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A physiology-based Earth observation model indicates stagnation in the global gross primary production during recent decades

Tagesson, Torbern LU ; Tian, Feng LU ; Schurgers, Guy LU ; Horion, Stephanie ; Scholes, Robert ; Ahlström, Anders LU orcid ; Ardö, Jonas LU orcid ; Moreno, Alvaro ; Madani, Nima and Olin, Stefan LU , et al. (2021) In Global Change Biology 27(4). p.836-854
Abstract

Earth observation-based estimates of global gross primary production (GPP) are essential for understanding the response of the terrestrial biosphere to climatic change and other anthropogenic forcing. In this study, we attempt an ecosystem-level physiological approach of estimating GPP using an asymptotic light response function (LRF) between GPP and incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that better represents the response observed at high spatiotemporal resolutions than the conventional light use efficiency approach. Modelled GPP is thereafter constrained with meteorological and hydrological variables. The variability in field-observed GPP, net primary productivity and solar-induced fluorescence was better or equally well... (More)

Earth observation-based estimates of global gross primary production (GPP) are essential for understanding the response of the terrestrial biosphere to climatic change and other anthropogenic forcing. In this study, we attempt an ecosystem-level physiological approach of estimating GPP using an asymptotic light response function (LRF) between GPP and incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that better represents the response observed at high spatiotemporal resolutions than the conventional light use efficiency approach. Modelled GPP is thereafter constrained with meteorological and hydrological variables. The variability in field-observed GPP, net primary productivity and solar-induced fluorescence was better or equally well captured by our LRF-based GPP when compared with six state-of-the-art Earth observation-based GPP products. Over the period 1982–2015, the LRF-based average annual global terrestrial GPP budget was 121.8 ± 3.5 Pg C, with a detrended inter-annual variability of 0.74 ± 0.13 Pg C. The strongest inter-annual variability was observed in semi-arid regions, but croplands in China and India also showed strong inter-annual variations. The trend in global terrestrial GPP during 1982–2015 was 0.27 ± 0.02 Pg C year−1, and was generally larger in the northern than the southern hemisphere. Most positive GPP trends were seen in areas with croplands whereas negative trends were observed for large non-cropped parts of the tropics. Trends were strong during the eighties and nineties but levelled off around year 2000. Other GPP products either showed no trends or continuous increase throughout the study period. This study benchmarks a first global Earth observation-based model using an asymptotic light response function, improving simulations of GPP, and reveals a stagnation in the global GPP after the year 2000.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
climate change, Earth system, GIMMS, land-atmosphere interactions, light use efficiency, photosynthesis, vegetation productivity
in
Global Change Biology
volume
27
issue
4
pages
836 - 854
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85097238926
  • pmid:33124068
ISSN
1354-1013
DOI
10.1111/gcb.15424
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
271bbaaf-a5bc-4327-8252-3390ee438f75
date added to LUP
2020-12-16 11:52:47
date last changed
2024-06-14 05:01:29
@article{271bbaaf-a5bc-4327-8252-3390ee438f75,
  abstract     = {{<p>Earth observation-based estimates of global gross primary production (GPP) are essential for understanding the response of the terrestrial biosphere to climatic change and other anthropogenic forcing. In this study, we attempt an ecosystem-level physiological approach of estimating GPP using an asymptotic light response function (LRF) between GPP and incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that better represents the response observed at high spatiotemporal resolutions than the conventional light use efficiency approach. Modelled GPP is thereafter constrained with meteorological and hydrological variables. The variability in field-observed GPP, net primary productivity and solar-induced fluorescence was better or equally well captured by our LRF-based GPP when compared with six state-of-the-art Earth observation-based GPP products. Over the period 1982–2015, the LRF-based average annual global terrestrial GPP budget was 121.8 ± 3.5 Pg C, with a detrended inter-annual variability of 0.74 ± 0.13 Pg C. The strongest inter-annual variability was observed in semi-arid regions, but croplands in China and India also showed strong inter-annual variations. The trend in global terrestrial GPP during 1982–2015 was 0.27 ± 0.02 Pg C year<sup>−1</sup>, and was generally larger in the northern than the southern hemisphere. Most positive GPP trends were seen in areas with croplands whereas negative trends were observed for large non-cropped parts of the tropics. Trends were strong during the eighties and nineties but levelled off around year 2000. Other GPP products either showed no trends or continuous increase throughout the study period. This study benchmarks a first global Earth observation-based model using an asymptotic light response function, improving simulations of GPP, and reveals a stagnation in the global GPP after the year 2000.</p>}},
  author       = {{Tagesson, Torbern and Tian, Feng and Schurgers, Guy and Horion, Stephanie and Scholes, Robert and Ahlström, Anders and Ardö, Jonas and Moreno, Alvaro and Madani, Nima and Olin, Stefan and Fensholt, Rasmus}},
  issn         = {{1354-1013}},
  keywords     = {{climate change; Earth system; GIMMS; land-atmosphere interactions; light use efficiency; photosynthesis; vegetation productivity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{836--854}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Global Change Biology}},
  title        = {{A physiology-based Earth observation model indicates stagnation in the global gross primary production during recent decades}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15424}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/gcb.15424}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}