Photographs by Eva van Gorsel (CSIRO) : Semi-arid ecosystems emerge as a driver in global carbon cycle dynamics

The following landscape photographs taken in the Northern Territory of Australia in 2011 provide a clear illustration of the high production rates of the semi-arid woodlands and shrublands.

A flux tower, located near Alice Springs where the photographs were taken, recorded large rates of net carbon uptake during 2010-2011 compared with 2012, figure below from Cleverly, J, et al. (Dynamics of component carbon fluxes in a semi-arid Acacia woodland, central Australia, Journal of Geophysical Research, 2013, 118:1-18).