skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Direct and indirect effects of climatic variations on the interannual variability in net ecosystem exchange across terrestrial ecosystems

Journal Article · · Tellus. Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [6];  [2];  [10];  [11];  [12];  [13];  [14];  [15];  [12];  [16];  [15] more »;  [12];  [6];  [6];  [17];  [12];  [18];  [12];  [11] « less
  1. East China Normal Univ., Shangai (China); Fudan Univ., Shanghai (China)
  2. East China Normal Univ., Shanghai (China)
  3. Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)
  4. Fudan Univ., Shanghai (China)
  5. Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki (Finland)
  6. Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE (United States)
  7. Univ. of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO (United States)
  8. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)
  9. Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
  10. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  11. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Liaoning (China)
  12. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)
  13. Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ (United States)
  14. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qinghai (China)
  15. Szent Istvan Univ., Godollo (Hungary)
  16. San Diego State Univ., San Diego, CA (United States)
  17. Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russia)
  18. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou (China)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Our study indicates that climatic variables not only directly affect the interannual variability (IAV) in net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) but also indirectly drive it by changing the physiological parameters. Identifying these direct and indirect paths can reveal the underlying mechanisms of carbon (C) dynamics. In this study, we applied a path analysis using flux data from 65 sites to quantify the direct and indirect climatic effects on IAV in NEE and to evaluate the potential relationships among the climatic variables and physiological parameters that represent physiology and phenology of ecosystems. We found that the maximum photosynthetic rate was the most important factor for the IAV in gross primary productivity (GPP), which was mainly induced by the variation in vapour pressure deficit. For ecosystem respiration (RE), the most important drivers were GPP and the reference respiratory rate. The biome type regulated the direct and indirect paths, with distinctive differences between forests and non-forests, evergreen needleleaf forests and deciduous broadleaf forests, and between grasslands and croplands. Different paths were also found among wet, moist and dry ecosystems. However, the climatic variables can only partly explain the IAV in physiological parameters, suggesting that the latter may also result from other biotic and disturbance factors. In addition, the climatic variables related to NEE were not necessarily the same as those related to GPP and RE, indicating the emerging difficulty encountered when studying the IAV in NEE. Overall, our results highlight the contribution of certain physiological parameters to the IAV in C fluxes and the importance of biome type and multi-year water conditions, which should receive more attention in future experimental and modelling research.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1474905
Journal Information:
Tellus. Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology (Online), Vol. 68, Issue 1; ISSN 1600-0889
Publisher:
International Meteorological Institute in StockholmCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 20 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (106)

ADVECTION AND RESULTING CO 2 EXCHANGE UNCERTAINTY IN A TALL FOREST IN CENTRAL GERMANY journal September 2008
Climatic, edaphic, and biotic controls over storage and turnover of carbon in soils journal September 1994
Interannual variability of net ecosystem productivity in forests is explained by carbon flux phenology in autumn: Autumn phenology and NEP journal February 2013
Differential responses of production and respiration to temperature and moisture drive the carbon balance across a climatic gradient in New Mexico: CARBON BALANCE ACROSS NM ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT journal December 2010
Adaptive significance of evergreen vs. deciduous leaves: solving the triple paradox journal January 2002
Statistical modeling of ecosystem respiration using eddy covariance data: Maximum likelihood parameter estimation, and Monte Carlo simulation of model and parameter uncertainty, applied to three simple models journal August 2005
Annual net ecosystem carbon exchange by a sugar beet crop journal September 2006
Land use regulates carbon budgets in eastern Germany: From NEE to NBP journal July 2010
REVIEW: Time lag between photosynthesis and carbon dioxide efflux from soil: a review of mechanisms and controls: TIME LAG BETWEEN PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND CO2 EFFLUX FROM SOIL journal January 2010
Long term carbon dioxide exchange above a mixed forest in the Belgian Ardennes journal July 2001
Environmental variation is directly responsible for short- but not long-term variation in forest-atmosphere carbon exchange: INTERANNUAL VARIATION IN FOREST-ATMOSPHERE CARBON EXCHANGE journal January 2007
The sensitivity of carbon fluxes to spring warming and summer drought depends on plant functional type in boreal forest ecosystems journal December 2007
Improving ecosystem productivity modeling through spatially explicit estimation of optimal light use efficiency: Ecosystem optimal light use efficiency journal September 2014
The role of canopy structural complexity in wood net primary production of a maturing northern deciduous forest journal September 2011
Integration of CO 2 flux and remotely-sensed data for primary production and ecosystem respiration analyses in the Northern Great Plains: potential for quantitative spatial extrapolation : CO journal March 2005
Carbon balance of a southern taiga spruce stand in European Russia journal November 2002
Comparing net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide between an old-growth and mature forest in the upper Midwest, USA journal January 2005
Covariation between gross primary production and ecosystem respiration across space and the underlying mechanisms: A global synthesis journal April 2015
Inter-annual variability in carbon dioxide exchange of an oak/grass savanna and open grassland in California journal December 2007
The carbon uptake of a mid latitude pine forest growing on sandy soil journal May 2002
Modeling Gross Primary Production of an Evergreen Needleleaf Forest Using Modis and Climate data journal June 2005
The need for a common basis for defining light-use efficiency: Implications for productivity estimation journal January 2015
Water-use efficiency in response to climate change: from leaf to ecosystem in a temperate steppe: WATER-USE EFFICIENCY IN RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE journal January 2011
Treatment and assessment of the CO2-exchange at a complex forest site in Thuringia, Germany journal May 2010
Semiempirical modeling of abiotic and biotic factors controlling ecosystem respiration across eddy covariance sites: SEMIEMPIRICAL MODELING OF ECOSYSTEM RESPIRATION journal December 2010
A new assessment of European forests carbon exchanges by eddy fluxes and artificial neural network spatialization journal April 2003
Effects of climate variability on the carbon dioxide, water, and sensible heat fluxes above a ponderosa pine plantation in the Sierra Nevada (CA) journal March 2000
Annual variation in soil respiration and its components in a coppice oak forest in Central Italy journal September 2002
Seasonal variation in carbon dioxide exchange over a Mediterranean annual grassland in California journal May 2004
Needle age-related and seasonal photosynthetic capacity variation is negligible for modelling yearly gas exchange of a sparse temperate Scots pine forest journal January 2010
Energy exchange and evapotranspiration over two temperate semi-arid grasslands in North America journal February 2012
Towards a standardized processing of Net Ecosystem Exchange measured with eddy covariance technique: algorithms and uncertainty estimation journal January 2006
Carbon budget of mature no-till ecosystem in North Central Region of the United States journal May 2005
Net CO 2 and H 2 O fluxes of terrestrial ecosystems journal September 1999
Environmental controls over carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange of terrestrial vegetation journal December 2002
Two years of continuous CO2 eddy-flux measurements over a Danish beech forest journal March 2001
Net ecosystem CO2 exchange of mixed forest in Belgium over 5 years journal November 2003
Net primary production and light use efficiency in a mixed coniferous forest in Sweden journal March 2005
Self-correlation between assimilation and respiration resulting from flux partitioning of eddy-covariance CO2 fluxes journal September 2009
Bringing Color into the Picture: Using Digital Repeat Photography to Investigate Phenology Controls of the Carbon Dioxide Exchange in a Boreal Mire journal November 2014
Spatiotemporal Variations in Growing Season Exchanges of CO 2 , H 2 O, and Sensible Heat in Agricultural Fields of the Southern Great Plains journal October 2007
The relationships and sensibility of wheat C:N:P stoichiometry and water use efficiency under nitrogen fertilization [The relationships and sensibility of wheat C:N:P stoichiometry and water use efficiency under nitrogen fertilization] journal June 2016
Resource Limitation in Plants-An Economic Analogy journal November 1985
The dominant role of semi-arid ecosystems in the trend and variability of the land CO2 sink journal May 2015
Remote estimation of carbon dioxide uptake by a Mediterranean forest journal December 2008
Latitudinal patterns of magnitude and interannual variability in net ecosystem exchange regulated by biological and environmental variables: LATITUDE PATTERNS OF NET ECOSYSTEM EXCHANGE journal January 2009
Albedo estimates for land surface models and support for a new paradigm based on foliage nitrogen concentration journal February 2010
Terrestrial biosphere models need better representation of vegetation phenology: results from the North American Carbon Program Site Synthesis journal November 2011
Refining light-use efficiency calculations for a deciduous forest canopy using simultaneous tower-based carbon flux and radiometric measurements journal March 2007
Latent Variable Modeling Using R: A Step-by-Step Guide book May 2014
Forest carbon use efficiency: is respiration a constant fraction of gross primary production? journal June 2007
Methodical study of nitrous oxide eddy covariance measurements using quantum cascade laser spectrometery over a Swiss forest journal January 2007
Global carbon budget 2013 journal January 2014
Evidence of increased net ecosystem productivity associated with a longer vegetated season in a deciduous forest in south-central Indiana, USA: INCREASED NEP IN A DECIDUOUS FOREST journal January 2011
Environmental controls on water use efficiency during severe drought in an Ozark Forest in Missouri, USA: ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ON WATER USE EFFICIENCY journal December 2009
lavaan : An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling journal January 2012
Partitioning Climatic and Biotic Effects on Interannual Variability of Ecosystem Carbon Exchange in Three Ecosystems journal June 2014
Spatial variability of water use efficiency in China's terrestrial ecosystems journal June 2015
Incorporating temperature-sensitive Q 10 and foliar respiration acclimation algorithms modifies modeled ecosystem responses to global change : R ACCLIMATION AND GLOBAL CHANGE journal February 2013
Climatic controls on the carbon and water balances of a boreal aspen forest, 1994?2003 journal March 2007
Carbon dioxide exchange over multiple temporal scales in an arid shrub ecosystem near La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico journal May 2012
Forest and agricultural land-use-dependent CO2 exchange in Thuringia, Germany journal December 2004
Partitioning European grassland net ecosystem CO2 exchange into gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration using light response function analysis journal June 2007
Underestimated effects of low temperature during early growing season on carbon sequestration of a subtropical coniferous plantation journal January 2011
Climatic and biotic controls on annual carbon storage in Amazonian ecosystems journal July 2000
Causes of interannual variability in ecosystem–atmosphere CO2 exchange in a northern Wisconsin forest using a Bayesian model calibration journal February 2008
Seasonal and annual variation of carbon exchange in an evergreen Mediterranean forest in southern France: CO2 FLUXES OF A MEDITERRANEAN FOREST journal January 2008
The carbon budget of semi-arid grassland in a wet and a dry year in Hungary journal June 2007
Growing season carbon dioxide exchange in irrigated and rainfed maize journal July 2004
Phenology and climate change: a long-term study in a Mediterranean locality journal September 2005
Biotic and climatic controls on interannual variability in carbon fluxes across terrestrial ecosystems journal June 2015
Impact of Sowing Date on Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Wheat Analyzed through Spatial Modeling and FORMOSAT-2 Images journal May 2015
CO2 fluxes over an old, temperate mixed forest in northeastern China journal April 2006
Temperature and biomass influences on interannual changes in CO2 exchange in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau journal July 2006
Modeling the impact of drought on canopy carbon and water fluxes for a subtropical evergreen coniferous plantation in southern China through parameter optimization using an ensemble Kalman filter journal January 2010
Interannual variability of grasslands’ carbon balance depends on soil type journal June 2008
Modelling respiration of vegetation: evidence for a general temperature-dependent Q10 journal February 2001
Stomatal conductance of forest species after long-term exposure to elevated CO2 concentration: a synthesis journal February 2001
Modeling the maximum apparent quantum use efficiency of alpine meadow ecosystem on Tibetan Plateau journal November 2007
The carbon balance of a young Beech forest journal June 2000
Using Light-Use and Production Efficiency Models to Predict Photosynthesis and Net Carbon Exchange During Forest Canopy Disturbance journal November 2007
Decadal Variability in the Terrestrial Carbon Budget Caused by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation journal January 2011
Conservation management of calcareous grasslands. Changes in plant species composition and response of functional traits during 25 years journal April 2002
A long-term record of carbon exchange in a boreal black spruce forest: means, responses to interannual variability, and decadal trends journal March 2007
Plant growth and respiration re-visited: maintenance respiration defined – it is an emergent property of, not a separate process within, the system – and why the respiration : photosynthesis ratio is conservative journal September 2011
Response of carbon fluxes to drought in a coastal plain loblolly pine forest: DROUGHT AND CARBON FLUXES IN A COASTAL PLAIN FOREST journal January 2010
Towards a more plant physiological perspective on soil ecology journal October 2006
On the separation of net ecosystem exchange into assimilation and ecosystem respiration: review and improved algorithm journal September 2005
Role of vegetation in determining carbon sequestration along ecological succession in the southeastern United States journal June 2008
Interannual and seasonal variability of water use efficiency in a tropical rainforest: Results from a 9 year eddy flux time series journal January 2015
Gap filling strategies for defensible annual sums of net ecosystem exchange journal March 2001
Carbon fluxes, evapotranspiration, and water use efficiency of terrestrial ecosystems in China journal December 2013
Separation of net ecosystem exchange into assimilation and respiration using a light response curve approach: critical issues and global evaluation: SEPARATION OF NEE INTO GPP AND RECO journal January 2010
Extrapolating leaf CO2 exchange to the canopy: a generalized model of forest photosynthesis compared with measurements by eddy correlation journal January 1996
Global comparison of light use efficiency models for simulating terrestrial vegetation gross primary production based on the LaThuile database journal July 2014
Long-term impact of a stand-replacing fire on ecosystem CO 2 exchange of a ponderosa pine forest journal August 2008
A comparison of water and carbon dioxide exchange at a windy alpine tundra and subalpine forest site near Niwot Ridge, Colorado journal April 2009
Large-scale forest girdling shows that current photosynthesis drives soil respiration journal June 2001
Different responses of soil respiration and its components to nitrogen addition among biomes: a meta-analysis journal April 2014
Carbon balance of a southern taiga spruce stand in European Russia journal November 2002
Joint control of terrestrial gross primary productivity by plant phenology and physiology journal February 2015
Predictability of the terrestrial carbon cycle journal December 2014
The McCree–de Wit–Penning de Vries–Thornley Respiration Paradigms: 30 Years Later journal July 2000
A distinct seasonal pattern of the ratio of soil respiration to total ecosystem respiration in a spruce-dominated forest journal February 2006
Carbon exchange of a mature, naturally regenerated pine forest in north Florida journal August 2008
Environmental controls over carbon exchange of three forest ecosystems in eastern China journal June 2008

Cited By (1)

Applications of structural equation modeling (SEM) in ecological studies: an updated review journal November 2016

Similar Records

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
net ecosystem exchange
interannual variability
climatic variations
physiological parameters
direct and indirect effects
relative importance