Fluxnet studies

The carbon accounting team is working in collaboration with other forest carbon modeling researchers from across Canada to analyze, in great detail, the forest carbon dynamics of two Fluxnet Canada Research Network (Canadian Carbon Program) sites:

1. Oyster River (coastal British Columbia)
2. Chibougamau (boreal Quebec)

At these sites, government and university researchers are studying the influence of climate and disturbance on carbon cycling. The carbon contained in vegetation, dead organic matter and forest soils, and exchanges of carbon between the forest and the atmosphere are being carefully measured. These measurements tell us a great deal about the forest carbon cycling at these specific sites, but they provide limited information about carbon cycling on the larger landscape. Scaling-up from local-level to landscape-level understanding is where modeling comes in.

At both Oyster River and Chibougamau, detailed records of site history and climate going back to the 1920s have been compiled. This information is being used as input to CBM-CFS3 and several other models (including InTEC/BEPS, ecosys, C-Class, Can-IBIS, and 3PG) so that these models can simulate forest ecosystem carbon dynamics forward from the 1920s to the present. Comparisons between model results and against measured data will help us learn about the capabilities of our models and make improvements.

One of the primary goals of this research is to learn more about how different approaches to forest ecosystem modeling compare when applied to the same setting. CBM-CFS3 is an inventory-based model – it is driven by forest inventory and growth and yield data. The other models are process-based models that simulate the actual physiological processes involved in tree growth and forest stand dynamics. Both modeling approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. By working together, the researchers involved in these studies will learn how to improve their models and identify opportunities to combine the strengths of different approaches to address key scientific challenges.