The energy and water balance of a Eucalyptus plantation in southeast Brazil

The eddy covariance method was used to measure energy and water balance of a plantation of Eucalyptus (grandis x urophylla) hybrids over a 2 year period. The average daily evaporation rates were 5.4 (+/- 2.0) mm day(-1) in summer, but fell to 1.2 (+/- 0.3) mm day(-1) in winter. In contrast, the sensible heat flux was relatively low in summer but dominated the energy balance in winter. Evaporation accounted for 80% and 26% of the available energy, in summer and winter respectively. The annual evaporation was 82% (1124 mm) and 96% (1235 mm) of the annual rainfall recorded during the first and second year, respectively. Daily average canopy and aerodynamic conductance to water vapour were in the summer 51.9 (+/- 38.4) mm s(-1) 84.1 (+/- 25.6) mm s(-1), respectively; and in the winter 6.0 (+/- 10.5) mm s(-1) and 111.6 (+/- 24.6) mm s(-1), respectively. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.EmbrapaUniversidade de São Paulo USPFAPESPCNPqVC

What drives the seasonality of photosynthesis across the Amazon basin? A cross-site analysis of eddy flux tower measurements from the Brazil flux network

We investigated the seasonal patterns of Amazonian forest photosynthetic activity, and the effects thereon of variations in climate and land-use, by integrating data from a network of ground-based eddy flux towers in Brazil established as part of the ‘Large-Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia’ project. We found that degree of water limitation, as indicated by the seasonality of the ratio of sensible to latent heat flux (Bowen ratio) predicts seasonal patterns of photosynthesis. In equatorial Amazonian forests (5° N–5° S), water limitation is absent, and photosynthetic fluxes (or gross ecosystem productivity, GEP) exhibit high or increasing levels of photosynthetic activity as the dry season progresses, likely a consequence of allocation to growth of new leaves. In contrast, forests along the southern flank of the Amazon, pastures converted from forest, and mixed forest-grass savanna, exhibit dry-season declines in GEP, consistent with increasing degrees of water limitation. Although previous work showed tropical ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) is driven by incoming radiation, GEP observations reported here surprisingly show no or negative relationships with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Instead, GEP fluxes largely followed the phenology of canopy photosynthetic capacity (Pc), with only deviations from this primary pattern driven by variations in PAR. Estimates of leaf flush at three non-water limited equatorial forest sites peak in the dry season, in correlation with high dry season light levels. The higher photosynthetic capacity that follows persists into the wet season, driving high GEP that is out of phase with sunlight, explaining the negative observed relationship with sunlight. Overall, these patterns suggest that at sites where water is not limiting, light interacts with adaptive mechanisms to determine photosynthetic capacity indirectly through leaf flush and litterfall seasonality. These mechanisms are poorly represented in ecosystem models, and represent an important challenge to efforts to predict tropical forest responses to climatic variations

What drives the seasonality of photosynthesis across the Amazon basin? A cross-site analysis of eddy flux tower measurements from the Brazil flux network

We investigated the seasonal patterns of Amazonian forest photosynthetic activity, and the effects thereon of variations in climate and land-use, by integrating data from a network of ground-based eddy flux towers in Brazil established as part of the ‘Large-Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia’ project. We found that degree of water limitation, as indicated by the seasonality of the ratio of sensible to latent heat flux (Bowen ratio) predicts seasonal patterns of photosynthesis. In equatorial Amazonian forests (5° N–5° S), water limitation is absent, and photosynthetic fluxes (or gross ecosystem productivity, GEP) exhibit high or increasing levels of photosynthetic activity as the dry season progresses, likely a consequence of allocation to growth of new leaves. In contrast, forests along the southern flank of the Amazon, pastures converted from forest, and mixed forest-grass savanna, exhibit dry-season declines in GEP, consistent with increasing degrees of water limitation. Although previous work showed tropical ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) is driven by incoming radiation, GEP observations reported here surprisingly show no or negative relationships with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Instead, GEP fluxes largely followed the phenology of canopy photosynthetic capacity (Pc), with only deviations from this primary pattern driven by variations in PAR. Estimates of leaf flush at three non-water limited equatorial forest sites peak in the dry season, in correlation with high dry season light levels. The higher photosynthetic capacity that follows persists into the wet season, driving high GEP that is out of phase with sunlight, explaining the negative observed relationship with sunlight. Overall, these patterns suggest that at sites where water is not limiting, light interacts with adaptive mechanisms to determine photosynthetic capacity indirectly through leaf flush and litterfall seasonality. These mechanisms are poorly represented in ecosystem models, and represent an important challenge to efforts to predict tropical forest responses to climatic variations

Diferenças estacionais entre variáveis microclimáticas para ambientes de interior de mata, vinhedo e posto meteorológico em Jundiaí (SP) Seazonal diferences among microclimatic variables from environments of forest interior, vineyard and standard weather station at Jundiaí, Brazil

Os estudos de caracterização da variabilidade microclimática são essenciais para avaliação de alternativas silviculturais e manejo de vinhedos. Por essa razão, compararam-se variação estacional da temperatura, umidade relativa do ar e velocidade do vento entre os ambientes: interior de uma mata semidecídua, um vinhedo da variedade Niagara Rosada e um posto meteorológico, em Jundiaí (SP), utilizando-se dados diários obtidos por estações meteorológicas automáticas em agosto de 2000 (inverno), outubro de 2000 (primavera) e janeiro de 2001 (verão). A mata alterou significativamente o microclima em seu interior, diminuindo a temperatura máxima em 1,0 °C no inverno, 1,9 °C na primavera e 3,4 °C no verão, aumentando a umidade relativa do ar em 4% a 7% e reduzindo a velocidade do vento nas estações do ano analisadas. No interior da mata, a temperatura mínima foi 0,2 °C mais alta no verão e 1,2 °C mais baixa no inverno, quando comparada com o ambiente externo. O vinhedo, ao contrário, elevou a temperatura máxima de 0,5 °C a 1,0 °C e reduziu a umidade relativa do ar em 2%, quando comparado com o ambiente-padrão do posto meteorológico.<br>Studies aiming the characterization of microclimatic variability are important for evaluating forest and vineyards management. Therefore microclimatic measurements of: air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were taken, at Jundiaí, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The following environments were evaluated: semideciduous forest interior, ´Niagara Rosada´ vineyard and standard weather station. Seazonal variation comparison was performed using daily data collected by automatic weather stations during the following months:August, 2000 (winter), October, 2000 (spring) and January, 2001 (summer). The internal microclimate was modified at semideciduous forest, with a decrease of maximum air temperature by 1.0 °C, 1.9 °C and 3.4 °C, respectively for winter, spring and summer; an increase of air relative humidity from 4-7%, and a reduction of wind speed in all evaluated seasons. The minimum air temperature inside the forest was 0.2 °C higher than at the standard weather station during summer, and 1.2 °C lower during winter. On the other hand, the vineyard lead to an increase of 0.5 °C to 1.0 °C on the maximum air temperature and to a decrease of 2% on the relative humidity when compared to standard weather station environment