Examining Trends in Foliar N and Albedo in Response to Disturbance in Canadian Forests
Lucie
C.
Lepine, University of New Hampshire, lucie.lepine@unh.edu
(Presenting)
Scott
V.
Ollinger, University of New Hampshire, scott.ollinger@unh.edu
Mary
E.
Martin, University of New Hampshire, mary.martin@unh.edu
Steve
E.
Frolking, University of New Hampshire, steve.frolking@unh.edu
Disturbance in forest ecosystems bears relevance to the climate system through changes in CO2, water and energy exchange. Recent work revealed a strong link among canopy albedo, nitrogen concentrations and carbon assimilation, suggesting a potential feedback in the climate system involving foliar N as it relates to vegetation reflectance and shortwave surface energy exchange. Nevertheless, how disturbances, such as fire and harvest events, affect canopy chemistry and albedo over space and time has not been widely studied, and general patterns have yet to emerge. Further, because the C-N-albedo relationship has thus far only been demonstrated at coarse spatial scales over a wide range of forest types, it remains unclear whether the link among carbon, nitrogen and albedo reflect broad differences among forest types, or if similar trends can also be observed locally within sites.
Here, we address some of these issues through a detailed examination of landscape- and plot-level variation in canopy nitrogen and shortwave albedo within evergreen needleaf forests in Quebec, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. Our investigation makes use of data from remote sensing, field measurements and eddy flux towers at Canadian Carbon Program sites that represent disturbance-recovery chronosequences. Results are discussed with respect to local variation at these sites as a means of understanding disturbance-linked changes in albedo and foliar N.
Presentation Type: Poster
Poster Session: Carbon Cycle Science
NASA TE Funded Awards Represented:
Ollinger, Sco
Effects of Disturbance and N Deposition on Nitrogen-Albedo Relations in Forests
Ollinger, Scott
Exploring Relationships among Carbon Cycling, Vegetation Nitrogen Status and Surface Albedo across North American Ecosystems to Improve Land Surface Models