Photosynthetic capacity dominates the interannual variation of annual gross primary productivity in the Northern Hemisphere

Weikang Zhang; Guirui Yu; Zhi Chen; Xianjin Zhu; Lang Han; Zhaogang Liu; Yong Lin; Shijie Han; Liqing Sha; Huimin Wang; Yanfen Wang; Junhua Yan; Yiping Zhang; Mana Gharun

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157856

Photosynthetic capacity dominates the interannual variation of annual gross primary productivity in the Northern Hemisphere

Sci Total Environ. 2022 Nov 25:849:157856. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157856. Epub 2022 Aug 5.

Authors

Weikang Zhang¹, Guirui Yu², Zhi Chen³, Xianjin Zhu⁴, Lang Han⁵, Zhaogang Liu¹, Yong Lin¹, Shijie Han⁶, Liqing Sha⁷, Huimin Wang¹, Yanfen Wang⁸, Junhua Yan⁹, Yiping Zhang⁷, Mana Gharun¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: yugr@igsnrr.ac.cn.
³ Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: chenz@igsnrr.ac.cn.
⁴ College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 100161, China.
⁵ School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
⁶ School of Life Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China.
⁷ CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun 666303, China.
⁸ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
⁹ Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China.
¹⁰ Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Germany.

PMID: 35934043
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157856

Abstract

Annual gross primary productivity (AGPP) of terrestrial ecosystems is the largest carbon flux component in ecosystems; however, it's unclear whether photosynthetic capacity or phenology dominates interannual variation of AGPP, and a better understanding of this could contribute to estimation of carbon sinks and their interactions with climate change. In this study, observed GPP data of 494 site-years from 39 eddy covariance sites in Northern Hemisphere were used to investigate mechanisms of interannual variation of AGPP. This study first decomposed AGPP into three seasonal dynamic attribute parameters (growing season length (CUP), maximum daily GPP (GPP_max), and the ratio of mean daily GPP to GPP_max (α_GPP)), and then decomposed AGPP into mean leaf area index (LAI_m) and annual photosynthetic capacity per leaf area (AGPP_lm). Furthermore, GPP_max was decomposed into leaf area index of DOY_max (the day when GPP_max appeared) (LAI_max) and photosynthesis per leaf area of DOY_max (GPP_lmax). Relative contributions of parameters to AGPP and GPP_max were then calculated. Finally, environmental variables of DOY_max were extracted to analyze factors influencing interannual variation of GPP_lmax. Trends of AGPP in 39 ecosystems varied from -65.23 to 53.05 g C m^-2 yr^-2, with the mean value of 6.32 g C m^-2 yr^-2. Photosynthetic capacity (GPP_max and AGPP_lm), not CUP or LAI, was the main factor dominating interannual variation of AGPP. GPP_lmax determined the interannual variation of GPP_max, and temperature, water, and radiation conditions of DOY_max affected the interannual variation of GPP_lmax. This study used the cascade relationship of "environmental variables-GPP_lmax-GPP_max-AGPP" to explain the mechanism of interannual variation of AGPP, which can provide new ideas for the AGPP estimation based on seasonal dynamic of GPP.

Keywords: Annual gross primary productivity; Environmental variables; Interannual variation; Maximum daily GPP; Photosynthesis per leaf area.

MeSH terms

Carbon Cycle
Climate Change
Ecosystem*
Photosynthesis*
Seasons
Water

Substances

Water