Modeling Ambitions Outpace Observations of Forest Carbon Allocation

Flurin Babst; Andrew D Friend; Maria Karamihalaki; Jingshu Wei; Georg von Arx; Dario Papale; Richard L Peters

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2020.10.002

Modeling Ambitions Outpace Observations of Forest Carbon Allocation

Trends Plant Sci. 2021 Mar;26(3):210-219. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.10.002. Epub 2020 Nov 7.

Authors

Flurin Babst¹, Andrew D Friend², Maria Karamihalaki³, Jingshu Wei³, Georg von Arx⁴, Dario Papale⁵, Richard L Peters⁶

Affiliations

¹ W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Krakow, Poland; Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: flurinbabst@gmail.com.
² Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EN, UK.
³ W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31-512 Krakow, Poland; Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
⁴ Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
⁵ DIBAF, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Universita, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
⁶ Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium.

PMID: 33168468
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.10.002

Abstract

There have been vociferous calls for 'tree-centered' vegetation models to refine predictions of forest carbon (C) cycling. Unfortunately, our global survey at flux-tower sites indicates insufficient empirical data support for this much-needed model development. We urge for a new generation of studies across large environmental gradients that strategically pair long-term ecosystem monitoring with manipulative experiments on mature trees. For this, we outline a versatile experimental framework to build cross-scale data archives of C uptake and allocation to structural, non-structural, and respiratory sinks. Community-wide efforts and discussions are needed to implement this framework, especially in hitherto underrepresented tropical forests. Global coordination and realistic priorities for data collection will thereby be key to achieve and maintain adequate empirical support for tree-centered vegetation modeling.

Keywords: carbon sink; climate; ecological scaling; flux tower; manipulative experiment; vegetation model.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Carbon Cycle
Carbon*
Ecosystem*
Forests
Trees

Substances

Carbon