Biosphere- Measuring and Predicting Contemporary Change

Question 1

What does an eddy convariance tower measure

Answer 1

The fluxes of carbon dioxide from the land to the atmosphere and vice versa

Question 2

What is gross primary productivity

Answer 2

The rate at which plants take up CO2 and produce carbohydrates through the process of photosynthesis

Question 3

What is net primary productivity

Answer 3

The rate at which plants in an ecosystem produce biomass, it is equal to the difference between GPP and autotrophic respiration

Question 4

What is autotrophic respiration

Answer 4

The rate at which carbon is returned to the atmosphere as CO2 during plant metabolism

Question 5

What is heterotrophic respiration

Answer 5

Is the release of CO2 during the process of decomposition of organic matter in the soil by soil animals, fungi and other decomposer micro organisms

Question 6

Biomass measurements: give 2 examples of basic ones you could do

Answer 6

Tree diameter (measure at breast height) 
Harvest method

Question 7

What does the chamber method measure

Answer 7

Respiration

Question 8

What does remote sensing measure?

Answer 8

Electromagnetic radiation from objects

Question 9

Uses of remotely sensed data

Answer 9

Detect changes in plant biomass
Determine the type of land cover
Impacts of large scale disturbances

Question 10

What does F.A.C.E. stand for

Answer 10

Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment

Question 11

Impacts of elevated CO2 emissions

Answer 11

Land surface uptake will have to increase

Limits the amount of co2 accumulated in atmosphere

Question 12

If it is warmer decomposition happens faster or slower?

Answer 12

Faster