Lesson 32 Mineral Cycling - Alaska Geobotany Center

• Carbon balance models, despite
their flaws, provide us with the
capacity to interpolate and
extrapolate measurements in time
and space. Hence, they are and
will be a key tool for making
regional and global assessments of
the carbon balance.
• Most data for testing ecosystem,
regional and global carbon models
stems from long term monitoring of
carbon dioxide concentrations and
biomass .
• The Ameriflux network was
established in 1996 to provide
continuous observations of
ecosystem level exchanges of CO 2 ,
water, and energy, spanning diurnal,
synopitc seasonal and intrannual
time scales.Continuous monitoring
of large areas with towers is the
primary method. Chambers are
used for detailed studies of small
patches.
• At present, 40 to 60% of the
anthropogenically-released CO 2
remains in the atmosphere. We do
not know, with confidence, whether
the missing half of emitted CO 2 is
being sequestered in the deep
oceans, in soils or in plant biomass.