Global potential net primary production predicted from vegetation class, precipitation, and temperature

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Ecology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1890/07-0850.1· OSTI ID:1017332

Del Grosso, Stephen ^[1]; Parton, William ^[2]; Stohlgren, Thomas ^[3]; Zheng, Daolan ^[4]; Bachelet, Dominique ^[5]; Prince, Stephen ^[6]; Hibbard, Kathy ^[7]; Olson, Richard K ^[1]

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1. ORNL
2. Colorado State University, Fort Collins
3. Fort Collins Science Center
4. University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
5. Oregon State University, Corvallis
6. University of Maryland
7. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Net primary production (NPP), the difference between CO2 fixed by photosynthesis and CO2 lost to autotrophic respiration, is one of the most important components of the carbon cycle. Our goal was to develop a simple regression model to estimate global NPP using climate and land cover data. Approximately 5600 global data points with observed mean annual NPP, land cover class, precipitation, and temperature were compiled. Precipitation was better correlated with NPP than temperature, and it explained much more of the variability in mean annual NPP for grass- or shrub-dominated systems (r2 = 0.68) than for tree-dominated systems (r2 = 0.39). For a given precipitation level, tree-dominated systems had significantly higher NPP (approximately 100-150 g C m(-2) yr(-1)) than non-tree-dominated systems. Consequently, previous empirical models developed to predict NPP based on precipitation and temperature (e.g., the Miami model) tended to overestimate NPP for non-tree-dominated systems. Our new model developed at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (the NCEAS model) predicts NPP for tree-dominated systems based on precipitation and temperature; but for non-tree-dominated systems NPP is solely a function of precipitation because including a temperature function increased model error for these systems. Lower NPP in non-tree-dominated systems is likely related to decreased water and nutrient use efficiency and higher nutrient loss rates from more frequent fire disturbances. Late 20th century aboveground and total NPP for global potential native vegetation using the NCEAS model are estimated to be approximately 28 Pg and approximately 46 Pg C/yr, respectively. The NCEAS model estimated an approximately 13% increase in global total NPP for potential vegetation from 1901 to 2000 based on changing precipitation and temperature patterns.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1017332
• Journal Information: Ecology, Journal Name: Ecology Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 89; ISSN 0012-9658
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CARBON CYCLE
CLIMATES
DISTURBANCES
EFFICIENCY
GRAMINEAE
NUTRIENTS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PLANTS
PRECIPITATION
PRODUCTION
RESPIRATION
SYNTHESIS
WATER