Large-scale biogeochemical research with particular reference to forest ecosystems, an overview. (Special Issue: Forest observational studies: 'Data sources for analysing forest structure and dynamics'.)

摘要

The following overview summarizes observational and experimental approaches to study plant and ecosystem processes, starting from physiological mechanisms up to continental carbon balances mainly based on Eurosiberian data. It is shown that different observational scales are needed to interpret and predict phenomena at various resolutions and that observational studies cannot replace controlled experiments. Both sources are essential.