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Effect of interannual climate variability on carbon storage in Amazonian ecosystems

Author

Listed:
  • Hanqin Tian

    (The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory)

  • Jerry M. Melillo

    (The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory)

  • David W. Kicklighter

    (The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory)

  • A. David McGuire

    (US Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Alaska)

  • John V. K. Helfrich

    (The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory)

  • Berrien Moore

    (Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire)

  • Charles J. Vörösmarty

    (Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire)

Abstract

The Amazon Basin contains almost one-half of the world's undisturbed tropical evergreen forest as well as large areas of tropical savanna1,2. The forests account for about 10 per cent of the world's terrestrial primary productivity and for a similar fraction of the carbon stored in land ecosystems2,3, and short-term field measurements4 suggest that these ecosystems are globally important carbon sinks. But tropical land ecosystems have experienced substantial interannual climate variability owing to frequent El Niño episodes in recent decades5. Of particular importance to climate change policy is how such climate variations, coupled with increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration, affect terrestrial carbon storage6,7,8. Previous model analyses have demonstrated the importance of temperature in controlling carbon storage9,10. Here we use a transient process-based biogeochemical model of terrestrial ecosystems3,11 to investigate interannual variations of carbon storage in undisturbed Amazonian ecosystems in response to climate variability and increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration during the period 1980 to 1994. In El Niño years, which bring hot, dry weather to much of the Amazon region, the ecosystems act as a source of carbon to the atmosphere (up to 0.2 petagrams of carbon in 1987 and 1992). In other years, these ecosystems act as a carbon sink (up to 0.7 Pg C in 1981 and 1993). These fluxes are large; they compare to a 0.3 Pg C per year source to the atmosphere associated with deforestation inthe Amazon Basin in the early 1990s12. Soil moisture, which is affected by both precipitation and temperature, and which affects both plant and soil processes, appears to be an important control on carbon storage.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanqin Tian & Jerry M. Melillo & David W. Kicklighter & A. David McGuire & John V. K. Helfrich & Berrien Moore & Charles J. Vörösmarty, 1998. "Effect of interannual climate variability on carbon storage in Amazonian ecosystems," Nature, Nature, vol. 396(6712), pages 664-667, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:396:y:1998:i:6712:d:10.1038_25328
    DOI: 10.1038/25328
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Miquelajauregui, Yosune & Cumming, Steven G. & Gauthier, Sylvie, 2019. "Short-term responses of boreal carbon stocks to climate change: A simulation study of black spruce forests," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 409(C), pages 1-1.
    2. Giulio Volpi, 2007. "Climate Mitigation, Deforestation and Human Development in Brazil," Human Development Occasional Papers (1992-2007) HDOCPA-2007-39, Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    3. Guodong Sun & Mu Mu, 2013. "Understanding variations and seasonal characteristics of net primary production under two types of climate change scenarios in China using the LPJ model," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 755-769, October.
    4. Kamaljit Banger & Hanqin Tian & Bo Tao & Wei Ren & Shufen Pan & Shree Dangal & Jia Yang, 2015. "Terrestrial net primary productivity in India during 1901–2010: contributions from multiple environmental changes," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 132(4), pages 575-588, October.
    5. Néstor Montalván-Burbano & Andrés Velastegui-Montoya & Miguel Gurumendi-Noriega & Fernando Morante-Carballo & Marcos Adami, 2021. "Worldwide Research on Land Use and Land Cover in the Amazon Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-24, May.
    6. Sohngen, Brent & Tian, Xiaohui, 2016. "Global climate change impacts on forests and markets," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 18-26.

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