Fluxes of energy, H2O, and CO2 between the atmosphere and the monsoon tropical forest in Southern Vietnam

The 2.5-year dynamics of heat, water and carbon dioxide fluxes in the tropical monsoon semi-evergreen forest in Southern Vietnam obtained by means of continuous eddy covariance observations using standard procedures of FLUXNET global network are analyzed. The features of wet seasons during the measurement period were close to long-term average ones, but dry seasons had a great heterogeneity. The maximal duration of the period with little precipitation was 4 months. The annual radiation balance in the south of Vietnam exceeded the balance at all stations of FLUXNET in tropical forests, except one. Annual evapotranspiration in monsoon forest of south of Vietnam is approximately equal to the evaporation of the rain forests of Central Amazonia. During the wet season evapotranspiration spent 80% of the radiation balance, and in the driest months this value decreased to 50%. In the dry season reduction of evapotranspiration and gross primary production was relatively small due to photosynthesizing trees of 2–4 canopy sub-layers. For the first time a large net sink of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the monsoon forest ecosystem was identified. © 2015, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.