title: The response of ecosystem carbon fluxes to LAI and environmental drivers in a maize crop grown in two contrasting seasons.
abstract: The eddy correlation technique was used to investigate the influence of biophysical variables and crop phenological phases on the behaviour of ecosystem carbon fluxes of a maize crop, in two contrasting growing seasons. In 2009, the reduced water supply during the early growing stage limited leaf area expansion, thus negatively affecting canopy photosynthesis. The variability of gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R eco) was mainly explained by seasonal variation of leaf area index (LAI). The seasonal variation of R eco was positively influenced by soil temperatures (T soil) in 2008 but not in 2009. In 2008, a contribution of both autotrophic and heterotrophic components to total R eco could be hypothesized, while during 2009, autotrophic respiration is supposed to be the most important component. Crop phenological phases affected the response of ecosystem fluxes to biophysical drivers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food Science, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean (ISAFoM), National Research Council (CNR), Via Patacca 85, 80056, Ercolano, Naples, Italy. luca.vitale@cnr.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food Science, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean (ISAFoM), National Research Council (CNR), Via Patacca 85, 80056, Ercolano, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Tommasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Urso
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food Science, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean (ISAFoM), National Research Council (CNR), Via Patacca 85, 80056, Ercolano, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Magliulo
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D017753:Ecosystem; D007558:Italy; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development*; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil; D014887:Weather; D003313:Zea mays / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Ecosystem carbon fluxes; Environmental factors; Leaf area index (LAI); Maize crop; Reproductive phase; Vegetative phase