Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the Carbon Uptake Period in the total Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) definition
and a study of the effect of temperature and precipitation on the interannual vari-
ability of NEE are presented in order to show the way these data can contribute to
a better understanding of the role and response of ecosystems to climate change.
2.1 Introduction
Monitoring carbon, water and energy fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and
atmosphere is essential for a better understanding of the biological and ecological
processes, also in relation to climate variability and climate change, and to assess
the carbon balance of the different ecosystems and their ability to sequester CO
2
from the atmosphere.
In order to improve the understanding of the quantities involved in the carbon bal-
ance of terrestrial ecosystems, it is important to provide the following definitions: it is
defined Gross Primary Production (GPP) of an ecosystem, the total amount of CO
2
that is fixed by the vegetation in photosynthesis. The synthesis of new plant tissues and
the maintenance of the plants themselves require energy that is provided by the auto-
trophic respiration (Ra). The difference between the amount of carbon fixed by photo-
synthesis and respired by the vegetation is defined Net Primary Production (NPP):
NPP
=
GPP
−
RA
V. Magliulo
ISAFOM, CNR, Ercolano, NA, Italy
G. Matteucci
ISAFOM, CNR, Rende, CS, Italy
G. Matteucci
IBAF, CNR, Monterotondo, RM, Italy
L. Montagnani
Forest Services and Agency for the Environment, Autonomous Province of Bolzano,
Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
F. Petrella
Institute for Wood Plant and Environment (IPLA),
Environmental Disease and Soil Conservation Unit, Turin, Italy
A. Pitacco
DAFNAE, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
D. Spano
Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources (DIPNET),
University of Sassari, via E. de Nicola 9, 07100 Sassari, Italy
P. Duce
IBIMET, CNR, Sassari, Italy
D. Spano
Impacts on Agriculture, Forest and Natural Ecosystem Division (IAFENT),
Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Changes (CMCC), Sassari, Italy
