Representativeness of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Measured by Eddy Covariance over a Mediterranean Urban District with Equipment Setup Restrictions

The CO2 fluxes measured by the eddy covariance technique (EC) are presented for a districtof the urban area of Bari (Italy). The applicability of the EC method was satisfied even though themeasurements were taken at a limited height. The CO2 fluxes are representative of an area withpublic offices and schools, the university campus, green areas, and busy roads with intensive trafficduring school and office times. The measurements were carried out in March-June, covering latewinter, characterized by huge vehicle traffic and domestic heating, until late spring, characterized byreduced activities for schools and the university. The source area was determined as a function ofatmospheric stability, for data with the ratio between measurement-height/buildings-height in therange of 1.3-1.5. The measured CO2 fluxes were compared to gas consumption values. The resultsshow that the district is a strong source of CO2 during the winter. Emissions were drastically reduced(82%) after the heating was switched off, and a further decrease in CO2 emissions (50%) occurredwith the reduction of school activities, partly due to the mitigating effect of green areas with largetrees in the area.