Impact of severe dry season on net ecosystem exchange in the Neotropical rainforest of French Guiana

Dry season; Ecosystem respiration; Eddy covariance; Gross ecosystem productivity; Neotropical rainforest; Net ecosystem productivity; Soild rought; Solar radiation; French Guiana; South America

Abstract :

[en] The lack of information on the ways seasonal drought modifies the CO2 exchange between Neotropical rainforest ecosystems and the atmosphere and the resulting carbon balance hinders our ability to precisely predict how these ecosystems will respond as global environmental changes force them to face increasingly contrasting conditions in the future. To address this issue, seasonal variations in daily net ecosystem productivity (NEPd) and two main components of this productivity, daily total ecosystem respiration (REd) and daily gross ecosystem productivity (GEPd), were estimated over 2 years at a flux tower site in French Guiana, South America (5°16′54″N, 52°54′44″W). We compared seasonal variations between wet and dry periods and between dry periods of contrasting levels of intensity (i.e. mild vs. severe) during equivalent 93-day periods. During the wet periods, the ecosystem was almost in balance with the atmosphere (storage of 9.0 g Cm-2). Seasonal dry periods, regardless of their severity, are associated with higher incident radiation and lower REd combined with reduced soil respiration associated with low soil water availability. During the mild dry period, as is normally the case in this region, the amount of carbon stored in the ecosystem was 32.7 g Cm-2. Severe drought conditions resulted in even lower REd, whereas the photosynthetic activity was only moderately reduced and no change in canopy structure was observed. Thus, the severe dry period was characterized by greater carbon storage (64.6 g C m-2), emphasizing that environmental conditions, such as during a severe drought, modify the CO2 exchange between Neotropical rainforest ecosystems and the atmosphere and potentially the resulting carbon balance. © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing.

Disciplines :

Earth sciences & physical geography

Author, co-author :

Bonal, D.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387 Kourou Cedex, French Guiana

Bosc, A.; INRA, UR Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Physique de l'Environnement, Domaine de la Grande Ferrade, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux, 33883 Villenave-d'Ornon Cedex, France

Ponton, S.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France

Goret, J.-Y.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387 Kourou Cedex, French Guiana

Burban, B. T.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387 Kourou Cedex, French Guiana

Gross, P.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France

Bonnefond, J.-M.; INRA, UR Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Physique de l'Environnement, Domaine de la Grande Ferrade, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaux, 33883 Villenave-d'Ornon Cedex, France

Elbers, J.; Alterra - Green World Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands

Longdoz, Bernard ; INRA, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, Champenoux, France

Epron, D.; UMR Ecologie et Ecophysiologie forestières, Faculté des Sciences, Université Henri Poincaré-Nancy 1, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre, France

Guehl, J.-M.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France

Granier, A.; INRA, UMR, Ecologie et Ecophysiologie Forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France

Language :

English

Title :

Impact of severe dry season on net ecosystem exchange in the Neotropical rainforest of French Guiana

Publication date :

2008

Journal title :

Global Change Biology

ISSN :

1354-1013

eISSN :

1365-2486

Publisher :

Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

1917-1933

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 19 April 2017

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