Rocky Mountain Research Station Publications
RMRS Online Publication - Journal
Articles, External Publications, and Special Reports
Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange
across biomes and continents
Yi, Chuixiang; Ricciuto, Daniel; Li, Runze; Wolbeck, John; Xu, Xiyan; Nilsson, Mats; Frank, John; Massman, William J.; and others. 2010. Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange across biomes and continents. Environmental Research Letters. 5: 034007 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/5/3/034007.
Includes supplementary data.
Understanding the relationships between climate and carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems is critical to predict future levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide because of the potential accelerating effects of positive climatecarbon cycle feedbacks. However, directly observed relationships between climate and terrestrial CO2 exchange with the atmosphere across biomes and continents are lacking. Here we present data describing the relationships between net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) and climate factors as measured using the eddy covariance method at 125 unique sites in various ecosystems over six continents with a total of 559 site-years. We find that NEE observed at eddy covariance sites is (1) a strong function of mean annual temperature at mid- and high-latitudes, (2) a strong function of dryness at mid- and low-latitudes, and (3) a function of both temperature and dryness around the mid-latitudinal belt (45°N). The sensitivity of NEE to mean annual temperature breaks down at ~16 °C (a threshold value of mean annual temperature), above which no further increase of CO2 uptake with temperature was observed and dryness influence overrules temperature influence.
Keywords: NEE, climate control, terrestrial carbon sequestration, temperature, dryness, eddy flux, biomes, photosynthesis, respiration, global carbon cycle
About PDFs: For best results, do not open the PDF in your Web browser. Right-click on the PDF link to download the PDF file directly to your computer. Click here for more PDF help.
Download Article
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_other/rmrs_2010_yi_c001.pdf
PDF File Size: 1.2 MB
Title: RMRS Other
Publications: Climate control of terrestrial carbon exchange across
biomes and continents
Electronic Publish Date: September 15, 2010
Last Update: May
8, 2012