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CO2, nitrogen deposition and a discontinuous climate response drive water use efficiency in global forests

Author

Listed:
  • Mark A. Adams

    (Swinburne University of Technology
    University of Sydney)

  • Thomas N. Buckley

    (University of California)

  • Dan Binkley

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Mathias Neumann

    (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences)

  • Tarryn L. Turnbull

    (Swinburne University of Technology
    University of Sydney)

Abstract

Reduced stomatal conductance is a common plant response to rising atmospheric CO2 and increases water use efficiency (W). At the leaf-scale, W depends on water and nitrogen availability in addition to atmospheric CO2. In hydroclimate models W is a key driver of rainfall, droughts, and streamflow extremes. We used global climate data to derive Aridity Indices (AI) for forests over the period 1965–2015 and synthesised those with data for nitrogen deposition and W derived from stable isotopes in tree rings. AI and atmospheric CO2 account for most of the variance in W of trees across the globe, while cumulative nitrogen deposition has a significant effect only in regions without strong legacies of atmospheric pollution. The relation of aridity and W displays a clear discontinuity. W and AI are strongly related below a threshold value of AI ≈ 1 but are not related where AI > 1. Tree ring data emphasise that effective demarcation of water-limited from non-water-limited behaviour of stomata is critical to improving hydrological models that operate at regional to global scales.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark A. Adams & Thomas N. Buckley & Dan Binkley & Mathias Neumann & Tarryn L. Turnbull, 2021. "CO2, nitrogen deposition and a discontinuous climate response drive water use efficiency in global forests," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-25365-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25365-1
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Zefeng Chen & Weiguang Wang & Giovanni Forzieri & Alessandro Cescatti, 2024. "Transition from positive to negative indirect CO2 effects on the vegetation carbon uptake," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.

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