Two years of continuous CO₂ eddy-flux measurements over a Danish beech forest

As part of the EUROFLUX network a long-term monitoring station for fluxes of CO2 and water vapour has been established in an 80-year old beech forest in Denmark. The station has been in continuous operation since June 1996 and will be so at least to the end of 2002. A primary goal of EUROFLUX is to combine flux measurements on a continuous multi-year time basis with ecological processes interpretation and modeling.

The station consists of a 57 m high mast with conventional meteorological profile instrumentation and one level of eddy-flux measurements. Ancillary measurements such as soil respiration, soil moisture, soil temperature, leaf surface temperature and leaf area index are also made.

Results from the first 2 years of measurements are described. The observed diurnal and seasonal variation in the fluxes are discussed and the monthly and annual sums of ecosystem exchange are contrasted between the 2 years. The first year (1 June 1996-31 May 1997) had a net uptake of 223 g C m(-2) whereas the net uptake during the second year (1 June 1997-31 May 1998) was only 144 g C m(-2). It was found that the difference was mainly the result of higher respiration in the second year caused by a very warm summer of 1997 and an average soil and air temperature, respectively, 1.2 and 1.6 degreesC higher than the first year. The ecosystem photosynthetic assimilation was slightly higher during the second year, mainly caused by increased incoming radiation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All nights reserved.