This release consists of flux tower measurements of the exchange of energy and mass between the surface and the atmospheric boundary-layer using eddy covariance techniques. Data were processed using PyFluxPro (v3.4.17) as described by Isaac et al. (2017). PyFluxPro produces a final, gap-filled product with Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) partitioned into Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (ER).
The Loxton site was established in August 2008 and decommissioned in June 2009. The orchard was divided into 10 ha blocks (200 m by 500 m with the long axis aligned north–south) and the flux tower was situated at 34.47035 °S and 140.65512 °E near the middle of the northern half of a block of trees. The topography of the site was slightly undulating and the area around the tower had a slope of less than 1.5 °. The orchard was planted in 2000 with an inter-row spacing of 7 m and a within row spacing of 5 m. Tree height in August 2008 was 5.5 m. The study block consists of producers, Nonpareil, planted every other row, and pollinators planted as alternating rows of Carmel, Carmel and Peerless, and Carmel and Price. All varieties were planted on Nemaguard rootstock. All but 31 ha of the surrounding orchard was planted between 1999 and 2002. Nutrients were applied via fertigation. Dosing occurred between September and November and in April with KNO3, Urea, KCl, and NH4NO3 applied at annual rates of 551, 484, 647, and 113 kg/ha, respectively. The growth of ground cover along the tree line was suppressed with herbicides throughout the year. Growth in the mid-row began in late winter and persisted until herbicide application in late November.
The research was supported with funds from the National Action Plan for Salinity via the Centre for Natural Resource Management, and the River Murray Levy.
