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Dynamic Vegetation Simulations of the Mid-Holocene Green Sahara

Zhengyao, Lu LU ; Miller, Paul LU ; Zhang, Qiong ; Zhang, Qiang ; Wårlind, David LU orcid ; Nieradzik, Lars LU orcid ; Sjolte, Jesper LU orcid and Smith, Benjamin LU (2018) In Geophysical Research Letters 45(16). p.8294-8303
Abstract
The “Green Sahara” is a period when North Africa was characterized by vegetation cover and wetlands. To qualitatively identify the orbital-climatic causation of the Green Sahara regime, we performed dynamic vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) simulations, driven by climate forcings from coupled general circulation model (EC-Earth) simulations for the mid-Holocene, in which the vegetation is prescribed to be either modern desert or artificially vegetated with a reduced dust load. LPJ-GUESS simulates a vegetated Sahara covered by both herbaceous and woody vegetation types consistent with proxy reconstructions only in the latter scenario. Sensitivity experiments identify interactions required to capture the northward extension of vegetation.... (More)
The “Green Sahara” is a period when North Africa was characterized by vegetation cover and wetlands. To qualitatively identify the orbital-climatic causation of the Green Sahara regime, we performed dynamic vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) simulations, driven by climate forcings from coupled general circulation model (EC-Earth) simulations for the mid-Holocene, in which the vegetation is prescribed to be either modern desert or artificially vegetated with a reduced dust load. LPJ-GUESS simulates a vegetated Sahara covered by both herbaceous and woody vegetation types consistent with proxy reconstructions only in the latter scenario. Sensitivity experiments identify interactions required to capture the northward extension of vegetation. Increased precipitation is the main driver of the vegetation extent changes, and the temperature anomalies determine the plant functional types mainly through altered fire disturbance. Furthermore, the simulated vegetation composition also depends on the correct representation of soil texture in a humid environment like Green Sahara. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Geophysical Research Letters
volume
45
issue
16
pages
8294 - 8303
publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85053214229
ISSN
1944-8007
DOI
10.1029/2018GL079195
project
Simulera gröna Sahara med en jordsystemmodell
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
768d7937-9f94-4347-b3a8-046f7b65be81
date added to LUP
2018-09-13 12:10:11
date last changed
2023-10-06 10:13:41
@article{768d7937-9f94-4347-b3a8-046f7b65be81,
  abstract     = {{The “Green Sahara” is a period when North Africa was characterized by vegetation cover and wetlands. To qualitatively identify the orbital-climatic causation of the Green Sahara regime, we performed dynamic vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) simulations, driven by climate forcings from coupled general circulation model (EC-Earth) simulations for the mid-Holocene, in which the vegetation is prescribed to be either modern desert or artificially vegetated with a reduced dust load. LPJ-GUESS simulates a vegetated Sahara covered by both herbaceous and woody vegetation types consistent with proxy reconstructions only in the latter scenario. Sensitivity experiments identify interactions required to capture the northward extension of vegetation. Increased precipitation is the main driver of the vegetation extent changes, and the temperature anomalies determine the plant functional types mainly through altered fire disturbance. Furthermore, the simulated vegetation composition also depends on the correct representation of soil texture in a humid environment like Green Sahara.}},
  author       = {{Zhengyao, Lu and Miller, Paul and Zhang, Qiong and Zhang, Qiang and Wårlind, David and Nieradzik, Lars and Sjolte, Jesper and Smith, Benjamin}},
  issn         = {{1944-8007}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{16}},
  pages        = {{8294--8303}},
  publisher    = {{American Geophysical Union (AGU)}},
  series       = {{Geophysical Research Letters}},
  title        = {{Dynamic Vegetation Simulations of the Mid-Holocene Green Sahara}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079195}},
  doi          = {{10.1029/2018GL079195}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}