Extreme temperature events reduced carbon uptake of a boreal forest ecosystem in Northeast China: Evidence from an 11-year eddy covariance observation

Boreal forests, the second continental biome on Earth, are known for their massive carbon storage capacity and important role in the global carbon cycle. Comprehending the temporal dynamics and controlling factors of net ecosystem CO(2) exchange (NEE) is critical for predicting how the carbon exchange in boreal forests will change in response to climate change. Therefore, based on long-term eddy covariance observations from 2008 to 2018, we evaluated the diurnal, seasonal, and interannual variations in the boreal forest ecosystem NEE in Northeast China and explored its environmental regulation. It was found that the boreal forest was a minor CO(2) sink with an annual average NEE of -64.01 (± 24.23) g CO(2) m(-2) yr(-1). The diurnal variation in the NEE of boreal forest during the growing season was considerably larger than that during the non-growing season, and carbon uptake peaked between 8:30 and 9:30 in the morning. The seasonal variation in NEE demonstrated a “U” shaped curve, and the carbon uptake peaked in July. On a half-hourly scale, photosynthetically active radiation and vapor pressure deficit had larger impacts on daytime NEE during the growing season. However, temperature had major control on NEE during the growing season at night and during the non-growing season. On a daily scale, temperature was the dominant factor controlling seasonal variation in NEE. Occurrence of extreme temperature days, especially extreme temperature events, would reduce boreal forest carbon uptake; interannual variation in NEE was substantially associated with the maximum CO(2) uptake rate during the growing season. This study deepens our understanding of environmental controls on NEE at multiple timescales and provides a data basis for evaluating the global carbon budget.