Combining net ecosystem CO2 exchange and soil CO2 efflux measurements to partition ecosystem respiration in a mixed wood forest

Most forests slow down climate warming by removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in biomass and soils. However, how much CO2 they remove depends on how much CO2 different forest compartments (vegetation and soils) take up from or release to the atmosphere. New sensor technologies have been developed allowing year-round measurements of CO2 release from soils and overall forest-atmosphere CO2 exchange. We will use state-of-the-art soil CO2 flux sensors to measure how much CO2 release from soils in an Acadian forest ecosystem contribute to the overall CO2 exchange. We will track how the contributions from individual forest compartments change over the course of autumn and early winter in response to falling leaves and beginning of the snow cover period. Benefits to the partner organisation Eosense Inc. include the collection of testing and measurement data from the innovative soil sensors for further Research and Development and photos and information material for marketing and sales purposes.

Faculty Supervisor:

Manuel Helbig

Student:

Partner:

Eosense

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: