Hot-Moments of Soil CO2 Efflux in a Water-Limited Grassland

The metabolic activity of water-limited ecosystems is strongly linked to the timing and magnitude of precipitation pulses that can trigger disproportionately high (i.e., hot-moments) ecosystem CO2 fluxes. We analyzed over 2-years of continuous measurements of soil CO2 efflux (Fs) under vegetation (Fsveg) and at bare soil (Fsbare) in a water-limited grassland. The continuous wavelet transform was used to: (a) describe the temporal variability of Fs; (b) test the performance of empirical models ranging in complexity; and (c) identify hot-moments of Fs. We used partial wavelet coherence (PWC) analysis to test the temporal correlation between Fs with temperature and soil moisture. The PWC analysis provided evidence that soil moisture overshadows the influence of soil temperature for Fs in this water limited ecosystem. Precipitation pulses triggered hot-moments that increased Fsveg (up to 9000%) and Fsbare (up to 17,000%) with respect to pre-pulse rates. Highly parameterized empirical models (using support vector machine (SVM) or an 8-day moving window) are good approaches for representing the daily temporal variability of Fs, but SVM is a promising approach to represent high temporal variability of Fs (i.e., hourly estimates). Our results have implications for the representation of hot-moments of ecosystem CO2 fluxes in these globally distributed ecosystems

Commonalities of carbon dioxide exchange in semiarid regions with monsoon and Mediterranean climates

Comparing biosphere–atmosphere carbon exchange across monsoon (warm-season rainfall) and Mediterranean (cool-season rainfall) regimes can yield information about the interaction between energy and water limitation. Using data collected from eddy covariance towers over grass and shrub ecosystems in Arizona, USA and Almeria, Spain, we used net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE), gross ecosystem production (GEP), and other meteorological variables to examine the effects of the different precipitation seasonality. Considerable crossover behavior occurred between the two rainfall regimes. As expected in these usually water-limited ecosystems, precipitation magnitude and timing were the dominant drivers of carbon exchange, but temperature and/or light also played an important role in regulating GEP and NEE at all sites. If significant rainfall occurred in the winter at the Arizona sites, their behavior was characteristically Mediterranean whereby the carbon flux responses were delayed till springtime. Likewise, the Spanish Mediterranean sites showed immediate pulse-like responses to rainfall events in non-winter periods. The observed site differences were likely due to differences in vegetation, soils, and climatology. Together, these results support a more unified conceptual model for which processes governing carbon cycling in semiarid ecosystems need not differ between warm-season and cool-season rainfall regimes.This paper is the result of a fellowship funded by the OECD Co-operative Research Programme: Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems to R.L. Scott. This paper has been supported in part by the Andalusian regional government project GEOCARBO and GLOCHARID (P08-RNM-3721), European Union Funds (ERDF and ESF), the Spanish flux-tower network CARBORED-ES (Science Ministry project CGL2010-22193-C04-02), and the European Commission collaborative project GHG Europe (FP7/2007-2013; grant agreement 244122)

Linear algebra and optimization based controller design for trajectory tracking of typical chemical process

This paper presents a new controller design to tracking trajectory of a typical chemical process. The plant model is represented by numerical methods and, from this approach, the control actions for an optimal operation of the system are obtained. Its main advantage is that the condition for the tracking error tends to zero and the calculation of control actions, are obtained solving a system of linear equations. The proofs of convergence to zero of the tracking error are presented. Simulation results show the good performance of the proposed control system.Fil: Serrano, Mario Emanuel. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Scaglia, Gustavo Juan Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Aballay, P.. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Ortiz, O. A.. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingenieria. Instituto de Ingenieria Quimica; ArgentinaFil: Mut, Vicente Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico San Juan. Instituto de Automática; Argentin

Transition period between vegetation growth and senescence controls interannual variability of C fluxes in a Mediterranean reed wetland

Wetlands are crucial ecosystems modulating climate change due to their great potential to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), emit methane (CH4) and regulate local climate through evapotranspiration (ET). Common reed wetlands are particularly interesting given their high productivity, abundance and highly efficient internal gas-transport mechanism. However, little is known about the interannual behavior and dominant controlling factors of Mediterranean reed wetlands, characterized by seasonal flooding and remarkable weather variability. After 6 years of ecosystem carbon and ET flux measurements by eddy covariance (3 years for CH4 fluxes), this study shows the functional vulnerability of such wetlands to climate variability, switching between carbon (CO2+CH4) sink (660 g CO2-eeq m-2 y -1 , in 2014) and source (360 g CO2-eq m-2 y -1 , in 2016) in short periods of time. According to our analyses, the great interannual variability appeared to mainly depend on the behavior of reed growth dynamics during the transition to senescence period, what is confirmed through the Enhanced Vegetation Index as a proxy of photosynthetic activity. Additionally, a similar behavior of seasonal and daily patterns of carbon fluxes and ET was found compared with other wetlands under different climates

Winds induce CO2 exchange with the atmosphere and vadose zone transport in a karstic ecosystem

Research on the subterranean CO dynamics has focused individually on either surface soils or bedrock cavities, neglecting the interaction of both systems as a whole. In this regard, the vadose zone contains CO-enriched air (ca. 5% by volume) in the first meters, and its exchange with the atmosphere can represent from 10 to 90% of total ecosystem CO emissions. Despite its importance, to date still lacking are reliable and robust databases of vadose zone CO contents that would improve knowledge of seasonal-annual aboveground-belowground CO balances. Here we study 2.5 years of vadose zone CO dynamics in a semiarid ecosystem. The experimental design includes an integrative approach to continuously measure CO in vertical and horizontal soil profiles, following gradients from surface to deep horizons and from areas of net biological CO production (under plants) to areas of lowest CO production (bare soil), as well as a bedrock borehole representing karst cavities and ecosystem-scale exchanges. We found that CO followed similar seasonal patterns for the different layers, with the maximum seasonal values of CO delayed with depth (deeper more delayed). However, the behavior of CO transport differed markedly among layers. Advective transport driven by wind induced CO emission both in surface soil and bedrock, but with negligible effect on subsurface soil, which appears to act as a buffer impeding rapid CO exchanges. Our study provides the first evidence of enrichment of CO under plant, hypothesizing that CO-rich air could come from root zone or by transport from deepest layers through cracks and fissures.These data were funded by the Andalusian regional government project GEOCARBO (P08-RNM-3721), including European Union ERDF funds, with support from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation projects SOILPROF (CGL2011-15276-E), CARBORAD (CGL2011-27493), and GEISpain (CGL2014-52838-C2-1-R). This research was supported by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme, DIESEL project (625988).Peer Reviewe

Reviews and syntheses: 210Pb-derived sediment and carbon accumulation rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems-setting the record straight

Vegetated coastal ecosystems, including tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrass meadows, are being increasingly assessed in terms of their potential for carbon dioxide sequestration worldwide. However, there is a paucity of studies that have effectively estimated the accumulation rates of sediment organic carbon (Corg), also termed blue carbon, beyond the mere quantification of Corg stocks. Here, we discuss the use of the 210Pb dating technique to determine the rate of Corg accumulation in these habitats. We review the most widely used 210Pb dating models to assess their limitations in these ecosystems, often composed of heterogeneous sediments with varying inputs of organic material, that are disturbed by natural and anthropogenic processes resulting in sediment mixing and changes in sedimentation rates or erosion. Through a range of simulations, we consider the most relevant processes that impact the 210Pb records in vegetated coastal ecosystems and evaluate how anomalies in 210Pb specific activity profiles affect sediment and Corg accumulation rates. Our results show that the discrepancy in sediment and derived Corg accumulation rates between anomalous and ideal 210Pb profiles is within 20% if the process causing such anomalies is well understood. While these discrepancies might be acceptable for the determination of mean sediment and Corg accumulation rates over the last century, they may not always provide a reliable geochronology or historical reconstruction. Reliable estimates of Corg accumulation rates might be difficult at sites with slow sedimentation, intense mixing and/or that are affected by multiple sedimentary processes. Additional tracers or geochemical, ecological or historical data need to be used to validate the 210Pbderived results. The framework provided in this study can be instrumental in reducing the uncertainties associated with estimates of Corg accumulation rates in vegetated coastal sediments.This work was funded by the CSIRO Flagship Marine & Coastal Carbon Biogeochemical Cluster (Coastal Carbon Cluster), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (projects EstresX CTM2012-32603, MedShift CGL2015-71809-P), the Generalitat de Catalunya (MERS 2017 SGR – 1588), the Australian Research Council LIEF Project (LE170100219), the Edith Cowan University Faculty Research Grant Scheme and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) through baseline funding to Carlos M. Duarte. This work contributes to the ICTA Unit of Excellence (MinECo, MDM2015-0552

Role of carbonate burial in Blue Carbon budgets

Calcium carbonates (CaCO3) often accumulate in mangrove and seagrass sediments. As CaCO3 production emits CO2, there is concern that this may partially offset the role of Blue Carbon ecosystems as CO2sinks through the burial of organic carbon (Corg). A global collection of data on inorganic carbon burial rates (Cinorg, 12% of CaCO3 mass) revealed global rates of 0.8 TgCinorg yr−1 and 15–62 TgCinorg yr−1 in mangrove and seagrass ecosystems, respectively. In seagrass, CaCO3burial may correspond to an offset of 30% of the net CO2 sequestration. However, a mass balance assessment highlights that the Cinorg burial is mainly supported by inputs from adjacent ecosystems rather than by local calcification, and that Blue Carbon ecosystems are sites of net CaCO3 dissolution. Hence, CaCO3 burial in Blue Carbon ecosystems contribute to seabed elevation and therefore buffers sea-level rise, without undermining their role as CO2 sinks

Soil water content effects on net ecosystem CO2 exchange and actual evapotranspiration in a Mediterranean semiarid savanna of Central Chile

Biosphere-atmosphere water and carbon fluxes depend on ecosystem structure, and their magnitudes and seasonal behavior are driven by environmental and biological factors. We studied the seasonal behavior of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), Gross Primary Productivity (GPP), Ecosystem Respiration (RE), and actual evapotranspiration (ETa) obtained by eddy covariance measurements during two years in a Mediterranean Acacia savanna ecosystem (Acacia caven) in Central Chile. The annual carbon balance was −53 g C m−2 in 2011 and −111 g C m−2 in 2012, showing that the ecosystem acts as a net sink of CO2, notwithstanding water limitations on photosynthesis observed in this particularly dry period. Total annual ETa was of 128 mm in 2011 and 139 mm in 2012. Both NEE and ETa exhibited strong seasonality with peak values recorded in the winter season (July to September), as a result of ecosystem phenology, soil water content and rainfall occurrence. Consequently, the maximum carbon assimilation rate occurred in wintertime. Results show that soil water content is a major driver of GPP and RE, defining their seasonal patterns and the annual carbon assimilation capacity of the ecosystem, and also modulating the effect that solar radiation and air temperature have on NEE components at shorter time scales.This work was funded by FONDECYT projects 1120713 and 1170429, a grant from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) [grant number CRN3056], which is supported by the US National Science Foundation [grant number GEO-1128040], and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness project GEI Spain (CGL2014-52838-C2-1-R), including ERDF founds. F. Bravo-Martínez is grateful to CONICYT for the grants “Formación de Capital Humano Avanzado-2009′′, “Beca de Apoyo al término de la tesis doctoral-2012′′, and CORFO INNOVA Grant N° 09CN14-5704. We thank to Enrique Pérez Sanchez-Cañete and Borja Ruíz- Reverter for technical support. We also thank “CODELCO–División Andina” for use of the site. C. Montes acknowledges the NASA Postdoctoral Program and to Universities Space Research Association