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A constraint on historic growth in global photosynthesis due to rising CO2

Author

Listed:
  • T. F. Keenan

    (Policy and Management, UC Berkeley
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • X. Luo

    (Policy and Management, UC Berkeley
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    National University of Singapore)

  • B. D. Stocker

    (University of Bern
    ETH
    Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL
    University of Bern)

  • M. G. Kauwe

    (University of Bristol
    ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes
    University of New South Wales)

  • B. E. Medlyn

    (Western Sydney University)

  • I. C. Prentice

    (Imperial College London
    Macquarie University
    Tsinghua University, Haidian)

  • N. G. Smith

    (Texas Tech University)

  • C. Terrer

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • H. Wang

    (Tsinghua University, Haidian)

  • Y. Zhang

    (Policy and Management, UC Berkeley
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    Peking University)

  • S. Zhou

    (Policy and Management, UC Berkeley
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
    Columbia University)

Abstract

Theory predicts that rising CO2 increases global photosynthesis, a process known as CO2 fertilization, and that this is responsible for much of the current terrestrial carbon sink. The estimated magnitude of the historic CO2 fertilization, however, differs by an order of magnitude between long-term proxies, remote sensing-based estimates and terrestrial biosphere models. Here we constrain the likely historic effect of CO2 on global photosynthesis by combining terrestrial biosphere models, ecological optimality theory, remote sensing approaches and an emergent constraint based on global carbon budget estimates. Our analysis suggests that CO2 fertilization increased global annual terrestrial photosynthesis by 13.5 ± 3.5% or 15.9 ± 2.9 PgC (mean ± s.d.) between 1981 and 2020. Our results help resolve conflicting estimates of the historic sensitivity of global terrestrial photosynthesis to CO2 and highlight the large impact anthropogenic emissions have had on ecosystems worldwide.

Suggested Citation

  • T. F. Keenan & X. Luo & B. D. Stocker & M. G. Kauwe & B. E. Medlyn & I. C. Prentice & N. G. Smith & C. Terrer & H. Wang & Y. Zhang & S. Zhou, 2023. "A constraint on historic growth in global photosynthesis due to rising CO2," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 13(12), pages 1376-1381, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:13:y:2023:i:12:d:10.1038_s41558-023-01867-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01867-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zaichun Zhu & Shilong Piao & Ranga B. Myneni & Mengtian Huang & Zhenzhong Zeng & Josep G. Canadell & Philippe Ciais & Stephen Sitch & Pierre Friedlingstein & Almut Arneth & Chunxiang Cao & Lei Cheng &, 2016. "Greening of the Earth and its drivers," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(8), pages 791-795, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Denis J. Murphy, 2024. "Carbon Sequestration by Tropical Trees and Crops: A Case Study of Oil Palm," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-31, July.

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