Spatially distributed modeling of the long-term carbon balance of a boreal landscape

Ajit Govind, Jing Ming Chen, Pierre Bernier, Hank Margolis, Luc Guindon and Andre Beaudoin

Ecological Modelling, 2011, vol. 222, issue 15, 2780-2795

Abstract: Spatially and temporally distributed information on the sizes of biomass carbon (C) pools (BCPs) and soil C pools (SCPs) is vital for improving our understanding of biosphere–atmosphere C fluxes. Because the sizes of C pools result from the integrated effects of primary production, age-effects, changes in climate, atmospheric CO2 concentration, N deposition, and disturbances, a modeling scheme that interactively considers these processes is important. We used the InTEC model, driven by various spatio-temporal datasets to simulate the long-term C-balance in a boreal landscape in eastern Canada. Our results suggested that in this boreal landscape, mature coniferous stands had stabilized their productivity and fluctuated as a weak C-sink or C-source depending on the interannual variations in hydrometeorological factors. Disturbed deciduous stands were larger C-sinks (NEP2004=150gCm−2yr−1) than undisturbed coniferous stands (e.g. NEP2004=8gCm−2yr−1). Wetlands had lower NPP but showed temporally consistent C accumulation patterns. The simulated spatio-temporal patterns of BCPs and SCPs were unique and reflected the integrated effects of climate, plant growth and atmospheric chemistry besides the inherent properties of the C pool themselves. The simulated BCPs and SCPs generally compared well with the biometric estimates (BCPs: r=0.86, SCPs: r=0.84). The largest BCP biases were found in recently disturbed stands and the largest SCP biases were seen in locations where moss necro-masses were abundant. Reconstructing C pools and C fluxes in the ecosystem in such a spatio-temporal manner could help reduce the uncertainties in our understanding of terrestrial C-cycle.

Keywords: Long-term C modeling; InTEC; Boreal ecosystem; Climate change; Changes in atmospheric chemistry; Disturbance; Biomass C pools [BCPs]; Soil C pools [SCPs] (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:222:y:2011:i:15:p:2780-2795

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.04.007

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