODIS ocean band centered at 531 nm and a set of alternative reference bands at 488, 551, and 678 nm to explore the relationship between PRI and LUE where LUE was measured at eight eddy covariance flux towers located in the boreal forest of Saskatchewan, Canada. The magnitude and variability of LUE was significantly lower at the times when useful MODIS ocean band images were available (i.e. around midday under clear-sky conditions) relative to the rest of the growing season. PRI678 (reference band at 678 nm) showed the strongest relationship (r 2 =0.70) with LUE90a (i.e. 90-minute mean LUE calculated using Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation, APAR), but only when all sites were combined. Overall, the relationships between the MODIS PRIs and LUE90a were always stronger for observations closer to the backscatter direction and there were no significant differences in the strength of the correlations whether LUE was calculated based on incident PAR or on APAR. Predictions of ecosystem photosynthesis at the time of the MODIS overpasses were significantly improved by multiplying either PAR or APAR by MODIS PRI (r 2 improved from 0.09 to 0.44 and 0.54 depending on the PRI formulation). We used our PRI-LUE model to create a regional LUE90a map for the three cover types covering 47,500 km2 around the flux sites. The MODIS PRI-derived LUE90a map appeared to capture more realistic spatial heterogeneity of LUE across the landscape compared to a daily LUE map derived using the look-up table in the MODIS GPP (MOD17) algorithm. While our LUE map is only a snapshot of minimum regional LUE90a values, with appropriate gap-filling methods it could be used to improve regional-scale monitoring of GPP. Moreover, the strong relationship between midday and daily LUE on clear days (r 2 =0.93) indicates that instantaneous MODIS observations of LUE90a could be used to estimate daily LUE. Finally, pixel shadow fraction from the 5-Scale geometric-optical model was closely related to both MODIS PRI and tower-derived LUE suggesting that differences in stand leaf area and in diffuse illumination among flux sites play a role in the relationship we observed between LUE and MODIS PRI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Closure of the surface energy balance provides an objective criterion for evaluating eddy-covariance (EC) flux measurements. This study analyses 5 years of EC carbon dioxide, water vapor, and sensible heat flux measurements from three mature boreal forest stands in central Saskatchewan, Canada. The EC sensible and latent heat fluxes, H and λE, underestimated the surface available energy by 11% (aspen), 15% (black spruce), and 14% (jack pine). At all sites, the energy-closure fraction CF responded similarly to the friction velocity u *, atmospheric stability, and time of day. At night, CF increased from ∼0.3 at very low-u * to an asymptotic maximum of ∼0.9 at u * above 0.35ms−1. During unstable-daytime periods, CF varied linearly from ∼0.7 at low-u * to ∼1.0 at high-u *. The energy imbalance pattern was similar among sites and may be characteristic of the continental, boreal forest. EC measurements of net ecosystem exchange F NEE have no objective, diagnostic parameter that is equivalent to CF. We therefore derived an analogous F NEE “closure fraction” CFNEE by normalizing measured F NEE against estimates from an empirical model that was tuned to the high-u * data. CF and CFNEE responded similarly to u *, atmospheric stability, and time of day. We discuss two implications for EC flux data post-processing. The results uphold the common practice of rejecting EC measurements during low-u * periods. They also lend support to the application of energy-closure adjustments to H, λE, and F NEE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Half-hourly mean values of transpiration measured by eddy covariance over the course of six growing seasons in two boreal forest sites were used to develop stand-level relationships between transpiration and soil water content. The two sites were an aspen site on fine-textured soil and over five growing seasons for a jack pine site on coarse-textured soil in Saskatchewan, Canada. About half of the data record covered a multi-year drought that was more severe at the aspen site than the jack pine site. Measurements of transpiration and environmental variables were used to adjust a transpiration model to each site, with environmental variables retained in the model based on their capacity to improve the model adjustment. The model was also used to produce estimates of maximum canopy conductance (g cMAX). The fit of the model to the aspen half-hourly transpiration is better than to the jack pine data (r 2 of 0.86 versus 0.60). Relative soil water content explains more of the variability in half-hourly transpiration at the aspen site (46%) than at the jack pine site (10%). The relationships between transpiration and environmental variables are stable throughout the drought suggesting an absence of acclimation. Published soil water modifier curves for loamy clay soils compare well with the modifier function we obtained for a similar soil at the aspen site, but the agreement between the published curve and our curve is poor for the sandy soil of the jack pine site. Values of g cMAX computed at the half-hourly scale are greater at the aspen site (14.3mms−1) than at the jack pine site (10.2mms−1), but we hypothesize that the coarse soil and perennially lower water content of the jack pine site may cause this difference. Finally, we also present values of g cMAX computed at the daily and monthly scales for use in models that operate at these time steps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fire in the boreal forest renews forest stands and changes the ecosystem properties. The successional stage of the vegetation determines the radiative budget, energy balance partitioning, evapotranspiration and carbon dioxide flux. Here, we synthesize energy balance measurements from across the western boreal zone of North America as a function of stand age following fire. The data are from 22 sites in Alaska, Saskatchewan and Manitoba collected between 1998 and 2004 for a 150-year forest chronosequence. The summertime albedo immediately after a fire is about 0.05, increasing to about 0.12 for a period of about 30 years and then averaging about 0.08 for mature coniferous forests. A mature deciduous (aspen) forest has a higher summer albedo of about 0.16. Wintertime albedo decreases from a high of 0.7 for 5- to 30-year-old forests to about 0.2 for mature forests (deciduous and coniferous). Summer net radiation normalized to incoming solar radiation is lower in successional forests than in more mature forests by about 10%, except for the first 1–3 years after fire. This reduction in net radiative forcing is about 12–24Wm−2 as a daily average in summer (July). The summertime daily Bowen ratio exceeds 2 immediately after the fire, decreasing to about 0.5 for 15-year-old forests, with a wide range of 0.3–2 for mature forests depending on the forest type and soil water status. The magnitude of these changes is relatively large and may affect local, regional and perhaps global climates. Although fire has always determined stand renewal in these forests, increased future area burned could further alter the radiation balance and energy partitioning, causing a cooling feedback to counteract possible warming from carbon dioxide released by boreal fires. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fire and harvesting are important disturbances in the boreal forest, driving net biome production. Measurements of net ecosystem production (NEP) over mature forest stands have been made from flux towers for about a decade at the Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS) in central Saskatchewan, Canada. Over the last few years, the network of towers has been expanded to include stands that were recently disturbed by fire or harvesting. These new towers are part of Fluxnet-Canada, a national network that ties into the international Fluxnet network. Data from 2001 and 2002 show that forests burned in 1998 (F98) or harvested in 1994 (HJP94) were net carbon sources to the atmosphere with annual NEP values in the range of −50 to −130gCm−2 y−1. A site burned in 1989 (F89) was a carbon sink of about 68gCm−2 y−1 in 2002. NEP at a mature jack pine site (SOJP) ranged from 41 to −23gCm−2 y−1 in this period, whereas, an old black spruce site (SOBS) ranged from 68 to 21gCm−2 y−1. A mature aspen site (SOA) had the greatest NEP with 361gCm−2 y−1 in 2001 and 139gCm−2 y−1 in 2002, the contrast between years attributed to differences in spring temperature and leaf emergence, as well as a long-term drought at the site. Evapotranspiration (ET) followed similar patterns although the F89 site had the highest ET. The deciduous tree components of SOA and F89 are likely responsible for lower summer Bowen ratios with greater energy going into ET, compared to coniferous sites. These data indicate that there is still a broad gap in our knowledge of carbon fluxes to forest stands between about 10 and 50 years of age. This is especially true in understanding the dynamics of the growth of successional vegetation along with heterotrophic respiration, highlighted by predictions of more boreal fire disturbance in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Continuous measurements of carbon exchange using the eddy covariance (EC) technique were made at three boreal forest mature sites including Southern Old Aspen (SOA), Southern Old Black Spruce (SOBS) and Southern Old Jack Pine (SOJP) in 2000. Climatic conditions were slightly warmer than normal with precipitation exceeding evapotranspiration at each site. Annual ecosystem respiration (R) derived from daytime analyses of EC data was 1141, 815 and 521 g C m−2 per year and was consistently lower than nighttime EC estimates of 1193, 897 and 578 g C m−2 per year for SOA, SOBS and SOJP, respectively. The differences, however, were not statistically significant given the large uncertainty associated with each analytical technique. The uncertainty in annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was assessed by randomly simulating missing data and gap filling using simple biophysical algorithms. The uncertainty analysis supports the finding that each site was a net sink, and that differences in NEP were only significant between SOA and SOBS. The annual NEP and uncertainty for SOA, SOBS and SOJP was 122 (64–142), 35 (18–53) and 78 (61–91) g C m−2 per year, respectively. These relatively old growth forests represent a weak to moderate carbon sink. Despite having the shortest growing period, carbon sequestration was greatest at SOA because of its relatively large photosynthetic capacity (Amax). At the evergreen sites, Amax was marginally larger at SOBS; however, annual carbon sequestration was smaller as a result of greater R. The evergreen sites exhibited a pronounced mid-season reduction in NEP, which was attributed to a large increase in R while Amax had not reached its full capacity. Non-growing season R resulted in a carbon loss of 285, 120 and 64 g C m−2 and accounted for 70, 80 and 46% of the summertime NEP at SOA, SOBS and SOJP, respectively. Six years of EC data at SOA indicate that carbon sequestration at boreal aspen sites may benefit from warmer climatic conditions because R is relatively conservative and photosynthesis increases in response to a longer growing period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]