<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Understanding how forest ecosystems respond to environmental factors, particularly in the context of global climate change, is essential for devising effective mitigation strategies. This study focuses on quantifying the interaction between forest ecosystems and atmospheric gases. To achieve our objectives, we are using the eddy covariance (EC) flux method to measure air turbulence and gas concentrations above the forest canopy at the Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) in southern Estonia. We apply a flux footprint (FFP) model to describe the spatial extent and position of the surface area contributing to the turbulent flux measurements. The FFP analysis provides valuable insights into the long-term changes in SMEAR Estonia, the FFP and its relationship with forest management and land use changes. Our findings reveal that the FFP area varies from year to year due to changes in wind speed and direction, affecting the contribution of different land cover elements to the overall FFP. The average changes in the FFP area at a height of 30 meters were approximately 4.9%, while those at a height of 70 meters were only 1.6%. Moreover, human activities, such as thinning and clear-cutting, influence the growing stock and increment of forest stands.</p>
</abstract>

Understanding how forest ecosystems respond to environmental factors, particularly in the context of global climate change, is essential for devising effective mitigation strategies. This study focuses on quantifying the interaction between forest ecosystems and atmospheric gases. To achieve our objectives, we are using the eddy covariance (EC) flux method to measure air turbulence and gas concentrations above the forest canopy at the Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations (SMEAR) in southern Estonia. We apply a flux footprint (FFP) model to describe the spatial extent and position of the surface area contributing to the turbulent flux measurements. The FFP analysis provides valuable insights into the long-term changes in SMEAR Estonia, the FFP and its relationship with forest management and land use changes. Our findings reveal that the FFP area varies from year to year due to changes in wind speed and direction, affecting the contribution of different land cover elements to the overall FFP. The average changes in the FFP area at a height of 30 meters were approximately 4.9%, while those at a height of 70 meters were only 1.6%. Moreover, human activities, such as thinning and clear-cutting, influence the growing stock and increment of forest stands.

Development of a footprint description tool utilizing SMEAR Estonia eddy-covariance data and footprint modelling in combination with remote sensed forest species and land cover data

Chair of Forest and Land Management and Wood Processing Technologies, Institute of Forestry and Engineering

Forestry Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Understanding how forest ecosystems respond to environmental factors, particularly in the context of global climate change, is essential for devising effective...

Development of a footprint description tool utilizing SMEAR Estonia eddy-covariance data and footprint modelling in combination with remote sensed forest species and land cover data

Article Category: Research paper

Published Online: Apr 13, 2024

Page range: 90 - 104

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fsmu-2023-0014

Keywords
SMEAR, footprint, fluxes, forest ecosystem, forest management

© 2023 Joonas Kollo et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Development of a footprint description tool utilizing SMEAR Estonia eddy-covariance data and footprint modelling in combination with remote sensed forest species and land cover data

Article Category: Research paper

Published Online: Apr 13, 2024

Page range: 90 - 104

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fsmu-2023-0014

KeywordsSMEAR, footprint, fluxes, forest ecosystem, forest management

© 2023 Joonas Kollo et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
SMEAR, footprint, fluxes, forest ecosystem, forest management