Implications of improved representations of plant respiration in a changing climate

Huntingford, Chris ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5941-7770; Atkin, Owen K.; Martinez-de la Torre, Alberto ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0244-5348; Mercado, Lina M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4069-0838; Heskel, Mary A.; Harper, Anna B.; Bloomfield, Keith J.; O’Sullivan, Odhran S.; Reich, Peter B.; Wythers, Kirk R.; Butler, Ethan E.; Chen, Ming; Griffin, Kevin L.; Meir, Patrick; Tjoelker, Mark G.; Turnbull, Matthew H.; Sitch, Stephen; Wiltshire, Andy; Malhi, Yadvinder. 2017 Implications of improved representations of plant respiration in a changing climate. Nature Communications, 8, 1602. 11, pp. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01774-z

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Abstract/Summary

Land-atmosphere exchanges influence atmospheric CO2. Emphasis has been on describing photosynthetic CO2 uptake, but less on respiration losses. New global datasets describe upper canopy dark respiration (Rd) and temperature dependencies. This allows characterisation of baseline Rd, instantaneous temperature responses and longer-term thermal acclimation effects. Here we show the global implications of these parameterisations with a global gridded land model. This model aggregates Rd to whole-plant respiration Rp, driven with meteorological forcings spanning uncertainty across climate change models. For pre-industrial estimates, new baseline Rd increases Rp and especially in the tropics. Compared to new baseline, revised instantaneous response decreases Rp for mid-latitudes, while acclimation lowers this for the tropics with increases elsewhere. Under global warming, new Rd estimates amplify modelled respiration increases, although partially lowered by acclimation. Future measurements will refine how Rd aggregates to whole-plant respiration. Our analysis suggests Rp could be around 30% higher than existing estimates.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01774-z
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Hydro-climate Risks (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2041-1723
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	carbon cycle, climate and earth system modelling, ecological modelling
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	27 Nov 2017 12:00 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/518398

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