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Complex Spatiotemporal Responses of Global Terrestrial Primary Production to Climate Change and Increasing Atmospheric CO2 in the 21st Century

Journal Article · · PLoS ONE
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [4];  [4];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Auburn Univ., AL (United States). School of Forestry and Wildlife Science. International center for Climate and Global Change Research; Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences. State Key Lab. of Urban and Regional Ecology; DOE/OSTI
  2. Auburn Univ., AL (United States). School of Forestry and Wildlife Science. International center for Climate and Global Change Research
  3. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Urumqi (China). Xinjian Inst. of Ecology and Geography. State Key Lab. of Desert and Oasis Ecology
  4. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences. State Key Lab. of Urban and Regional Ecology

Quantitative information on the response of global terrestrial net primary production (NPP) to climate change and increasing atmospheric CO2 is essential for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the 21st century. Using a process-based ecosystem model (the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, DLEM), we quantified the magnitude and spatiotemporal variations of contemporary (2000s) global NPP, and projected its potential responses to climate and CO2 changes in the 21st century under the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) A2 and B1 of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We estimated a global terrestrial NPP of 54.6 (52.8–56.4) PgC yr21 as a result of multiple factors during 2000–2009. Climate change would either reduce global NPP (4.6%) under the A2 scenario or slightly enhance NPP (2.2%) under the B1 scenario during 2010–2099. In response to climate change, global NPP would first increase until surface air temperature increases by 1.5uC (until the 2030s) and then level-off or decline after it increases by more than 1.5uC (after the 2030s). This result supports the Copenhagen Accord Acknowledgement, which states that staying below 2uC may not be sufficient and the need to potentially aim for staying below 1.5uC. The CO2 fertilization effect would result in a 12%–13.9% increase in global NPP during the 21st century. The relative CO2 fertilization effect, i.e. change in NPP on per CO2 (ppm) bases, is projected to first increase quickly then level off in the 2070s and even decline by the end of the 2080s, possibly due to CO2 saturation and nutrient limitation. Terrestrial NPP responses to climate change and elevated atmospheric CO2 largely varied among biomes, with the largest increases in the tundra and boreal needleleaf deciduous forest. Compared to the low emission scenario (B1), the high emission scenario (A2) would lead to larger spatiotemporal variations in NPP, and more dramatic and counteracting impacts from climate and increasing atmospheric CO2.

Research Organization:
Auburn Univ., AL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-00ER41132
OSTI ID:
1627741
Journal Information:
PLoS ONE, Journal Name: PLoS ONE Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 9; ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Multivariate assessment and attribution of droughts in Central Asia journal May 2017
Understanding spatiotemporal patterns of global forest NPP using a data-driven method based on GEE journal March 2020
Responses of global terrestrial evapotranspiration to climate change and increasing atmospheric CO 2 in the 21st century journal January 2015
Anthropogenic and climatic influences on carbon fluxes from eastern North America to the Atlantic Ocean: A process-based modeling study: RIVERINE CARBON FLUXES TO ATLANTIC OCEAN journal April 2015
Methane emissions from global rice fields: Magnitude, spatiotemporal patterns, and environmental controls: Methane Emissions From Global Rice Field journal September 2016
Synergistic effects of climate change and grazing on net primary production of Mongolian grasslands journal May 2016
Contrasting climate risks predicted by dynamic vegetation and ecological niche-based models applied to tree species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest journal August 2018
Improving Representation of Crop Growth and Yield in the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model and Its Application to China journal July 2018
Global Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Pasturelands and Rangelands: Magnitude, Spatiotemporal Patterns, and Attribution journal February 2019
Climate change risk to forests in China associated with warming journal January 2018
Responses of global terrestrial water use efficiency to climate change and rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration in the twenty-first century journal June 2017
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WETCHIMP-WSL: intercomparison of wetland methane emissions models over West Siberia journal January 2015
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Dynamic changes in terrestrial net primary production and their effects on evapotranspiration journal January 2016
WETCHIMP-WSL: intercomparison of wetland methane emissions models over West Siberia text January 2015

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