Document: BEC-3-59-87

A preliminary inter-comparison of micrometeorological and ecological estimates of carbon sequestration in Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

BELMONT, J.M.*, C.A.WAYSON, J.L.EHMAN, H.P.SCHMID, C.S.B.GRIMMOND and J.C.RANDOLPH

Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA ¹

Abstract:
Current estimates of CO₂ exchange between the oceanic, terrestrial and atmospheric carbon reservoirs, and sources from anthropogenic combustion leave a considerable amount of carbon unaccounted for in the global carbon cycle. Mid-latitude terrestrial ecosystems of the northern hemisphere, and in particular mid-latitude forests, currently may be able to sequester carbon at a higher rate than previously estimated, and thus are a prime candidate for this missing carbon sink. Net CO₂ exchange can be measured on an annual basis using eddy covariance techniques or from ecological inventories of various C compartments. This study will present both an inter-comparison of these two techniques for the estimation of C sequestration for two one-year periods (1998 & '99) and an inter-annual comparison between both years for a mixed hardwood forest in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest, Indiana, USA. Net ecosystem production (NEP) estimates were made using the eddy covariance techniques and tower-based micrometeorological data at 1.8 times canopy height (46 m). For the same time period, ecological measures and model estimates of change in living biomass, sum of aboveground and belowground detritus production, consumption, and forest floor and soil respiration were conducted in twenty-four plots (150 m² each) surrounding the tower. Preliminary NEP estimates from the ecological inventories show that 211.7 g m^-2 y^-1 and 253.1 g m^-2 y^-1 of carbon were sequestered in 1998 and 1999 respectively. In 1998 the NEP estimate from the ecological inventory was within 10% of the eddy covariance based NEP estimate of 236 g m^-2 y^-1.

Keywords: carbon sequestration

This abstract is being presented at: 10:30 AM in session:
CARBON STORAGE