The potential of carbonyl sulfide as a proxy for gross primary production at flux tower sites

Update Item Information
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Science
Department Biological Sciences
Author Blonquist, J. Mark Jr.
Title The potential of carbonyl sulfide as a proxy for gross primary production at flux tower sites
Date 2012-08
Description Seasonal dynamics of atmospheric carbonyl sulfide (OCS) at regional and continental scales and plant OCS exchange at the leaf level have shown a close relationship with those for CO2. CO2 has both sinks and sources within terrestrial ecosystems, but the primary terrestrial exchange for OCS is thought to be leaf uptake, suggesting potential for OCS uptake as a proxy for gross primary production (GPP). The utility of OCS uptake as a GPP proxy in micrometeorological studies of biosphere‐atmosphere CO2 exchange was explored by applying theoretical concepts from earlier OCS studies to estimate GPP. Measured net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was partitioned using the ratio of measured vertical mole fraction gradients of OCS and CO2. At the Harvard Forest AmeriFlux site, measured CO2 and OCS vertical gradients were correlated, and were related to NEE and GPP, respectively. Estimates of GPP from OCSbased NEE partitioning were similar to those from established regression techniques, providing evidence that OCS uptake can potentially serve as a GPP proxy. Measured vertical CO2 mole fraction gradients at five other AmeriFlux sites were used to project anticipated vertical OCS mole fraction gradients to provide indication of potential OCS signal magnitudes at sites where no OCS measurements were made. Projected OCS gradients at sites with short canopies were greater than those in forests, including measured OCS gradients at Harvard Forest, indicating greater potential for OCS uptake as a GPP proxy at these sites. This exploratory study suggests that continued investigation of linkages between OCS and GPP is warranted.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Carbonyl sulfide; Gross primary production; Flux tower sites; OCS; GPP proxy
Subject LCSH Carbonyl compounds -- Environmental aspects; Gas exchange in plants; Forest ecology
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name Master of Science
Language eng
Rights Management Copyright © J. Mark Blonquist Jr. 2012
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 922,668 bytes
Identifier etd3/id/1819
Source Original in Marriott Library Special Collections, QK3.5 2012 .B56
ARK ark:/87278/s6vh63ng
Setname ir_etd
ID 195507
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6vh63ng