Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Carbon Balance of an Old-growth Forest: Building Across Approaches

  • Published:
Ecosystems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The carbon budget of the Wind River old-growth forest is being addressed from a variety of perspectives and with a range of approaches. The goal of this comprehensive analysis is developing a thorough, general, and validated understanding of the carbon balance, as well as the processes controlling it. The initial results from studies addressing annual carbon (C) balance with ground-based methods, eddy flux, leaf-based models, and ecosystem models are consistent in some, but not all, respects. Net primary production is 500–600 g C m−2 y−1 (5–6 Mg C ha−1 y−1), consistent with estimates based on climate alone. The site appears to be close to carbon equilibrium, as a multiyear average, using ground-based methods but a sink of approximately 150–190 g C m−2 y−1 from eddy flux for a single year. An overview of the mechanisms that can drive forest carbon sinks illustrates why methods emphasizing different temporal and spatial scales, as well as different processes, can come to different conclusions, and it highlights opportunities in moving toward a truly integrated approach.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • DD Baldocchi BB Hicks TP Meyers (1988) ArticleTitleMeasuring biosphere–atmosphere exchanges of biologically related gases with micrometeorological methods Ecology 69 1331–40

    Google Scholar 

  • M Battle ML Bender PP Tans JWC White J Ellis T Conway RJ Francey (2000) ArticleTitleGlobal carbon sinks and their variability inferred from atmospheric O-2 and delta C-13 Science 287 2467–70 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.287.5462.2467 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXitlKnsLo%3D Occurrence Handle10741962

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • M Bender T Ellis P Tans R Francey D Lowe (1996) ArticleTitleVariability in the O2/N2 ratio of Southern Hemisphere air; 1991–1994: implications for the carbon cycle Global Biogeochem Cycles 10 9–23 Occurrence Handle10.1029/95GB03295 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK28Xhs1GjsL0%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • RH Braswell DS Schimel E Liner B Moore SuffixIII (1997) ArticleTitleThe response of global terrestrial ecosystems to interannual temperature variability Science 278 870–2 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.278.5339.870 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXmvFyjs7Y%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MGR Cannell JHM Thornley (2000) ArticleTitleNitrogen states in plant ecosystems: a viewpoint Ann Bot 86 1161–7 Occurrence Handle10.1006/anbo.2000.1286 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXot1Kku7c%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • JP Caspersen SW Pacala JC Jenkins GC Hurtt PR Moorcroft RA Birdsey (2000) ArticleTitleContributions of land-use history to carbon accumulation in U.S. forests Science 290 1148–51 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.290.5494.1148 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXotVChsLc%3D Occurrence Handle11073451

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • W Cramer DW Kicklighter A Bondeau B Moore SuffixIII G Churkina B Nemry A Ruimy AL Schloss J Kaduk InstitutionalAuthorNameparticipants of the Potsdam NPP Model Intercomparison. (1999) ArticleTitleComparing global models of terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP): overview and key results Global Change Biol 5 IssueIDSuppl 1–15 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2486.1998.00220.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E Falge D Baldocchi R Olson P Anthoni M Aubinet C Bernhofer G Burba R Ceulemans R Clement H Dolman (2001) ArticleTitleGap filling strategies for defensible annual sums of net ecosystem exchange Agric For Meteorol 107 43–69 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0168-1923(00)00225-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P Falkowski RJ Scholes E Boyle J Canadell D Canfield J Elser N Gruber K Hibbard P Högberg S Linder (2000) ArticleTitleThe global carbon cycle: a test of our knowledge of earth as a system Science 290 290–6 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.290.5490.291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • C Field HA Mooney (1983) ArticleTitleLeaf age and seasonal effects on light, water, and nitrogen use efficiency in a California shrub Oecologia (Berl) 56 348–55

    Google Scholar 

  • CB Field (1999) Diverse controls on carbon storage under elevated CO2: toward a synthesis Y Luo (Eds) Carbon dioxide and environmental stress Academic San Diego 373–91

    Google Scholar 

  • RJ Francey PP Tans CE Allison IG Enting JWC White M Trolier (1995) ArticleTitleChanges in oceanic and terrestrial carbon uptake since 1982 Nature 373 326–30 Occurrence Handle10.1038/373326a0 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXjtlygtbg%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CL Goodale MJ Apps RA Birdsey CB Field LS Heath RA Houghton JC Jenkins GH Kohlmaier W Kurz S Liu (2002) ArticleTitleForest carbon sinks in the northern hemisphere Ecol Appl 12 891–9

    Google Scholar 

  • ML Goulden JW Munger S-M Fan BC Daube SC Wofsy (1996) ArticleTitleExchange of carbon dioxide by a deciduous forest: response to interannual climate variability Science 271 1576–9 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK28XhslSjsbg%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ME Harmon K Bible MG Ryan DC Shaw H Chen J Klopatek X Li (2004) ArticleTitleProduction, respiration, and overall carbon balance in an old-growth Pseudotsuga–Tsuga forest ecosystem Ecosystems 7 .

    Google Scholar 

  • ME Harmon WK Ferrell JF Franklin (1990) ArticleTitleEffects on carbon storage of conversion of old-growth forests to young forests Science 247 699–702 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK3cXhs1Citbs%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • JA Hicke GP Asner JT Randerson CJ Tucker SO Los RA Birdsey JC Jenkins C Field E Holland (2002) ArticleTitleSatellite-derived increases in net primary productivity across North America 1982–1998 Geophys Res Lett 29 . Occurrence Handle10.1029/2001GL013578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DY Hollinger FM Kelliher JN Byers JE Hunt TM McSeveny PL Weir (1994) ArticleTitleCarbon dioxide exchange between an undisturbed old-growth temperate forest and the atmosphere Ecology 75 134–50

    Google Scholar 

  • RA Houghton JL Hackler KT Lawrence (1999) ArticleTitleThe U.S. carbon budget: contributions from land-use change Science 285 574–8 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.285.5427.574 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXltVSjsbw%3D Occurrence Handle10417385

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J Kaduk M Heimann (1996) ArticleTitleA prognostic phenology scheme for global terrestrial carbon cycle models Clim Res 6 1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • PE Kauppi K Mielikäinen K Kuusela (1992) ArticleTitleBiomass and carbon budget of European forests, 1971 to 1990 Science 256 70–4

    Google Scholar 

  • GW Koch HA Mooney (1996) The response of terrestrial ecosystems to elevated CO2: a synthesis and summary HA Mooney GW Koch (Eds) Carbon dioxide and terrestrial ecosystems Academic San Diego 415–29

    Google Scholar 

  • WA Kurz MJ Apps (1999) ArticleTitleA 70-year retrospective analysis of carbon fluxes in the Canadian forest sector Ecol Appl 9 526–47

    Google Scholar 

  • H Lieth (1975) Modeling the primary productivity of the world H Lieth RH Whittaker (Eds) Primary productivity of the biosphere Springer-Verlag New York 237–63

    Google Scholar 

  • HA Mooney J Canadell FS Chapin SuffixIII J Ehleringer C Körner R McMurtrie WJ Parton L Pitelka E-D Schulze (1999) Ecosystem physiology responses to global change BH Walker WL Staffen J Canadell JSI Irgram (Eds) The terrestrial biosphere and global change: implications for natural and managed ecosystems Cambridge University Press Cambridge 141–89

    Google Scholar 

  • RB Myneni CD Keeling CJ Tucker G Asrar RR Nemani (1997) ArticleTitleIncreased plant growth in the northern high latitudes from 1981–1991 Nature 386 698–702 Occurrence Handle10.1038/386698a0 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2sXislOgurw%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GG Parker ME Harmon MA Lefsky J Chen R Van Pelt SB Weiss SC Thomas WE Winner DC Shaw JF Franklin (2004) ArticleTitleThree-dimensional structure of an old-growth Pseudotsuga-Tsuga canopy and its implications for radiation balance, microclimate, and atmospheric gas exchange Ecosystems 7 .

    Google Scholar 

  • U KT Paw DD Baldocchi TP Meyers KB Wilson (2000) ArticleTitleCorrection of eddy-covariance measurements incorporating both advective effects and density fluxes Boundary-layer Meteorol 97 487–511 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1002786702909

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U KT Paw M Falk TH Suchanek SL Ustin J Chen Y-S Park WE Winner SC Thomas TC Hsiao RH Shaw (2004) ArticleTitleCarbon dioxide exchange between an old-growth forest and the atmosphere Ecosystems 7 .

    Google Scholar 

  • CS Potter S Klooster V Brooks (1999) ArticleTitleInterannual variability in terrestrial net primary production: exploration of trends and controls on regional to global scales Ecosystems 2 36–48 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s100219900056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SW Running DD Baldocchi DP Turner ST Gower PS Bakwin KA Hibbard (1999) ArticleTitleA global terrestrial monitoring network integrating tower fluxes, flask sampling, ecosystem modeling and EOS satellite data Remote Sens Environ 70 108–27 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0034-4257(99)00061-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M Ryan D Binkley JH Fownes (1997) ArticleTitleAge-related decline in forest productivity: pattern and process Adv Ecol Res 27 213–62

    Google Scholar 

  • DS Schimel JI House KA Hibbard P Bousquet P Ciais P Peylin BH Braswell MJ Apps D Baker A Bondeau (2001) ArticleTitleRecent patterns and mechanisms of carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems Nature 414 169–72 Occurrence Handle10.1038/35102500 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXosFaisLo%3D Occurrence Handle11700548

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • E-D Schulze C Wirth M Heimann (2000) ArticleTitleClimate change: managing forests after Kyoto Science 289 2058–9 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.289.5487.2058 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXmvVCnu7g%3D Occurrence Handle11032555

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • GR Shaver WD Billings FS Chapin SuffixIII AE Giblin KJ Nadelhoffer WC Oechel EB Rastetter (1992) ArticleTitleGlobal change and the carbon balance of arctic ecosystems Bioscience 42 433–41

    Google Scholar 

  • DC Shaw JF Franklin K Bible J Klopatek E Freeman S Greene GG Parker (2004) ArticleTitleEcological setting of Wind River old-growth forest Ecosystems 7 .

    Google Scholar 

  • TH Suchanek HA Mooney JF Franklin H Gucinski SL Ustin (.) ArticleTitleCarbon dynamics of an old-growth forest Ecosystems 7 .

    Google Scholar 

  • PP Tans IY Fung T Takahashi (1990) ArticleTitleObservational constraints on the global CO2 budget Science 247 1431–8 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK3cXktFWgtLc%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MV Thompson JT Randerson CM Malmström CB Field (1996) ArticleTitleChange in net primary production and heterotrophic respiration: how much is necessary to sustain the terrestrial carbon sink? Global Biogeochem Cycles 10 711–26 Occurrence Handle10.1029/96GB01667 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK28Xntl2itr4%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • AR Townsend BH Braswell EA Holland JE Penner (1996) ArticleTitleSpatial and temporal patterns in terrestrial carbon storage due to deposition of anthropogenic nitrogen Ecol Appl 6 806–14

    Google Scholar 

  • R Valentini G Matteucci AJ Dolman E-D Schulze C Rebmann EJ Moors A Granier P Gross NO Jensen K Pilegaard (2000) ArticleTitleRespiration as the main determinant of carbon balance in European forests Nature 404 861–5 Occurrence Handle10.1038/35009084 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXjtVCrsLY%3D Occurrence Handle10786790

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • RH Waring SW Running (1998) Forest ecosystems EditionNumber2 Academic San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • WE Winner SC Thomas JA Berry BJ Bond CE Cooper TM Hinckley JR Ehleringer JE Fessenden B Lamb S McCarthy (2004) ArticleTitleCanopy carbon gain and water use: analysis of old-growth conifers in the Pacific Northwest Ecosystems 7 .

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all of the researchers and staff at the Wind River Canopy Crane Research Forest. This research was supported by the Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program (BER), US Department of Energy (DOE), through the Western Regional Center (WESTGEC) of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change (NIGEC) under Cooperative Agreement DE-FC03-90ER61010. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of DOE.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Jörg Kaduk

    Present address: Department of Geography, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, England, 94305, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, California, 94305, USA

    Christopher B. Field & Jörg Kaduk

Authors
  1. Christopher B. Field
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jörg Kaduk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher B. Field.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Field, C.B., Kaduk, J. The Carbon Balance of an Old-growth Forest: Building Across Approaches. Ecosystems 7, 525–533 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-004-0142-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-004-0142-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation