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Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies

Energy Fluxes (Vegetation Climate Interactions through Energy Fluxes)


Project aims

The Arctic is one of Earths’ regions most heavily influenced by climate change. A change in climate also reflects changes to surface energy fluxes, which play a pivotal role in Earth system dynamics (Fig. 1). We want to understand the role of energy fluxes in shaping interactions and feedbacks within the earth system (i.e. carbon cycle, water cycle, permafrost dynamics, biodiversity change, etc.) under current and future climate scenarios. We will address this goal by integrating knowledge from literature, using an experimental approach in the Arctic tundra (cf. TRAIN experiment; Figs. 2 and 3), and using the DART 3D radiative transfer model with in silico plant communities (Fig. 4).

Energy Fluxes Fig. 1
Arctic tundra landscape and schematic representation of surface energy fluxes, which include net radiation (Rn), sensible heat flux (H), latent heat flux (LE), and ground heat flux (G). The surface energy fluxes distribute incoming solar energy in the earth system and are at the heart of important earth system processes such as carbon and water cycling.
Energy Fluxes Fig. 2
The Tundra Rain (TRAIN) experiment was launched successfully in June 2019
Energy Fluxes Fig. 3
TRAIN experimental setup. Picture of the drought (A), extreme precipitation (B), and control (C) treatment shelters built at the Kytalyk nature reserve
Energy Fluxes Fig. 4
Modeling trait diversity effects on shortwave radiation budgets of plant communities. A) Three-dimensional representation of a tree within the DART 3D radiative transfer model and B) an aerial view of a group of 60 trees with three leaf angle distributions

People involved

Elena Plekhanova, Jacqueline Oehri, Raleigh Grysko, Gabriela Schaepman-Strub

Specific projects

  • Tundra rain experiment (TRAIN)
  • Trait diversity effects on shortwave radiation budget (DART 3D radiative transfer model)
  • Status and drivers of the Arctic tundra energy budget (literature review)

Relates Publications

  • Juszak I., Iturrate-Garcia M., Gastellu-Etchegorry JP., Schaepman ME., Maximov TC., Schaepman-Strub G. (2017). Drivers of shortwave radiation fluxes in Arctic tundra across scales. Remote Sensing of Environment, 193, 86-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2017.02.017
  • Juszak I., Eugster W., Heijmans MMPD., Schaepman-Strub G. (2016). Contrasting radiation and soil heat fluxes in Arctic shrub and wet sedge tundra. Biogeosciences, 13, 4049-4064. DOI: 10.5194/bg-13-4049-2016