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Earth Science: Trace-Gas Fluxes from Tropical Forest Ecosystems

RO#

17623

Location

Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

Advisor Information

Name	Phone	Email
Potter, Christopher S.	(650)604-6164	cpotter@gaia.arc.nasa.gov

Research Area

Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Keywords

Atmospheric trace constituents; Climatology; Environmental models; Tropical forests;

Description

Understanding the sources and sinks of trace gases in the Earth's atmosphere and how they are affected by human-induced change is necessary for predicting long-term climate change and the impact of anthropogenic change on global habitability. Considerable evidence suggests that tropical ecosystems, which are undergoing rapid changes, are important sources of many trace gases. Therefore, the role of tropical forests in global energy and element cycling and the extent to which land conversion will affect that role are being examined.

Nitrous oxide is one of several biogenic trace gases with important atmospheric roles whose concentrations are increasing. The role of tropical ecosystems in fluxes of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide and the nitrogen cycling processes that control their measurement are being investigated along fertility and climatic gradients in the tropics, and in deforested lands under differing land uses.

These studies include (1) chamber and microbiological studies, (2) modeling of processes and controls, (3) use of remote sensing to extrapolate fluxes, (4) development of regional and global budgets, and (5) development of global models.

While nitrogen gases have been emphasized, interest is also being extended to methane and nonmethane hydrocarbons.