Here we present the UCI Fluxtron, a cost-effective multi-enclosure dynamic gas exchange system that provides an adequate level of control of the experimental conditions for investigating biosphere-atmosphere exchange of trace gases. We focus on the hardware and software used to monitor, control, and record the air flows, temperatures, and valve switching, and on the software that processes the collected data to calculate the exchange flux of trace gases. We provide the detailed list of commercial materials used and also the software code developed for the Fluxtron, so that similar dynamic enclosure systems can be quickly adopted by interested researchers. Furthermore, the two software components -Fluxtron Control and Fluxtron Process- work independently of each other, thus being highly adaptable for other experimental designs. Beyond plants, the same experimental setup can be applied to the study of trace gas exchange by animals, microbes, soil, or any materials that can be enclosed in a suitable container.

There are inherent challenges in scaling stomatal conductance (g(s)) from leaf to canopy particularly over seasonal time scales when species distribution and canopy structure evolve. We address this gap using carbonyl sulfide (OCS) and CO2 fluxes from a predominantly C3 prairie and C4 maize field in the midwestern United States. The g(s) derived from OCS fluxes captured a transition in the stomatal limitation on gross primary productivity (GPP) through the growing season as well as seasonally persistent gs dynamics such as temperature optimum and a positive response of nighttime gs to vapor pressure deficit. Near the termination of the prairie growing season, we observed a decrease in the relative OCS to CO2 flux that we hypothesize emerged from a rising contribution of C4 plants to productivity. The results show how plot-scale OCS and CO2 fluxes can be used as a trace gas diagnostic for transitions in the limiting factors for community GPP.

Agriculture is the main source of ammonia (NH3) emissions in the atmosphere. NH3 is precursor to secondary fine particulate matter, which is of concern for its impacts on health and visibility. There are a limited number of field measurements of NH3 emissions from fertilizer application in the US, and this limits our understanding of the importance of individual NH3 source and sink processes in controlling timing and magnitude of NH3 emissions. In this study, a new parameterization of the effect of urease inhibitor on NH3 emissions from urea based fertilizer was developed on the basis of experimental results found in the literature. This parameterization was combined with an existing operational parameterization of soil and stomatal emission potentials (Gamma(g), Gamma(s)) and was implemented in a surface-atmosphere transfer model for NH3 (SURFATM-NH3) in order to evaluate the bi-directional fluxes of NH3 at the field scale. The model was evaluated with field measurements obtained by the flux-gradient (FG) and relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) methods in a fertilized corn field in central Illinois. By integrating the effect of urease inhibitor, the timing of the highest NH3 emission peak was successfully predicted and its magnitude was close to that measured (predicted 2106 ng m(-2) s(-1), measured by FG 2312 +/- 582 ng m(-2) s(-1)). Based on the model results, urease inhibitor has a considerable effect on the dynamics and order of magnitude of NH3 fluxes. Furthermore, the model simulated the inhibiting action of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric (nBTPT) and suggests that it can reduce NH3 volatilization by 32%. The model also successfully predicted environmental parameters, such as soil temperature. Finally, this new version of SURFATM-NH3 is a valuable tool to estimate the NH3 bi-directional fluxes at the field scale, which describes dynamic modeling of Gamma(s) and Gamma(g) by taking into account the effect of urease inhibitor which is commonly used in the US to improve the efficiency of urea fertilizers.

Studies of NH3 flux over agricultural ecosystems in the USA are limited by low temporal resolution (typically hours or days) and sparse spatial coverage, with no studies over corn in the Midwest USA. We report on NH3 flux measurements over a corn canopy in Central Illinois, USA, using the relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) and flux gradient (FG) methods, providing measurements at 4 h and 0.5 h intervals, respectively. The REA and FG systems were operated for the duration of the 2014 corn-growing season. Flux-footprint analysis was used to select data from both systems, resulting in 82 concurrent measurements. Mean NH3 flux of concurrent measurements was 205 +/- 300 ng m(-2) s(-1) from REA and 110 +/- 256 ng m(-2) s(-1) from FG for all concurrent samples. Results from both methods were not significantly different at a 95% confidence level for all concurrent measurements. The FG system resolved NH3 emission peaks at 0.5 h averaging time that were otherwise un-observed with 4 h REA averaging. Two early-season peak emission periods were identified (DOY 130-132 and 140-143), where the timing and intensity of such emissions were attributed to a combination of urease inhibitor, applied as a field management decision, and localized soil temperature and precipitation. Given the dependence of NH3 fluxes on multiple parameters, this study further highlights the need for increased spatial coverage and high temporal resolution (e.g., < 1 h) of measurements to better understand the impact of agricultural NH3 emissions on air quality and the global nitrogen cycle. Such measurements are also needed for evaluation of models describing surface-atmosphere exchange of NH3.

The objective of this research is to quantify NH3 flux above an intensively managed cornfield in the Midwestern United States to improve understanding of NH3 emissions and evaluations of new and existing emission models. A relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) system was deployed above a corn canopy in central Illinois, USA (40 degrees 3 ' 46.209 '' N, 88 degrees 11 ' 46.0212 '' W) from May through September 2014 (day of year 115-273) to measure NH3 fluxes due to chemical fertilizer application. NH3 flux was measured in four-hour periods during mornings and afternoons. Mean atmospheric NH3 concentration during the complete measurement period was 2.6 +/- 2.0 mu g m(-3). Larger upward fluxes of gaseous NH3 were measured during the first 30 days after fertilization, with variations observed throughout the field campaign. Measured NH3 fluxes ranged from -246.0 ng m(-2) s(-1) during wintertime background measurements to 799.6 ng m(-2) s(-1) within two weeks of fertilization (where negative flux indicates deposition). Mean positive flux was 233.3 +/- 203.0 ng m(-2) s(-1) in the morning and 260.0 +/- 253.3 ng m(-2) s(-1) in the afternoon while mean negative flux was -45.3 +/- 38.6 ng m(-2) s(-1) in the morning and -78.35 +/- 1 74.9 ng m(-2) s(-1) in the afternoon. NH3 volatilization during the first 21 days after fertilization accounted for 79% of total nitrogen loss during the growing season. Such measurements are critical to improve understanding of agricultural NH3 emissions in managed agricultural ecosystems dominated by rotations of highly fertilized corn and moderately to lightly fertilized soybeans, such as the plot studied herein. These measurements are also important to improve understanding of how managed agricultural ecosystems impact air quality, and contribute to the global nitrogen cycle, and to evaluate current NH3 emission models. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Current quantification of climate warming mitigation potential (CWMP) of biomass‐derived energy has focused primarily on its biogeochemical effects. This study used site‐level observations of carbon, water, and energy fluxes of biofuel crops to parameterize and evaluate the community land model (CLM) and estimate CO2 fluxes, surface energy balance, soil carbon dynamics of corn (Zea mays), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) ecosystems across the conterminous United States considering different agricultural management practices and land‐use scenarios. We find that neglecting biophysical effects underestimates the CWMP of transitioning from croplands and marginal lands to energy crops. Biogeochemical effects alone result in changes in carbon storage of −1.9, 49.1, and 69.3 g C m−2 y−1 compared to 20.5, 78.5, and 96.2 g C m−2 y−1 when considering both biophysical and biogeochemical effects for corn, switchgrass, and miscanthus, respectively. The biophysical contribution to CWMP is dominated by changes in latent heat fluxes. Using the model to optimize growth conditions through fertilization and irrigation increases the CWMP further to 79.6, 98.3, and 118.8 g C m−2 y−1, respectively, representing the upper threshold for CWMP. Results also show that the CWMP over marginal lands is lower than that over croplands. This study highlights that neglecting the biophysical effects of altered surface energy and water balance underestimates the CWMP of transitioning to bioenergy crops at regional scales.

The impact of extreme drought and heat stress that occurred in the Midwestern U.S. in 2012 on evapotranspiration ( ET ), net ecosystem productivity ( NEP ), and water‐use efficiency ( WUE ) of three perennial ecosystems (switchgrass, miscanthus, prairie) and a maize/soybean agroecosystem was studied as part of a long‐term experiment. Miscanthus had a slower initial response but an eventually drastic ET as drought intensified, which resulted in the largest water deficit among the crops. The substantially higher ET at peak drought was likely supplied by access to deep soil water, but suggests that stomatal conductance of miscanthus during the drought may respond differently than the other ecosystems, consistent with an anisohydric strategy. While there was a discrepancy in the water consumption of maize and switchgrass/prairie in the early time of drought, all these ecosystems followed a water‐saving strategy when drought intensified. The gross primary production ( GPP ) of miscanthus dropped, but was reversible, when temperature reached 40 °C and still provided the largest total GPP among the ecosystems. Increased ET for miscanthus during 2012 resulted a large decline in ecosystem WUE compared to what was observed in other years. The biophysical responses of miscanthus measured during an extreme, historic drought suggest that this species can maintain high productivity longer than other ecosystems during a drought at the expense of water use. While miscanthus maintained productivity during drought, recovery lagged associated with depleted soil moisture. The enhanced ET of miscanthus may intensify droughts through increase supply of deep soil moisture to the atmosphere.

Perennial grasses are promising feedstocks for bioenergy production in the Midwestern USA. Few experiments have addressed how drought influences their carbon fluxes and storage. This study provides a direct comparison of ecosystem-scale measurements of carbon fluxes associated with miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), restored native prairie and maize (Zea mays)/soybean (Glycine max) ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to assess the influence of a naturally occurring drought during 2012 on key components of the carbon cycle and plant development relative to non-extreme years. The perennials reached full maturity 3-5 years after establishment. Miscanthus had the highest gross primary production (GPP) and lowest net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in 2012 followed by similar values for switchgrass and prairie, and the row crops had the lowest GPP and highest NEE. A post-drought effect was observed for miscanthus. Over the duration of the experiment, perennial ecosystems were carbon sinks, as indicated by negative net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB), while maize/soybean was a net carbon source. Our observations suggest that perennial ecosystems, and in particular miscanthus, can provide a high yield and a large potential for CO2 fixation even during drought, although drought may negatively influence carbon uptake in the following year, questioning the long-term consequence of its maintained productivity.

The interacting effects of temperature and precipitation changes on grasslands remain hard to quantify. Research now indicates widespread and consistent increases in North American grassland productivity under climate change despite greater aridity. Grassland productivity is regulated by both temperature and the amount and timing of precipitation1,2. Future climate change is therefore expected to influence grassland phenology and growth, with consequences for ecosystems and economies. However, the interacting effects of major shifts in temperature and precipitation on grasslands remain poorly understood and existing modelling approaches, although typically complex, do not extrapolate or generalize well and tend to disagree under future scenarios3,4. Here we explore the potential responses of North American grasslands to climate change using a new, data-informed vegetation–hydrological model, a network of high-frequency ground observations across a wide range of grassland ecosystems and CMIP5 climate projections. Our results suggest widespread and consistent increases in vegetation fractional cover for the current range of grassland ecosystems throughout most of North America, despite the increase in aridity projected across most of our study area. Our analysis indicates a likely future shift of vegetation growth towards both earlier spring emergence and delayed autumn senescence, which would compensate for drought-induced reductions in summer fractional cover and productivity. However, because our model does not include the effects of rising atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis and water use efficiency5,6, climate change impacts on grassland productivity may be even larger than our results suggest. Increases in the productivity of North American grasslands over this coming century have implications for agriculture, carbon cycling and vegetation feedbacks to the atmosphere.

It is well known that vertical canopy gradients and varying sky conditions influence photosynthesis (Pn), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf thickness (LT) and leaf pigments (lutein, â-carotene and chlorophyll). In contrast, little is known about these effects on monoterpenoid (MT) emissions. Our study examines simultaneously measured Pn, MT emissions and the MT/Pn ratio along the canopy of an adult European beech tree (Fagus sylvatica L.) in natural forest conditions. Dynamic branch enclosure systems were used at four heights in the canopy (7, 14, 21 and 25 m) in order to establish relationships and better understand the interaction between Pn and MT emissions under both sunny and cloudy sky conditions. Clear differences in Pn, MT emissions and the MT/Pn ratio were detected within the canopy. The highest Pn rates were observed in the sun leaves at 25 m due to the higher intercepted light levels, whereas MT emissions (and the MT/Pn ratio) were unexpectedly highest in the semi-shaded leaves at 21 m. The higher Pn rates and, apparently contradictory, lower MT emissions in the sun leaves may be explained by the hypothesis of Owen and Peñuelas (2005), stating synthesis of more photo-protective carotenoids may decrease the emissions of volatile isoprenoids (including MTs) because they both share the same biochemical precursors. In addition, leaf traits like SLA, LT and leaf pigments clearly differed with height in the canopy, suggesting that the leaf's physiological status cannot be neglected in future research on biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) when aiming at developing new and/or improved emission algorithms.

A dynamic branch enclosure system was used to measure emission rates of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from two common European tree species: Fraxinus excelsior and Quercus robur under ambient conditions in Flanders (Belgium). Both tree species were studied for seasonal variability of BVOC emission rates under natural biotic stress (infestations). Emissions were normalized at standard conditions of temperature and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) (30 degrees C and 1000 mu mol m(-2) s(-1), respectively). Emission rates from Fraxinus excelsior were highest in May (9.56 mu g g(DW)(-1) h(-1)) and lowest in October (1.17 mu g g(DW)(-1) h(-1)). This tree species emitted (Z)-beta-ocimene, (E)-beta-ocimene and alpha-farnesene during the entire measurement period and additionally isoprene only in May. Quercus robur showed isoprene emission variations according to the seasonal cycle with rates of 30, 106 and 29 mu g g(DW)(-1) h(-1) in May, August and October, respectively. Apart from isoprene, (E)-beta-ocimene and beta-caryophyllene were emitted through the entire experimental period.

Direct plant stress sensing is the key for a quantitative understanding of drought stress effects on biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions. A given level of drought stress might have a fundamentally different effect on the BVOC emissions of different plants. For the first time, we continuously quantified the level of drought stress in a young potted beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) with a linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) installed at stem level in combination with simultaneous measurements of BVOC emissions and photosynthesis rates at leaf level. This continuous set of measurements allowed us to examine how beech alters its pattern of photosynthesis and carbon allocation to BVOC emissions (mainly monoterpenes, MTs) and radial stem growth during the development of drought stress. We observed an increasing-decreasing trend in the MT emissions as well as in the fraction of assimilated carbon re-emitted back into the atmosphere (ranging between 0.14 and 0.01%). We were able to link these dynamics to pronounced changes in radial stem growth, which served as a direct plant stress indicator. Interestingly, we detected a sudden burst in emission of a non-identified, non-MT BVOC species when drought stress was acute (i.e. pronounced negative stem growth). This burst might have been caused by a certain stress-related green leaf volatile, which disappeared immediately upon re-watering and thus the alleviation of drought stress. These results highlight that direct plant stress sensing creates opportunities to understand the overall complexity of stress-related BVOC emissions.

Induced volatiles have been a focus of recent research, as not much is known of their emission behavior or atmospheric contribution. BVOC emissions were measured from Pseudotsuga menziesii saplings under natural environmental conditions, using a dynamic branch enclosure system and GC-MS for their analysis. We determined temperature and light dependency of the individual compounds, studied seasonality of the emissions and discuss the effect of heat stress in comparison with two specific biotic stresses that occurred naturally on the trees.A standardized emission rate of 6.8 mu g g(dw)(-1) h(-1) for monoterpenes under stressed conditions was almost a magnitude higher than that obtained for healthy trees (0.8 +/- 0.2 mu g g(dw)(-1) h(-1)), with higher beta factors characterizing the stressed trees. The response of the emissions to light intensity was different for the individual compounds, suggesting a distinct minimum light intensity to reach saturation. Heat stress changed the relative contribution of specific volatiles, with larger extent of increase of sesquiterpenes, methyl salicylate and linalool emissions compared to monoterpenes. Biotic stress kept low the emissions of sesquiterpenes, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and methylbutenol isomers, and increased the level of methyl salicylate and monoterpenes. The ratio of beta-pinene/alpha-pinene was also found to be significantly enhanced from 13 to 2.4 and 3.2 for non-stressed, heat stressed and combined biotic and heat stressed, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.