Short‐term variation of CO₂ flux in relation to environmental controls in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

The alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau may play a significant role in the regional carbon cycle. To assess the CO 2 flux and its relationship to environmental controls in the ecosystem, eddy covariance of CO 2 , H 2 O, and energy fluxes was measured with an open‐path system in an alpine meadow on the plateau at an elevation of 3,250 m. Net ecosystem CO 2 influx (Fc) averaged 8.8 g m −2 day −1 during the period from August 9 to 31, 2001, with a maximum of 15.9 g m −2 day −1 and a minimum of 2.3 g m −2 day −1 . Daytime Fc averaged 16.7 g m −2 day −1 and ranged from 10.4 g m −2 day −1 to 21.7 g m −2 day −1 during the study period. For the same photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), gross CO 2 uptake (Gc) was significantly higher on cloudy days than on clear days. However, mean daily Gc was higher on clear days than on cloudy days. With high PPFD, Fc decreased as air temperature increased from 10°C to 23°C. The greater the difference between daytime and nighttime air temperatures, the more the sink was strengthened. Daytime average water use efficiency of the ecosystem (WUEe) was 8.7 mg (CO 2 )(g H 2 O) −1 ; WUEe values ranged from 5.8 to 15.3 mg (CO 2 )(g H 2 O) −1 . WUEe increased with the decrease in vapor pressure deficit. Daily albedo averaged 0.20, ranging from 0.19 to 0.22 during the study period, and was negatively correlated with daily Fc. Our measurements provided some of the first evidence on CO 2 exchange for a temperate alpine meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau, which is necessary for assessing the carbon budget and carbon cycle processes for temperate grassland ecosystems.