www.csiro.au

Ray Leuning

CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Canberra, Australia

An Introduction to physical ecology

Overview

What the ‘well tempered physical ecologist’ needs to know

•Day 1 – Earth system science & ecosystem processes

•Day 2 – Everything you wanted to know about micrometeorology but were too afraid to ask

•Day 3 – Visit Wombat State Forest flux station

�Handling data from flux stations

•Day 4 - Modelling concepts and parameter estimation

•Day 5 – Application of near- to far-field remote sensing to ecology

How can measurements at local scales be used to construct local to global budgets of C, H2O, energy and trace gases?

Basin

Patch

Catchment

Continent

Big question

What the biosphere breathes

Courtesy Dennis Baldocchi UC Berkeley

H2O

mmol m -2 s -1

µmol m -2 s -1

nmol m -2 s -1

fmol m -2 s -1

H 2O

WetlandsAerobic

SoilsAnaerobic

Soils

C5H8NO 2

NO CH4

C10 H16

NH3

O 3

NH3N2O H 2S

CO

COS

CO 2

CO 2

Biogeophysical cycles

Water

SurfaceConductance

Transpiration/Evaporation

AvailableEnergy

Photosynthesis/Respiration

LAI

Carbon

NutrientsLitterSoil Moisture

PBL ht

Sensible Heat

Courtesy Dennis Baldocchi UC Berkeley

sola

r ra

dia

tio

n (

net

)

terr

estr

ial r

adia

tio

n

atm

osp

her

ic r

a dia

tio

n

pr e

cip

itat

i on

hea

t (n

et)

eva p

ora

tio

n

PA

R

CO

2 (a

ssim

i lati

on

)

CO

2 (r

esp

irat

ion

)

trac

e g

ases

aero

sol

Typical fluxes measured

Courtesy HP Schmid

Cannot measure everywhere, but can sample in bio-climatic space

Courtesy Dennis Baldocchi UC Berkeley

Data from flux stations help to -

Improve understanding of ecosystem processes

� Directly measure mass & energy budgets

� High temporal resolution → new insights

� Data for land surface model validation & development

� Data for model parameters for many land surface types – sample across bioclimatic space

� Carbon cycling

� Hydrology

Validate remote sensing products� LAI

� GPP� Evaporation & catchment water balances

Continuous measurements mean -

New challenges to micrometeorology

�Air flow in canopies

�Air flow over hills

�Nocturnal drainage flows

�Coupling of flow in and above canopies

�Flux-gradient relationships

Controlling processes & linkages:Roles of time and space scales

canopy

landscape

region/biome

continent

secon

ds

days

years

centu

ries

Weather:ppt, T, u,

Rg

Ecosystem Dynamics:species, functional

type

Climate

Biogeo-chemistry:

LAI, C/N, VcmaxBiophysics:

λλλλE, H, A, Gc

Courtesy Dennis Baldocchi UC Berkeley

CABLE: a typical land surface modelsimulates processes at multiple time scales

Rapid biophysical processes

Canopy conductancephotosynthesis,leaf respiration

Carbon transfer,Soil temp. & moistureavailibity

Slow biogeographicalprocesses

Vegetation dynamics & disturbance

Land-use andland-cover change

Vegetationchange

Autotrophic andHeterotrophic

respiration

Allocation

Intermediatebiogeochemical processes

Phenology

Turnover

Nutrient cycle

Solution of SEB;canopy and ground

temperaturesand fluxes

Soil heat andmoisture

Surface waterbalance

Update LAI,Photosyn-thesis capacity

Atmospheric forcingT, u, Pr, q, Rs, Rl, CO2

Radiationwater, heat, & CO2fluxes

day years

Biogeo-chemicalforcing

Atmosphere

hour

FluxesPlant dynamics

Vegetation dynamics

Rapid biophysical processes

Canopy conductancephotosynthesis,leaf respiration

Carbon transfer,Soil temp. & moistureavailibity

Slow biogeographicalprocesses

Vegetation dynamics & disturbance

Land-use andland-cover change

Vegetationchange

Autotrophic andHeterotrophic

respiration

Allocation

Intermediatebiogeochemical processes

Phenology

Turnover

Nutrient cycle

Solution of SEB;canopy and ground

temperaturesand fluxes

Soil heat andmoisture

Surface waterbalance

Update LAI,Photosyn-thesis capacity

Atmospheric forcingT, u, Pr, q, Rs, Rl, CO2

Radiationwater, heat, & CO2fluxes

day years

Biogeo-chemicalforcing

Atmosphere

hour

FluxesPlant dynamics

Vegetation dynamics

Wang

Course outlineStart time Monday, 1 February 2010 Tuesday, 2 February 2010 Wednesday, 3 February 2010 Thursday, 4 February 2010 Friday, 5 February 2010

8:30 - 9:30Welcome & course outlineRL

Essential concepts in atmospheric structure, stability and turbulence statisticsRL

Within-canopy remote sensing - hemispherical photographs, lidar, spectrometersBS, EvG

9:30 - 10:30Ecology & earth system scienceLH, PI

Introduction to eddy flux theoryRL

Aircraft remote sensing - hyperspectral and lidar measurmentsJH

10:30 - 11:00 Break Break Break Break

11:00 - 12:00

Introduction to the soil-plant-atmosphere continuumRL

Air flow in complex terrain & nocturnal fluxesEvG

Introduction to CABLE, the Community Atmosphere-Biosphere Land Exchange ModelVH

Potential and limitations of satellite remote sensingAH

12:00 - 13:00

Stocks and flows of water, carbon and energy through ecosystemsLH & WM

Using the theory to make good measurementsRL

Hands on: Parameter estimation, data assimilationGA, JB, RL, PI, VH

Some application of satellite remote sensing:fire & phenologyBS, JB, LH

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

14:00 - 15:00Soil trace gas exchange measurementsSL & Melb univ

General discussion: Critical assessment of flux station design at Wombat State ForestLead: ML

Wrap up and student feedbackRL

15:00 - 16:00

Ancillary ecological measurements I - allometry, sap flow, fluxnet tables. LH, JB, ML

Data editing, quality control & gapfillingPI, EvG

Pack up and return to base

16:00 - 16:30 Break Break Break Break

16:30 - 18:00

Ancillary ecological measurements II - LAI. Soil and Site characterisation. LH, JB, SL

Principles of design & setting up a flux stationPI, JB

Hands on: data editing and gap-fillingPI, EvG, RL

Interpreting ecosystem scale fluxes of carbon and waterLH

18:00 - 19:30 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner

19:30 - 21:00 Student posters Student posters Relaxation Relaxation

Introduction to flux station instrumentation - sensors, data loggers, programming, …Flux station management & safetyPI, DH

Wombat State Forest visitSL, Melb University team

Hands on: CABLE exerciseParameter estimation, data assimilationGA, JB, RL, PI, VH

Understanding models & modelling experimentsGA

Why do I need all this knowledge?“I can drive a car without knowing how it works!”

Many components needed to understand & model ecosystems

Knowledge provides flexibility and adaptability

�The most successful scientists bring knowledge from different disciplines to create new understanding

Tomorrow’s problem will not be the same as today’s

�Basic knowledge will help with problem solving skills

A physical ecologist needs knowledge in many fields

Micrometeorology

Physics

Ecophysiology

Vegetation dynamics

Statistics

Modelling

Measurement

Data analysis

Physical Ecology