Measurement and Scaling of Carbon Budgets for Contrasting Boreal Forest Sites

本研究的目的是比较与二氧化碳储存相关的过程(即光合作用和土壤碳的积累)和二氧化碳的释放(即。这是一项大型国际研究(BOREAS)的一部分，该研究旨在研究加拿大萨斯喀彻温省阿尔伯特王子国家公园和加拿大马尼托巴省纳尔逊庄园北方生态系统中的陆地大气相互作用。研究期间收集的数据将增加我们对主要生物和非生物因素对北方森林碳循环的影响的了解。一项同时进行的活动将是开发计算机模拟模型，我们将使用这些模型来检查不同气候变化情景对北方森林生长的影响。全球碳循环最近一直是许多研究的焦点，试图解释大气中二氧化碳浓度的上升；二氧化碳之所以引起人们的兴趣，是因为它是一种主要的温室气体。森林可以是一个净汇(即。存储二氧化碳)、源(即释放二氧化碳)或处于平衡状态(即无净变化)取决于林分年龄、林分活力和气候。北方森林约占全球森林总面积的25%，土壤碳总量占全球土壤碳总量的40%以上，因此，这种森林生物群很可能在全球碳循环中发挥重要作用。此外，北方森林在全球碳循环中的作用在未来可能比任何其他生物群的变化更大，因为用于预测未来气候的一般环流模型表明，北方生物群将经历最大的气候变化。

The objective of this study is to compare process related to CO2 storage (ie photosynthesis and accumulation of soil C and CO2 release (ie. plant respiration and decomposition) for evergreen and deciduous forests in two contrasting boreal climates and is part of a large international study (BOREAS) to examine terrestrial atmosphere interactions in boreal ecosystems in Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan and nelson House, Manitoba, Canada. Data collected during the study will increase our understanding of the influence of major biotic and abiotic factors on carbon cycling in boreal forests. A concurrent activity will be to develop computer simulation models that we will use to examine the influence of different climate change scenarios on the growth of boreal forests. %%% The global carbon cycle recently has been the focus of much research in an attempt to explain the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration; CO2 is of interest because it is a major greenhouse gas. Forests can be a net sink (ie. store CO2), a source (ie. release CO2) or in equilibrium (ie. no net change) depending upon stand age, stand vigor and climate. Boreal forest comprise approximately 25% of the total forested area in the world and contain greater than 40% of the total world soil carbon; therefore, this forest biome is likely to have an important role in the global carbon cycle. Moreover, the role of boreal forests in the global carbon cycle may change more in the future than any other biome because general circulation models that are used to predict future climate suggests that the boreal biome will experience the greatest change in climate.