Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 6 6 2009 10.5194/bg-6-1027-2009 http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1027/2009/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1027/2009/bg-6-1027-2009.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/6/1027/2009/bg-6-1027-2009.pdf 1027 1041 2009-06-18 Precipitation as driver of carbon fluxes in 11 African ecosystems L. Merbold lmerbold@bgc-jena.mpg.de J. Ardö A. Arneth R. J. Scholes Y. Nouvellon A. de Grandcourt S. Archibald J. M. Bonnefond N. Boulain N. Brueggemann C. Bruemmer B. Cappelaere E. Ceschia H. A. M. El-Khidir B. A. El-Tahir U. Falk J. Lloyd L. Kergoat V. Le Dantec E. Mougin M. Muchinda M. M. Mukelabai D. Ramier O. Roupsard F. Timouk E. M. Veenendaal W. L. Kutsch Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, P.O. Box 100164, 07701 Jena, Germany Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystems Analysis, Lund University Sölvegatan 12, 22362, Lund, Sweden Natural Resources and Environment, CSIR, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria, South Africa CIRAD, Persyst, UPR80, TA B-80/D, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France UR2PI, BP 1291, Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo INRA-EPHYSE, BP 81, 33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France UMR Hydrosciences, IRD, BP 64501, 34394 Monpellier Cedex 5, France Atmospheric Environmental Research Division, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany CESBIO, 18 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France Agricultural Research Cooperation, El Obeid Research Station, P.O. Box 429, 51111, El Obeid, Sudan Department of Ecology and Resource Management, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany Zambia Meteorological Department, Haile Sellasie Avenue, City Airport, P. O. Box 30200, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalse Steeg 3a, 6708 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands Earth and Biosphere Institute, School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS29JT, UK CATIE, 7170 Turrialba, Costa Rica Biometeorology and Soil Physics Group, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, V6T 1ZA, Vancouver, Canada This study reports carbon and water fluxes between the land surface and atmosphere in eleven different ecosystems types in Sub-Saharan Africa, as measured using eddy covariance (EC) technology in the first two years of the CarboAfrica network operation. The ecosystems for which data were available ranged in mean annual rainfall from 320 mm (Sudan) to 1150 mm (Republic of Congo) and include a spectrum of vegetation types (or land cover) (open savannas, woodlands, croplands and grasslands). Given the shortness of the record, the EC data were analysed across the network rather than longitudinally at sites, in order to understand the driving factors for ecosystem respiration and carbon assimilation, and to reveal the different water use strategies in these highly seasonal environments. <br><br> Values for maximum net carbon assimilation rates (photosynthesis) ranged from &minus;12.5 μmol CO₂ m^&minus;2 s^&minus;1 in a dry, open <i>Millet cropland</i> (C₄-plants) up to &minus;48 μmol CO₂ m^&minus;2 s^&minus;1 for a tropical moist grassland. Maximum carbon assimilation rates were highly correlated with mean annual rainfall (<i>r</i>²=0.74). Maximum photosynthetic uptake rates (<i>Fp</i>_max) were positively related to satellite-derived <i>f</i>_APAR. Ecosystem respiration was dependent on temperature at all sites, and was additionally dependent on soil water content at sites receiving less than 1000 mm of rain per year. 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