Knowledge of seasonal variation of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and its biotic and abiotic controllers will further our understanding of carbon cycling process, mechanism and large-scale modelling. Eddy covariance technique was used to measure NEE, biotic and abiotic factors for nearly 3 years in the hinterland alpine steppe--Korbresia meadow grassland on the Tibetan Plateau, the present highest fluxnet station in the world. The main objectives are to investigate dynamics of NEE and its components and to determine the major controlling factors. Maximum carbon assimilation took place in August and maximum carbon loss occurred in November. In June, rainfall amount due to monsoon climate played a great role in grass greening and consequently influenced interannual variation of ecosystem carbon gain. From July through September, monthly NEE presented net carbon assimilation. In other months, ecosystem exhibited carbon loss. In growing season, daytime NEE was mainly controlled by photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). In addition, leaf area index (LAI) interacted with PAR and together modulated NEE rates. Ecosystem respiration was controlled mainly by soil temperature and simultaneously by soil moisture. Q10 was negatively correlated with soil temperature but positively correlated with soil moisture. Large daily range of air temperature is not necessary to enhance carbon gain. Standard respiration rate at referenced 10℃(R10) was positively correlated with soil moisture, soil temperature, LAI and aboveground biomass. Rainfall patterns in growing season markedly influenced soil moisture and therefore soil moisture controlled seasonal change of ecosystem respiration. Pulse rainfall in the beginning and at the end of growing season induced great ecosystem respiration and consequently a great amount of carbon was lost. Short growing season and relative low temperature restrained alpine grass vegetation development. The results suggested that LAI be usually in a low level and carbon uptake be relatively low. Rainf
SHI Peili, SUN Xiaomin, XU Lingling, ZHANG Xianzhou, HE Yongtao, ZHANG Dongqiu & YU Guirui Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
An open-path eddy covariance system was set up in Damxung rangeland station to measure the carbon flux from July to October, 2003. The canopy quantum yield (α) of alpine meadow was calculated by the linear function between the net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and the photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) under low light, and how it was influenced by the temperature was also discussed. Results showed that the canopy or decreased almost linearly with temperature, with the decrease in every 1℃increase of temperature similar to those measured on leaf level of C3 plant. At the beginning, the decrease of canopyαwith temperature was 0.0005 umol CO2·μmol-1 PAR; while it increased to 0.0008μmol CO2·μmol-1 PAR in September, showing a rising trend with plant growing stages. Compared with the canopy a calculated with rectangular hyperbola function, the value in the paper was lower. However, the method advanced here has the advantages in examining the relationship betweenαand the key environmental factors, such as temperature.
XU Lingling, ZHANG Xianzhou, SHI Peili & YU Guirui Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
The Tibetan Plateau is characterized by lower atmospheric pressure, lower air temperature and high daily and seasonal variation due to high elevation. The photosynthesis of plants is significantly influenced by these alpine environmental factors. Apparent quantum yield (αA) is one of the basic parameters of photosynthesis and mass production. Its accuracy determination is of significance to model photosynthesis of C3 plants and global change on the plateau. In the Lhasa Plateau Ecological Station with 65.4 kPa of atmospheric pressure at an elevation of 3688 m, Li-Cor 6400 portable photosynthesis system was used to measure light response curves of winter wheat in different temperatures and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci).The slope of light response curve in weak light area of PFD from 0 to 150 μmol m-2 S-1 was used to evaluate the value of αA. The dependence of αA on temperature and intercellular concentration was analyzed. In 30℃, the average value of αAWaS 0.0476 ± 0.0038. It is not quite different from the values in low elevation areas. αA is influenced both by temperature and by the ratio of CO2and O2 partial pressure ([CO2]/[O2]). The measured values in the previous study were much lower.This might be due to systematic errors from instrument and data processing methods. The values of αA decreased linearly with temperature. It decreased 0.0007 in every 1℃ increase of temperature. The decrease slope is similar to those of C3 plants in the previous researches. While [O2] is constant, αA increases with Ciwith a hyperbolic relationship. In comparison with low elevation areas, the αA on the Tibetan Plateau is more sensitive to increase of CO2.
The Tibetan Plateau, the Roof of the World, is the highest plateau with a mean elevation of 4000 m. It is characterized by high levels of solar radiation, low air temperature and low air pressure compared to other regions around the world. The alpine grassland, a typical ecosystem in the Tibetan Plateau, is distributed across regions over the elevation of 4500 m. Few studies for carbon flux in alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau were conducted due to rigorous natural conditions. A study of soil respiration under alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau from October 1999 to October 2001 was conducted at Pangkog County, Tibetan Plateau (31.23°N, 90.01°E, elevation 4800 m). The measurements were taken using a static closed chamber technique, usually every two weeks during the summer and at other times at monthly intervals. The obvious diurnal variation of CO2 emissions from soil with higher emission during daytime and lower emission during nighttime was discovered. Diurnal CO2 flux fluctuated from minimum at 05:00 to maximum at 14:00 in local time. Seasonal CO2 fluxes increased in summer and decreased in winter, representing a great variation of seasonal soil respiration. The mean soil CO2 fluxes in the alpine grassland ecosystem were 21.39 mgCO2 · m-2 · h-1, with an average annual amount of soil respiration of 187.46 gCO2 · m-2 · a-1. Net ecosystem productivity is also estimated, which indicated that the alpine grassland ecosystem is a carbon sink.
The alpine meadow is widely distributed on the Tibetan Plateau with an area of about 1.2×106kn2. Damxung County, located in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, is the place covered with this typical vegetation. An open-path eddy covariance system was set up in Damxung rangeland station to measure the carbon flux of alpine meadow from July to October,2003. The continuous carbon flux data were used to analyze the relationship between net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), as well as the seasonal patterns of apparent quantum yield (α) and maximum ecosystem assimilation (Pmax).Results showed that the daytime NEE fitted fairly well with the PAR in a rectangular hyperbola function, with α declining in the order of peak growth period (0.0244 μmolCO2 · μmol-1pAR) ＞early growth period ＞ seed maturing period ＞ withering period (0.0098 μmolCO2 · μmol-1pAR).The Pmax did not change greatly during the first three periods, with an average of 0.433mgCO2· m-2· s-1, i.e. 9.829 μmolCO2· m-2· s-1. However, during the withering period, Pmax was only 0.35 mgCO2 · m-2 · s-1, i.e. 7.945 μmolCO2 · m-2 · s-1. Compared with other grassland ecosystems, the α of the Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow ecosystem was much lower.
XU Lingling, ZHANG Xianzhou, SHI Peili & YU Guirui Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
