Open AccessIsotopic and Concentration Analyses of CO 2 and CH 4 in Association With the Eddy‐Covariance Based Measurements in a Tropical Forest of Northeast India
Author(s) -
Metya Abirlal,
Chakraborty Supriyo,
Bhattacharya S. K.,
Datye Amey,
Deb Burman Pramit K.,
Dasgupta Panini,
Sarma Dipankar,
Gogoi Nirmali,
Bora Abhijit
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
earth and space science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.843
H-Index - 23
ISSN - 2333-5084
DOI - 10.1029/2020ea001504
Subject(s) - eddy covariance , environmental science , biosphere , atmospheric sciences , ecosystem , autotroph , carbon dioxide , flux (metallurgy) , greenhouse gas , isotopes of carbon , environmental chemistry , methane , ecosystem respiration , δ13c , carbon fibers , isotopic signature , stable isotope ratio , chemistry , ecology , total organic carbon , geology , biology , paleontology , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , bacteria , materials science , composite number , composite material
Among the natural ecosystems, forests and wetlands emit a sizable amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) through autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration and bacterial activities. Interestingly, some evidence suggests that a significant amount of CH 4 is generated by the trees in forested ecosystems. The net ecosystem exchange (NEE), measured by the eddy covariance (EC) method, typically represents the net CO 2 flux arising from the photosynthetic and respiration processes in the biosphere. This flux is subsequently partitioned into two components, the respired carbon and the assimilated carbon. However, the usual method of partitioning introduces significant errors in each of these fluxes. The present study was undertaken to address this issue where the NEE partitioning was constrained by using the carbon isotopic ratios of CO 2 . We used a real‐time in situ analyzer in a tropical forest in northeast India, the Kaziranga National Park. The greenhouse gas analyzer provided CO 2 and CH 4 concentrations, as well as their carbon isotopic ratios. The isotopic data were used to partition the EC‐derived NEE values and derive the isoflux values. Additionally, the isotopic data provided evidence of plant‐generated CH 4 in conformity with some recent studies, which requires further investigation.