First application of low-cost eddy covariance for CO2 fluxes over agroforestry

Agroforestry is a combination of monoculture agriculture and trees. Studies of net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ (NEE) of agroforestry systems are rare, in comparison to the extensive studies of NEE of agricultural systems (croplands and grasslands). Agroforestry has been shown to alter the microclimate, productivity, and nutrient and water usage – as compared to standard agricultural practise. The, potentially, higher carbon sequestration of agroforestry, relative to monoculture systems, provides an interesting option for mitigating climate change, highlighting the need for improved study of agroforestry systems. The current study, as part of the SIGNAL (sustainable intensification of agriculture through agroforestry) project, investigates NEE of agroforestry compared to that of monoculture agriculture. The study employs paired comparisons of flux measurements above agroforestry and monoculture agronomy, replicated at five locations across Germany. Fluxes are measured, using innovative low-cost CO₂ eddy covariance sensors (slow response Vaisala GMP343 IRGA with custom made housing), which have been successfully used in a study over grassland. Continuous data series from mid-summer until winter 2019 show that both systems acted as a sink with comparable fluxes during summer. The diurnal CO₂ cycle and the response to management activities are distinguishable and in autumn preliminary results suggest a small difference in fluxes between the two systems. The low-cost eddy covariance system is able to capture the turbulence and to measure the CO₂ flux over the agroforestry and monoculture agricultural system. We aim to further improve the quality of the CO₂ fluxes, by adapting post-processing software to better estimate the difference in carbon uptake between the agroforestry and monoculture systems.