Absolute Contribution of the Non-Uniform Spatial Distribution of Atmospheric CO 2 to Net Primary Production through CO 2 -Radiative Forcing

Jing Peng, Li Dan, Jinming Feng, Kairan Ying, Xiba Tang and Fuqiang Yang
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Jing Peng: CAS Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Li Dan: CAS Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Jinming Feng: CAS Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Kairan Ying: CAS Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Xiba Tang: Laboratory of Cloud-Precipitation Physics and Severe Storms (LACS), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Beijing 100029, China
Fuqiang Yang: CAS Key Laboratory of Regional Climate-Environment for Temperate East Asia, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Atmospheric concentrations of CO 2 are the most important driver of the Earth’s climate and ecosystems through CO 2 -radiative forcing, fueling the surface temperature and latent heat flux on half-century timescales. We used FGOALS-s2 coupled with AVIM2 to estimate the response of net primary production (NPP) to spatial variations in CO 2 during the time period 1956–2005. We investigated how the induced variations in surface temperature and soil moisture influence NPP and the feedback of the oceans and sea ice on changes in NPP. The spatial variations in the concentrations of CO 2 resulted in a decrease in NPP from 1956 to 2005 when we included ocean and sea ice dynamics, but a slight increase in NPP without ocean and sea ice dynamics. One of the reasons is that the positive feedback of sea temperature to the surface temperature leads to a significant decrease in tropical NPP. Globally, the non-uniform spatial distribution of CO 2 absolutely contributed about 14.3% ± 2.2% to the terrestrial NPP when we included ocean and sea ice dynamics or about 11.5% ± 1.1% without ocean and sea ice dynamics. Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the response of NPP to spatial variations in atmospheric CO 2 through CO 2 -radiative forcing, particularly at low latitudes, to better constrain the predicted carbon flux under current and future conditions. We also highlight the fundamental importance of changes in soil moisture in determining the pattern, response and magnitude of NPP to the non-uniform spatial distribution of CO 2 under a warming climate.

Keywords: non-uniform CO 2; CO 2 -radiative forcing; net primary production; surface temperature; soil moisture; sea surface temperature (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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