Jambi (Sumatra, Indonesia)

Zurück Vor

Location

The Jambi measurement station is located in a commercial oil palm plantation (Elaeis guineensis) in the lowlands of Jambi Province on Sumatra, Indonesia (76 m a.s.l.). The climate is tropical-humid with minor seasonal temperature fluctuations. The mean annual temperature is 26.7 °C, and the mean annual precipitation is 2235 mm. A pronounced rainy season extends from October to May, while the dry season lasts from June to September, although monthly rainfall usually exceeds 100 mm.

The plantation covers 2186 ha in predominantly flat terrain. The oil palms in the flux tower footprint were planted in 2002 in a triangular grid of 8 × 8 m (156 palms ha^-1). The palms reach heights of up to 14 m, and exhibit a site-specific leaf area index (LAI) of about 3.6 m² m^-2. The understory is heavily reduced due to regular herbicide application and mowing, whereas the palm trunks are densely covered with epiphytes such as ferns and orchids. The soils are highly weathered loamy Acrisols, characteristic of the region.

The measurement station was established in 2014. Since then, fluxes of CO₂, water vapor, and energy have been continuously measured using the eddy covariance method. The system consists of an open-path infrared gas analyzer (LI-7500A, LI-COR) and a three-dimensional ultrasonic anemometer (uSonic-3, Metek) mounted on a 22 m high steel tower.