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Modelling of carbon isotope discrimination by vegetation

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

The paper presents a simple box model simulating the temporal variation of atmospheric 13CO2 concentration, atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio and 13C content of plant material. The model is driven by observed meteorological and measured biosphere-atmosphere CO2 exchange data. The model was calibrated and validated using measurements from a Hungarian atmospheric monitoring station. The simulated atmospheric stable carbon isotope ratio data agreed well with the measured ratios considering both the magnitude and the seasonal dynamics. Observed deviations between the measured and simulated δ13Cair values were systematically negative in winters, while deviations were random in sign and smaller by an order of magnitude during periods when the vegetation was photosynthetically active. This difference, supported by a significant correlation between the deviation and modeled fossil fuel contributions to CO2 concentration, suggests the increased contribution of 13C-depleted fossil fuel CO2 from heating and the lower boundary layer heights during winter.

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Abbreviations

c:

mixing ratio

E:

transpiration rate

FT:

airmixing function

g :

gaseous conductance

GPP:

gross primary production

L:

likelihood

LE:

latent heat flux

MC :

average molar mass of carbon

NEE:

net ecosystem exchange

NPP:

net primary production

p:

pressure

PBL:

planetary boundary layer height

R:

gas constant

rad:

global radiation

RMSE:

root mean square error

T:

temperature

TNBL:

top of the nocturnal boundary layer

TR:

total ecosystem respiration

TRL:

top of the residual layer

VPD:

vapor pressure deficit

γ:

adiabatic temperature lapse rate

δ13C–13C:

isotopic abundance

Δ:

discrimination against 13CO2

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany and Ecophysiology, Szent István University, Páter Károly u. 1., H-2100, Gödöllő, Hungary

    D. Hidy & Z. Nagy

  2. Hungarian Meteorological Service, Gilice tér 39., H-1181, Budapest, Hungary

    L. Haszpra

  3. Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, H-1119, Budapest, Hungary

    Z. Barcza

  4. Department of. Air Quality & Climate Change, Energy Research Center of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 1, NL-1755 ZG, Petten, The Netherlands

    A. Vermeulen

  5. Plant Ecological Research Group at Botanical and Ecophysiological Institute, H2103, Gödöllő Páter 1., Hungary

    Z. Tuba

Authors
  1. D. Hidy
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  2. L. Haszpra
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  3. Z. Barcza
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  4. A. Vermeulen
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  5. Z. Tuba
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  6. Z. Nagy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Z. Nagy.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: The authors thank James White, Bruce Vaughn (INSTAAR) and Pieter Tans (NOAA ESRL) for δ13Cair data. Carbon dioxide mixing ratio and meteorological measurements at Hegyhátsál were supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA T042941, K75638 and OTKA CK77550), as well as by the 5th and 6th R+D Framework Programme of the European Commission (AEROCARB - EVK2-CT-1999-00013, CarboEurope-IP - GOCE-CT-2003-505572). The authors also highly appreciate the help of Frédéric Chevallier (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Gif-sur-Yvette, France).

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Hidy, D., Haszpra, L., Barcza, Z. et al. Modelling of carbon isotope discrimination by vegetation. Photosynthetica 47, 457–470 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-009-0070-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-009-0070-z

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