An airborne regional carbon balance for Central Amazonia

• Published in: Biogeosciences 2007-01, Vol.4 (5), p.759-768
• Main Authors: Lloyd, J, Kolle, O, Fritsch, H, Freitas, S.R. de, Silva Dias, M.A.F, Artaxo, P, Nobre, A.D, Araújo, A.C. de, Kruijt, B, Sogacheva, L, Fisch, G, Thielmann, A, Kuhn, U, Andreae, M.O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astrophysics; atmospheric co2 concentrations; boundary-layer budgets; central siberia; Continental interfaces, environment; Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics; dioxide uptake; Earth Sciences; eddy covariance; Ocean, Atmosphere; Physics; plant-growth responses; rain-forest; Sciences of the Universe; soil nutrient status; tropical forest; water-vapor
• ISSN: 1726-4170; 1726-4189; 1726-4189
• DOI: 10.5194/bg-4-759-2007

We obtained regional estimates of surface CO2 exchange rates using atmospheric boundary layer budgeting techniques above tropical forest near Manaus, Brazil. Comparisons were made with simultaneous measurements from two eddy covariance towers below. Although there was good agreement for daytime measurements, large differences emerged for integrating periods dominated by the night-time fluxes. These results suggest that a systematic underestimation of night time respiratory effluxes may be responsible for the high Amazonian carbon sink suggested by several previous eddy covariance studies. Large CO2 fluxes from riverine sources or high respiratory losses from recently disturbed forests do not need to be invoked in order to balance the carbon budget of the Amazon. Our results do not, however, discount some contribution of these processes to the overall Amazon carbon budget.