Harvard Forest Data Archive

HF068

Soil Respiration Along a Hydrological Gradient at Harvard Forest EMS Tower 2003-2006

Related Publications

Data

• HF068-01: soil respiration (preview)
• HF068-02: wetland respiration (preview)
• HF068-03: soil moisture and temperature (preview)

Overview

• Lead: Ruth Varner
• Investigators: Patrick Crill, Steven Wofsy
• Contact: Information Manager
• Start date: 2003
• End date: 2006
• Status: complete
• Location: Prospect Hill Tract (Harvard Forest)
• Latitude: +42.54 degrees
• Longitude: -72.17 degrees
• Elevation: 340 meter
• Datum: WGS84
• Taxa:
• Release date: 2023
• Language: English
• EML file: knb-lter-hfr.68.24
• DOI: digital object identifier
• EDI: data package
• DataONE: data package
• Related links:
• Canopy-Atmosphere Exchange of Carbon, Water and Energy at Harvard Forest EMS Tower since 1991
• Soil Respiration, Temperature and Moisture at Harvard Forest EMS Tower since 1995
• Study type: short-term measurement
• Research topic: forest-atmosphere exchange
• LTER core area: mineral cycling
• Keywords: air temperature, hydrology, soil moisture, soil respiration, soil temperature
• Abstract:

  Soil respiration is an important component of the terrestrial carbon budget. Spatial variation of organic matter and plant cover induce temperature and moisture gradations that obscure direct response of soil respiration to radiative forcing. Separation of spatial patterns from microclimate and substrate availability is vital to predict the response to global change. We are measuring temporal and spatial patterns of soil CO2 flux across a hydrological gradient from wetland to upland soils.

  A system of 8 automated opaque chambers were installed in 2003 along a hydrological gradient on the northeast margin of the "Beaver Swamp" north of the EMS tower (+42.537755,-72.171478). Two additional clear chambers were installed in the wetland in 2006. Each automated chamber closes for a measurement every four hours. The resulting semi-continuous data has been providing a high-temporal density characterization of soil flux during the growing season since 2003. Soil temperature and moisture were recorded in the litter, organic, and mineral soils during 2004 at three locations along the slope.

  These structures will provide a database of soil respiration flux, temperature, and soil moisture with both high spatial and temporal resolution, across multiple cover types and ground water levels. The analysis will seek to determine the appropriate spatial scale of soil respiration measurement in eastern hardwood forests.

• Methods:

  Chambers 1 through 8 consist of aluminum chambers (43.2 x 43.2 x 15.2 cm) that close over metal frames that extend 2 cm into the soil. The chambers are numbered by distance to upland, with 1 being the top of the slope and 8 closest to the wetland. The chambers are not aligned in a linear transect, but are spread throughout the hill slope. Chambers 9 and 10 are clear lexan chambers measuring net ecosystem exchange and are located in the wetland.

  When a chamber is closed, air from the headspace is pumped to an infrared gas analyzer (LiCor 820) and the air is returned to the chamber to minimize pressure effects. The measurement system is controlled by a datalogger (Campbell Scientific CR10X) that opens and closes the chambers according to the measurement cycle. Linear regression of the change in CO2 mixing ratios (d ppmv/min) was converted to a flux rate (umol m-2 s-1). Soil temperature is measured by thermocouples (Omega Engineering Type-T) and soil water content is recorded using TDR probes (Decagon Devices ECH2O) inserted horizontally at the base of each soil horizon.

• Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

• Project: The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. (ROR).

• Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

• Use: This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

• License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

• Citation: Varner R. 2023. Soil Respiration Along a Hydrological Gradient at Harvard Forest EMS Tower 2003-2006. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF068 (v.24). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/c07ac14861da83fe22b903cc1a480f04.

Detailed Metadata

HF068-01: soil respiration

1. datetime: date and time
2. year: year
3. doy: day of year with fraction of day (unit: nominalDay )
4. hour: fraction of day (unit: nominalHour )
5. chamber: chamber number
6. avg.airt: average air temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
7. avg.grndt: average ground temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
8. co2flux: efflux of CO2 from soil (unit: micromolePerMeterSquaredPerSecond / missing value: NA)

HF068-02: wetland respiration

1. datetime: date and time
2. year: year
3. doy: day of year with fraction of day (unit: nominalDay )
4. hour: fraction of day (unit: nominalHour )
5. chamber: chamber number
6. avg.airt: average air temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
7. avg.grndt: average ground temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
8. co2flux: net exchange of CO2 from wetland (unit: micromolePerMeterSquaredPerSecond / missing value: NA)

HF068-03: soil moisture and temperature

1. datetime: date and time
2. year: year
3. doy: day of year with fraction of day (unit: nominalDay )
4. tcl.l: thermocouple low profile, litter layer at 2.5 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
5. tcl.os: thermocouple low profile, shallow organic horizon at 7 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
6. tcl.od: thermocouple low profile, deep organic horizon at 18.75 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
7. tcl.m: thermocouple low profile, mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
8. tcm.l: thermocouple middle profile, litter layer at 1 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
9. tcm.o: thermocouple middle profile, organic horizon at 5 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
10. tcm.ms: thermocouple middle profile, mineral soil at 16.25 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
11. tcm.md: thermocouple middle profile, mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
12. tch.l: thermocouple high profile, litter layer at 1.25 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
13. tch.o: thermocouple high profile, organic layer at 5 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
14. tch.ms: thermocouple high profile, mineral soil at 15 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
15. tch.md: thermocouple high profile, mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
16. sml.l: soil moisture low profile, litter layer at 2.5 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
17. sml.os: soil moisture low profile, shallow organic horizon at 7 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
18. sml.od: soil moisture low profile, deep organic horizon at 18.75 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
19. sml.m: soil moisture low profile, mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
20. smm.l: soil moisture middle profile, litter layer at 1 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
21. smm.o: soil moisture middle profile, organic horizon at 5 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
22. smm.ms: soil moisture middle profile, shallow mineral soil at 16.25 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
23. smm.md: soil moisture middle profile, deep mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
24. smh.l: soil moisture high profile, litter layer at 1.25 (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
25. smh.o: soil moisture high profile, organic layer at 5 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
26. smh.ms: soil moisture high profile, shallow mineral soil at 15 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
27. smh.md: soil moisture high profile, deep mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: volt / missing value: NA)
28. wcl.l: water content low profile, litter layer 2.5 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
29. wcl.os: water content low profile, shallow organic horizon 7 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
30. wcl.od: water content low profile, deep organic horizon 18.75 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
31. wcl.m: water content low profile, mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
32. wcm.l: water content middle profile, litter layer at 1 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
33. wcm.o: water content middle profile, organic horizon at 5 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
34. wcm.ms: water content middle profile, shallow mineral soil at 16.25 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
35. wcm.md: water content middle profile, deep mineral soil at 30 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
36. wch.l: water content high profile, litter layer 1.25 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
37. wch.o: water content high profile, organic horizon 5 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
38. wch.ms: water content high profile, shallow mineral soil 15 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)
39. wch.md: water content of high profile, deep mineral soil 30 cm (unit: cubicCentimetersPerCubicCentimeters / missing value: NA)