Effects of Climate Disturbances on Carbon Cycle
Author Information
Author(s): Tim Erbrecht, Wolfgang Lucht
Primary Institution: Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Hypothesis
How do large-scale climatic disturbances affect the terrestrial carbon cycle?
Conclusion
The study concludes that soil processes, rather than vegetation activity, predominantly control the two largest variations in the global carbon cycle over the last 25 years.
Supporting Evidence
- The LPJ model accurately simulates the terrestrial modulation of atmospheric carbon anomalies for the two extreme disturbances analyzed.
- Soil respiration's response to temperature and precipitation changes explains most of the modelled anomalous CO2 flux.
- The study highlights that changes in soil processes can significantly influence atmospheric CO2 levels during climatic events.
Takeaway
This study shows that when big climate events happen, it's mostly the soil that affects how much carbon is in the air, not the plants.
Methodology
The study used the LPJ biogeochemical model to analyze the effects of temperature and precipitation on net primary production and soil respiration during significant climate anomalies.
Limitations
The quality of modelled soil carbon decomposition is less certain than that of net primary production.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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