Ecosystem carbon transit versus turnover times in response to climate warming and rising atmospheric CO2 concentration

Lu, Xingjie; Wang, Ying-Ping; Luo, Yiqi; Jiang, Lifen

doi:10.5194/bg-15-6559-2018

Title: Ecosystem carbon transit versus turnover times in response to climate warming and rising atmospheric CO₂ concentration

Journal Article · Wed Nov 07 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Biogeosciences (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6559-2018· OSTI ID:1481219

;

; Luo, Yiqi; Jiang, Lifen

Ecosystem carbon (C) transit time is a critical diagnostic parameter to characterize land C sequestration. This parameter has different variants in the literature, including a commonly used turnover time. However, we know little about how different transit time and turnover time are in representing carbon cycling through multiple compartments under a non-steady state. In this study, we estimate both C turnover time as defined by the conventional stock over flux and mean C transit time as defined by the mean age of C mass leaving the system. We incorporate them into the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) model to estimate C turnover time and transit time in response to climate warming and rising atmospheric [CO₂]. Modelling analysis shows that both C turnover time and transit time increase with climate warming but decrease with rising atmospheric [CO₂]. Warming increases C turnover time by 2.4 years and transit time by 11.8 years in 2100 relative to that at steady state in 1901. During the same period, rising atmospheric [CO₂] decreases C turnover time by 3.8 years and transit time by 5.5 years. Our analysis shows that 65 % of the increase in global mean C transit time with climate warming results from the depletion of fast-turnover C pool. The remaining 35 % increase results from accompanied changes in compartment C age structures. Similarly, the decrease in mean C transit time with rising atmospheric [CO₂] results approximately equally from replenishment of C into fast-turnover C pool and subsequent decrease in compartment C age structure. Greatly different from the transit time, the turnover time, which does not account for changes in either C age structure or composition of respired C, underestimated impacts of warming and rising atmospheric [CO₂] on C diagnostic time and potentially led to deviations in estimating land C sequestration in multi-compartmental ecosystems.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States); Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0008270; SC0014085

OSTI ID:: 1481219

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1611028

Journal Information:: Biogeosciences (Online), Journal Name: Biogeosciences (Online) Vol. 15 Journal Issue: 21; ISSN 1726-4189

Publisher:: Copernicus Publications, EGUCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Germany

Language:: English

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 23 works

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