The quantity and quality of solar radiation play a vital role for growth and competition within heterogeneous forest ecosystems. Radiation affects the increase of biomass directly by its intensity within the spectral band of photosynthesis, and regulates growth, by means of absorption in the blue and red fraction of the solar spectrum by pigments of phytoelements. The spatial, temporal, and spectral distribution within a heterogenous plant stand can vary to a large extent. For a realistic characterization of spatially highly variable growth dynamics and competition in mixed stands, detailed parametrization of radiation, especially of crucial spectral bands, is required. Thus, a novel multi-sensor monitoring system was developed for measuring the radiation field within a 30m tall mature spruce-beech-stand with high resolution with respect to wavelength, space, and time. At 130 positions within an area of 25m x 25m the respective amount of radiation within the range of 360nm - 1020nm is determined by space-integrating spherical sensors near-simultaneously within 2min and a spectral resolution of 0,8nm. The applied sensors, based on fiber optic technology, had to be developed and manufactured proprietarily. Special devices for conditioning and calibration at a high level of accuracy were constructed. The results of the calibration show that the assumption of directional independency of the radiation input is valid. The sensors were installed in six levels at 25 vertical profiles. The unique system for highly resolved determination of the spectral radiation distribution within a mature mixed stand has been running continuously since 13.10.2004. A comparison of standard cosine-corrected flat plate detectors with the specially developed spherical sensors, which are superior to exhibit the actual quantity and quality of radiation impinging on a plant, shows major differences between the two methods of measurement. Particularly at low solar altitude, measured radiation values can differ by a factor of six, which can cause significant errors in calculations of photosynthetical and photomorphogenetical processes. The results of the measurements display a strong relation between the photomorphogenetic active radiation, expressed by the red / far red ratio (R/FR), and the level of shading, expressed by the fraction of photon fluence rate. This relation varies seasonally, type-specifically, and by cloudiness. Frequency distributions and statistical parameters of the quantitative occurrence of different spectral bands within different areas of the canopy and at the forest ground provide new insights in the complex and highly variable radiation field within mixed stands. Observations show higher mean levels of radiation at the forest ground under beech at full foliation compared to spruce and a changed situation within the canopy. Temporary enhancements of the radiation quantity caused by sunflecks or penumbra are associated to modifications in the spectral composition. Phenological stages, such as leaf unfolding and leaf fall, can be described by measuring R/FR at an arbitrary position within the beech canopy with a high statistical plausibility. The acquired extinction vertical profiles serve for determination of type-specific spectral extinction coefficients. In order to make the gained perceptions applicable for photosynthesis and growth models, a three-dimensional radiative transport model that had been developed for pure spruce stands, was enhanced and adapted to the conditions of a mixed stand. Particularly, a spectral module that enables simulation of not only the quantitative components, but also the crucial photosynthetically and photomorphogenetically relevant wave bands was implemented for the first time. In addition to the PAR quantity, the spectral composition of the PAR band as well as the three-dimensional distribution of R/FR is calculated. The model was subject to a sensitivity analysis and was validated by measured data. At the present stage it can be used as an important element of growth and competition models in which the factor radiation plays the key role.
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The quantity and quality of solar radiation play a vital role for growth and competition within heterogeneous forest ecosystems. Radiation affects the increase of biomass directly by its intensity within the spectral band of photosynthesis, and regulates growth, by means of absorption in the blue and red fraction of the solar spectrum by pigments of phytoelements. The spatial, temporal, and spectral distribution within a heterogenous plant stand can vary to a large extent. For a realistic charac...
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