Energy, water and carbon exchange in a boreal forest landscape--NOPEX experiences

The Northern hemisphere climate Processes land-surface Experiment (NOPEX) is outlined, which is devoted to studying the land-surface atmosphere interaction in a northern European forest-dominated landscape. The specific aim of the study, which is being conducted in the boreal-forest zone of Sweden, is an investigation of fluxes of energy, momentum, water, and carbon dioxide between the soil, vegetation, and atmosphere, between lakes and the atmosphere, and within the soil and the atmosphere. The experimental layout of NOPEX is described, and initial results are provided in the areas of surface atmosphere exchange, the integration between traditional surface and subsurface hydrology with evaporation and soil moisture, remote sensing, and local-scale studies involving the influence of agriculture, lakes, and forests on climate.