Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation
Abstract Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is considered to be a key technology for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, large-scale bioenergy crop cultivation results in land cover changes and activates biophysical effects on climate, with earth’s water recycling al...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39803-9 |
| _version_ | 1797778762910138368 |
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| author | Zhao Li Philippe Ciais Jonathon S. Wright Yong Wang Shu Liu Jingmeng Wang Laurent Z. X. Li Hui Lu Xiaomeng Huang Lei Zhu Daniel S. Goll Wei Li |
| author_facet | Zhao Li Philippe Ciais Jonathon S. Wright Yong Wang Shu Liu Jingmeng Wang Laurent Z. X. Li Hui Lu Xiaomeng Huang Lei Zhu Daniel S. Goll Wei Li |
| author_sort | Zhao Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is considered to be a key technology for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, large-scale bioenergy crop cultivation results in land cover changes and activates biophysical effects on climate, with earth’s water recycling altered and energy budget re-adjusted. Here, we use a coupled atmosphere-land model with explicit representations of high-transpiration woody (i.e., eucalypt) and low-transpiration herbaceous (i.e., switchgrass) bioenergy crops to investigate the range of impact of large-scale rainfed bioenergy crop cultivation on the global water cycle and atmospheric water recycling. We find that global land precipitation increases under BECCS scenarios, due to enhanced evapotranspiration and inland moisture advection. Despite enhanced evapotranspiration, soil moisture decreases only slightly, due to increased precipitation and reduced runoff. Our results indicate that, at the global scale, the water consumption by bioenergy crop growth would be partially compensated by atmospheric feedbacks. Thus, to support more effective climate mitigation policies, a more comprehensive assessment, including the biophysical effects of bioenergy cultivation, is highly recommended. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:22:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d32c7942b2944b988d8938b97406b5b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:22:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d32c7942b2944b988d8938b97406b5b2023-07-16T11:22:25ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-07-011411910.1038/s41467-023-39803-9Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivationZhao Li0Philippe Ciais1Jonathon S. Wright2Yong Wang3Shu Liu4Jingmeng Wang5Laurent Z. X. Li6Hui Lu7Xiaomeng Huang8Lei Zhu9Daniel S. Goll10Wei Li11Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityLaboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-SaclayDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityLaboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Ecole PolytechniqueDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityUniversité Paris Saclay, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, LSCE/IPSLDepartment of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua UniversityAbstract Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is considered to be a key technology for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, large-scale bioenergy crop cultivation results in land cover changes and activates biophysical effects on climate, with earth’s water recycling altered and energy budget re-adjusted. Here, we use a coupled atmosphere-land model with explicit representations of high-transpiration woody (i.e., eucalypt) and low-transpiration herbaceous (i.e., switchgrass) bioenergy crops to investigate the range of impact of large-scale rainfed bioenergy crop cultivation on the global water cycle and atmospheric water recycling. We find that global land precipitation increases under BECCS scenarios, due to enhanced evapotranspiration and inland moisture advection. Despite enhanced evapotranspiration, soil moisture decreases only slightly, due to increased precipitation and reduced runoff. Our results indicate that, at the global scale, the water consumption by bioenergy crop growth would be partially compensated by atmospheric feedbacks. Thus, to support more effective climate mitigation policies, a more comprehensive assessment, including the biophysical effects of bioenergy cultivation, is highly recommended.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39803-9 |
| spellingShingle | Zhao Li Philippe Ciais Jonathon S. Wright Yong Wang Shu Liu Jingmeng Wang Laurent Z. X. Li Hui Lu Xiaomeng Huang Lei Zhu Daniel S. Goll Wei Li Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation Nature Communications |
| title | Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation |
| title_full | Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation |
| title_fullStr | Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation |
| title_short | Increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large-scale bioenergy cultivation |
| title_sort | increased precipitation over land due to climate feedback of large scale bioenergy cultivation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39803-9 |
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