Although the information in Colorplate 10 is instructive, it leaves many questions unanswered about ecosystem carbon cycling. For instance, how do geographic variations in climate and vegetation affect the responses of NEP to environmental forcings, and how do these forcing cause NEP to vary over the course of a year? Here, we attempt to answer these questions by distilling published data produced by the FLUXNET project (Baldocchi et al. 2001; Falge et al. 2002; Law et al. 2002). Specifically, we examine cases associated with major biomes: (1) temperate broad-leaved forests, (2) boreal and temperate coniferous forests, (3) grasslands, (4) mediterranean-type woodlands, (5) agricultural crops, and (6) northern wetlands. Highlighted in this analysis is the role of environmental switches—leaf on/leaf off; drought, frost (spring/fall), the presence or
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