THE CARBON BALANCE BEHAVIOR OF CALIFORNIA GRASSLANDS AS REPRESENTED BY JASPER RIDGE

We present the analysis of unprocessed data from a flux tower located in Jasper Ridge to compare carbon flux activity during March- July 2015. A consistent record of the carbon flux in Jasper Ridge can be used to determine if the area is a carbon source or carbon sink and our results could be used to generalize similar ecosystems as well. The flux tower uses eddy covariance which measures carbon exchange between the atmosphere and biosphere to understand the ecosystem’s Gross Primary Production (GPP), Respiration, and Net Ecosystem Production (NEP). Analysis shows that Jasper Ridge is predominately a carbon sink (positive carbon flux), however as the year progress the carbon flux transition into a source. We compared carbon dioxide levels with precipitation which had a stronger correlation than temperature. Our results could lead to a clearer understanding of California’s grasslands that might be beneficial to predicting environmental trends important for cow grazing decisions and local policy-making with respect to agriculture.