Diurnal variation of carbon dioxide and methane exchange above Sundarbans mangrove forest, in NW coast of India

A micrometeorological method was used to measure the diurnal exchange of ca rbon dioxide and methane over Sundarbans mangrove forest at Lothian island under lapse and inversion micrometeorological conditions during 18(th)-19(t h) May, 1999. Concentration of CO2 and CH4 in the air were found to be 587. 9+/-51.5 and 0.903+/-0.318 mg/m(3) and both vertical and lateral transport could cause their variation in the atmosphere. This island was a net source of both CO2 and CH4 during the study period and their overall diurnal emis sion rates estimated to be 113.06 and 1.51x10(6) mg/d, respectively. Microm eteorological conditions of the atmosphere played an important role for the exchange of carbon dioxide and methane between atmosphere and biosphere.