Norunda

The Norunda research station (60°05′N, 17°29′E, 46 m asl) is located about 30 km north of Uppsala, i.e., in the southern part of the boreal forest zone. The area is flat with small-scale variations in altitude (up to 10 m).

The site was established in 1994 and is used for studies of exchanges of greenhouse gases (CO₂ and CH₄), energy and water using micrometeorological methods (eddy covariance and gradient). A combined ICOS Atmosphere (Nor) and Ecosystem (SE-Nor) station is located at Norunda.
 

Maps and images

Clear cut 2021

• Ecosystem station PI: Meelis Mölder
• Atmosphere station PI: Meelis Mölder
• station manager: Irene Lehner

contact: norunda@icos-sweden.se

Data from Norunda can be downloaded from the ICOS Carbon Portal. ICOS Level2 data from the Atmosphere Station (GHG concentrations, air temperature, wind). ICOS Level2 data from the Ecosystem Station (flux data, meteorological data, soil meteorological variables, ancillary data). ICOS Level 1 Near Realtime Data

The bedrock is characterised by granite and gneiss (incl. leptite) from the Svecokarelian orogen. The soils are sandy-loamy tills with a high content of stones and blocks, characterized as podzolised dystric regosols, with a thin organic layer on top. The area is rich in organic soils with surface peat cover and fens.

Because of the presence of stones and blocks the soil surface is highly uneven.

The site is dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) with a small fraction (10%) of deciduous trees, mainly birch (Betula sp.). The shrub layer is dominated by blueberry, cranberry, moss, and flowers.

The site contains stands of various age and height, but within a 1 km radius, old (110 years) and middle-aged (60-80 years) forest of about 25 m height dominate. Due to thinnings, winter storms, and bark beetle attack (effect will be seen in the 2020 and 2021 data), the plant area index got strongly reduced througout the past years.

¹DBH: measured at 1.3 m, minimum diameter: 5 cm

²approach: 9 DHP pictures were taken in each of 4 continuous plots . LAI was calculated at each location (9 per plot) and averaged per plot. Only QC checked pictures were included. For each CP 7 or more pictures should be suitable to include plot in the aggregation.

With a mean annual air temperature of 7.1°C and a mean annual precipitation of 556 mm (data period 1991-2020, SMHI station Uppsala Aut) the climate is characterized after Köppen as a Dfb-climate, i.e. humid continental with moderate summers and cold winters. Southwest is the prevailing wind direction in Norunda.

data period 1961-1990: mean annual air temperature 5.6°C, a mean annual precipitation of 544 mm (SMHI station Uppsala)

Additional research at the site and a next by clear-cut focuses on exchanges of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide CO₂, methane CH₄, water vapour H₂O, and laugh gas N₂O) and its driving forces in all components of a forest ecosystem. For more detailed information please contact Meelis Mölder.

 Measured variables

Besides several small cabins for equipment Norunda has a main house and a workshop building. The main house is equipped with three bedrooms (total 5 beds), a shower/toilet bath room, and a fully equipped kitchen that is also used as office/meeting room. There is also a simple lab (separate entrance).

 Facilities

• Lindroth, A., J. Holst, M. Heliasz et al., 2018: Effects of low thinning on carbon dioxide fluxes in a mixed hemiboreal forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 262:59-70
• Lindroth, A., Holst, J., Linderson, M.L., Aurela, M., Biermann, T., Heliasz, M., Chi, J., Ibrom, A., Kolari, P., Klemedtsson, L., and others 2020. Effects of drought and meteorological forcing on carbon and water fluxes in Nordic forests during the dry summer of 2018. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375(1810), p.20190516.