Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia
Numerous studies have confirmed that climate change leads to a decrease in the net ecosystem productivity (<i>NEP</i>) of terrestrial ecosystems and alters regional carbon source/sink patterns. However, the response mechanism of <i>NEP</i> to climate change in the arid region...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/21/4449 |
| _version_ | 1797511855883681792 |
|---|---|
| author | Jingjing Zhang Xingming Hao Haichao Hao Xue Fan Yuanhang Li |
| author_facet | Jingjing Zhang Xingming Hao Haichao Hao Xue Fan Yuanhang Li |
| author_sort | Jingjing Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Numerous studies have confirmed that climate change leads to a decrease in the net ecosystem productivity (<i>NEP</i>) of terrestrial ecosystems and alters regional carbon source/sink patterns. However, the response mechanism of <i>NEP</i> to climate change in the arid regions of Central Asia remains unclear. Therefore, this study combined the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) and empirical models to estimate the <i>NEP</i> in Central Asia and quantitatively evaluate the sensitivity of the <i>NEP</i> to climate factors. The results show that although the net primary productivity (<i>NPP</i>) in Central Asia exhibits an increasing trend, it is not significant. Soil heterotrophic respiration (<i>RH</i>) has increased significantly, while the <i>NEP</i> has decreased at a rate of 6.1 g C·m<sup>−2</sup>·10 a<sup>−1</sup>. Spatially, the regional distribution of the significant increase in <i>RH</i> is consistent with that of the significant decrease in the <i>NEP</i>, which is concentrated in western and southern Central Asia. Specifically, the <i>NPP</i> is more sensitive to precipitation than temperature, whereas <i>RH</i> and <i>NEP</i> are more sensitive to temperature than precipitation. The annual contribution rates of temperature and precipitation to the <i>NEP</i> are 28.79% and 23.23%, respectively. Additionally, drought has an important impact on the carbon source/sink in Central Asia. Drought intensified from 2001 to 2008, leading to a significant expansion of the carbon source area in Central Asia. Therefore, since the start of the 21st century, climate change has damaged the <i>NEP</i> of the Central Asian ecosystem. Varying degrees of warming under different climate scenarios will further aggravate the expansion of carbon source areas in Central Asia. An improved understanding of climate change impacts in Central Asia is critically required for sustainable development of the regional economy and protection of its natural environment. Our results provide a scientific reference for the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and global emissions reduction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:52:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-64706ae4a4e14176a1c81fdd20df95ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:52:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-64706ae4a4e14176a1c81fdd20df95ec2023-11-22T21:33:39ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-11-011321444910.3390/rs13214449Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central AsiaJingjing Zhang0Xingming Hao1Haichao Hao2Xue Fan3Yuanhang Li4State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaNumerous studies have confirmed that climate change leads to a decrease in the net ecosystem productivity (<i>NEP</i>) of terrestrial ecosystems and alters regional carbon source/sink patterns. However, the response mechanism of <i>NEP</i> to climate change in the arid regions of Central Asia remains unclear. Therefore, this study combined the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) and empirical models to estimate the <i>NEP</i> in Central Asia and quantitatively evaluate the sensitivity of the <i>NEP</i> to climate factors. The results show that although the net primary productivity (<i>NPP</i>) in Central Asia exhibits an increasing trend, it is not significant. Soil heterotrophic respiration (<i>RH</i>) has increased significantly, while the <i>NEP</i> has decreased at a rate of 6.1 g C·m<sup>−2</sup>·10 a<sup>−1</sup>. Spatially, the regional distribution of the significant increase in <i>RH</i> is consistent with that of the significant decrease in the <i>NEP</i>, which is concentrated in western and southern Central Asia. Specifically, the <i>NPP</i> is more sensitive to precipitation than temperature, whereas <i>RH</i> and <i>NEP</i> are more sensitive to temperature than precipitation. The annual contribution rates of temperature and precipitation to the <i>NEP</i> are 28.79% and 23.23%, respectively. Additionally, drought has an important impact on the carbon source/sink in Central Asia. Drought intensified from 2001 to 2008, leading to a significant expansion of the carbon source area in Central Asia. Therefore, since the start of the 21st century, climate change has damaged the <i>NEP</i> of the Central Asian ecosystem. Varying degrees of warming under different climate scenarios will further aggravate the expansion of carbon source areas in Central Asia. An improved understanding of climate change impacts in Central Asia is critically required for sustainable development of the regional economy and protection of its natural environment. Our results provide a scientific reference for the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and global emissions reduction.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/21/4449vegetation carbon source and sinknet ecosystem productivitynet primary productivitysensitivity analysisCentral Asia |
| spellingShingle | Jingjing Zhang Xingming Hao Haichao Hao Xue Fan Yuanhang Li Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia Remote Sensing vegetation carbon source and sink net ecosystem productivity net primary productivity sensitivity analysis Central Asia |
| title | Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia |
| title_full | Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia |
| title_fullStr | Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia |
| title_short | Climate Change Decreased Net Ecosystem Productivity in the Arid Region of Central Asia |
| title_sort | climate change decreased net ecosystem productivity in the arid region of central asia |
| topic | vegetation carbon source and sink net ecosystem productivity net primary productivity sensitivity analysis Central Asia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/21/4449 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jingjingzhang climatechangedecreasednetecosystemproductivityinthearidregionofcentralasia AT xingminghao climatechangedecreasednetecosystemproductivityinthearidregionofcentralasia AT haichaohao climatechangedecreasednetecosystemproductivityinthearidregionofcentralasia AT xuefan climatechangedecreasednetecosystemproductivityinthearidregionofcentralasia AT yuanhangli climatechangedecreasednetecosystemproductivityinthearidregionofcentralasia |