Cuvette
Item
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Title
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Cuvette
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Description
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A measurement chamber, or cuvette, is used in forest research. Forest researchers have used these cuvettes to measure the carbon metabolism of trees, meaning the carbon dioxide that is bound during photosynthesis. Cuvettes have been secured to a tree stem, with a branch, for example, placed inside. During most of the time on the stem, the cuvettes have been open, which means the conditions within them have roughly corresponded to those outside; in other words, the air inside has not become too warm. At regular intervals, the cuvettes have been closed for a measuring sequence, which has changed the gas concentrations within. These changes have allowed researchers to calculate, among other things, the photosynthesis and evaporation rates of the leaves or needles. This automated measuring has enabled detailed assessments of the carbon metabolism of the tree. Thus, cuvettes have helped scientists understand the role of forests in climate change.
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Place
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University of Helsinki, The Helsinki University Museum Flame
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Subject
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forest reserch
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measurements
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carbon metabolism
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climate change
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Temporal Coverage
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1970s
