Response of Carbon Dynamics to Climate Change Varied among Different Vegetation Types in Central Asia

Qifei Han, Geping Luo, Chaofan Li and Shoubo Li
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Qifei Han: Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, School of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Geping Luo: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Chaofan Li: Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, School of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Shoubo Li: Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, School of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: The effect of climate change on the spatio-temporal patterns of the terrestrial carbon dynamics in Central Asia have not been adequately quantified despite its potential importance to the global carbon cycle. Therefore, the modified BioGeochemical Cycles (Biome-BGC) model was applied in this study to evaluate the impacts of climatic change on net primary productivity (NPP) and net ecosystem productivity. Four vegetation types were studied during the period 1979 to 2011: cropland, grassland, forest, and shrubland. The results indicated that: (1) The climate data showed that Central Asia experienced a rise in annual mean temperature and a decline in precipitation from 1979 to 2011; (2) the mean NPP for Central Asia in 1979–2011 was 281.79 gC m −2 yr −1 , and the cropland had the highest NPP compared with the other vegetation types, with a value of 646.25 gC m −2 yr −1 ; (3) grassland presented as a carbon source (−0.21 gC m −2 yr −1 ), whereas the other three types were carbon sinks; (4) the four vegetation types showed similar responses to climate variation during the past 30 years, and grassland is the most sensitive ecosystem in Central Asia. This study explored the possible implications for climate adaptation and mitigation.

Keywords: climate change; Central Asia; Biome-BGC; carbon cycle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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