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Ecosystem structural changes controlled by altered rainfall climatology in tropical savannas

Author

Listed:
  • Wenmin Zhang

    (University of Copenhagen
    Nanjing University)

  • Martin Brandt

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Josep Penuelas

    (CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra
    CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • Françoise Guichard

    (Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM), UMR CNRS 3589 and Météo-France)

  • Xiaoye Tong

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Feng Tian

    (University of Copenhagen
    Lund University)

  • Rasmus Fensholt

    (University of Copenhagen)

Abstract

Tropical savannas comprise mixed woodland grassland ecosystems in which trees and grasses compete for water resources thereby maintaining the spatial structuring of this ecosystem. A global change in rainfall climatology may impact the structure of tropical savanna ecosystems by favouring woody plants, relative to herbaceous vegetation. Here we analysed satellite data and observed a relatively higher increase in woody vegetation (5%) as compared to the increase in annual maximum leaf area index (LAImax, an indicator of the total green vegetation production) (3%) in arid and semi-arid savannas over recent decades. We further observed a declining sensitivity of LAImax to annual rainfall over 56% of the tropical savannas, spatially overlapping with areas of increased woody cover and altered rainfall climatology. This suggests a climate-induced shift in the coexistence of woody and herbaceous vegetation in savanna ecosystems, possibly caused by altered hydrological conditions with significance for land cover and associated biophysical effects such as surface albedo and evapotranspiration.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenmin Zhang & Martin Brandt & Josep Penuelas & Françoise Guichard & Xiaoye Tong & Feng Tian & Rasmus Fensholt, 2019. "Ecosystem structural changes controlled by altered rainfall climatology in tropical savannas," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-08602-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08602-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Zheng Fu & Philippe Ciais & Jean-Pierre Wigneron & Pierre Gentine & Andrew F. Feldman & David Makowski & Nicolas Viovy & Armen R. Kemanian & Daniel S. Goll & Paul C. Stoy & Iain Colin Prentice & Dan Y, 2024. "Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Zhang, Hui & Zhang, Xin & Shang, Yi & Kattel, Giri & Miao, Lijuan, 2021. "Continuously vegetation greening over Inner Mongolia for the past three decades," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(13).
    3. Yao Zhang & Pierre Gentine & Xiangzhong Luo & Xu Lian & Yanlan Liu & Sha Zhou & Anna M. Michalak & Wu Sun & Joshua B. Fisher & Shilong Piao & Trevor F. Keenan, 2022. "Increasing sensitivity of dryland vegetation greenness to precipitation due to rising atmospheric CO2," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Alexandra Gemitzi, 2020. "Are Vegetation Dynamics Impacted from a Nuclear Disaster? The Case of Chernobyl Using Remotely Sensed NDVI and Land Cover Data," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-19, November.

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