Recent decrease of the impact of tropical temperature on the carbon cycle linked to increased precipitation
Zhang, Wenmin (University of Copenhagen. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management)
Schurgers, Guy (University of Copenhagen. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management)
Peñuelas, Josep (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Fensholt, Rasmus (University of Copenhagen. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management)
Yang, Hui (Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry. Department for Biogeochemical Integration)
Tang, Jing (University of Copenhagen. Department of Biology)
Tong, Xiaowei (Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Ciais, Philippe (Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace. Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (France))
Brandt, Martin (University of Copenhagen. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	The atmospheric CO growth rate (CGR) variability is largely controlled by tropical temperature fluctuations. The sensitivity of CGR to tropical temperature has strongly increased since 1960, but here we show that this trend has ceased. Here, we use the long-term CO records from Mauna Loa and the South Pole to compute CGR, and show that increased by 200% from 1960-1979 to 1979-2000 but then decreased by 117% from 1980-2001 to 2001-2020, almost returning back to the level of the 1960s. Variations in are significantly correlated with changes in precipitation at a bi-decadal scale. These findings are further corroborated by results from a dynamic vegetation model, collectively suggesting that increases in precipitation control the decreased during recent decades. Our results indicate that wetter conditions have led to a decoupling of the impact of the tropical temperature variation on the carbon cycle. The authors show a recent decoupling of the tropical temperature variations and the carbon cycle that is driven by wetter conditions in the tropics.
Grants:	European Commission 947757
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Climate and Earth system modelling ; Environmental impact
Published in:	Nature communications, Vol. 14 (February 2023) , art. 965, ISSN 2041-1723

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36727-2
PMID: 36810352

9 p, 1.4 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles