Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO2 Uptake

Masayuki Kondo, Kazuhito Ichii, Prabir K. Patra, Benjamin Poulter, Leonardo Calle, Charles Koven, Thomas A.M. Pugh, Etsushi Kato, Anna Harper, Sönke Zaehle, Andy Wiltshire

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The increasing strength of land CO2 uptake in the 2000s has been attributed to a stimulating effect of rising atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis (CO2 fertilization). Using terrestrial biosphere models, we show that enhanced CO2 uptake is induced not only by CO2 fertilization but also an increasing uptake by plant regrowth (accounting for 0.33 ± 0.10 Pg C/year increase of CO2 uptake in the 2000s compared with the 1960s–1990s) with its effect most pronounced in eastern North America, southern-eastern Europe, and southeastern temperate Eurasia. Our analysis indicates that ecosystems in North America and Europe have established the current productive state through regrowth since the 1960s, and those in temperate Eurasia are still in a stage from regrowth following active afforestation in the 1980s–1990s. As the strength of model representation of CO2 fertilization is still in debate, plant regrowth might have a greater potential to sequester carbon than indicated by this study.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4820-4830
Number of pages11
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume45
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018 May 28
Externally publishedYes

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Environmental Sciences

Free keywords

  • biosphere model
  • carbon budget
  • CO fertilization
  • land use change
  • plant regrowth

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