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The FLUXNET2015 dataset provides ecosystem-scale data on CO2, water, and energy exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere, and other meteorological and biological measurements, from 212 sites around the globe (over 1500 site-years, up to and including year 2014). These sites, independently managed and operated, voluntarily contributed their data to create global datasets. Data were quality controlled and processed using uniform methods, to improve consistency and intercomparability across sites. The dataset is already being used in a number of applications, including ecophysiology studies, remote sensing studies, and development of ecosystem and Earth system models. FLUXNET2015 includes derived-data products, such as gap-flled time series, ecosystem respiration and photosynthetic uptake estimates, estimation of uncertainties, and metadata about the measurements, presented for the frst time in this paper. In addition, 206 of these sites are for the frst time distributed under a Creative Commons (CC-BY 4.0) license. This paper details this enhanced dataset and the processing methods, now made available as open-source codes, making the dataset more accessible, transparent, and reproducible., European Union (EU), United States Department of Energy (DOE)

In northern landscapes, peatlands are widespread and their hydrological processes are complex. Furthermore, they are typically remote, limiting the amount and accuracy of in situ measurements. This is especially the case for evapotranspiration ET, which strongly influences watershed hydrology. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the validity of the bulk-transfer approach to estimate ET over boreal peatlands. The simplicity of the model relies on four assumptions: (i) near-neutral atmospheric conditions; (ii) wet surface; (iii) constant momentum roughness length depending on vegetation height; and (iv) constant water vapor roughness length, with the last two assumptions implying a constant water vapor transfer coefficient CE. Using eddy covariance data from three Canadian peatlands—Necopastic (James Bay, Québec), Mer Bleue (Ottawa, Ontario), and Western Peatland (Athabasca, Alberta)—this paper shows that these sites are characterized by frequent occurrences of near-neutral atmospheric conditions, especially the Necopastic site, with nearly 76% of the 30-min data segments occurring under near-neutral stratification. The analysis suggests these near-neutral conditions occur as a result of strong mechanical turbulence and weak buoyancy effects. The bulk-transfer approach gives promising results for 30-min and daily ET in terms of mean error and correlation, with performances similar to the Penman equation, without requiring net radiation data. The accuracy of the approach is likely related to the number of near-neutral periods and the elevated position of the water table, which backs up the wet surface assumption.

Simultaneous biometric measurements of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and eddy-covariance measurements of gross primary production (GPP) were made at 18 forest stands with 80 site-years of data across Canada – to assess the fraction of photosynthesis that is used to produce plant tissues and the consistency of carbon allocation patterns across forest ecosystems. The stands included boreal and temperate forests and spanned very young to mature stand ages. Across all sites, ANPP averaged 298 ± 138 g C m−2 yr−1 (mean ± 1 s.d.), with the highest values for temperate white pine plantations (307–630 g C m−2 yr−1) and harvested Douglas-fir stands (219–459 g C m−2 yr−1), and the lowest values for boreal harvested jack pine stands (97–185 g C m−2 yr−1). ANPP more than doubled from newly established (≤12 years) to young (13–25 years) stands, then stabilized in young to mature (≥51 years) stands but with diverging trends among species. Inter-site variations in ANPP and GPP were closely related to site characteristics, in particular, to leaf area index, which explained 66% of the variation in ANPP and 80% of the variation in GPP, and absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, which explained 80% of the variation in ANPP and 82% of the variation in GPP. Both ANPP and GPP were also positively correlated with mean annual air temperature, mean annual precipitation, and total soil nitrogen in the upper 10 cm of the mineral soil. ANPP was strongly, positively correlated with GPP and the ANPP/GPP ratio was relatively constant (0.29 ± 0.06), with no consistent differences among species or age classes. The results support the use of a constant ANPP/GPP ratio as a reasonable assumption in models of forest productivity for boreal and northern temperate forests. A similar conclusion is reached for the NPP/GPP ratio when published values of belowground NPP are considered.

Proper management and accounting of forest carbon requires good knowledge of how disturbances and climate affect the carbon dynamics of different stand types. We have investigated such relationships by measuring, over a 5-year period (2003–2007), the net ecosystem productivity (NEP), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) of 26 forest sites in Canada using the eddy covariance technique. The study included black spruce, jack pine, Douglas-fir, aspen, boreal mixedwood and white pine forest ecosystems ranging in age from 1- to 153-years. The dataset included six chronosequences (one afforested plantation, three harvested and two burned). Following planting, the afforested white pine stands quickly became carbon sinks and offset initial carbon losses after 4 years. Depending on forest type, the other forest stands were carbon sources for 10–18 years following a disturbance, offset initial carbon losses after 19–47 years, and showed net total gains ranging from 38 to 86 Mg C ha−1 at 80 years. Peak NEP ranged from 0.9 to 2.9 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at ages of 35–55 years except for the afforested white pine where it was 6.9 Mg C ha−1 year−1 at 15–20 years. Stepwise regression and Pearson correlation analyses indicated that the GEP and ER of mature stands (>70 years old) were driven mainly by climate, while fluxes of young stands (

Disturbances control the landscape-level C dynamics of boreal forests, but post-disturbance C dynamics are usually poorly quantified. In the current study, we use 10 years of CO2 flux measurements at a boreal black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) cutover in eastern Canada to estimate time to C neutrality, quantify the relative role of respiration versus photosynthesis during recovery, and determine the agreement between cumulated CO2 fluxes and plot-level changes in C content. The site was a net source of 139 g C·m–2·year–1 2 years post-harvest, dropped further to a source of 173 g C·m–2·year–1 4 years post-harvest, following a scarification treatment, and was nearly C neutral 10 years post-harvest. Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) increased by 50 g C·m–2·year–1 post-scarification, while ecosystem respiration (ER) increased by only 23 g C·m–2·year–1. The resulting net rate of increase of 27 g C·m–2·year–1 in net ecosystem productivity was driven by changes in increasing leaf area. In fact, vegetation regrowth had a much greater impact on annual fluxes than did interannual variability in climate. Biometric-based measurements of total C losses after harvest were in relatively good agreement with eddy-covariance-based estimates 8 years after the harvest.

The effects of climatic factors and vegetation type on evapotranspiration (E) and water use efficiency (WUE) were analyzed using tower-based eddy-covariance (EC) data for nine mature forest sites, two peatland sites and one grassland site across an east–west continental-scale transect in Canada during the period 2003–2006. The seasonal pattern of E was closely linked to growing-season length and rainfall distribution. Although annual precipitation (P) during the observation period was highly variable among sites (250−1450 mm), minimum annual E was not less than 200 mm and was limited to 400−500 mm where annual P exceeded 700 mm. Site-specific interannual variability in E could be explained by either changes in total P or variations in solar irradiance. A highly positive linear correlation was found between monthly mean values of E and net radiation (Rn) at the grassland site (AB-GRL), the two peatland sites (AB-WPL and ON-EPL), and only one of the forest sites (coastal Douglas-fir, BC-DF49) whereas a hysteretic relationship at the other forest sites indicated that E lagged behind the typical seasonal progression of Rn. Results of a cross-correlation analysis between daily (24-h) E and Rn revealed that site-specific lag times were between 10 and 40 days depending on the lag of vapour pressure deficit (D) behind Rn and the decoupling coefficient, Ω. There was significant seasonal variation in daytime mean dry-foliage Priestley–Taylor α with maxima occurring in the growing season at all sites except BC-DF49 where it was relatively constant (∼0.55) throughout all years. Annual means of daytime dry-foliage α mostly ranging between 0.5 and 0.7 implied stomatal limitation to transpiration. Increasing D significantly decreased canopy conductance (gc) at the forest sites but had little effect at the peatland and grassland sites, while variation in soil water content caused only minor changes in gc. At all sites, a strong linear correlation between monthly mean values of gross primary production (GPP) and E resulted in water use efficiency being relatively constant. While at most sites, WUE was in the range of 2.6–3.6 g C kg−1 H2O, the BC-DF49 site had the highest WUE of the twelve sites with values near 6.0 g C kg−1 H2O. Of the two peatland sites, AB-WPL, a western treed fen, had a significantly higher WUE (∼3.0 g C kg−1 H2O) than ON-EPL, an eastern ombrotrophic bog (∼1.8 g C kg−1 H2O), which was related to peatland productivity and plant functional type.

Forest harvest and subsequent stand development can have major effects on the carbon cycle of boreal stands. Carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes of a three-point black spruce harvest chronosequence located in the boreal forest of eastern North America were measured over a one-year period at the ecosystem scale with the eddy covariance technique and CO2 efflux from soils was measured with a portable infrared gas analyzer. The three sites (pre-harvest, recently harvested, and juvenile) were 105-, 8- and 33-years old, respectively. On an annual basis, the pre-harvest site (EOBS) was a weak carbon sink (6 ± 4 g C m−2 yr−1), the recently harvested site (HBS00) a source (−87 ± 3 g C m−2 yr−1) and the juvenile site (HBS75) a moderate to strong sink (143 ± 35 g C m−2 yr−1). Annual gross ecosystem production (GEP) at the pre-harvest site was only 28% greater than at the recently harvested site (646 ± 6 versus 504 ± 5 g C m−2 yr−1), while GEP at the juvenile site (1107 ± 32 g C m−2 yr−1) was more than double that at the recently harvested site, suggesting significant physiological constraints to photosynthesis at the pre-harvest site. Annual ecosystem respiration (Re) followed the same pattern, but intersite differences were somewhat less (640 ± 8 to 591 ± 6 to 964 ± 50 g C m−2 yr−1). Annual soil respiration (Rs) decreased following harvest from 593 to 500 g C m−2 yr−1 and increased with further stand development to 644 g C m−2 yr−1, although the changes were less than for GEP and Re. Q10 and R10 of Rs for the snow-free period varied between sites, were lowest for the recently harvested site, and appeared to be related to GEP via substrate supply. The annual ratio of Rs to Re was lower for the juvenile site (67%) than for the pre-harvest and recently harvested sites (93 and 85%, respectively). These results quantify how some of the major physiological processes that influence the carbon cycle of boreal black spruce stands evolve following harvest and should be useful for better incorporating stand-age effects into regional and global scale models.

This study reports continuous automated measurements of forest floor carbon (C) exchange over feathermoss, lichen, and sphagnum micro-sites in a black spruce forest in eastern North America during snow-free periods over three years. The response of soil respiration (Rs-auto) and forest floor photosynthesis (Pff) to environmental factors was determined. The seasonal contributions of scaled up Rs-auto adjusted for spatial representativeness (Rs-adj) and Pff (Pff-eco) relative to that of total ecosystem respiration (Re) and photosynthesis (Peco), respectively, were also quantified. Shallow (5 cm) soil temperature explained 67–86% of the variation in Rs-auto for all ground cover types, while deeper (50 and 100 cm) soil temperatures were related to Rs-auto only for the feathermoss micro-sites. Base respiration was consistently lower under feathermoss, intermediate under sphagnum, and higher under lichen during all three years. The Rs-adj/Re ratio increased from spring through autumn and ranged from 0.85 to 0.87 annually for the snow-free period. The Rs-adj/Re ratio was negatively correlated with the difference between air and shallow soil temperature and this correlation was more pronounced in autumn than summer and spring. Maximum photosynthetic capacity of the forest floor (Pff-max) saturated at low irradiance levels (~200 μmol m−2 s−1) and decreased with increasing air temperature and vapor pressure deficit for all three ground cover types, suggesting that Pff was more limited by desiccation than by light availability. Pff-max was lowest for sphagnum, intermediate for feathermoss, and highest for lichen for two of the three years. Pff normalized for light peaked at air temperatures of 5–8°C, suggesting that this is the optimal temperature range for Pff. The Pff-eco/Peco ratio varied from 13 to 24% over the snow-free period and reached a minimum in mid-summer when both air temperature and Peco were at their maximum. On an annual basis, Pff-eco accounted for 17–18% of Peco depending on the year and the snow-free season totals of Pff-eco were 23–24% that of Rs-adj.

Process-based models are effective tools to synthesize and/or extrapolate measured carbon (C) exchanges from individual sites to large scales. In this study, we used a C- and nitrogen (N)-cycle coupled ecosystem model named CN-CLASS (Carbon Nitrogen-Canadian Land Surface Scheme) to study the role of primary climatic controls and site-specific C stocks on the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of seven intermediate-aged to mature coniferous forest sites across an east–west continental transect in Canada. The model was parameterized using a common set of parameters, except for two used in empirical canopy conductance–assimilation, and leaf area–sapwood relationships, and then validated using observed eddy covariance flux data. Leaf Rubisco-N dynamics that are associated with soil–plant N cycling, and depend on canopy temperature, enabled the model to simulate site-specific gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) reasonably well for all seven sites. Overall GEP simulations had relatively smaller differences compared with observations vs. ecosystem respiration (RE), which was the sum of many plant and soil components with larger variability and/or uncertainty associated with them. Both observed and simulated data showed that, on an annual basis, boreal forest sites were either carbon-neutral or a weak C sink, ranging from 30 to 180 g C m−2 yr−1; while temperate forests were either a medium or strong C sink, ranging from 150 to 500 g C m−2 yr−1, depending on forest age and climatic regime. Model sensitivity tests illustrated that air temperature, among climate variables, and aboveground biomass, among major C stocks, were dominant factors impacting annual NEP. Vegetation biomass effects on annual GEP, RE and NEP showed similar patterns of variability at four boreal and three temperate forests. Air temperature showed different impacts on GEP and RE, and the response varied considerably from site to site. Higher solar radiation enhanced GEP, while precipitation differences had a minor effect. Magnitude of forest litter content and soil organic matter (SOM) affected RE. SOM also affected GEP, but only at low levels of SOM, because of low N mineralization that limited soil nutrient (N) availability. The results of this study will help to evaluate the impact of future climatic changes and/or forest C stock variations on C uptake and loss in forest ecosystems growing in diverse environments.

Forest harvest is a major disturbance in the boreal forest of eastern North America and should significantly impact biosphere–atmosphere interactions at the regional scale. During a cooler, wetter year (2004) and a warmer, drier year (2005), we compared carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fluxes over a mature black spruce stand (EOBS) with a site that was harvested in 2000 (HBS00) and that had similar soil parent material, site fertility, climate, and pre-harvest species composition. During the study period, EOBS was C neutral (0–6 g C m −2 year −1 ), while HBS00 was a fairly strong C source (119–167 g C m −2 year −1 ). Averaged over both years, gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) was 101% higher at EOBS compared to HBS00 (636 g C m −2 year −1 versus 316 g C m −2 year −1 ), while ecosystem respiration ( R ) was 37% higher at EOBS (633 g C m −2 year −1 versus 462 g C m −2 year −1 ). The mean between-site difference in annual NEP was six times greater than was the mean between-year difference, thus suggesting that the C budget of boreal black spruce forests is much more affected by developmental stage (i.e., stand age) than by between-year climate variability. Relative to the mature site, the harvested site had a more dynamic structure due to plant regrowth that induced greater between- and within-year variability in the response of GEP and R to environmental conditions over the 2-year study period. For example, maximum photosynthetic capacity was stable between years at EOBS (12.5 μmol m −2 s −1 ), whereas it increased from 4.7 to 7.3 μmol m −2 s −1 from 2004 to 2005 at HBS00. The photosynthetically active growing season started about a week later and finished a week earlier at HBS00 relative to EOBS. The earlier snowmelt at the harvested site did not promote an earlier start of the growing season at this site compared to the mature site. Although environmental conditions in spring have a significant influence on the annual C budget of mature sites, this does not seem to be the case for disturbed sites where mid-summer conditions are more important to the annual C balance.

Although mature black spruce forests are a dominant cover type in the boreal forest of North America, it is not clear how their carbon (C) budgets vary across the continent. The installation of an eddy covariance flux tower on an Old Black Spruce (OBS) site in eastern Canada (EOBS, Quebec) provided a first opportunity to compare and contrast its annual (2004) and seasonal C exchange with two other pre-existing OBS flux sites from different climatic regions located in Saskatchewan [Southern OBS (SOBS)] and Manitoba [Northern OBS (NOBS)]. Although there was a relatively uniform seasonal pattern of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) among sites, EOBS had a lower total annual NEP than the other two sites. This was primarily because warmer soil under a thicker snowpack at EOBS appeared to increase winter C losses and low light suppressed both NEP and gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in June. Across sites, greater total annual GEP and ecosystem respiration (R) were associated with greater mean annual air temperatures and an earlier beginning of the growing season. Also, GEP at all three sites showed a stronger relationship with air temperature in spring and early summer compared with later in the growing season, highlighting the importance of springtime conditions to the C budget of these boreal ecosystems. The three sites had different parameter estimates describing the responses of R and GEP at the half hour time scale to near surface temperature and light, respectively. On the other hand, the responses of both R and GEP to temperature at the monthly scale did not differ among sites. These results suggest that a general parameterization could be sufficient at coarse time resolutions to model the response of C exchange to environmental factors of mature black spruce forests from different climatic regions.

Carbon (C) cycling in the boreal forest is driven by both natural and human disturbances, but there is little information on the impact of forest management practices on ecosystem-level C balance. We evaluated the C balance of a recently harvested boreal site in eastern Canada by measuring CO 2 fluxes with the eddy covariance technique for 1 year before the application of a scarification treatment (mechanical site preparation) and for 1 year after the treatment was applied to approximately 40% of the study area. Net annual exchange indicated a source of 111 g C m −2 year −1 before scarification that increased to 175 g C m −2 year −1 after treatment. Annual gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and net C flux varied between years, but there was no significant difference for ecosystem respiration. Since the differences in climate between years did not explain the changes in the site C balance and daytime net C sequestration under non-limiting environmental conditions was generally lower after the treatment, the large difference in C emissions was most likely due to decreased GEP resulting from the destruction of approximately 60% of the living aboveground vegetation within the scarified areas. Although daily NEP was almost always negative throughout the year, a net daily C sink was observed during a 2-week period in late summer 2003 when air temperatures were approximately 8 °C cooler than preceding weeks. An analysis of the residuals from light–response regressions showed that soil water content and vapor pressure deficit were the second most important variables explaining morning and afternoon net C flux in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

The relationship between photosynthesis and accumulated cold degree days (CDD) over the late growing season was examined at the shoot, ecosystem and landscape scales in a boreal cutover in eastern Canada predominated by black spruce (Picea mariana Mill. BSP), lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) and sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia L.). We calculated CDD as the sum of minimum daily temperatures below a 5 degrees C threshold. Light-saturated photosynthesis at the shoot level (A(max)) of black spruce and V. angustifolium decreased steadily with increasing CDD once temperatures below the CDD threshold value became frequent in mid-September, whereas K. angustifolia showed a more irregular pattern. Tissue acclimation played an important role in the decrease in A(max) as the season progressed, but only V. angustifolium showed decreasing foliar nitrogen concentrations. Based on eddy covariance flux tower data, maximum daily gross primary productivity (GPP(max)-tower) at the ecosystem level was more strongly related to CDD (r(2) = 0.59) than was maximum daily net ecosystem exchange (r(2) = 0.32). The GPP(max) was likely influenced by both tissue acclimation and the direct effects of changing temperatures and irradiances on physiological rates. Mean daily GPP, calculated for consecutive 8-day periods for a 25 km(2) area around the tower by the MODIS MOD17A2 Collection 4 satellite algorithm (GPP- MODIS), decreased more rapidly with increasing CDD than did GPP(max)-tower. Although GPP-MODIS was closely correlated with mean daily GPP from the tower (GPP(daily)-tower, r(2) = 0.95) over the late growing season, the former was about twice as high. Although MODIS estimates of air temperature closely tracked the ground data, the maximum light-use efficiency parameter used by the MODIS algorithm was much higher than that indicated by the tower measurements. There was a 3% decline in GPP(max)-tower with an increase of 10 CDD, corresponding to the percent decline in branch-level A(max) of black spruce and V. angustifolium.

The impact of freezing temperatures and exposure times during budbreak and shoot elongation on 10-month-old containerized white spruce seedlings [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] was studied. Seedlings were exposed to 0, - 2, - 4, - 6, - 8 and - 10°C for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h at four stages of budbreak and shoot elongation (stage 1: unswollen bud; stage 2: swollen bud; stage 3: bud scales parted by emerging needles; stage 4: 1-5 cm of terminal shoot growth). Seedling and terminal bud survival, viability of first-year needles (developed before frost exposure), terminal shoot length, stem diameter and aerial dry mass were measured 90 days after freezing exposure. Frost severity had a much greater influence on seedling survival, damage and subsequent growth than exposure time. The bud development stage at which freezing temperatures were applied also affected survival and subsequent growth.

The effects of induced root freezing injury on 2+0 white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings were studied. Hardened seedlings were exposed to freezing during the fall and cold stored until planting. Seedlings were planted in spring on two field sites with different soil moisture levels (wet or dry). Seedling morphology and physiology were measured periodically dur- ing the first growing season, and mortality was evaluated at the end of the season. With the exception of June mea- surements on the wet site, where daytime water potential fell as low as -2.0 MPa, root damage did not seriously affect shoot water potential. Generally, stomatal conductance decreased with increasing root damage. Net photosynthesis on both sites decreased between 22 and 39% with increasing root damage. Root damage did not affect the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO2 concentration. As well, reductions in the nitrogen concentration of current-year foliage with increasing root damage were observed, suggesting that the observed reductions in net photosynthesis were caused by nonstomatal factors. Root growth was greater on the wet site than on the dry site, particularly between August and October, when mean soil minimum temperatures were lower on the dry site. On both sites, aerial dry mass was only slightly affected by root damage in July and August, but the effect of damage became more pronounced in October on the wet site. Black spruce and white spruce seedling mortality began being affected when approximately 50% of the root systems were damaged, while jack pine mortality was affected starting at 40% damage. Root damage levels of 50% caused 2.0 and 1.5 cm reductions in annual height increment of white spruce and black spruce, respectively, and 40% damage caused a reduction of 1.0 cm in annual height increment of jack pine. Resume : Les effets des dommages racinaires causes par le gel ont ete etudies chez des semis 2+0 d'epinette blanche (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), d'epinette noire (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) et de pin gris (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Des semis endurcis ont ete exposes au gel durant l'automne avant d'etre entreposes en chambre froide. Au printemps suivant, ces semis ont ete plantes sur deux sites ayant des teneurs en eau du sol distinctes (mouilleux et sec). La mor

The root systems of 2-yr-old Picea glauca, Picea mariana and Pinus banksiana seedlings were submitted to various frost temperatures during an artificial frost to induce different levels of root damage. Frost-damaged and control seedlings were placed in a greenhouse under high and low soil moisture regimes. Seedling growth and physiology were evaluated periodically. Seedling survival was reduced when root damage reached levels of 60-80%. Root systems of all three species showed partial to total recovery by the end of the experiment. In general, root freezing damage caused reductions in seedling growth, with these reductions becoming less significant over time. Root damage had little to no effect on black spruce and jack pine seedling physiology, while white spruce CO 2 uptake decreased with increasing root damage. Shoot nitrogen content of all three species decreased slightly with increasing root damage.

Whole root systems of 2-yr-old containerized white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss], black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings, with intact root plugs, were exposed to various frost temperatures, which a preliminary test indicated would induce approximately 0 (control), 20, 40, 60, 80 and nearly 100% frost damage. Damage to root systems was evaluated using: (1) two measures of electrolyte leakage (relative conductivity and total tissue leakage after autoclaving); (2) water loss after pressurization; (3) chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm, maximal PSII photochemical efficiency) measured 4, 21 and 30 days after the beginning of seedling regrowth and (4) live root dry mass measured 21 days after the artificial frost and 60 days after the beginning of regrowth. Seedling survival and growth after the artificial frost were evaluated using live root dry mass measured after 60 days of regrowth and new shoot length, stem diameter, and root and shoot dry mass. Live ...

Long-night treatments of 16 h were applied to four provenances of 10-week-old Picea glauca (Moench) Voss seedlings for durations of 0 (control), 4, 8, 12 and 16 d. Their effects on growth and on the development of frost hardiness were determined during the fall. Height growth cessation was hastened by long-night treatments, with 4, 8, 12 and 16 d treatment seedlings ceasing growth approximately 5, 10, 13 and 15 d earlier than control seedlings. The rate of hardening was affected by the duration of the long-night treatment while the level of hardening was affected by both treatment duration and the latitude of origin of the seedlings. Specifically, seedlings receiving the 8, 12 and 16 d treatments had achieved approximately the same level of hardiness by mid-October, which was greater than the 0 and 4 d treatments. However, hardiness levels of the 12 and 16 d treatments were higher in late September than with the 8 d treatment. The level of frost hardiness in late November increased with both increasing duration of long-night treatments (0 to 8 d) and increasing latitude of origin.

Long-night treatments (16 h) of 0 (control), 4, 8, 12, and 16 days duration were applied, in August 1994, to four provenances of 10-week-old white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings. This was to determine the shortest duration that would produce seedlings having acceptable morphological and physiological characteristics for reforestation. The effects of these treatments and of the latitude of origin of seedlings on the course of dehardening and second-year growth were studied. Terminal bud burst, shoot and root dry mass accumulation, and frost tolerance were followed during the spring, and terminal shoot growth was measured until August. Seedlings exposed to 0 (control) or 4 long nights exhibited significant amounts of damage in the spring. This damage had occurred the previous fall or winter. Seedlings receiving 4 to 16 days of long-night treatments did not differ in timing of bud burst the following spring, while the most northern provenance flushed first (May 18) and the most southern flushed last, 4 days later. Seedlings subjected to 8, 12, and 16 long nights exhibited similar amounts of terminal shoot growth, dry matter accumulation, and frost tolerance. Frost tolerance of the 8-, 12-, and 16-d treatments during dehardening was unaffected by the latitude of origin of seedlings. Our results suggest that under the experimental conditions used, an 8-d long-night treatment applied in the fall would produce seedlings with the same morphological and physiological characteristics in the spring as a 12- or 16-d treatment. Resume : Des semis de quatre provenances diOpinette blanche (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) ont OtO soumis, durant le mois diaost 1994, ‡ des traitements de nuits longues (16 h) pour des durOes de 0 (tOmoin), 4, 8, 12 et 16 jours afin de dOterminer la plus courte durOe produisant des semis pour le reboisement ayant des caractOristiques morphologiques et physiologiques acceptables. Les effets des traitements et de la latitude diorigine sur le dOsendurcissement et la croissance de deuxime annOe ont OtO OtudiOs. Le dObourrement des bourgeons terminaux, liaccumulation de matire sche des parties aOriennes et racinaires et la tolOrance au gel des semis ont OtO suivis au printemps et la croissance de la pousse de deuxime annOe a OtO mesurOe jusquiau mois diaost. Les semis tOmoins et ceux exposOs au traitement de 4 nuits longues ont dOmontrO des niveaux importants de dommages au printemps, ceux-ci ayant eu lieu liautomne ou lihiver prOcOdent. Le dObourrement des semis ayant reAu 4 ‡ 16 nuits longues siest effectuO de faAon synchrone et la provenance la plus au nord a dObourrO en premier (le 18 mai) et celle la plus au sud en dernier, 4 jours plus tard. Les semis exposOs ‡ 8, 12 et 16 nuits longues ont montrO une croissance terminale, une accumulation de matire sche et des niveaux de tolOrance au gel similaires. Pendant le dOsendurcissement, la latitude diorigine nia pas affectO la tolOrance au gel des semis ayant subi des traitements de 8, 12 et 16 jours. Nos rOsultats suggrent que, sous les conditions expOrimentales utilisOes, un traitement de 8 nuits longues appliquO ‡ liautomne produirait des semis ayant les mŒmes caractOristiques morphologiques et physiologiques au printemps quiun traitement de 12 ou 16 nuits longues.

A boreal bog located in the James Bay lowlands, Canada, was instrumented with an open-path gas analyzer to monitor the turbulent fluxes of methane throughout the summer of 2012. The mostly continuous eddy covariance measurements permitted the study of methane dynamics at the hourly, daily and seasonal scales. To exclude data segments for which the biological methane fluxes were underestimated due to inefficient atmospheric transport under stable stratification, we applied a novel approach based on both the atmospheric stability parameter zeta = z/L and the friction velocity u*, where z is the measurement height and L the Obukhov length. The field measurements revealed the existence of at least one sustained ebullition event, triggered by low barometric pressures, a declining water table and increasing mechanical turbulence - suggesting that large-scale release of methane bubbles can be an important transport mechanism of methane in boreal bogs. The validity of similarity scaling for atmospheric methane under convective conditions was also assessed and the normalized standard deviations of methane concentrations did not scale well with C, highlighting the heterogeneity in natural methane production and release across the bog. Overall the hourly emissions ranged between -2.0 and 32.1 mg CH4 m(-2) h(-1), with a summertime mean of 2A mg CH4 m(-2) h(-1). At the daily scale, the two main controls on methane emissions were found to be the water table position and the peat temperature at 03 m under the surface. Contrary to other studies, seasonal methane emissions peaked when the water table was at its maximum distance from the surface, around mid-August. No clear diurnal pattern could be found in methane emissions, indicating that methane was produced quite deep within the peat. The seasonal emissions were estimated at 4.4 g CH4 m(-2), and compared well with other observations over similar landscapes using different measurement techniques. Given that methane releases and transport are greatly affected by local characteristics such as climate and vegetative cover, this study emphasizes the need for further in situ continuous measurements of methane fluxes across northern peatlands. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.