Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of vegetative heterogeneity and patch-scale harvest on energy balance closure and flux measurements

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Climatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Based on the micrometeorological measurements at a heterogeneous farmland in South China, this work detects the effects of vegetative heterogeneity and patch-scale harvest on the energy balance closure and turbulent fluxes. As a quality control, the integral turbulent characteristics are analyzed in the framework of Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. Spatial representativeness of the measurements is studied in terms of footprint and source area. Firstly, in two wind sectors, the nondimensional standard deviations of turbulent quantities generally agree with some foregoing studies. Discrepancies exist in the other sectors due to the instrument-induced flow distortion. Secondly, energy balance closure is examined with two types of linear regression, which confirms that mismatching source areas between the available energy and turbulent fluxes have no preference to either energy “deficit” or “surplus”. Thirdly, turbulent fluxes exhibit greater variability when they represent smaller source areas. The patch-scale harvest adjacent to the flux mast causes notable increase and decrease in the sensible heat and latent heat fluxes, respectively, while the CO2 exchange almost vanishes after the harvest. Interestingly, energy balance closure is less influenced despite the notable effects on the turbulent fluxes and Bowen ratio, implying that the energy balance closure check may mask some variability in the turbulent fluxes. Thus, to adjust the heat fluxes with a single “closure factor” for a perfect closure is dangerous at a patchy site.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andreas EL, Hill RJ, Gosz JR, Moore DI, Otto WD, Sarma AD (1998) Statistics of surface-layer turbulence over terrain with metre-scale heterogeneity. Bound-Layer Meteorol 86:379–408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldocchi D, Falge E, Gu L, Olson R, Hollinger D, Running S, Anthoni P, Bernhofer Ch, Davis K, Evans R, Fuentes J, Goldstein A, Katul G, Law B, Lee X, Malhi Y, Meyers T, Munger W, Oechel W, Paw UKT, Pilegaard K, Schmid HP, Valentini R, Verma S, Vesala T, Wilson K, Wofsy S (2001) FLUXNET: a new tool to study the temporal and spatial variability of ecosystem-scale carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy flux densities. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 82:2415–2434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beljaars ACM, Schotanus P, Nieuwstadt FTM (1983) Surface layer similarity under nonuniform fetch conditions. J Appl Meteorol Climatol 22:1800–1810

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi T, Hong J, Kim J, Lee H, Asanuma J, Ishikawa H, Tsukamoto O, Gao ZQ, Ma YM, Ueno K, Wang JM, Koike T, Yasunari T (2004) Turbulent exchange of heat, water vapor, and momentum over a Tibetan prairie by eddy covariance and flux variance measurements. J Geophys Res 109. DOI 10.1029/2004JD004767

  • Foken T, Wichura B (1996) Tools for quality assessment of surface-based flux measurements. Agric Forest Meteorol 78:83–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gash JHC (1986) A note on estimating the effects of a limited fetch on micrometeorological evaporation measurements. Bound-Layer Meteorol 35:409–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gash JH, Culf AD (1996) Applying a linear detrend to eddy correlation data in real time. Bound-Layer Meteorol 73:301–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Göckede M, Rebmann C, Foken T (2004) A combination of quality assessment tools for eddy covariance measurements with footprint modeling for the characterisation of complex sites. Agric Forest Meteorol 127:175–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo XF, Kang L, Cai XH, Zhu T (2006) Observation study of surface-air exchanges and energy budget at an agricultural site in South China. Chin J Atmos Sci 30:453–463 (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kader BA, Yaglom AM (1990) Mean fields and fluctuation moments in unstably stratified turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 212:637–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaimal JC, Finnigan J (1994) Atmospheric boundary layer flows: their structure and measurement. Oxford University Press, New York, 304 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaimal JC, Wyngaard JC (1990) The Kansas and Minnesota experiments. Bound-Layer Meteorol 50:31–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katul G, Goltz SM, Hsieh C, Cheng Y, Mowry F, Sigmon J (1995) Estimation of surface heat and momentum fluxes using the flux-variance method above uniform and non-uniform terrain. Bound-Layer Meteorol 74:237–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laubach J, Teichmann U (1999) Surface energy budget variability: a case study over grass with special regard to minor inhomogeneities in the source area. Theor Appl Climatol 62:9–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leclerc MY, Thurtell GW (1990) Footprint prediction of scalar fluxes using a Markovian analysis. Bound-Layer Meteorol 52:247–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee X, Hu X (2002) Forest-air fluxes of carbon, water and energy over non-flat terrain. Bound-Layer Meteorol 103:277–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahrt L (2000) Surface heterogeneity and vertical structure of the boundary layer. Bound-Layer Meteorol 96:33–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillen RT (1988) An eddy correlation technique with extended applicability to non-simple terrain. Bound-Layer Meteorol 43:231–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moriwaki R, Kanda M (2004) Seasonal and diurnal fluxes of radiation, heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide over a suburban area. J Appl Meteorol 43:1700–1710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ogunjemiyo SO, Kaharabata SK, Schuepp PH, MacPherson IJ, Desjardins RL, Roberts DA (2003) Methods of estimating CO2, latent heat and sensible heat fluxes from estimates of land cover fractions in the flux footprint. Agric Forest Meteorol 117:124–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohtaki E (1985) On the similarity in atmospheric fluctuations of carbon dioxide, water vapor and temperature over vegetated fields. Bound-Layer Meteorol 32:25–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oke TR (1987) Boundary layer climates. Methuen, London and New York, 435 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliphant AJ, Grimmond CSB, Zutter HN, Schmid HP, Su HB, Scott SL, Offerle B, Randolph JC, Ehman J (2004) Heat storage and energy balance fluxes for a temperate deciduous forest. Agric Forest Meteorol 126:185–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pahlow M, Parlange MB, Porte-Agel F (2001) On Monin-Obukhov similarity in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. Bound-Layer Meteorol 99:225–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Panofsky HA, Dutton JA (1984) Atmospheric turbulence: models and methods for engineering applications. Wiley, New York, 397 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Panofsky HA, Tennekes H, Lenschow DH, Wyngaard JC (1977) The characteristics of turbulent velocity components in the surface layer under convective conditions. Bound-Layer Meteorol 11:355–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramana MV, Krishnan P, Kunhikrishnan PK (2004) Surface boundary-layer characteristics over a tropical inland station: seasonal features. Bound-Layer Meteorol 111:153–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roth M (1993) Turbulent transfer relationships over an urban surface. II: Integral statistics. Quart J Roy Meteorol Soc 109:1105–1120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid HP (1997) Experimental design for flux measurements: matching scales of observations and fluxes. Agric Forest Meteorol 87:179–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid HP (2002) Footprint modeling for vegetation atmosphere exchange studies: a review and perspective. Agric Forest Meteorol 113:159–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid HP, Lloyd CR (1999) Spatial representativeness and the location bias of flux footprints over inhomogeneous areas. Agric Forest Meteorol 93:195–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid HP, Oke TR (1990) A model to estimate the source area contributing to turbulent exchange in the surface layer over patchy terrain. Quart J Roy Meteorol Soc 116:965–988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid HP, Cleugh HA, Grimmond CSB, Oke TR (1991) Spatial variability of energy fluxes in suburban terrain. Bound-Layer Meteorol 54:249–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuepp PH, Leclerc MY, MacPherson JI, Desjardins RL (1990) Footprint prediction of scalar fluxes from analytical solutions of the diffusion equation. Bound-Layer Meteorol 50:355–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao YP, Hacker JM (1990) Local similarity relationships in a horizontally inhomogeneous boundary layer. Bound-Layer Meteorol 52:17–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smedman-Hogstrom AS (1973) Temperature and humidity spectra in the atmospheric surface layer. Bound-Layer Meteorol 3:329–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soegaard H, Jensen NO, Boegh E, Hasager CB, Schelde K, Thomsen A (2003) Carbon dioxide exchange over agricultural landscape using eddy correlation and footprint modeling. Agric Forest Meteorol 114:153–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Twine TE, Kustas WP, Norman JM, Cook DR, Houser PR, Meyers TP, Prueger JH, Starks PJ, Wesely ML (2000) Correcting eddy-covariance flux underestimates over a grassland. Agric Forest Meteorol 103:279–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver CP, Avissar R (2001) Atmospheric disturbances caused by human modification of the landscape. Bull Am Meteorol Soc 82:269–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver HL (1990) Temperature and humidity flux-variance relations determined by one-dimensional eddy correlation. Bound-Layer Meteorol 53:77–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb EK, Pearman GI, Leuning R (1980) Correction of flux measurements for density effects due to heat and water vapour transfer. Quart J Roy Meteorol Soc 106:85–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson K, Goldstein A, Falge E, Aubinet M, Baldocchi D, Berbigier P, Bernhofer C, Ceulemans R, Dolman H, Field C, Grelle A, Ibrom A, Law BE, Kowalski A, Meyers T, Moncrieff J, Monson R, Oechel W, Tenhunen J, Valentini R, Verma S (2002) Energy balance closure at FLUXNET sites. Agric Forest Meteorol 113:223–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard JC, Cote OR (1971) The budget of turbulent kinetic energy and temperature variance in the atmospheric surface layer. J Atmos Sci 28:190–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyngaard JC, Cote OR, Izumi Y (1971) Local free convection, similarity and the budgets of shear stress and heat flux. J Atmos Sci 28:1171–1182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Chen J, Park S (2001) Turbulence structure in unstable conditions over various surfaces. Bound-Layer Meteorol 100: 243–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was jointly funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 40275005 and 40233030, as well as the National Basic Research and Development Program under Grant 2002CB410802. The authors are indebted to Prof. H. Soegaard from The Institute of Geography at The University of Copenhagen for his review of our footprint treatment and encouragement. Sincere thanks to Dr. Yu Song from the Department of Environmental Sciences at Peking University for offering a FORTRAN program to process the GPS recordings.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    X. F. Guo & X. H. Cai

  2. Department of Atmospheric Science, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    X. F. Guo & H. S. Zhang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    L. Kang & T. Zhu

Authors
  1. X. F. Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. X. H. Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. H. S. Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to X. F. Guo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guo, X.F., Cai, X.H., Kang, L. et al. Effects of vegetative heterogeneity and patch-scale harvest on energy balance closure and flux measurements. Theor Appl Climatol 96, 281–290 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-008-0031-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-008-0031-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation