| Description: | The Okmulgee Forest, particularly oak trees, have declined in health in the past two years
as a result of a combination of drought stress leading to fungus infestation. About one
third of the oak trees in the vicinity of and upwind of the Okmulgee tower have died and
another one third were in significant decline by the time of inspection of the tower on
October 11, 2012. There was evidence of decline having begun at the time of my tower
inspection in October 2010. Clearly, this condition should be reflected in reduced latent heat
and CO2 fluxes, and increased sensible heat flux in comparison to years previous to
Autumn 2010.
ECOR measurements of sensible heat flux (increased), latent heat flux (decreased), and CO2
flux (decreased) are all affected by the decline in forest canopy. |