Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model
Recently a considerable amount of effort has been put into quantifying how interactions of the carbon and nitrogen cycle affect future terrestrial carbon sinks. Dynamic vegetation models, representing the nitrogen cycle with varying degree of complexity, have shown diverging constraints of nitrogen...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-11-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/6131/2014/bg-11-6131-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818429862842466304 |
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| author | D. Wårlind B. Smith T. Hickler A. Arneth |
| author_facet | D. Wårlind B. Smith T. Hickler A. Arneth |
| author_sort | D. Wårlind |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recently a considerable amount of effort has been put into quantifying how
interactions of the carbon and nitrogen cycle affect future terrestrial
carbon sinks. Dynamic vegetation models, representing the nitrogen cycle with
varying degree of complexity, have shown diverging constraints of nitrogen
dynamics on future carbon sequestration. In this study, we use LPJ-GUESS, a
dynamic vegetation model employing a detailed individual- and patch-based
representation of vegetation dynamics, to evaluate how population dynamics
and resource competition between plant functional types, combined with
nitrogen dynamics, have influenced the terrestrial carbon storage in the past
and to investigate how terrestrial carbon and nitrogen dynamics might change
in the future (1850 to 2100; one representative "business-as-usual" climate
scenario). Single-factor model experiments of CO<sub>2</sub> fertilisation and
climate change show generally similar directions of the responses of C–N
interactions, compared to the C-only version of the model as documented in
previous studies using other global models. Under an RCP 8.5 scenario,
nitrogen limitation suppresses potential CO<sub>2</sub> fertilisation, reducing the
cumulative net ecosystem carbon uptake between 1850 and 2100 by 61%, and
soil warming-induced increase in nitrogen mineralisation reduces terrestrial
carbon loss by 31%. When environmental changes are considered
conjointly, carbon sequestration is limited by nitrogen dynamics up to the
present. However, during the 21st century, nitrogen dynamics induce a net
increase in carbon sequestration, resulting in an overall larger carbon
uptake of 17% over the full period. This contrasts with previous results
with other global models that have shown an 8 to 37% decrease in carbon
uptake relative to modern baseline conditions. Implications for the
plausibility of earlier projections of future terrestrial C dynamics based on
C-only models are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:24:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66183a9ce0b949ee946f4da8421b5283 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:24:16Z |
| publishDate | 2014-11-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-66183a9ce0b949ee946f4da8421b52832022-12-21T22:56:03ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892014-11-0111216131614610.5194/bg-11-6131-2014Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation modelD. Wårlind0B. Smith1T. Hickler2A. Arneth3Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, SwedenDepartment of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, SwedenBiodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, GermanyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research/Atmospheric Environmental Research, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GermanyRecently a considerable amount of effort has been put into quantifying how interactions of the carbon and nitrogen cycle affect future terrestrial carbon sinks. Dynamic vegetation models, representing the nitrogen cycle with varying degree of complexity, have shown diverging constraints of nitrogen dynamics on future carbon sequestration. In this study, we use LPJ-GUESS, a dynamic vegetation model employing a detailed individual- and patch-based representation of vegetation dynamics, to evaluate how population dynamics and resource competition between plant functional types, combined with nitrogen dynamics, have influenced the terrestrial carbon storage in the past and to investigate how terrestrial carbon and nitrogen dynamics might change in the future (1850 to 2100; one representative "business-as-usual" climate scenario). Single-factor model experiments of CO<sub>2</sub> fertilisation and climate change show generally similar directions of the responses of C–N interactions, compared to the C-only version of the model as documented in previous studies using other global models. Under an RCP 8.5 scenario, nitrogen limitation suppresses potential CO<sub>2</sub> fertilisation, reducing the cumulative net ecosystem carbon uptake between 1850 and 2100 by 61%, and soil warming-induced increase in nitrogen mineralisation reduces terrestrial carbon loss by 31%. When environmental changes are considered conjointly, carbon sequestration is limited by nitrogen dynamics up to the present. However, during the 21st century, nitrogen dynamics induce a net increase in carbon sequestration, resulting in an overall larger carbon uptake of 17% over the full period. This contrasts with previous results with other global models that have shown an 8 to 37% decrease in carbon uptake relative to modern baseline conditions. Implications for the plausibility of earlier projections of future terrestrial C dynamics based on C-only models are discussed.http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/6131/2014/bg-11-6131-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | D. Wårlind B. Smith T. Hickler A. Arneth Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model Biogeosciences |
| title | Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model |
| title_full | Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model |
| title_fullStr | Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model |
| title_short | Nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual-based dynamic vegetation model |
| title_sort | nitrogen feedbacks increase future terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake in an individual based dynamic vegetation model |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/6131/2014/bg-11-6131-2014.pdf |
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