The Albany Thicket (AT) biome contains outstanding global biodiversity as well as the potential to achieve carbon credits associated with water-efficient Crasslucean acid metabolism (CAM). Understanding the water fluxes in the AT is crucial to determining carbon (C) sequestration rates and water-use efficiency. Despite large variation in water fluxes across the AT, only a few studies have been conducted

The accurate estimation of temporally-continuous gross primary production (GPP) is important for a mechanistic understanding of the global carbon budget, as well as the carbon exchange between land and atmosphere. Ground-based PhenoCams can provide near-surface observations of plant phenology with high temporal resolution and possess great potential for use in modeling the seasonal dynamics of GPP

The relationship between methane (CH4) and gross primary productivity (GPP) remains elusive and the underlying mechanism is even far from clear. To explore this relationship, we continually monitored CH4 flux and CO2 flux by eddy covariance technique in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China, during June 2015–December 2017. We found a parabolic-like relationship of net CH4 flux with

As water scarcity becomes more acute in many parts of the world, crop modeling tools that effectively simulating crop response to deficit irrigation strategies to help investigate management improvement are needed. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the crop models with different growth-engines are therefore of great importance. The objective of this study was to investigate the capability

While shifting disturbance rates and climate change have major implications for the structure of contemporary forests through their effects on adult tree mortality, the responses of regenerating trees to disturbances and environmental variation will ultimately determine the structure and functioning of forests in the future. Assessing the resilience of forests to changing conditions requires information

Ecosystem water-use efficiency (WUE) is a critical indicator to investigate the interaction between the terrestrial ecosystem carbon and water cycles. WUE, estimated from gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) based on remote sensing (RS)-based ecosystem models and algorithms (e.g., MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), BESS (Breathing Earth System Simulator))

Accurately scaling soil respiration (SR, the soil-to-atmosphere flow of CO2) across time and space is important to constrain and understand ecosystem to global scale SR, the largest terrestrial carbon flux to the atmosphere. Year-round SR measurements are however expensive and sometimes impossible to perform. Bahn et al. (2010) developed an approach to estimate annual SR (SRannual) from the flux measured

Ecosystem water use efficiency (EWUE), defined as the ratio of ecosystem gross primary production (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), is regulated by multiple biophysical factors and their interactions. One particular unknown is the relative importance of environmental control and canopy stomatal control on EWUE for their direct and indirect roles in different seasons. We employed the eddy covariance

Increasing temperature due to global climate change is detrimental to both the growth and development of canola (Brassica napus L.) that ultimately leads to a disastrous reduction in productivity. Understanding how these increasing temperatures will impact canola growth in terms of root traits, seed yield and lodging resistance is urgently required to maximize production in the coming decades. A set

How and why spatial patterns of soil respiration (SR) emerge and change or persist over time, and what makes spatial patterning of SR and environment variables interdependent or non-interdependent, is poorly understood. Our objectives were to quantify temporal changes in spatial patterns of SR for a grassland dominated by Leymus chinensis and to explore the underlying ecological mechanisms. We conducted

Surface roughness lengths, including the aerodynamic roughness length (z0m) and the thermodynamic roughness length (z0h, represented by excess resistance kB−1), are crucial parameters in the accurate simulation of surface turbulent fluxes. However, due to insufficient knowledge in the physical mechanisms of surface roughness lengths, there exist considerable uncertainties in physically-based models

Seasonally dry tropical forests are among the most important biomes regarding regional and global hydrological and carbon fluxes. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the seasonal and interannual variability of evapotranspiration (ET) and its biophysical control and characteristics (surface conductance—Gs; decoupling coefficient—Ω; ratio between actual evapotranspiration and equilibrium

Use of eddy covariance (EC) as part of net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) studies of grazed grasslands has the potential to provide valuable insights into the influence of management on soil carbon (C) stocks and opportunities for potential mitigation. However, in rotationally grazed systems where the EC measurements extend across multiple paddocks, often due to necessity, interpretation of results

Black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is a highly-appreciated fungus that grows below ground during several months, undergoing a series of morphogenetic stages before it is harvested in late autumn or winter. Black truffle production in Spain has been subject to important temporal variation in recent decades. The records of the Spanish Truffle Growers Association from 1970 to 2017 were analysed using

Within the context of climate change (e.g., climate warming and changes in atmospheric circulation) the temporal dynamics of vegetation growth on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have remained unclear, especially over the most recent decade. Using a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), we investigated vegetation dynamics on TP from 2000 to 2018, with a special focus on the northeastern part controlled

This study evaluates the impacts of the 2015/2016 El Niño event on the phenology and carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange in a secondary dry dipterocarp forest (DDF). In western Thailand, El Niño events significantly reduced rainfall and increased air temperature, leading to prolonged dry season with low soil water content and high vapor pressure deficit (VPD). During 2014–2017, leaf phenology was monitored

An improved understanding of the productivity and water use efficiency (WUE) of global croplands is essential for coping with the growing demand for food and water. At present, the spatiotemporal distribution and trends of WUE and the associated gross primary production (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) for croplands remain poorly quantified at the global scale, especially considering the differences

In recent years, digital repeat photography has received increasing attention as an inexpensive means by which seasonal changes in vegetation canopies can be monitored. Offering automation and an increased measurement frequency, colour indices derived from above-canopy digital repeat photography have proven a popular alternative to traditional observations of forest phenology. Nevertheless, previous

Improving forest wind risk models relies on a better understanding of the tree response to damaging gusts. However, our empirical knowledge of the tree dynamic response to wind is limited by the feasibility of field experiments at recording the dynamics of both, the tree aerial structure and the tree root-system, under windstorm conditions. Here, we present the first complete root-to-foliage tree dynamic

Dew is an important source of available water in arid or semi-arid areas and considerable attention has focused upon whether foliar dew uptake occurs. Nonetheless, its occurrence and effects on plant growth in the sand-based ecosystems of the Mongolia Plateau are largely unknown. We performed laboratory experiments and conducted a three-year field investigation of dew in the Hunshandak sandland, northern

Plants go through a physiological process of cold hardening to limit the damage, caused by low temperatures at the end of fall and winter. Under a variable climate, plants may be less or more cold hardened and hence more or less susceptible to the effects of an unexpected temperature drop. Seasonal patterns were estimated for three cherry cultivars that vary in freezing tolerance. Measures were taken

The choice of coordinate system to calculate eddy covariance fluxes becomes particularly relevant at complex measurement sites. The traditional way is to perform double rotation (DR) of the coordinate system i.e., to calculate turbulent fluxes in a coordinate system that is aligned with the flow streamlines within the flux averaging period (e.g., Kaimal and Finnigan, 1994). The second approach, the

Temperature and precipitation are primary regulators of plant phenology. However, our knowledge of how these factors might interact to affect plant phenology is incomplete. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a cold and high region, has experienced no consistent changes in spring phenology, despite a significant warming trend. We conducted a manipulative experiment of warming and precipitation addition in

The potential of urban greenspaces in regulating temperature is widely known; however, in the heterogeneous urban landscape the process and the magnitude of human thermal comfort as well as the cumulative effects of natural and built surfaces are not yet well understood. We selected two ecologically contrasting species Tilia cordata Mill. and Robinia pseudoacacia L. planted in eight plots across five

The weather is an important driver of the wildfire incidence because it strongly influences fuel availability and flammability. In the Mediterranean climate, the spatial and temporal patterns of fire weather present high variability, which help to understand the variable fire regimes. To assess this link in the Iberian Peninsula and the role of fire weather on fire incidence variability, this work

Near real-time crop phenology detection is essential for crop management, estimation of harvest time and yield estimation. Previous approaches to crop phenology detection have relied on time-series (multi-temporal) vegetation index (VI) data, and have included threshold-based, phenometrics-based and shape-model-fitting-based (SMF) methods. However, the performance of these methods depends on the duration

Sap flow measurements are a crucial tool for studies of plant water relations, but upscaling to tree or stand transpiration requires accounting for the radial distribution of sap flow across the stem. Because radial sap flow profiles cannot be measured with single-point measuring methods, predicting their shape based on easier to measure structural or functional traits is a potential route to cost-efficiently

Climate change is predicted to affect tree growth due to increased frequency and intensity of extreme events such as ice storms, droughts and heatwaves. Yet, there is still a lot of uncertainty on how trees respond to an increase in frequency of extreme events. Use of both ground-based wood increment (i.e. ring width) and remotely sensed data (i.e. vegetation indices) can be used to scale-up ground

Sap flow sensors are crucial instruments to understand whole-tree water use. The lack of direct calibration of the available methods on large trees and the application of several data-processing procedures may jeopardize our understanding of water uptake dynamics by increasing the uncertainties around sensor-based estimates. We directly compared the heat ratio method (HRM) sap flow measurements to

Climate exerts a major influence on crop development and yield. Despite extensive modelling efforts, there is still considerable uncertainty about the consequences of a changing climate for the yields of major crops. Existing crop models are complex and rely on many assumptions and parameters, motivating a quest for more parsimonious models with stronger theoretical and empirical foundations. This

A greater amplitude and higher mean intensity of the El Niño phenomenon have both been observed in the last few decades. In order to determine how tree growth and recent El Niño variabilities are associated within the East Asia subtropical forest (EASF), we conducted a dendroecological study using a network of 25 zonal tree-ring width chronologies from Pinus massoniana Lamb. trees distributed across

High latitude boreal forests are experiencing dramatic changes in climate and hydrology. It is not clear how boreal forests will adapt to hydrological change or how stable they will be to extreme climate fluctuations and shifts in ecosystem water availability (EWA; residuals between precipitation and evapotranspiration). Although there have been numerous studies in North American and European boreal

Lysimeters have been used for centuries to understand hydrological cycles. Nowadays, high-resolution weighing lysimeters allow precise determination of the water balance components. While major efforts have been focused on the definition of appropriate methodologies for data processing in order to obtain results with high accuracy, it is still unknown to what extent measurements registered by a lysimeter

Early and reliable seasonal crop yield forecasts are crucial for both farmers and decision-makers. Commonly-used methods for seasonal yield forecasting are based on process-based crop models or statistical regression-based models. Both have limitations, particularly in regard to accounting for growth stage-specific climate extremes (such as drought, heat, and frost). In this study, we firstly developed

Vegetation phenology has received increasing attention in climate change research. Near-surface sensing using digital repeat photography has proven to be useful for ecosystem-scale monitoring of vegetation phenology. However, our understanding of the link between phenological metrics derived from digital repeat photography and the phenology of forest canopy photosynthesis is still incomplete, especially

Although the eddy covariance (EC) technique provides direct and continuous measurements of evapotranspiration (ET), separate measurement of evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) at the ecosystem level is not possible. For partitioning ET into E and T, high frequency (10 Hz) time series EC observations collected from Apr 2016 to May 2018 over a rainfed alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) field in central Oklahoma

Recent studies have recognized the importance of nocturnal sap flow (Qn) in affecting forest carbon and water budgets and responses to climate change at stand, regional, and global scales. However, biophysical controls on Qn are not fully understood, and their implications for land surface and vegetation models are unclear. We measured growing season sap flow of two widely distributed afforestation

In ecosystems characterized by strong seasonality in leaf area, the emergence of leaves during springtime modifies land surface energy balance by altering surface biophysical properties during a period when atmospheric conditions are also changing. However, the relative importance and interactions among surface biophysical and atmospheric variables in modifying the surface energy balance are not well

All over the world, there is increasing demand for wood and other goods from seasonally dry tropical forests; the “Caatinga” forest in northeast Brazil is a case in point. In order to set up sustainable forest management protocols, a comprehensive understanding of the main drivers of forest growth is needed, but few studies have focused on this subject in the Caatinga biome. Traditionally, periodic

The effect of weather on inter-annual variation in the crop yield response to nitrogen (N) fertilizer for winter wheat (Triticum aestivvum L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was investigated using yield data from the Broadbalk Wheat and Hoosfield Spring Barley long-term experiments at Rothamsted Research. Grain yields of crops from 1968 to 2016 were modelled as a function of N rates using a

Evaluating and improving cropping systems is essential to reduce nitrate leaching, improve drinking water quality and prevent eutrophication. Since the intensity of nitrogen (N) leaching varies greatly spatially and is difficult to measure, crop models are useful tools to quantify the influence of climate, soil and agricultural practices on N leaching. Our objective was to develop a simple model with

By averaging in time and/or space, models predict less variable light patterns under tree canopies than in reality. We measured light every minute in 24 positions in a grid under different chestnut orchards, for several clear and overcast days. We also modelled this light with a purposely created 3D, spatially explicit, ray-tracing light interception model, where canopy porosity was calibrated to match

This study provides statistical emulators of global by gridded crop models included in the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project Fast Track project to estimate irrigated crop yields and associated irrigation water withdrawals simulated at the grid cell level. An ensemble of crop model simulations is used to build a panel of monthly summer weather variables and corresponding annual yields

Tree architecture, defined as the three-dimensional arrangement of tree above-ground elements, directly influences the biological and physical processes of vegetation such as photosynthesis and evapotranspiration. Accurate description of tree architecture is of central importance to understand the above biophysical processes. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has been proved to be a promising tool to

A dataset of cherry full bloom dates across the full diversity of Australian growing regions was compiled and utilised for the first time. The primary data source was from growers located across Australia's major cherry growing districts. Records were of varying length and were used to investigate the potential of using data that substitute ‘space-for-time’ in phenology assessments. Full bloom timing

The black globe temperature (Tg) is employed in thermal comfort studies. It is mainly used to compute the Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) required in bioclimatic analysis. A set of low cost Black Globe Thermometers (BGT) was developed to establish a suitable combination of temperature transducers, materials and globe diameters. The dynamic and static responses of the BGT were studied. A total of 18

Soybean yield predictions in Brazil are of great interest for market behavior, to drive governmental policies and to increase global food security. In Brazil soybean yield data generally demand various revisions through the following months after harvest suggesting that there is space for improving the accuracy and the time of yield predictions. This study presents a novel model to perform in-season

The primary goal of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is to limit future global warming to less than 2.0 °C above pre-industrial levels. Thus, understanding the impacts of relatively low warming level on rice production is essential to future food security of China. Here, with the latest global warming scenarios from the Half a degree Additional warming, Projections, Prognosis and Impacts (HAPPI) project

Extensive afforestation with exotic species like Robinia pseudoacacia on the Chinese Loess Plateau are facing high drought-induced mortality risk due to the large fluctuations in annual precipitation and severe soil desiccation. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of drought-induced mortality for R. pseudoacacia plantations on the Loess Plateau based on plant hydraulics. We modified the routines

Plant phenological shifts on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) have been a hot research topic during the recent decade. Most previous studies based on remote sensing data suggest that earlier spring green-up is the main contributor to the prolonged vegetation growing season on the QTP. Given the large uncertainties of satellite-derived phenology, this study collected a large number (1455+ records)

Epicuticular wax is thought to enable sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] plants to cope with drought. Increased reflectivity of solar radiation and reduced conductance of water vapor are mechanisms responsible for aiding plants in water conservation. Increased reflectivity should lead to a decrease in canopy temperature and water use, whereas decreased conductance should lead to an increase in canopy

Accurate estimates of light (Photosynthetically Active Radiation or PAR) absorption, in addition to other interactions is imperative to quantify growth, productivity, energy and water balance and other physiological and biophysical processes in any vegetative surface. Currently, a comparative assessment of light interaction patterns across row crops is lacking, especially under current levels of productivity