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Asymmetric patterns and temporal changes in phenology-based seasonal gross carbon uptake of global terrestrial ecosystems

Wang, Lanhui ; Tian, Feng LU ; Huang, Ke ; Wang, Yuhang ; Wu, Zhendong LU and Fensholt, Rasmus (2020) In Global Ecology and Biogeography 29(6). p.1020-1033
Abstract

Aim: To study global patterns and temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics (quantity and seasonal distribution) of terrestrial gross carbon uptake in response to global environmental change. Location: Global. Time period: 2000–2016. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial ecosystems. Methods: Following a phenology-based definition of photosynthetic seasonality, we decompose gross primary production (GPP) into three periods, green-up, maturity and senescence, and derive their corresponding GPP (GPPgp, GPPmp and GPPsp, respectively) from a newly developed time series of satellite-based global GPP to study spatio-temporal dynamics of seasonal GPP. Results: We find that the global fraction of GPPsp (19.8%) is larger than GPPgp (14.3%), indicating... (More)

Aim: To study global patterns and temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics (quantity and seasonal distribution) of terrestrial gross carbon uptake in response to global environmental change. Location: Global. Time period: 2000–2016. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial ecosystems. Methods: Following a phenology-based definition of photosynthetic seasonality, we decompose gross primary production (GPP) into three periods, green-up, maturity and senescence, and derive their corresponding GPP (GPPgp, GPPmp and GPPsp, respectively) from a newly developed time series of satellite-based global GPP to study spatio-temporal dynamics of seasonal GPP. Results: We find that the global fraction of GPPsp (19.8%) is larger than GPPgp (14.3%), indicating a globally asymmetric seasonal distribution of gross carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. Globally, GPPmp plays a dominant role in shaping spatial patterns and increasing/decreasing trends in GPP, while GPPgp/GPPsp contributes to increasing GPP at the regional scale. Higher fractions of GPPgp/GPPmp (lower of GPPsp), as well as the co-occurrence of increasing GPP and non-tree vegetation cover in major croplands, are likely to be caused by agricultural intensification. Global changes in GPPgp and GPPsp are closely related to changes in their seasonal distributions (R =.86/.8, respectively), whereas this relationship is weaker for GPPmp (R =.53). Finally, high correlations are observed between changes in GPPgp and GPPsp and changes in their durations (R =.78/.78, respectively), while GPPmp shows a relatively lower correlation with its duration (R =.67). Main conclusions: The asymmetric spatio-temporal patterns in the seasonal dynamics of global terrestrial gross carbon uptake found here have been substantially reshaped by anthropogenic land-use/cover changes and changes in photosynthetic phenology. Compared to calendar-based meteorological seasons more suitable for temperate/subpolar ecosystems, our phenology-based approach is expected to provide an alternative starting point for a better understanding of global spatio-temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics of terrestrial ecosystem processes and functioning under accelerating global change.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
carbon uptake, GPP, growing season, land-use/cover change, phenology/seasonality, photosynthesis/primary production, terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation dynamics
in
Global Ecology and Biogeography
volume
29
issue
6
pages
14 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85081250788
ISSN
1466-822X
DOI
10.1111/geb.13084
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
210385b8-9f85-4f79-bc73-e1a3aa78a861
date added to LUP
2020-04-14 16:22:33
date last changed
2022-04-18 21:40:29
@article{210385b8-9f85-4f79-bc73-e1a3aa78a861,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aim: To study global patterns and temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics (quantity and seasonal distribution) of terrestrial gross carbon uptake in response to global environmental change. Location: Global. Time period: 2000–2016. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial ecosystems. Methods: Following a phenology-based definition of photosynthetic seasonality, we decompose gross primary production (GPP) into three periods, green-up, maturity and senescence, and derive their corresponding GPP (GPPgp, GPPmp and GPPsp, respectively) from a newly developed time series of satellite-based global GPP to study spatio-temporal dynamics of seasonal GPP. Results: We find that the global fraction of GPPsp (19.8%) is larger than GPPgp (14.3%), indicating a globally asymmetric seasonal distribution of gross carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. Globally, GPPmp plays a dominant role in shaping spatial patterns and increasing/decreasing trends in GPP, while GPPgp/GPPsp contributes to increasing GPP at the regional scale. Higher fractions of GPPgp/GPPmp (lower of GPPsp), as well as the co-occurrence of increasing GPP and non-tree vegetation cover in major croplands, are likely to be caused by agricultural intensification. Global changes in GPPgp and GPPsp are closely related to changes in their seasonal distributions (R =.86/.8, respectively), whereas this relationship is weaker for GPPmp (R =.53). Finally, high correlations are observed between changes in GPPgp and GPPsp and changes in their durations (R =.78/.78, respectively), while GPPmp shows a relatively lower correlation with its duration (R =.67). Main conclusions: The asymmetric spatio-temporal patterns in the seasonal dynamics of global terrestrial gross carbon uptake found here have been substantially reshaped by anthropogenic land-use/cover changes and changes in photosynthetic phenology. Compared to calendar-based meteorological seasons more suitable for temperate/subpolar ecosystems, our phenology-based approach is expected to provide an alternative starting point for a better understanding of global spatio-temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics of terrestrial ecosystem processes and functioning under accelerating global change.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wang, Lanhui and Tian, Feng and Huang, Ke and Wang, Yuhang and Wu, Zhendong and Fensholt, Rasmus}},
  issn         = {{1466-822X}},
  keywords     = {{carbon uptake; GPP; growing season; land-use/cover change; phenology/seasonality; photosynthesis/primary production; terrestrial ecosystems; vegetation dynamics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1020--1033}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Global Ecology and Biogeography}},
  title        = {{Asymmetric patterns and temporal changes in phenology-based seasonal gross carbon uptake of global terrestrial ecosystems}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/geb.13084}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/geb.13084}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}