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Why models underestimate West African tropical forest primary productivity

Author

Listed:
  • Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

  • Xiongjie Deng

    (University of Oxford)

  • Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

  • Benjamin D. Stocker

    (University of Bern
    University of Bern)

  • Eleanor Thomson

    (University of Oxford)

  • Ruijie Ding

    (Silwood Park Campus)

  • Stephen Adu-Bredu

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
    CSIR College of Science and Technology)

  • Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi

    (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)

  • Agne Gvozdevaite

    (University of Oxford)

  • Sam Moore

    (University of Oxford)

  • Imma Oliveras Menor

    (University of Oxford
    Université de Montpellier)

  • I. Colin Prentice

    (Silwood Park Campus)

  • Yadvinder Malhi

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

Abstract

Tropical forests dominate terrestrial photosynthesis, yet there are major contradictions in our understanding due to a lack of field studies, especially outside the tropical Americas. A recent field study indicated that West African forests have among the highest forests gross primary productivity (GPP) yet observed, contradicting models that rank them lower than Amazonian forests. Here, we show possible reasons for this data-model mismatch. We found that biometric GPP measurements are on average 56.3% higher than multiple global GPP products at the study sites. The underestimation of GPP largely disappears when a standard photosynthesis model is informed by local field-measured values of (a) fractional absorbed photosynthetic radiation (fAPAR), and (b) photosynthetic traits. Remote sensing products systematically underestimate fAPAR (33.9% on average at study sites) due to cloud contamination issues. The study highlights the potential widespread underestimation of tropical forests GPP and carbon cycling and hints at the ways forward for model and input data improvement.

Suggested Citation

  • Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng & Xiongjie Deng & Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez & Benjamin D. Stocker & Eleanor Thomson & Ruijie Ding & Stephen Adu-Bredu & Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi & Agne Gvozdevaite & Sam Moore & Imma Oliv, 2024. "Why models underestimate West African tropical forest primary productivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-53949-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53949-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Remko A Duursma, 2015. "Plantecophys - An R Package for Analysing and Modelling Leaf Gas Exchange Data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Huanyuan Zhang-Zheng & Stephen Adu-Bredu & Akwasi Duah-Gyamfi & Sam Moore & Shalom D. Addo-Danso & Lucy Amissah & Riccardo Valentini & Gloria Djagbletey & Kelvin Anim-Adjei & John Quansah & Bernice Sa, 2024. "Contrasting carbon cycle along tropical forest aridity gradients in West Africa and Amazonia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Yi Y. Liu & Albert I. J. M. van Dijk & Richard A. M. de Jeu & Josep G. Canadell & Matthew F. McCabe & Jason P. Evans & Guojie Wang, 2015. "Recent reversal in loss of global terrestrial biomass," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(5), pages 470-474, May.
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