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Forest Productivity Estimated from Carbon Dioxide Uptake
Author(s) -
Botkin Daniel B.,
Woodwell G. M.,
Tempel Neal
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1933633
Subject(s) - primary production , growing season , productivity , environmental science , photosynthesis , carbon dioxide , agronomy , ecology , botany , forestry , biology , geography , ecosystem , economics , macroeconomics
Net photosynthesis of the three dominant tree species of the oak—pine forest of central Long Island was monitored intensively throughout one growing season to test the practicality of field measurements of net photosynthesis for estimating gross production of a forest. White Oak (Quercus alba) leaves absorbed 16.9 g CO 2 /g of leaf during the growing season; scarlet oak (Q. coccinea) absorbed 9.9 g/g; pitch pine (Pinus rigida), 7.5 g/g. Previously published data integrated with the CO 2 exchange rates over the growing season gave a new estimate of gross production for the forest of 2,950 g dry matter/m 2 per year. This value is approximately 10—22% higher than previous estimates which were based principally on harvest techniques. The discrepancy between estimates emphasizes the difficulty of the measurements and the scale of the errors one must expect even with elaborate techniques.