Frontiers in Quantifying CO2 Uptake by Forests

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosphere/Hydrosphere/Land–Atmosphere Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 December 2021) | Viewed by 11274

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Matters and Energy Fluxes, Global Change Research Institute, CAS, 60300 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: micrometeorology; fluxes of energy and matter; ecosystem–atmosphere carbon cycle; effects of meteorological extreme events on the ecosystem–atmosphere carbon cycle; micrometeorological aspects of within canopy and canopy–atmosphere exchange

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Guest Editor
Department of Matters and Energy Fluxes, Global Change Research Institute, CAS, 60300 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: greenhouse gases; eddy covariance; micrometeorology; wetlands; carbon cycle; extreme events

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Guest Editor
Ecophysiology Unit, Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 901 83 Umeå, Sweden
Interests: biogeochemical cycles; carbon fluxes; nitrogen deposition; stable isotopes
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests capture the primary greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and are therefore considered an important aspect in tackling climate change issues. To assess the effectivity of forests in removing CO2 from the atmosphere and to set climate change mitigating actions on a solid basis, it is fundamental to accurately quantify CO2 uptake by forests.

A suite of approaches exists to quantify forest CO2 uptake, ranging from destructive (e.g., biometric methods) and non-destructive (e.g., eddy covariance, isotopic techniques, remote sensing) measurement techniques to modeling approaches (e.g., soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer models). Each of these approaches inhibits assumptions and shortcomings, and hence, comparisons between methods can improve our understanding of forest CO2 uptake.

This Special Issue invites contributions dealing with forest CO2 capture dynamics in all kinds of forest ecosystems across the globe. Specifically of interest are new developments in quantifying forest CO2 uptake, methodological problem discussions, method improvements, method intercomparisons, as well as synthesis studies.

The overall aim of this Special Issue is to offer a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of methods to quantify forest CO2 uptake. The synergy of the contributions to this Special Issue may optimize our understanding of forest CO2 capture dynamics by reducing approach-related uncertainties.

Dr. Georg Jocher
Dr. Natalia Kowalska
Prof. Dr. John D. Marshall
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • carbon dioxide
  • forest
  • net ecosystem CO2 exchange
  • climate change
  • global warming

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2491 KiB  
Article
Does Below-Above Canopy Air Mass Decoupling Impact Temperate Floodplain Forest CO2 Exchange?
by Natalia Kowalska, Georg Jocher, Ladislav Šigut and Marian Pavelka
Atmosphere 2022, 13(3), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13030437 - 8 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2103
Abstract
Environmental conditions influence forest ecosystems and consequently, its productivity. Thus, the quantification of forest CO2 exchange is a critical requirement to estimate the CO2 balance of forests on a local and regional scale. Besides interpreting the annual CO2 exchange corresponding [...] Read more.
Environmental conditions influence forest ecosystems and consequently, its productivity. Thus, the quantification of forest CO2 exchange is a critical requirement to estimate the CO2 balance of forests on a local and regional scale. Besides interpreting the annual CO2 exchange corresponding to environmental conditions over the studied years (2015–2020) at the floodplain forest in Lanžhot, Czech Republic (48.6815483 N, 16.9463317 E), the influence of below-above canopy air mass decoupling on above canopy derived CO2 exchange is the focus of this study. For this purpose, we applied the eddy covariance (EC) method above and below the forest canopy, assessing different single- and two-level flux filtering strategies. We focused on one example year (2019) of concurrent below and above canopy EC measurements. We hypothesized that conventional single-level EC flux filtering strategies such as the friction velocity (u*) filtering approach might not be sufficient to fully capture the forest CO2 exchange at the studied ecosystem. Results suggest that decoupling occurs regularly, but the implication on the above canopy derived EC CO2 fluxes appears to be negligible on an annual scale. We attribute this to the open canopy and flat EC tower surrounding terrain which inhibits horizontal removal of below-canopy respired CO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Quantifying CO2 Uptake by Forests)
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22 pages, 2966 KiB  
Article
Effects of Forest Thinning on Soil Litter Input Nutrients in Relation to Soil CO2, CH4, and N2O Fluxes in Greece
by Foteini Doukalianou, Gavriil Spyroglou, Michail Orfanoudakis, Kalliopi Radoglou, Stefanos Stefanou, Kyriaki Kitikidou, Elias Milios and Alessandra Lagomarsino
Atmosphere 2022, 13(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13030376 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
The contribution of litterfall (dead leaves, twigs, etc., fallen to the ground) and forest floor (organic residues such as leaves, twigs, etc., in various stages of decomposition, on the top of the mineral soil) is fundamental in both forest ecosystem sustainability and soil [...] Read more.
The contribution of litterfall (dead leaves, twigs, etc., fallen to the ground) and forest floor (organic residues such as leaves, twigs, etc., in various stages of decomposition, on the top of the mineral soil) is fundamental in both forest ecosystem sustainability and soil greenhouse gases (GHG) exchange system with the atmosphere. The effect of different thinning treatments (control-no thinning, traditional-low thinning, selective-intense thinning) on litterfall and forest floor nutrients, in relation to soil GHG fluxes, is analyzed. After one year of operations, thinning had a significant seasonal effect on both litterfall and forest floor, and on their nutrient concentrations. The intense (selective) thinning significantly affected the total litterfall production and conifer fractions, reducing them by 46% and 48%, respectively, compared with the control (no thinning) sites. In the forest floor, thinning was able to significantly increase the Fe concentration intraditional thinning by 59%, and Zn concentration in the intense thinning by 55% (compared with control). Overall, litterfall acted as a bio-filter of the gasses emitting from the forest floor, acting as a GHG regulator. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Quantifying CO2 Uptake by Forests)
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17 pages, 2030 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Carbon Budget of Local Governments in South Korea
by Gyung Soon Kim, A Reum Kim, Bong Soon Lim, Jaewon Seol, Ji Hong An, Chi Hong Lim, Seung Jin Joo and Chang Seok Lee
Atmosphere 2022, 13(2), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13020342 - 18 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2605
Abstract
This study was carried out to assess the carbon budget of local governments in South Korea. The carbon budget was obtained from the difference between net ecosystem productivity (NEP) that the natural ecosystem displays, and carbon dioxide emissions calculated from energy consumption in [...] Read more.
This study was carried out to assess the carbon budget of local governments in South Korea. The carbon budget was obtained from the difference between net ecosystem productivity (NEP) that the natural ecosystem displays, and carbon dioxide emissions calculated from energy consumption in each local government. NEP was obtained from the difference between net primary productivity, measured by an allometric method, and soil respiration, measured with EGM-4 in natural forests and artificial plantations. Heterotrophic respiration was adjusted to 55% level of the total soil respiration based on existing research results. A field survey to obtain information for components of the carbon cycle was conducted in Cheongju (central Korea) and Yeosu (southern Korea). Pinus densiflora, Quercus acutissima, and Quercus mongolica (central Korea) and P. densiflora and Q. acutissima (southern Korea) forests were selected as the natural forests. Pinus rigida and Larix kaempferi (central Korea) and P. rigida (southern Korea) plantations were selected as the artificial plantations. Vegetation types were classified by analyzing LandSat images by applying a GIS program. CO2 emissions were the highest in Pohang, Gwangyang, and Yeosu, where the iron and the petrochemical industrial complexes are located. CO2 emissions per unit area were the highest in Seoul, followed by Pohang and Gwangyang. CO2 absorption was the highest in the Gangwon province, where the forest area ratio to the total area is the highest, and the lowest in the metropolitan areas such as Seoul, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju. The number of local governments in which the amount of absorption is more than the emission amount was highest in Gangwon-do, where 10 local governments showed a negative carbon budget. Eight, seven, five, five, three, and three local governments in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do, respectively, showed a negative carbon budget where the amount of carbon absorption was greater than the emission amount. The carbon budget showed a very close correlation with carbon emission, and the carbon emission showed a significant correlation with population size. Moreover, the amount of carbon absorption showed a negative correlation with population size, population density, and non-forest area, and a positive correlation with the total area of the forest, coniferous forest area, and broad-leaved forest area. Considering the reality that carbon emissions exceed their absorption, measures to secure absorption sources should be considered as important as measures to reduce carbon emissions to achieve carbon neutrality in the future. As a measure to secure absorption sources, it is proposed to improve the quality of existing absorption sources, secure new absorption sources such as riparian forests, and efficiently arrange absorption sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Quantifying CO2 Uptake by Forests)
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25 pages, 12122 KiB  
Article
Environmental Effects on Normalized Gross Primary Productivity in Beech and Norway Spruce Forests
by Caleb Mensah, Ladislav Šigut, Milan Fischer, Lenka Foltýnová, Georg Jocher, Otmar Urban, Cosmos Senyo Wemegah, Emmanuel K. Nyantakyi, Shilpi Chawla, Marian Pavelka and Michal V. Marek
Atmosphere 2021, 12(9), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12091128 - 1 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3285
Abstract
The strong effects of climate change are expected to negatively impact the long-term resilience and function of forest ecosystems, which could lead to changes in forest carbon balance and productivity. However, these forest responses may vary with local conditions and forest types. Accordingly, [...] Read more.
The strong effects of climate change are expected to negatively impact the long-term resilience and function of forest ecosystems, which could lead to changes in forest carbon balance and productivity. However, these forest responses may vary with local conditions and forest types. Accordingly, this study was carried out to determine gross primary productivity (GPP) sensitivity to changes in environmental parameters. Central European beech (at Štítná) and spruce species (at Bílý Kr̆íz̆ and Rájec), growing under contrasting climatic conditions, were studied. The comparative analyses of GPP were based on a five-year-long dataset of eddy covariance fluxes during the main growing season (2012–2016). Results of forest GPP responses with changes in environmental factors from a traditional Stepwise multiple linear regression model (SMLR) were used and compared with Random forest (RF) analyses. To demonstrate how actual GPP trends compare to potential GPP (GPPpot) courses expected under near-optimal environmental conditions, we computed normalized GPP (GPPnorm) with values between 0 and 1 as the ratio of the estimated daily sum of GPP to GPPpot. The study confirmed the well-known effect of total intensity of the photosynthetically active radiation and its diffuse fraction on GPPnorm across all the forest types. However, the study also showed the secondary effects of other environmental variables on forest productivity depending on the species and local climatic conditions. The reduction in forest productivity at the beech forest in Štítná was presumed to be mainly induced by edaphic drought (anisohydric behaviour). In contrast, reduced forest productivity at the spruce forest sites was presumably induced by both meteorological and hydrological drought events, especially at the moderately dry climate in Rájec. Overall, our analyses call for more studies on forest productivity across different forest types and contrasting climatic conditions, as this productivity is strongly dependent on species type and site-specific environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Quantifying CO2 Uptake by Forests)
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