Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century

The effects of future land use and land cover change on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and air quality are largely unknown. To investigate the potential effects associated with future changes in vegetation driven by atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations, c...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: S. Wu, L. J. Mickley, J. O. Kaplan, D. J. Jacob
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2012-02-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/1597/2012/acp-12-1597-2012.pdf
_version_ 1811317586253578240
author S. Wu
L. J. Mickley
J. O. Kaplan
D. J. Jacob
author_facet S. Wu
L. J. Mickley
J. O. Kaplan
D. J. Jacob
author_sort S. Wu
collection DOAJ
description The effects of future land use and land cover change on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and air quality are largely unknown. To investigate the potential effects associated with future changes in vegetation driven by atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations, climate, and anthropogenic land use over the 21st century, we performed a series of model experiments combining a general circulation model with a dynamic global vegetation model and an atmospheric chemical-transport model. Our results indicate that climate- and CO<sub>2</sub>-induced changes in vegetation composition and density between 2100 and 2000 could lead to decreases in summer afternoon surface ozone of up to 10 ppb over large areas of the northern mid-latitudes. This is largely driven by the substantial increases in ozone dry deposition associated with increases in vegetation density in a warmer climate with higher atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> abundance. Climate-driven vegetation changes over the period 2000–2100 lead to general increases in isoprene emissions, globally by 15% in 2050 and 36% in 2100. These increases in isoprene emissions result in decreases in surface ozone concentrations where the NO<sub>x</sub> levels are low, such as in remote tropical rainforests. However, over polluted regions, such as the northeastern United States, ozone concentrations are calculated to increase with higher isoprene emissions in the future. Increases in biogenic emissions also lead to higher concentrations of secondary organic aerosols, which increase globally by 10% in 2050 and 20% in 2100. Summertime surface concentrations of secondary organic aerosols are calculated to increase by up to 1 μg m<sup>−3</sup> and double for large areas in Eurasia over the period of 2000–2100. When we use a scenario of future anthropogenic land use change, we find less increase in global isoprene emissions due to replacement of higher-emitting forests by lower-emitting cropland. The global atmospheric burden of secondary organic aerosols changes little by 2100 when we account for future land use change, but both secondary organic aerosols and ozone show large regional changes at the surface.
first_indexed 2024-04-13T12:10:54Z
format Article
id doaj.art-91d6804088eb4ae7ba25ae36056a4ef7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1680-7316
1680-7324
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-13T12:10:54Z
publishDate 2012-02-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
spelling doaj.art-91d6804088eb4ae7ba25ae36056a4ef72022-12-22T02:47:30ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242012-02-011231597160910.5194/acp-12-1597-2012Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st centuryS. WuL. J. MickleyJ. O. KaplanD. J. JacobThe effects of future land use and land cover change on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and air quality are largely unknown. To investigate the potential effects associated with future changes in vegetation driven by atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations, climate, and anthropogenic land use over the 21st century, we performed a series of model experiments combining a general circulation model with a dynamic global vegetation model and an atmospheric chemical-transport model. Our results indicate that climate- and CO<sub>2</sub>-induced changes in vegetation composition and density between 2100 and 2000 could lead to decreases in summer afternoon surface ozone of up to 10 ppb over large areas of the northern mid-latitudes. This is largely driven by the substantial increases in ozone dry deposition associated with increases in vegetation density in a warmer climate with higher atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> abundance. Climate-driven vegetation changes over the period 2000–2100 lead to general increases in isoprene emissions, globally by 15% in 2050 and 36% in 2100. These increases in isoprene emissions result in decreases in surface ozone concentrations where the NO<sub>x</sub> levels are low, such as in remote tropical rainforests. However, over polluted regions, such as the northeastern United States, ozone concentrations are calculated to increase with higher isoprene emissions in the future. Increases in biogenic emissions also lead to higher concentrations of secondary organic aerosols, which increase globally by 10% in 2050 and 20% in 2100. Summertime surface concentrations of secondary organic aerosols are calculated to increase by up to 1 μg m<sup>−3</sup> and double for large areas in Eurasia over the period of 2000–2100. When we use a scenario of future anthropogenic land use change, we find less increase in global isoprene emissions due to replacement of higher-emitting forests by lower-emitting cropland. The global atmospheric burden of secondary organic aerosols changes little by 2100 when we account for future land use change, but both secondary organic aerosols and ozone show large regional changes at the surface.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/1597/2012/acp-12-1597-2012.pdf
spellingShingle S. Wu
L. J. Mickley
J. O. Kaplan
D. J. Jacob
Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
title_full Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
title_fullStr Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
title_short Impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
title_sort impacts of changes in land use and land cover on atmospheric chemistry and air quality over the 21st century
url http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/12/1597/2012/acp-12-1597-2012.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT swu impactsofchangesinlanduseandlandcoveronatmosphericchemistryandairqualityoverthe21stcentury
AT ljmickley impactsofchangesinlanduseandlandcoveronatmosphericchemistryandairqualityoverthe21stcentury
AT jokaplan impactsofchangesinlanduseandlandcoveronatmosphericchemistryandairqualityoverthe21stcentury
AT djjacob impactsofchangesinlanduseandlandcoveronatmosphericchemistryandairqualityoverthe21stcentury