Simulated Hurricane Experiment - Trace Gas Fluxes and Soil N Dynamics
HF052 Overview Data EML Archive- Investigators: John Aber, Richard Bowden, Mark Castro, Jerry Melillo, Paul Steudler
- Contact: Jerry Melillo
- Start date: 1989-08-01
- End date: 1991-12-31
- Location: Tom Swamp Tract (Harvard Forest)
- Latitude: +42.49
- Longitude: -72.20
- Elevation: 310 meters
- Taxa:
- Keywords: hurricane, soil nitrogen, trace gas fluxes, wind damage
- Abstract:
This study examined the fluxes of greenhouse gases between soils and the atmosphere in the Simulated Hurricane Experiment. For details on methods and results, please see the published paper (Bowden, R., M. C. Castro, J. M. Melillo, P. A. Steudler and J. D. Aber. 1993. Fluxes of greenhouse gases between soils and the atmosphere in a temperate forest following a simulated hurricane blowdown. Biogeochemistry 21: 61-71.) The Abstract from the paper is reproduced below.
"Fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) between soils and the atmosphere were measured monthly for one year in a 77-year-old temperate hardwood forest following a simulated hurricane blowdown. Emissions of CO2 and uptake of CH4 for the control plot were 4.92 MT C ha-1 y-1 and 3.87 kg C ha-1 y-1, respectively, and were not significantly different from the blowdown plot. Annual N2O emissions in the control plot (0.23 kg N ha-1 y-1) were low and were reduced 78% by the blowdown. Net N mineralization was not affected by the blowdown. Net nitrification was greater in the blowdown than in the control, however, the absolute rate of net nitrification, as well as the proportion of mineralized N that was nitrified, remained low. Fluxes of CO2 and CH4 were correlated positively to soil temperature, and CH4 uptake showed a negative relationship to soil moisture. Substantial resprouting and leafing out of downed or damaged trees, and increased growth of understory vegetation following the blowdown, were probably responsible for the relatively small differences in soil temperature, moisture, N availability, and net N mineralization and net nitrification between the control and blowdown plots, thus resulting in no change in CO2 or CH4 fluxes, and no increase in N2O emission."
- Methods:
- Related datasets: