Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming
Abstract The Tibetan Plateau has the largest expanse of high‐elevation permafrost in the world, and it is experiencing climate warming that may jeopardize the functioning of its alpine ecosystems. Many studies have focused on the effects of climate warming on vegetation production and diversity on t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-05-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2233 |
| _version_ | 1831590468571365376 |
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| author | Yan Yang Kelly A. Hopping Genxu Wang Ji Chen Ahui Peng Julia A. Klein |
| author_facet | Yan Yang Kelly A. Hopping Genxu Wang Ji Chen Ahui Peng Julia A. Klein |
| author_sort | Yan Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Tibetan Plateau has the largest expanse of high‐elevation permafrost in the world, and it is experiencing climate warming that may jeopardize the functioning of its alpine ecosystems. Many studies have focused on the effects of climate warming on vegetation production and diversity on the Plateau, but their disparate results have hindered a comprehensive, regional understanding. From a synthesis of twelve warming experiments across the Plateau, we found that warming increased aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and vegetation height at sites with permafrost, but ANPP decreased with warming at non‐permafrost sites. Aboveground net primary production responded more negatively to warming under drier conditions, due to both annual drought conditions and warming‐induced soil moisture loss. Decreases in species diversity with warming were also larger at sites with permafrost. These results support the emerging understanding that water plays a central role in the functioning of cold environments and suggest that as ecosystems cross a threshold from permafrost to non‐permafrost systems, ANPP will decrease across a greater proportion of the Tibetan Plateau. This study also highlights the future convergence of challenges from permafrost degradation and grassland desertification, requiring new collaborations among these currently distinct research and stakeholder groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:04:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17f680bed25d4bafadd88f38ddad65f1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:04:49Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-17f680bed25d4bafadd88f38ddad65f12022-12-21T21:26:16ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252018-05-0195n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.2233Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warmingYan Yang0Kelly A. Hopping1Genxu Wang2Ji Chen3Ahui Peng4Julia A. Klein5Institute of Mountain Hazards & Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu 610041 ChinaDepartment of Earth System Science Stanford University 473 Via Ortega Stanford California 94305 USAInstitute of Mountain Hazards & Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu 610041 ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology and Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics Institute of Earth Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an 710061 ChinaInstitute of Mountain Hazards & Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu 610041 ChinaDepartment of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Colorado State University Campus Delivery 1476 Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USAAbstract The Tibetan Plateau has the largest expanse of high‐elevation permafrost in the world, and it is experiencing climate warming that may jeopardize the functioning of its alpine ecosystems. Many studies have focused on the effects of climate warming on vegetation production and diversity on the Plateau, but their disparate results have hindered a comprehensive, regional understanding. From a synthesis of twelve warming experiments across the Plateau, we found that warming increased aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and vegetation height at sites with permafrost, but ANPP decreased with warming at non‐permafrost sites. Aboveground net primary production responded more negatively to warming under drier conditions, due to both annual drought conditions and warming‐induced soil moisture loss. Decreases in species diversity with warming were also larger at sites with permafrost. These results support the emerging understanding that water plays a central role in the functioning of cold environments and suggest that as ecosystems cross a threshold from permafrost to non‐permafrost systems, ANPP will decrease across a greater proportion of the Tibetan Plateau. This study also highlights the future convergence of challenges from permafrost degradation and grassland desertification, requiring new collaborations among these currently distinct research and stakeholder groups.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2233aboveground net primary production (ANPP)alpine grasslandsclimate changedesertificationdiversitymountains |
| spellingShingle | Yan Yang Kelly A. Hopping Genxu Wang Ji Chen Ahui Peng Julia A. Klein Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming Ecosphere aboveground net primary production (ANPP) alpine grasslands climate change desertification diversity mountains |
| title | Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming |
| title_full | Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming |
| title_fullStr | Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming |
| title_full_unstemmed | Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming |
| title_short | Permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of Tibetan Plateau grasslands to warming |
| title_sort | permafrost and drought regulate vulnerability of tibetan plateau grasslands to warming |
| topic | aboveground net primary production (ANPP) alpine grasslands climate change desertification diversity mountains |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2233 |
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