Land-Surface Characteristics and Climate in West Africa: Models’ Biases and Impacts of Historical Anthropogenically-Induced Deforestation

Souleymane Sy, Nathalie De Noblet-Ducoudré, Benjamin Quesada, Ibrahima Sy, Amadou Moctar Dieye, Amadou Thierno Gaye and Benjamin Sultan
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Souleymane Sy: Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Siméon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Cheikh Anta Diop University, B.P. 5005 Dakar-Fann, Sénégal
Nathalie De Noblet-Ducoudré: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte CEA-CNRS-UVSQ Bât. 712, Point Courrier 132, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France
Benjamin Quesada: Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research–Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (IMK-IFU, KIT), 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Ibrahima Sy: Centre de Suivi Ecologique, Fann-Résidence, B.P. 15532 Dakar-Fann, Sénégal
Amadou Moctar Dieye: Centre de Suivi Ecologique, Fann-Résidence, B.P. 15532 Dakar-Fann, Sénégal
Amadou Thierno Gaye: Laboratoire de Physique de l’Atmosphère et de l’Océan Siméon-Fongang (LPAO-SF), Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Cheikh Anta Diop University, B.P. 5005 Dakar-Fann, Sénégal
Benjamin Sultan: Laboratoire d’Océanographie et du Climat: Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Sorbonne Universités (UPMC, Univ Paris 06)-CNRS-IRD-MNHN, 75005 Paris, France

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-24

Abstract: Land Use Land-Cover Change (LULCC), such as deforestation, affects the climate system and land-atmosphere interactions. Using simulations carried out within the LUCID (Land Use and Climate, IDentification of robust Impacts) project framework, we first quantify the role of historical land-cover change induced by human activities on surface climate in West Africa. Focusing on two contrasted African regions, we find that climate responses of land-use changes are small but they are still statistically significant. In Western Sahel, a statistically significant near-surface atmospheric cooling and a decrease in water recycling are simulated in summer in response to LULCC. Over the Guinean zone, models simulate a significant decrease in precipitation and water recycling in autumn in response to LULCC. This signal is comparable in magnitude with the effect induced by the increase in greenhouse gases. Simulated climate changes due to historical LULCC could however be underestimated because: (i) the prescribed LULCC can be underestimated in those regions; (ii) the climate models underestimate the coupling strength between West African surface climate and leaf area index (LAI) and (iii) the lack of interactive LAI in some models. Finally, our study reveals indirect atmospheric processes triggered by LULCC. Over the Western Sahel, models reveal that a significant decrease in solar reflection tend to cool down the surface and thus counteract the atmospheric feedback. Conversely, over the Guinea zone, models reveal that the indirect atmospheric processes and turbulent heat fluxes dominate the climatic responses over the direct effects of LULCC.

Keywords: climate change; deforestation; land use-land cover change; land-atmosphere interaction; land surface models; LUCID; West Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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