Seasonality in water and energy fluxes in the Tapajos
Lucy
Hutyra, Harvard University, lhutyra@fas.harvard.edu
(Presenting)
Scott
R.
Saleska, Harvard University, saleska@fas.harvard.edu
Steven
C.
Wofsy, Harvard University, scw@io.harvard.edu
Plínio
Barbosa de
Camargo, CENA/USP, pcamargo@cena.usp.br
To assess the role of Amazonia as a source or a sink for atmospheric CO2, we are using ground-based biometry measurements together with whole-system CO2 and energy fluxes (via eddy covariance) to explore the ecological and climatic controls on the carbon balance at an old-growth Amazon forest (Tapajos National Forest, Santarem, Para, Brazil). Closure of the energy budget represents a critical validation for eddy covariance studies since net ecosystem exchange of CO2 is the residual of large positive and negative fluxes. The closure of the energy budget is sensitive to micrometeorological corrections and averaging methods. We report a distinct seasonality in energy and water fluxes which is directly coupled to ecosystem respiration and tree growth.