Old-growth CO2 flux measurements reveal high sensitivity to climate anomalies across seasonal, annual and decadal time scales
The traditional hypothesis that old-growth forests are carbon neutral is under debate as recent studies show evidence of net carbon sequestration. Here, we present a decade (1998–2008) of carbon dioxide, water and energy fluxes from an old-growth stand in the American Pacific Northwest to identify ecosystem-level responses to climate variability, including teleconnection patterns. This study provides the longest, continuous record of old-growth eddy flux data to date.