Atmospheric CO2 Flux
- Project Goal
- Our overall goal is to quantify the interannual variability of carbon sequestered in key rainfed and
irrigated crop production systems of the region.
- Project Description
- Our group studies the exchange of carbon dioxide between the surface and the atmosphere. We make
year-round measurements of uptake and release of carbon dioxide in each field using tower eddy covariance
flux systems. Such measurements are needed in calculating the annual carbon dioxide budget for each field.
- Equipment
Figure 1. Schematic of eddy covariance tower and close up of the eddy
covariance flux sensors (right).
Figure 2. Sensor measuring different components of solar radiation.
Figure 3. Sensors measuring interception of solar radiation by the crop canopy.
Figure 4. Sensors measuring soil temperature and soil heat flux.
- Progress
- Atmospheric fluxes (uptake or release) of carbon dioxide, at the landscape-level, are being measured
year-round at the three study sites [a) irrigated continuous maize, b) irrigated maize-soybean rotation, and
c) rainfed maize-soybean rotation]. Seasonal distributions of daytime CO2 uptake and nighttime
CO2 release in these agricultural production fields are being examined. Environmental/biophysical
factors which control these CO2 fluxes are being evaluated, and annual carbon budgets are being constructed.
Figure 5. Landscape-level CO2 flux (uptake / release).
Staff
Shashi Verma Professor,
School of Natural Resources, UNL
Andy Suyker Research
Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, UNL
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