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Underestimation of Global Photosynthesis in Earth System Models Due to Representation of Vegetation Structure

Authors :
Renato K. Braghiere
Jing M. Chen
Liming He
Emily Black
Tristan Quaife
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
NASA-California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)
University of California (UC)
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
University of Reading (UOR)
University of Toronto
Laboratory of Environmental Model and Data Optima
Partenaires INRAE
'Science without Borders' program - CAPESBrazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education within the Ministry of Education of Brazil : 9549-13-7
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
NASA's IDS program
NERC Natural Environment Research Council : NE/R016518/1
European Project: 727217,ReMIX(2017)
California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)-NASA
University of California
Source :
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2019, pp.1358-1369. ⟨10.1029/2018GB006135⟩, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, American Geophysical Union, 2019, pp.1358-1369. ⟨10.1029/2018GB006135⟩
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
HAL CCSD, 2019.

Abstract

International audience; The impact of vegetation structure on the absorption of shortwave radiation in Earth System Models (ESMs) is potentially important for accurate modeling of the carbon cycle and hence climate projections. A proportion of incident shortwave radiation is used by plants to photosynthesize and canopy structure has a direct impact on the fraction of this radiation which is absorbed. This paper evaluates how modeled carbon assimilation of the terrestrial biosphere is impacted when clumping derived from satellite data is incorporated. We evaluated impacts of clumping on photosynthesis using the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator, the land surface scheme of the UK Earth System Model. At the global level, Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) increased by 5.53 +/- 1.02 PgC/year with the strongest absolute increase in the tropics. This is contrary to previous studies that have shown a decrease in photosynthesis when similar clumping data sets have been used to modify light interception in models. In our study additional transmission of light through upper canopy layers leads to enhanced absorption in lower layers in which photosynthesis tends to be light limited. We show that this result is related to the complexity of canopy scheme being used.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
08866236 and 19449224
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 2019, pp.1358-1369. ⟨10.1029/2018GB006135⟩, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, American Geophysical Union, 2019, pp.1358-1369. ⟨10.1029/2018GB006135⟩
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....dc4d93e506aba206523c3d4f0c39a3c9
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GB006135⟩