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Process‐Oriented Modeling of a High Arctic Tundra Ecosystem: Long‐Term Carbon Budget and Ecosystem Responses to Interannual Variations of Climate

Zhang, Wenxin LU orcid ; Jansson, Per-Erik ; Schurgers, Guy ; Hollesen, Jørgen ; Lund, Magnus ; Abermann, Jakob and Elberling, Bo (2018) In Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences 123(4). p.1178-1196
Abstract
Terrestrial carbon (C) cycling in high Arctic tundra depends on ecosystem responses to
climatic warming and concurrent changes in environmental conditions. There are very few studies to
quantify long-term C budget in high Arctic tundra due to lack of sufficient measurements. Here based on
well-established multiyear measurements, we calibrated a process-oriented model (CoupModel) to quantify
various components of the C budget at a Cassiope tetragona heath ecosystem in northeast Greenland. Net
ecosystem exchange of CO
2
(NEE) for 2000–2014 was estimated at 15 ± 10 g C m
2
yr
1
. Ecosystem
respiration (ER) for nongrowing seasons was estimated at 10.3 ± 5.3 g C m
2
yr
1
,... (More)
Terrestrial carbon (C) cycling in high Arctic tundra depends on ecosystem responses to
climatic warming and concurrent changes in environmental conditions. There are very few studies to
quantify long-term C budget in high Arctic tundra due to lack of sufficient measurements. Here based on
well-established multiyear measurements, we calibrated a process-oriented model (CoupModel) to quantify
various components of the C budget at a Cassiope tetragona heath ecosystem in northeast Greenland. Net
ecosystem exchange of CO
2
(NEE) for 2000–2014 was estimated at 15 ± 10 g C m
2
yr
1
. Ecosystem
respiration (ER) for nongrowing seasons was estimated at 10.3 ± 5.3 g C m
2
yr
1
, representing around
13% of the annual ER. Significant trends for interannual variations of aboveground and belowground C fluxes
and stocks were found for the subperiods (i.e., 2000–2008 and 2008–2014) but not for the entire period.
Interannual variations of NEE largely relied on the response of gross primary production (GPP) and ER to
seasonal changes in climate. Moreover, the model showed that interannual variations of GPP, ER, and NEE
had a much higher linear correlation with July temperature and annual maximum thawing depth (ALD
max
)
than other climatic and site characteristics. ALD
max
had the highest correlation with the decomposition rate
of humus C. Overall, this modeling study suggests that a sink-source transition of the studied ecosystem
depends on ecosystem responses to interannual variations of climate and that the net C balance may be
sensitive to summer warmth and active layer thickness.
(Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences
volume
123
issue
4
pages
1178 - 1196
publisher
Wiley
external identifiers
  • scopus:85044852172
ISSN
2169-8953
DOI
10.1002%2F2017JG003956
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
6926f5a0-5399-435c-8f6d-df200539cb1d
date added to LUP
2018-09-22 19:26:57
date last changed
2022-04-25 17:21:52
@article{6926f5a0-5399-435c-8f6d-df200539cb1d,
  abstract     = {{Terrestrial carbon (C) cycling in high Arctic tundra depends on ecosystem responses to<br/>climatic warming and concurrent changes in environmental conditions. There are very few studies to<br/>quantify long-term C budget in high Arctic tundra due to lack of sufficient measurements. Here based on<br/>well-established multiyear measurements, we calibrated a process-oriented model (CoupModel) to quantify<br/>various components of the C budget at a Cassiope tetragona heath ecosystem in northeast Greenland. Net<br/>ecosystem exchange of CO<br/>2<br/>(NEE) for 2000–2014 was estimated at 15 ± 10 g C m<br/>2<br/>yr<br/>1<br/>. Ecosystem<br/>respiration (ER) for nongrowing seasons was estimated at 10.3 ± 5.3 g C m<br/>2<br/>yr<br/>1<br/>, representing around<br/>13% of the annual ER. Significant trends for interannual variations of aboveground and belowground C fluxes<br/>and stocks were found for the subperiods (i.e., 2000–2008 and 2008–2014) but not for the entire period.<br/>Interannual variations of NEE largely relied on the response of gross primary production (GPP) and ER to<br/>seasonal changes in climate. Moreover, the model showed that interannual variations of GPP, ER, and NEE<br/>had a much higher linear correlation with July temperature and annual maximum thawing depth (ALD<br/>max<br/>)<br/>than other climatic and site characteristics. ALD<br/>max<br/>had the highest correlation with the decomposition rate<br/>of humus C. Overall, this modeling study suggests that a sink-source transition of the studied ecosystem<br/>depends on ecosystem responses to interannual variations of climate and that the net C balance may be<br/>sensitive to summer warmth and active layer thickness.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Zhang, Wenxin and Jansson, Per-Erik and Schurgers, Guy and Hollesen, Jørgen and Lund, Magnus and Abermann, Jakob and Elberling, Bo}},
  issn         = {{2169-8953}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1178--1196}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley}},
  series       = {{Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences}},
  title        = {{Process‐Oriented Modeling of a High Arctic Tundra Ecosystem: Long‐Term Carbon Budget and Ecosystem Responses to Interannual Variations of Climate}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002%2F2017JG003956}},
  doi          = {{10.1002%2F2017JG003956}},
  volume       = {{123}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}