Abstract
We developed a water-centric monthly scale simulation model (WaSSI-C) by integrating empirical water and carbon flux measurements from the FLUXNET network and an existing water supply and demand accounting model (WaSSI). The WaSSI-C model was evaluated with basin-scale evapotranspiration (ET), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), and net ecosystem exchange (NEE) estimates by multiple independent methods across 2103 eight-digit Hydrologic Unit Code watersheds in the conterminous United States from 2001 to 2006. Our results indicate that WaSSI-C captured the spatial and temporal variability and the effects of large droughts on key ecosystem fluxes. Our modeled mean (±standard deviation in space) ET (556 ± 228 mm yr−1) compared well to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) based (527 ± 251 mm yr−1) and watershed water balance based ET (571 ± 242 mm yr−1). Our mean annual GEP estimates (1362 ± 688 g C m−2 yr−1) compared well (R2 = 0.83) to estimates (1194 ± 649 g C m−2 yr−1) by eddy flux-based EC-MOD model, but both methods led significantly higher (25–30%) values than the standard MODIS product (904 ± 467 g C m−2 yr−1). Among the 18 water resource regions, the southeast ranked the highest in terms of its water yield and carbon sequestration capacity. When all ecosystems were considered, the mean NEE (−353 ± 298 g C m−2 yr−1) predicted by this study was 60% higher than EC-MOD's estimate (−220 ± 225 g C m−2 yr−1) in absolute magnitude, suggesting overall high uncertainty in quantifying NEE at a large scale. Our water-centric model offers a new tool for examining the trade-offs between regional water and carbon resources under a changing environment.
Department
Earth Systems Research Center
Publication Date
5-21-2011
Journal Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Sun, G., P. Caldwell, A. Noormets, S. G. McNulty, E. Cohen, J. Moore Myers, J.-C. Domec, E. Treasure, Q.Z. Mu, J.F. Xiao, R. John, J.Q. Chen (2011). Upscaling key ecosystem functions across the conterminous United States by a water-centric ecosystem model, Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences, 116, G00J05, https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JG001573
Rights
©2011. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
This is an article published by AGU in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences in 2011, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JG001573