Respiration as the main determinant of carbon balance in European forests (original) (raw)

Nature volume 404, pages 861–865 (2000) Cite this article

Abstract

Carbon exchange between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere is one of the key processes that need to be assessed in the context of the Kyoto Protocol1. Several studies suggest that the terrestrial biosphere is gaining carbon2,3,4,5,6,7,8, but these estimates are obtained primarily by indirect methods, and the factors that control terrestrial carbon exchange, its magnitude and primary locations, are under debate. Here we present data of net ecosystem carbon exchange, collected between 1996 and 1998 from 15 European forests, which confirm that many European forest ecosystems act as carbon sinks. The annual carbon balances range from an uptake of 6.6 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year to a release of nearly 1 t C ha-1 yr-1, with a large variability between forests. The data show a significant increase of carbon uptake with decreasing latitude, whereas the gross primary production seems to be largely independent of latitude. Our observations indicate that, in general, ecosystem respiration determines net ecosystem carbon exchange. Also, for an accurate assessment of the carbon balance in a particular forest ecosystem, remote sensing of the normalized difference vegetation index or estimates based on forest inventories may not be sufficient.

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Figure 1: Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of the EUROFLUX sites plotted against latitude.

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Figure 2: Gross primary production (GPP) of the EUROFLUX sites plotted against latitude.

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Figure 3: The ratio of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and total ecosystem respiration (RE) plotted against latitude.

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Acknowledgements

The work has been done during the three-year duration of the EUROFLUX project, funded by the European Union. Further funding was provided by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Nature Management (site 6); the Academy of Finland (site 21); the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Italy (site 4); and the Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany (site 13). A large number of technicians, graduate and doctoral students are acknowledged for help in site management, data collection and elaboration.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Environment and Resources, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, I-01100, Italy
    R. Valentini & G. Matteucci
  2. Alterra, PO Box 47, AA Wageningen, 6700, The Netherlands
    A. J. Dolman & E. J. Moors
  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie, Jena, D-07745, Germany
    E.-D. Schulze & C. Rebmann
  4. Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenökologie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, D-95440, Germany
    E.-D. Schulze & C. Rebmann
  5. Centre de Recherches de Nancy, Unité d’Ecophysiologie Forestière, Equipe de Bioclimatologie, Champenoux, F-54280, France
    A. Granier & P. Gross
  6. Risoe National Labouratory, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark
    N. O. Jensen & K. Pilegaard
  7. Department of Physical Geography, Lund University, Box 118, Lund, SE-221 00, Sweden
    A. Lindroth
  8. Department for Production Ecology, SLU, Faculty of Forestry, PO Box 7042, Uppsala , S-7042, Sweden
    A. Grelle
  9. TU Dresden, Institut für Hydrologie und Meteorologie , Tharandt, D-01737, Germany
    C. Bernhofer & T. Grünwald
  10. Unité de Physique, Faculté Universitaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Gembloux , B-5030, Belgium
    M. Aubinet
  11. Department of Biology, University of Antwerpen, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, B-2610, Belgium
    R. Ceulemans & A. S. Kowalski
  12. Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, PO Box 9, FIN-00014, Finland
    T. Vesala & Ü. Rannik
  13. Unité de Bioclimatologie, INRA Bourdeaux, BP 81, Villenave d’Ornon Cedex, F33883, France
    P. Berbigier
  14. Unité de Recherches Forestières, INRA Bourdeaux, BP 45, Gazinet, F33611, France
    D. Loustau
  15. Department of Environmental Research, Agricultural Research Institute, Keldnaholti, Reykjavik , 112, Iceland
    J. Guðmundsson & H. Thorgeirsson
  16. Georg-August Universität, Institut für Bioklimatologie , Büsgenweg 2, Göttingen, D-37077, Germany
    A. Ibrom & K. Morgenstern
  17. University of Edinburgh, Institute of Ecology and Resource Management, Edinburgh, EH9 3JU, UK
    R. Clement, J. Moncrieff & P. G. Jarvis
  18. Department of Land and Agro-Forestry Systems, University of Padova, Agripolis, Legnaro , I-35020, Padova, Italy
    L. Montagnani
  19. Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Forest Services, Bolzano, I-39100, Italy
    S. Minerbi

Authors

  1. R. Valentini
  2. G. Matteucci
  3. A. J. Dolman
  4. E.-D. Schulze
  5. C. Rebmann
  6. E. J. Moors
  7. A. Granier
  8. P. Gross
  9. N. O. Jensen
  10. K. Pilegaard
  11. A. Lindroth
  12. A. Grelle
  13. C. Bernhofer
  14. T. Grünwald
  15. M. Aubinet
  16. R. Ceulemans
  17. A. S. Kowalski
  18. T. Vesala
  19. Ü. Rannik
  20. P. Berbigier
  21. D. Loustau
  22. J. Guðmundsson
  23. A. Ibrom
  24. K. Morgenstern
  25. R. Clement
  26. J. Moncrieff
  27. L. Montagnani
  28. S. Minerbi
  29. P. G. Jarvis

Corresponding author

Correspondence toR. Valentini.

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Valentini, R., Matteucci, G., Dolman, A. et al. Respiration as the main determinant of carbon balance in European forests .Nature 404, 861–865 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35009084

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