Seasonal Variation of Carbon Fluxes in a Sparse Savanna in Semi-Arid Sudan
Author Information
Author(s): Jonas Ardö, Meelis Mölder, Bashir Awad El-Tahir, Hatim Abdalla Mohammed Elkhidir
Primary Institution: Lund University
Hypothesis
How do carbon fluxes vary between dry and wet seasons in a semi-arid savanna ecosystem?
Conclusion
The studied ecosystem was a carbon sink during both the dry and wet seasons of 2005, with surprising small sinks during the dry season.
Supporting Evidence
- The dry season had a mean daily net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of -14.7 mmol CO2 d-1.
- The wet season had a mean daily NEE of -152 mmol CO2 d-1, indicating a stronger carbon sink.
- Water use efficiency (WUE) was higher during the dry season compared to the wet season.
- Photosynthesis was a weak but linear function of incoming photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD).
- Small changes in plant available soil water content had a strong influence on CO2 flux.
Takeaway
This study looked at how much carbon is absorbed by plants in a savanna during different seasons. It found that even in dry times, plants can still take in some carbon.
Methodology
The study measured CO2 fluxes using the eddy covariance technique during the dry and wet seasons of 2005.
Potential Biases
The small sample size and short duration of data collection may introduce biases in understanding seasonal carbon dynamics.
Limitations
The study was based on data collected during only two short periods, which may not represent long-term trends.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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