The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna
Savanna ecosystems cover 20 % of the global land surface and account for 25 % of global terrestrial carbon uptake. They support one fifth of the world's human population and are one of the most important ecosystems on our planet. Savanna productivity is a product of the interplay between trees...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/2387/2016/bg-13-2387-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818907989716762624 |
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| author | C. E. Moore J. Beringer B. Evans L. B. Hutley I. McHugh N. J. Tapper |
| author_facet | C. E. Moore J. Beringer B. Evans L. B. Hutley I. McHugh N. J. Tapper |
| author_sort | C. E. Moore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Savanna ecosystems cover 20 % of the global land surface and account for
25 % of global terrestrial carbon uptake. They support one fifth of the
world's human population and are one of the most important ecosystems on our
planet. Savanna productivity is a product of the interplay between trees and
grass that co-dominate savanna landscapes and are maintained through
interactions with climate and disturbance (fire, land use change,
herbivory). In this study, we evaluate the temporally dynamic partitioning
of overstory and understory carbon dioxide fluxes in Australian tropical
savanna using overstory and understory eddy covariance measurements. Over a
2-year period (September 2012 to October 2014) the overall net ecosystem
productivity (NEP) of the savanna was 506.2 (±22 SE) g C m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>.
The total gross primary productivity (GPP) was 2267.1 (±80 SE)
g C m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>, of which the understory contributed 32 %. The
understory contribution was strongly seasonal, with most GPP occurring in
the wet season (40 % of total ecosystem in the wet season and 18 % in
the dry). This study is the first to elucidate the temporal dynamics of
savanna understory and overstory carbon flux components explicitly using
observational information. Understanding grass productivity is crucial for
evaluating fuel loads, as is tree productivity for quantifying the tree
carbon sink. This information will contribute to a significant refinement of
the representation of savannas in models, as well as improved understanding
of relative tree-grass productivity and competition for resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:03:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c717ffb92ca44b8a962a6cf25083e318 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:03:53Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c717ffb92ca44b8a962a6cf25083e3182022-12-21T20:04:05ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892016-04-011382387240310.5194/bg-13-2387-2016The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savannaC. E. Moore0J. Beringer1B. Evans2L. B. Hutley3I. McHugh4N. J. Tapper5School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Clayton, AustraliaSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Western Australia, WA, 6009, Crawley, AustraliaDepartment of Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2015, Eveleigh, AustraliaSchool of Environment, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, NT, 0909, Casuarina, AustraliaSchool of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Clayton, AustraliaSchool of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, VIC, 3800, Clayton, AustraliaSavanna ecosystems cover 20 % of the global land surface and account for 25 % of global terrestrial carbon uptake. They support one fifth of the world's human population and are one of the most important ecosystems on our planet. Savanna productivity is a product of the interplay between trees and grass that co-dominate savanna landscapes and are maintained through interactions with climate and disturbance (fire, land use change, herbivory). In this study, we evaluate the temporally dynamic partitioning of overstory and understory carbon dioxide fluxes in Australian tropical savanna using overstory and understory eddy covariance measurements. Over a 2-year period (September 2012 to October 2014) the overall net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of the savanna was 506.2 (±22 SE) g C m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>. The total gross primary productivity (GPP) was 2267.1 (±80 SE) g C m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>, of which the understory contributed 32 %. The understory contribution was strongly seasonal, with most GPP occurring in the wet season (40 % of total ecosystem in the wet season and 18 % in the dry). This study is the first to elucidate the temporal dynamics of savanna understory and overstory carbon flux components explicitly using observational information. Understanding grass productivity is crucial for evaluating fuel loads, as is tree productivity for quantifying the tree carbon sink. This information will contribute to a significant refinement of the representation of savannas in models, as well as improved understanding of relative tree-grass productivity and competition for resources.http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/2387/2016/bg-13-2387-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | C. E. Moore J. Beringer B. Evans L. B. Hutley I. McHugh N. J. Tapper The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna Biogeosciences |
| title | The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna |
| title_full | The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna |
| title_fullStr | The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna |
| title_full_unstemmed | The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna |
| title_short | The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna |
| title_sort | contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an australian tropical savanna |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/2387/2016/bg-13-2387-2016.pdf |
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