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Coherent Structures and Flux Coupling

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Energy and Matter Fluxes of a Spruce Forest Ecosystem

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 229))

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the significant findings of the research on coherent structures contributed by investigations conducted at the Waldstein-Weidenbrunnen site from several field campaigns. The description of the quasi-online wavelet detection algorithm and of the coherent flux computation method using a triple decomposition is followed by a presentation of their application to define and diagnose vertical and horizontal couplings in forest canopies. It is demonstrated that these exchange regimes provide physically and biologically meaningful proxies for the communication of air and integration of the spatially separated sinks and sources as a result of the stratified canopy architecture. We continue by presenting two innovative applications of the coherent forest exchange that include the computation of daytime respiration fluxes directly from above-canopy eddy-covariance measurements and the explanation of stationary gradients in the sub-canopy CO2 field causing systematic advection as a result of the spatial heterogeneity of the forest architecture. Advantages and limitations of both are discussed. The chapter concludes by formulating directions for future research and indicating new observational techniques that may have the potential to improve understanding and quantifying the forest coherent exchange.

C. K. Thomas, L. Siebicke, A. Serafimovich, T. Gerken, and T. Foken: Affiliation during the work at the Waldstein sites – University of Bayreuth, Department of Micrometeorology, Germany

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Bayreuth, Micrometeorology Group, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Christoph K. Thomas

  2. Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany

    Christoph K. Thomas & Thomas Foken

  3. Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Telegrafenberg, Haus A 6, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Andrei Serafimovich

  4. Department of Bioclimatology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Lukas Siebicke

  5. Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, 334 Leon Johnson Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA

    Tobias Gerken

  6. Am Herrgottsbaum 28, 96120, Bischberg, Germany

    Thomas Foken

Authors
  1. Christoph K. Thomas
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  2. Andrei Serafimovich
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  3. Lukas Siebicke
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  4. Tobias Gerken
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  5. Thomas Foken
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Correspondence to Christoph K. Thomas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany

    Thomas Foken

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Thomas, C.K., Serafimovich, A., Siebicke, L., Gerken, T., Foken, T. (2017). Coherent Structures and Flux Coupling. In: Foken, T. (eds) Energy and Matter Fluxes of a Spruce Forest Ecosystem. Ecological Studies, vol 229. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49389-3_6

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