Response of carbon and water fluxes to environmental variability in two Eastern North American forests of similar-age but contrasting leaf-retention and shape strategies

Abstract. The annual carbon and water dynamics of two Eastern North American forests were compared over a six year period from 2012 to 2017. The geographic location, forest age, soil, and climate were similar between the sites, however, the species composition varied: one was a deciduous broadleaf forest, while the other an evergreen needleleaf forest. During the 6-year study period, the mean annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of the …