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Title: Interactions between land use change and carbon cycle feedbacks: Land Use and Carbon Cycle Feedbacks

Journal Article · · Global Biogeochemical Cycles
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GB005374· OSTI ID:1376543
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [5]
  1. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States)
  3. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  4. Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., Woods Hole, MA (United States)
  5. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

We explore the role of human land use and land cover change (LULCC) in modifying the terrestrial carbon budget in simulations forced by Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5, extended to year 2300 by using the Community Earth System Model, . Overall, conversion of land (e.g., from forest to croplands via deforestation) results in a model-estimated, cumulative carbon loss of 490 Pg C between 1850 and 2300, larger than the 230 Pg C loss of carbon caused by climate change over this same interval. The LULCC carbon loss is a combination of a direct loss at the time of conversion and an indirect loss from the reduction of potential terrestrial carbon sinks. Approximately 40% of the carbon loss associated with LULCC in the simulations arises from direct human modification of the land surface; the remaining 60% is an indirect consequence of the loss of potential natural carbon sinks. Because of the multicentury carbon cycle legacy of current land use decisions, a globally averaged amplification factor of 2.6 must be applied to 2015 land use carbon losses to adjust for indirect effects. This estimate is 30% higher when considering the carbon cycle evolution after 2100. Most of the terrestrial uptake of anthropogenic carbon in the model occurs from the influence of rising atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis in trees, and thus, model-projected carbon feedbacks are especially sensitive to deforestation.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1376543
Journal Information:
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Vol. 31, Issue 1; ISSN 0886-6236
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 41 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (7)

The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP) contribution to CMIP6: rationale and experimental design journal January 2016
Effect of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Context of Growth Enhancements in the United States Since 1700: Net Source or Sink? journal November 2018
A Bayesian ensemble data assimilation to constrain model parameters and land-use carbon emissions journal January 2018
Sustained climate warming drives declining marine biological productivity journal March 2018
Interactions Between Land-Use Change and Climate-Carbon Cycle Feedbacks journal April 2018
The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP) contribution to CMIP6: Rationale and experimental design text January 2016
A Bayesian ensemble data assimilation to constrain model parameters and land-use carbon emissions text January 2018

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