Fluxos de CO2 em Plantio de Palma de Óleo no Leste da Amazônia

Terrestrial ecosystems are important for the CO2 exchange between surface and atmosphere. This work presents the atmospheric conditions and CO2 measurements in interspecific hybrid of oil palm in eastern Amazonia, during El Niño year. The experiment was carried out in Moju-Pará, where a micrometeorological tower was installed to obtain meteorological and CO2 data during the period from january to december 2015. The diurnal averages of CO2 uptake peaked at noon, with 22.3 (± 0.98) mol m-2 s-1 in the wet season and 21.0 (± 0.47) mol m-2 s-1 in the dry season. There was little variation in nocturnal averages of CO2 emission, about 5 (± 0.20) mol m-2 s-1, in both wet and dry seasons. The diurnal averages of CO2 concentration were lower and nocturnal averages were higher. Generally, the daily CO2 exchange cycle presented a difference between the wet and dry season. These results contribute to a better understanding of the temporal trend of CO2 fluxes in agricultural crop during drought year in eastern Amazonia, generating new pieces of information about the interaction between oil palm and atmosphere. © 2018, Sociedade Brasileira de Meteorologia. All rights reserved

Unexpected seasonality in quantity and composition of Amazon rainforest air reactivity

The hydroxyl radical (OH) removes most atmospheric pollutants from air. The loss frequency of OH radicals due to the combined effect of all gas-phase OH reactive species is a measureable quantity termed total OH reactivity. Here we present total OH reactivity observations in pristine Amazon rainforest air, as a function of season, time-of-day and height (0-80 m). Total OH reactivity is low during wet (10s-1) and high during dry season (62s-1). Comparison to individually measured trace gases reveals strong variation in unaccounted for OH reactivity, from 5 to 15% missing in wet-season afternoons to mostly unknown (average 79%) during dry season. During dry-season afternoons isoprene, considered the dominant reagent with OH in rainforests, only accounts for ∼20% of the total OH reactivity. Vertical profiles of OH reactivity are shaped by biogenic emissions, photochemistry and turbulent mixing. The rainforest floor was identified as a significant but poorly characterized source of OH reactivity

Nighttime wind and scalar variability within and above an Amazonian canopy

Nocturnal turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and fluxes of energy, CO2 and O3 between the Amazon forest and the atmosphere are evaluated for a 20-day campaign at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) site. The distinction of these quantities between fully turbulent (weakly stable) and intermittent (very stable) nights is discussed. Spectral analysis indicates that low-frequency, nonturbulent fluctuations are responsible for a large portion of the variability observed on intermittent nights. In these conditions, the lowfrequency exchange may dominate over the turbulent transfer. In particular, we show that within the canopy most of the exchange of CO2 and H2O happens on temporal scales longer than 100 s. At 80 m, on the other hand, the turbulent fluxes are almost absent in such very stable conditions, suggesting a boundary layer shallower than 80 m. The relationship between TKE and mean winds shows that the stable boundary layer switches from the very stable to the weakly stable regime during intermittent bursts of turbulence. In general, fluxes estimated with long temporal windows that account for low-frequency effects are more dependent on the stability over a deeper layer above the forest than they are on the stability between the top of the canopy and its interior, suggesting that low-frequency processes are controlled over a deeper layer above the forest. © Author(s) 2018

The Central Amazon Biomass Sink Under Current and Future Atmospheric CO2: Predictions From Big-Leaf and Demographic Vegetation Models

There is large uncertainty whether Amazon forests will remain a carbon sink as atmospheric CO2 increases. Hence, we simulated an old-growth tropical forest using six versions of four terrestrial models differing in scale of vegetation structure and representation of biogeochemical (BGC) cycling, all driven with CO2 forcing from the preindustrial period to 2100. The models were benchmarked against tree inventory and eddy covariance data from a Brazilian site for present-day predictions. All models predicted positive vegetation growth that outpaced mortality, leading to continual increases in present-day biomass accumulation. Notably, the two vegetation demographic models (VDMs) (ED2 and ELM-FATES) always predicted positive stem diameter growth in all size classes. The field data, however, indicated that a quarter of canopy trees didn't grow over the 15-year period, and while high interannual variation existed, biomass change was near neutral. With a doubling of CO2, three of the four models predicted an appreciable biomass sink (0.77 to 1.24 Mg ha−1 year−1). ELMv1-ECA, the only model used here that includes phosphorus constraints, predicted the lowest biomass sink relative to initial biomass stocks (+21%), lower than the other BGC model, CLM5 (+48%). Models projections differed primarily through variations in nutrient constraints, then carbon allocation, initial biomass, and density-dependent mortality. The VDM's performance was similar or better than the BGC models run in carbon-only mode, suggesting that nutrient competition in VDMs will improve predictions. We demonstrate that VDMs are comparable to nondemographic (i.e., “big-leaf”) models but also include finer scale demography and competition that can be evaluated against field observations. ©2020. The Authors

The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO): Overview of pilot measurements on ecosystem ecology, meteorology, trace gases, and aerosols

The Amazon Basin plays key roles in the carbon and water cycles, climate change, atmospheric chemistry, and biodiversity. It has already been changed significantly by human activities, and more pervasive change is expected to occur in the coming decades. It is therefore essential to establish long-term measurement sites that provide a baseline record of present-day climatic, biogeochemical, and atmospheric conditions and that will be operated over coming decades to monitor change in the Amazon region, as human perturbations increase in the future. The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) has been set up in a pristine rain forest region in the central Amazon Basin, about 150 km northeast of the city of Manaus. Two 80 m towers have been operated at the site since 2012, and a 325 m tower is nearing completion in mid-2015. An ecological survey including a biodiversity assessment has been conducted in the forest region surrounding the site. Measurements of micrometeorological and atmospheric chemical variables were initiated in 2012, and their range has continued to broaden over the last few years. The meteorological and micrometeorological measurements include temperature and wind profiles, precipitation, water and energy fluxes, turbulence components, soil temperature profiles and soil heat fluxes, radiation fluxes, and visibility. A tree has been instrumented to measure stem profiles of temperature, light intensity, and water content in cryptogamic covers. The trace gas measurements comprise continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and ozone at five to eight different heights, complemented by a variety of additional species measured during intensive campaigns (e.g., VOC, NO, NO2, and OH reactivity). Aerosol optical, microphysical, and chemical measurements are being made above the canopy as well as in the canopy space. They include aerosol light scattering and absorption, fluorescence, number and volume size distributions, chemical composition, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, and hygroscopicity. In this paper, we discuss the scientific context of the ATTO observatory and present an overview of results from ecological, meteorological, and chemical pilot studies at the ATTO site. © Author(s) 2015

Transpiration and canopy conductance of secondary vegetation in the eastern Amazon

Secondary woody vegetation in the Brazilian Amazon accounts for about 30% of the cleared area in this region, which exceeds 100,000 km2. Despite the relative predominance of secondary vegetation, the hydrological and climatic properties of these areas are not well documented. In an effort to address this, the evapotranspiration (E) of a 3.5-year-old secondary vegetation in the eastern Amazon of Brazil was measured over 1 year. The annual evapotranspiration according to the Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB) amounted to 1421 mm, which is equal to rates quoted for tropical primary forests. The secondary vegetation returned 73% of the annual rainfall (1954 mm) to the atmosphere. Evapotranspiration required 73% of the net-radiation (Rn) energy; this function remained fairly constant over the whole year. In order to estimate evapotranspiration with the Penman-Monteith (PM) method, the canopy conductance (gc) was determined using the BREB results. The monthly mean daily gc varied between 14 and 22 mm s-1 in the rainy season and the transitional period (January-August), and reached a minimum of 7 mm s-1 in the dry season in October. The hourly as well as daily mean canopy conductance were approximated by a multiple linear regression analysis incorporating hourly and daily averages of Rn and vapour pressure deficit, respectively. In addition, the Jarvis-type model, which is based on a set of environmental control functions, was applied to predict hourly gc. The multiple linear regression and the non-linear optimisation (Jarvis-type model) were equally suitable for gc prediction. The optimised environmental control functions were comparable to those predicted elsewhere for Amazonian primary forests. This underlines the similarity of secondary and primary forests with respect to hydrological characteristics as well as energy turnover. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Nocturnal accumulation of CO2 underneath a tropical forest canopy along a topographical gradient

Flux measurements of carbon dioxide and water vapor above tropical rain forests are often difficult to interpret because the terrain is usually complex. This complexity induces heterogeneity in the surface but also affects lateral movement of carbon dioxide (CO2) not readily detected by the eddy covariance systems. This study describes such variability using measurements of CO2 along vertical profiles and along a toposequence in a tropical rain forest near Manaus, Brazil. Seasonal and diurnal variation was recorded, with atmospheric CO2 concentration maxima around dawn, generally higher CO2 build-up in the dry season and stronger daytime CO 2 drawdown in the wet season. This variation was reflected all along the toposequence, but the slope and valley bottom accumulated clearly more CO2 than the plateaus, depending on atmospheric stability. Particularly during stable nights, accumulation was along lines of equal altitude, suggesting that large amounts of CO2 are stored in the valleys of the landscape. Flushing of this store only occurs during mid-morning, when stored CO2 may well be partly transported back to the plateaus. It is clear that, for proper interpretation of tower fluxes in such complex and actively respiring terrain, the horizontal variability of storage needs to be taken into account not only during the night but also during the mornings. © 2008 by the Ecological Society of America

Characterization of the radiative impact of aerosols on CO2 and energy fluxes in the Amazon deforestation arch using artificial neural networks

In vegetation canopies with complex architectures, diffuse solar radiation can enhance carbon assimilation through photosynthesis because isotropic light is able to reach deeper layers of the canopy. Although this effect has been studied in the past decade, the mechanisms and impacts of this enhancement over South America remain poorly understood. Over the Amazon deforestation arch large amounts of aerosols are released into the atmosphere due to biomass burning, which provides an ideal scenario for further investigation of this phenomenon in the presence of canopies with complex architecture. In this paper, the relation of aerosol optical depth and surface fluxes of mass and energy are evaluated over three study sites with artificial neural networks and radiative transfer modeling. Results indicate a significant effect of the aerosol on the flux of carbon dioxide between the vegetation and the atmosphere, as well as on energy exchange, including that surface fluxes are sensitive to second-order radiative impacts of aerosols on temperature, humidity, and friction velocity. CO2 exchanges increased in the presence of aerosol in up to 55 % in sites with complex canopy architecture. A decrease of approximately 12 % was observed for a site with shorter vegetation. Energy fluxes were negatively impacted by aerosols over all study sites.. © 2020 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved

Characterization of the radiative impact of aerosols on CO2 and energy fluxes in the Amazon deforestation arch using artificial neural networks

In vegetation canopies with complex architectures, diffuse solar radiation can enhance carbon assimilation through photosynthesis because isotropic light is able to reach deeper layers of the canopy. Although this effect has been studied in the past decade, the mechanisms and impacts of this enhancement over South America remain poorly understood. Over the Amazon deforestation arch large amounts of aerosols are released into the atmosphere due to biomass burning, which provides an ideal scenario for further investigation of this phenomenon in the presence of canopies with complex architecture. In this paper, the relation of aerosol optical depth and surface fluxes of mass and energy are evaluated over three study sites with artificial neural networks and radiative transfer modeling. Results indicate a significant effect of the aerosol on the flux of carbon dioxide between the vegetation and the atmosphere, as well as on energy exchange, including that surface fluxes are sensitive to second-order radiative impacts of aerosols on temperature, humidity, and friction velocity. CO2 exchanges increased in the presence of aerosol in up to 55 % in sites with complex canopy architecture. A decrease of approximately 12 % was observed for a site with shorter vegetation. Energy fluxes were negatively impacted by aerosols over all study sites.. © 2020 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved

Calibration of a land-surface model using data from primary forest sites in Amazonia

A land-surface model (MOSES) was tested against observed fluxes of heat, vapour and carbon dioxide for two primary forest sites near Manaus, Brazil. Flux data from one site (called C14) were used to calibrate the model, and data from the other site (called K34) were used to validate the calibrated model. Long-term fluxes of water vapour at C14 and K34 simulated by the uncalibrated model were good, whereas modelled net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was poor. The uncalibrated model persistently underpredicted canopy conductance (gc) from mid-morning to mid-afternoon due to saturation of the response to solar radiation at low light levels. This in turn caused a poor simulation of the diurnal cycles of water vapour and carbon fluxes. Calibration of the stomatal conductance/photosynthesis sub-model of MOSES improved the simulated diurnal cycle of gc and increased the diurnal maximum NEE, but at the expense of degrading long-term water vapour fluxes. Seasonality in observed canopy conductance due to soil moisture change was not captured by the model. Introducing realistic depth-dependent soil parameters decreased the amount of moisture available for transpiration at each depth and led to the model experiencing soil moisture limitation on canopy conductance during the dry season. However, this limitation had only a limited effect on the seasonality in modelled NEE. © Springer-Verlag 2004