The Application of Eddy Covariance in Farming Systems

Dear Colleagues

The major driving force of recent and future anthropogenic climate change is the human perturbation of biogeochemical and energy cycles, including escalation of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Among the various sectors, the agricultural sector has large potential for climate mitigation related to land use (cropland, grassland), land management (e.g., manure management; soil management, improved rice cultivation), and intensity of use. In spite of this, given the geographic spread of grasslands and croplands, accompanied by differences in crops, cropping systems and agricultural practices per se, (region-) specific approaches are requested to define sustainable management practices.

Measurements of C fluxes exchanged and GHGs emitted in farming systems have been available in a large body of literature, covering an important number of systems and approaches using either chamber measurements or the eddy covariance method, each with advantages and disadvantages. Chamber measurements are used to characterize the spatial and temporal variability associated with the GHG flux in relatively small areas (from cm^-2 to m^-2), whereas the eddy covariance method is used to characterize temporal variability in relatively large areas (from hundreds of m^-2 to km^-2), allowing to determine system processes. In fact, coupling eddy covariance and ancillary measurements has become the way forward to understand both short- and long-term effects of principal drivers (e.g., management, climate) in in natura measurement and modeling approaches.  

This Special Issue on “Applications of Eddy Covariance in Farming Systems” invites contributions addressing the uses of the eddy covariance technique for i) evaluating different in agroecosystems and/ or agricultural (farm) practices, ii) comparing chamber measurements (CT) and the eddy covariance (EC) method in farming systems, iii) linking climate and management (e.g., cropping systems, rotation, intensification, grazing vs. mowing), and iv) identifying the advantages of modeling and/or remote sensing (e.g., assimilation of satellite vegetation index products at high spatial and temporal resolutions). 

Dr. Abad Chabbi
Dr. Katja Klumpp
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• eddy covariance
• agroecosystems
• soil
• carbon storage
• GHGs
• modeling
• remote sensing
• agricultural management