Atmosphere-biosphere exchange of carbon dioxide in boreal forests

Abstract

An ecophysiological model of photosynthesis and respiration by forest ecosystems was used to examine CO2 fluxes in 23 mature boreal forests near Fairbanks, Alaska. The boreal forests of Alaska play an active role in the seasonal dynamics of atmospheric CO2 at Barrow. Only one of the 23 stands was a source of CO2, and the 23 stands absorbed (mean ± SE) 1173 ± 211 g CO2 m-2 yr-1. Observed productivity in these forests spans the range of productivity in the circumpolar boreal forest, suggesting the simulated CO2 fluxes are representative of the circumpolar boreal forest. If so, metabolic activity in the circumpolar boreal forest results in a significant annual uptake of CO2. -from Author