Articles | Volume 11, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6939-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6939-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Dec 2014
Research article |
| 11 Dec 2014
Continental-scale impacts of intra-seasonal rainfall variability on simulated ecosystem responses in Africa
K. Guan
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
Department of Environmental Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94025, USA
S. P. Good
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
K. K. Caylor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
H. Sato
Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, D2-1(510) Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
E. F. Wood
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
H. Li
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
Related authors
Fabien H. Wagner, Bruno Hérault, Damien Bonal, Clément Stahl, Liana O. Anderson, Timothy R. Baker, Gabriel Sebastian Becker, Hans Beeckman, Danilo Boanerges Souza, Paulo Cesar Botosso, David M. J. S. Bowman, Achim Bräuning, Benjamin Brede, Foster Irving Brown, Jesus Julio Camarero, Plínio Barbosa Camargo, Fernanda C. G. Cardoso, Fabrício Alvim Carvalho, Wendeson Castro, Rubens Koloski Chagas, Jérome Chave, Emmanuel N. Chidumayo, Deborah A. Clark, Flavia Regina Capellotto Costa, Camille Couralet, Paulo Henrique da Silva Mauricio, Helmut Dalitz, Vinicius Resende de Castro, Jaçanan Eloisa de Freitas Milani, Edilson Consuelo de Oliveira, Luciano de Souza Arruda, Jean-Louis Devineau, David M. Drew, Oliver Dünisch, Giselda Durigan, Elisha Elifuraha, Marcio Fedele, Ligia Ferreira Fedele, Afonso Figueiredo Filho, César Augusto Guimarães Finger, Augusto César Franco, João Lima Freitas Júnior, Franklin Galvão, Aster Gebrekirstos, Robert Gliniars, Paulo Maurício Lima de Alencastro Graça, Anthony D. Griffiths, James Grogan, Kaiyu Guan, Jürgen Homeier, Maria Raquel Kanieski, Lip Khoon Kho, Jennifer Koenig, Sintia Valerio Kohler, Julia Krepkowski, José Pires Lemos-Filho, Diana Lieberman, Milton Eugene Lieberman, Claudio Sergio Lisi, Tomaz Longhi Santos, José Luis López Ayala, Eduardo Eijji Maeda, Yadvinder Malhi, Vivian R. B. Maria, Marcia C. M. Marques, Renato Marques, Hector Maza Chamba, Lawrence Mbwambo, Karina Liana Lisboa Melgaço, Hooz Angela Mendivelso, Brett P. Murphy, Joseph J. O'Brien, Steven F. Oberbauer, Naoki Okada, Raphaël Pélissier, Lynda D. Prior, Fidel Alejandro Roig, Michael Ross, Davi Rodrigo Rossatto, Vivien Rossi, Lucy Rowland, Ervan Rutishauser, Hellen Santana, Mark Schulze, Diogo Selhorst, Williamar Rodrigues Silva, Marcos Silveira, Susanne Spannl, Michael D. Swaine, José Julio Toledo, Marcos Miranda Toledo, Marisol Toledo, Takeshi Toma, Mario Tomazello Filho, Juan Ignacio Valdez Hernández, Jan Verbesselt, Simone Aparecida Vieira, Grégoire Vincent, Carolina Volkmer de Castilho, Franziska Volland, Martin Worbes, Magda Lea Bolzan Zanon, and Luiz E. O. C. Aragão
Biogeosciences, 13, 2537–2562, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2537-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2537-2016, 2016
Noemi Vergopolan, Sitian Xiong, Lyndon Estes, Niko Wanders, Nathaniel W. Chaney, Eric F. Wood, Megan Konar, Kelly Caylor, Hylke E. Beck, Nicolas Gatti, Tom Evans, and Justin Sheffield
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1827–1847, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1827-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1827-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Drought monitoring and yield prediction often rely on coarse-scale hydroclimate data or (infrequent) vegetation indexes that do not always indicate the conditions farmers face in the field. Consequently, decision-making based on these indices can often be disconnected from the farmer reality. Our study focuses on smallholder farming systems in data-sparse developing countries, and it shows how field-scale soil moisture can leverage and improve crop yield prediction and drought impact assessment.
Hylke E. Beck, Ming Pan, Diego G. Miralles, Rolf H. Reichle, Wouter A. Dorigo, Sebastian Hahn, Justin Sheffield, Lanka Karthikeyan, Gianpaolo Balsamo, Robert M. Parinussa, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Jinyang Du, John S. Kimball, Noemi Vergopolan, and Eric F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 17–40, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-17-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-17-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We evaluated the largest and most diverse set of surface soil moisture products ever evaluated in a single study. We found pronounced differences in performance among individual products and product groups. Our results provide guidance to choose the most suitable product for a particular application.
Colby K. Fisher, Ming Pan, and Eric F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 293–305, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-293-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-293-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Poorly monitored river flows in many regions of the world have been hindering our ability to accurately estimate global water usage. In this paper we present a method to derive continuous records of streamflow from a set of in situ gauges. Applying this method to the Ohio River basin, we found that we could reliably generate estimates of streamflow throughout the basin using only a small set of streamflow gauges, which can be useful for global river basins where we do not have good observations.
Hylke E. Beck, Ming Pan, Tirthankar Roy, Graham P. Weedon, Florian Pappenberger, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, George J. Huffman, Robert F. Adler, and Eric F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 207–224, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-207-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-207-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of 26 precipitation datasets for the US using the Stage-IV gauge-radar dataset as a reference. The best overall performance was obtained by MSWEP V2.2, underscoring the importance of applying daily gauge corrections and accounting for reporting times. Our findings can be used as a guide to choose the most suitable precipitation dataset for a particular application.
Sara Sadri, Eric F. Wood, and Ming Pan
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 6611–6626, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6611-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-6611-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Of particular interest to NASA's SMAP-based agricultural applications is a monitoring product that assesses near-surface soil moisture in terms of probability percentiles for dry and wet conditions. However, the short SMAP record length poses a statistical challenge for the meaningful assessment of its indices. This study presents initial insights about using SMAP Level 3 and Level 4 for monitoring drought and pluvial regions with a first application over the contiguous United States (CONUS).
Andreas Marx, Rohini Kumar, Stephan Thober, Oldrich Rakovec, Niko Wanders, Matthias Zink, Eric F. Wood, Ming Pan, Justin Sheffield, and Luis Samaniego
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1017–1032, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1017-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1017-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrological low flows are affected under different levels of future global warming (i.e. 1.5, 2, and 3 K). The multi-model ensemble results show that the change signal amplifies with increasing warming levels. Low flows decrease in the Mediterranean, while they increase in the Alpine and Northern regions. The changes in low flows are significant for regions with relatively large change signals and under higher levels of warming. Adaptation should make use of change and uncertainty information.
Yu Zhang, Ming Pan, Justin Sheffield, Amanda L. Siemann, Colby K. Fisher, Miaoling Liang, Hylke E. Beck, Niko Wanders, Rosalyn F. MacCracken, Paul R. Houser, Tian Zhou, Dennis P. Lettenmaier, Rachel T. Pinker, Janice Bytheway, Christian D. Kummerow, and Eric F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 241–263, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-241-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-241-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
A global data record for all four terrestrial water budget variables (precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, and total water storage change) at 0.5° resolution and monthly scale for the period of 1984–2010 is developed by optimally merging a series of remote sensing products, in situ measurements, land surface model outputs, and atmospheric reanalysis estimates and enforcing the mass balance of water. Initial validations show the data record is reliable for climate related analysis.
Hylke E. Beck, Noemi Vergopolan, Ming Pan, Vincenzo Levizzani, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Graham P. Weedon, Luca Brocca, Florian Pappenberger, George J. Huffman, and Eric F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 6201–6217, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-6201-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-6201-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This study represents the most comprehensive global-scale precipitation dataset evaluation to date. We evaluated 13 uncorrected precipitation datasets using precipitation observations from 76 086 gauges, and 9 gauge-corrected ones using hydrological modeling for 9053 catchments. Our results highlight large differences in estimation accuracy, and hence, the importance of precipitation dataset selection in both research and operational applications.
Matthew F. McCabe, Matthew Rodell, Douglas E. Alsdorf, Diego G. Miralles, Remko Uijlenhoet, Wolfgang Wagner, Arko Lucieer, Rasmus Houborg, Niko E. C. Verhoest, Trenton E. Franz, Jiancheng Shi, Huilin Gao, and Eric F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3879–3914, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3879-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3879-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We examine the opportunities and challenges that technological advances in Earth observation will present to the hydrological community. From advanced space-based sensors to unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based distributed networks, these emergent systems are set to revolutionize our understanding and interpretation of hydrological and related processes.
Di Tian, Eric F. Wood, and Xing Yuan
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1477–1490, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1477-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1477-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This study evaluated dynamic climate model sub-seasonal forecasts for important precipitation and temperature indices over the contiguous United States. The presence of active Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events improved weekly mean precipitation forecast skill over most regions. Sub-seasonal forecast indices calculated from the daily forecast showed higher skill than temporally downscaled forecasts, suggesting the usefulness of the daily forecast for sub-seasonal hydrological forecasting.
Fabien H. Wagner, Bruno Hérault, Damien Bonal, Clément Stahl, Liana O. Anderson, Timothy R. Baker, Gabriel Sebastian Becker, Hans Beeckman, Danilo Boanerges Souza, Paulo Cesar Botosso, David M. J. S. Bowman, Achim Bräuning, Benjamin Brede, Foster Irving Brown, Jesus Julio Camarero, Plínio Barbosa Camargo, Fernanda C. G. Cardoso, Fabrício Alvim Carvalho, Wendeson Castro, Rubens Koloski Chagas, Jérome Chave, Emmanuel N. Chidumayo, Deborah A. Clark, Flavia Regina Capellotto Costa, Camille Couralet, Paulo Henrique da Silva Mauricio, Helmut Dalitz, Vinicius Resende de Castro, Jaçanan Eloisa de Freitas Milani, Edilson Consuelo de Oliveira, Luciano de Souza Arruda, Jean-Louis Devineau, David M. Drew, Oliver Dünisch, Giselda Durigan, Elisha Elifuraha, Marcio Fedele, Ligia Ferreira Fedele, Afonso Figueiredo Filho, César Augusto Guimarães Finger, Augusto César Franco, João Lima Freitas Júnior, Franklin Galvão, Aster Gebrekirstos, Robert Gliniars, Paulo Maurício Lima de Alencastro Graça, Anthony D. Griffiths, James Grogan, Kaiyu Guan, Jürgen Homeier, Maria Raquel Kanieski, Lip Khoon Kho, Jennifer Koenig, Sintia Valerio Kohler, Julia Krepkowski, José Pires Lemos-Filho, Diana Lieberman, Milton Eugene Lieberman, Claudio Sergio Lisi, Tomaz Longhi Santos, José Luis López Ayala, Eduardo Eijji Maeda, Yadvinder Malhi, Vivian R. B. Maria, Marcia C. M. Marques, Renato Marques, Hector Maza Chamba, Lawrence Mbwambo, Karina Liana Lisboa Melgaço, Hooz Angela Mendivelso, Brett P. Murphy, Joseph J. O'Brien, Steven F. Oberbauer, Naoki Okada, Raphaël Pélissier, Lynda D. Prior, Fidel Alejandro Roig, Michael Ross, Davi Rodrigo Rossatto, Vivien Rossi, Lucy Rowland, Ervan Rutishauser, Hellen Santana, Mark Schulze, Diogo Selhorst, Williamar Rodrigues Silva, Marcos Silveira, Susanne Spannl, Michael D. Swaine, José Julio Toledo, Marcos Miranda Toledo, Marisol Toledo, Takeshi Toma, Mario Tomazello Filho, Juan Ignacio Valdez Hernández, Jan Verbesselt, Simone Aparecida Vieira, Grégoire Vincent, Carolina Volkmer de Castilho, Franziska Volland, Martin Worbes, Magda Lea Bolzan Zanon, and Luiz E. O. C. Aragão
Biogeosciences, 13, 2537–2562, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2537-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2537-2016, 2016
D. G. Miralles, C. Jiménez, M. Jung, D. Michel, A. Ershadi, M. F. McCabe, M. Hirschi, B. Martens, A. J. Dolman, J. B. Fisher, Q. Mu, S. I. Seneviratne, E. F. Wood, and D. Fernández-Prieto
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 823–842, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-823-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-823-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The WACMOS-ET project aims to advance the development of land evaporation estimates on global and regional scales. Evaluation of current evaporation data sets on the global scale showed that they manifest large dissimilarities during conditions of water stress and drought and deficiencies in the way evaporation is partitioned into several components. Different models perform better under different conditions, highlighting the potential for considering biome- or climate-specific model ensembles.
D. Michel, C. Jiménez, D. G. Miralles, M. Jung, M. Hirschi, A. Ershadi, B. Martens, M. F. McCabe, J. B. Fisher, Q. Mu, S. I. Seneviratne, E. F. Wood, and D. Fernández-Prieto
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 803–822, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-803-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-803-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In this study a common reference input data set from satellite and in situ data is used to run four established evapotranspiration (ET) algorithms using sub-daily and daily input on a tower scale as a testbed for a global ET product. The PT-JPL model and GLEAM provide the best performance for satellite and in situ forcing as well as for the different temporal resolutions. PM-MOD and SEBS perform less well: the PM-MOD model generally underestimates, while SEBS generally overestimates ET.
M. F. McCabe, A. Ershadi, C. Jimenez, D. G. Miralles, D. Michel, and E. F. Wood
Geosci. Model Dev., 9, 283–305, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-283-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-9-283-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In an effort to develop a global terrestrial evaporation product, four models were forced using both a tower and grid-based data set. Comparisons against flux-tower observations from different biome and land cover types show considerable inter-model variability and sensitivity to forcing type. Results suggest that no single model is able to capture expected flux patterns and response. It is suggested that a multi-model ensemble is likely to provide a more stable long-term flux estimate.
W. Zhan, M. Pan, N. Wanders, and E. F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4275–4291, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4275-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4275-2015, 2015
N. W. Chaney, J. D. Herman, P. M. Reed, and E. F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3239–3251, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3239-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3239-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Land surface modeling is playing an increasing role in global monitoring and prediction of extreme hydrologic events. However, uncertainties in parameter identifiability limit the reliability of model predictions. This study makes use of petascale computing to perform a comprehensive evaluation of land surface modeling for global flood and drought monitoring and suggests paths forward to overcome the challenges posed by parameter uncertainty.
M. Pan and E. F. Wood
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4577–4588, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4577-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4577-2013, 2013
M. Konar and K. K. Caylor
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 3969–3982, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3969-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3969-2013, 2013
B. Mueller, M. Hirschi, C. Jimenez, P. Ciais, P. A. Dirmeyer, A. J. Dolman, J. B. Fisher, M. Jung, F. Ludwig, F. Maignan, D. G. Miralles, M. F. McCabe, M. Reichstein, J. Sheffield, K. Wang, E. F. Wood, Y. Zhang, and S. I. Seneviratne
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 3707–3720, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3707-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-3707-2013, 2013
S. Shukla, J. Sheffield, E. F. Wood, and D. P. Lettenmaier
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 2781–2796, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2781-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-2781-2013, 2013
A. McNally, C. Funk, G. J. Husak, J. Michaelsen, B. Cappelaere, J. Demarty, T. Pellarin, T. P. Young, K. K. Caylor, C. Riginos, and K. E. Veblen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-7963-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-7963-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript not accepted
Related subject area
Biogeophysics: Ecohydrology
A process-based model for quantifying the effects of canal blocking on water table and CO2 emissions in restored tropical peatlands
Technical note: Common ambiguities in plant hydraulics
Consistent responses of vegetation gas exchange to elevated atmospheric CO2 emerge from heuristic and optimization models
Pioneer biocrust communities prevent soil erosion in temperate forests after disturbances
Modelling temporal variability of in situ soil water and vegetation isotopes reveals ecohydrological couplings in a riparian willow plot
Toward estimation of seasonal water dynamics of winter wheat from ground-based L-band radiometry: a concept study
Continuous ground monitoring of vegetation optical depth and water content with GPS signals
Spatially varying relevance of hydrometeorological hazards for vegetation productivity extremes
Temporal dynamics of tree xylem water isotopes: in situ monitoring and modeling
Reviews and syntheses: Gaining insights into evapotranspiration partitioning with novel isotopic monitoring methods
What determines the sign of the evapotranspiration response to afforestation in European summer?
Predicting evapotranspiration from drone-based thermography – a method comparison in a tropical oil palm plantation
Patterns of plant rehydration and growth following pulses of soil moisture availability
Climatic traits on daily clearness and cloudiness indices
Estimates of tree root water uptake from soil moisture profile dynamics
Causes and consequences of pronounced variation in the isotope composition of plant xylem water
Risk of crop failure due to compound dry and hot extremes estimated with nested copulas
Canal blocking optimization in restoration of drained peatlands
Large-scale biospheric drought response intensifies linearly with drought duration in arid regions
Global biosphere–climate interaction: a causal appraisal of observations and models over multiple temporal scales
Examining the evidence for decoupling between photosynthesis and transpiration during heat extremes
Ideas and perspectives: Tracing terrestrial ecosystem water fluxes using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes – challenges and opportunities from an interdisciplinary perspective
Does predictability of fluxes vary between FLUXNET sites?
Community-specific hydraulic conductance potential of soil water decomposed for two Alpine grasslands by small-scale lysimetry
Ideas and perspectives: how coupled is the vegetation to the boundary layer?
Crop water stress maps for an entire growing season from visible and thermal UAV imagery
MODIS vegetation products as proxies of photosynthetic potential along a gradient of meteorologically and biologically driven ecosystem productivity
Proximate and ultimate controls on carbon and nutrient dynamics of small agricultural catchments
Transpiration in an oil palm landscape: effects of palm age
Does EO NDVI seasonal metrics capture variations in species composition and biomass due to grazing in semi-arid grassland savannas?
Assessing vegetation structure and ANPP dynamics in a grassland–shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone using NDVI–rainfall relationships
On the use of the post-closure methods uncertainty band to evaluate the performance of land surface models against eddy covariance flux data
Distribution and biophysical processes of beaded streams in Arctic permafrost landscapes
Dew formation on the surface of biological soil crusts in central European sand ecosystems
Nonlinear controls on evapotranspiration in arctic coastal wetlands
Organic carbon efflux from a deciduous forest catchment in Korea
A simple ecohydrological model captures essentials of seasonal leaf dynamics in semi-arid tropical grasslands
Iñaki Urzainki, Marjo Palviainen, Hannu Hökkä, Sebastian Persch, Jeffrey Chatellier, Ophelia Wang, Prasetya Mahardhitama, Rizaldy Yudhista, and Annamari Laurén
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-218, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-218, 2022
Preprint under review for BG
Short summary
Short summary
Drained peatlands (peat areas where ditches have been excavated to enhance crop productivity) are one of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions globally. Blocking the ditches by building dams is a common strategy to raise the water table and to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. But how effective is ditch-blocking in raising the overall water table? Our work tackles this question by making use of the available data and physics-based hydrological modeling.
Yujie Wang and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences, 19, 4705–4714, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4705-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4705-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Plant hydraulics is often misrepresented in topical research. We highlight the commonly seen ambiguities and/or mistakes, with equations and figures to help visualize the potential biases. We recommend careful thinking when using or modifying existing plant hydraulic terms, methods, and models.
Stefano Manzoni, Simone Fatichi, Xue Feng, Gabriel G. Katul, Danielle Way, and Giulia Vico
Biogeosciences, 19, 4387–4414, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4387-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4387-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) causes leaves to close their stomata (through which water evaporates) but also promotes leaf growth. Even if individual leaves save water, how much will be consumed by a whole plant with possibly more leaves? Using different mathematical models, we show that plant stands that are not very dense and can grow more leaves will benefit from higher CO2 by photosynthesizing more while adjusting their stomata to consume similar amounts of water.
Corinna Gall, Martin Nebel, Dietmar Quandt, Thomas Scholten, and Steffen Seitz
Biogeosciences, 19, 3225–3245, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3225-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3225-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental challenges of our time, which also applies to forests when forest soil is disturbed. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) can play a key role as erosion control. In this study, we combined soil erosion measurements with vegetation surveys in disturbed forest areas. We found that soil erosion was reduced primarily by pioneer bryophyte-dominated biocrusts and that bryophytes contributed more to soil erosion mitigation than vascular plants.
Aaron Smith, Doerthe Tetzlaff, Jessica Landgraf, Maren Dubbert, and Chris Soulsby
Biogeosciences, 19, 2465–2485, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2465-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2465-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This research utilizes high-spatiotemporal-resolution soil and vegetation measurements, including water stable isotopes, within an ecohydrological model to partition water flux dynamics and identify flow paths and durations. Results showed high vegetation water use and high spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation water source and vegetation isotopes. The evaluation of these dynamics further revealed relatively fast flow paths through both shallow soil and vegetation.
Thomas Jagdhuber, François Jonard, Anke Fluhrer, David Chaparro, Martin J. Baur, Thomas Meyer, and María Piles
Biogeosciences, 19, 2273–2294, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2273-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2273-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This is a concept study of water dynamics across winter wheat starting from ground-based L-band radiometry in combination with on-site measurements of soil and atmosphere. We research the feasibility of estimating water potentials and seasonal flux rates of water (water uptake from soil and transpiration rates into the atmosphere) within the soil-plant-atmosphere system (SPAS) of a winter wheat field. The main finding is that L-band radiometry can be integrated into field-based SPAS assessment.
Vincent Humphrey and Christian Frankenberg
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-84, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2022-84, 2022
Revised manuscript accepted for BG
Short summary
Short summary
Microwave satellites can be used to monitor how vegetation biomass changes over time, or how droughts affect the world's forests. However, such satellite data is still difficult to validate and interpret because of a lack of comparable field observations. Here, we present a remote sensing technique which uses the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) as a makeshift radar, making it possible to observe canopy transmissivity at any existing environmental research site in a cost-efficient way.
Josephin Kroll, Jasper M. C. Denissen, Mirco Migliavacca, Wantong Li, Anke Hildebrandt, and Rene Orth
Biogeosciences, 19, 477–489, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-477-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-477-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Plant growth relies on having access to energy (solar radiation) and water (soil moisture). This energy and water availability is impacted by weather extremes, like heat waves and droughts, which will occur more frequently in response to climate change. In this context, we analysed global satellite data to detect in which regions extreme plant growth is controlled by energy or water. We find that extreme plant growth is associated with temperature- or soil-moisture-related extremes.
Stefan Seeger and Markus Weiler
Biogeosciences, 18, 4603–4627, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4603-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4603-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a setup for fully automated in situ measurements of stable water isotopes in soil and the stems of fully grown trees. We used this setup in a 12-week field campaign to monitor the propagation of a labelling pulse from the soil up to a stem height of 8 m.
We could observe trees shifting their main water uptake depths multiple times, depending on water availability.
The gained knowledge about the temporal dynamics can help to improve water uptake models and future study designs.
Youri Rothfuss, Maria Quade, Nicolas Brüggemann, Alexander Graf, Harry Vereecken, and Maren Dubbert
Biogeosciences, 18, 3701–3732, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3701-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3701-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The partitioning of evapotranspiration into evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants is crucial for a wide range of parties, from farmers to policymakers. In this work, we focus on a particular partitioning method, based on the stable isotopic analysis of water. In particular, we aim at highlighting the challenges that this method is currently facing and, in light of recent methodological developments, propose ways forward for the isotopic-partitioning community.
Marcus Breil, Edouard L. Davin, and Diana Rechid
Biogeosciences, 18, 1499–1510, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1499-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1499-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The physical processes behind varying evapotranspiration rates in forests and grasslands in Europe are investigated in a regional model study with idealized afforestation scenarios. The results show that the evapotranspiration response to afforestation depends on the interplay of two counteracting factors: the transpiration facilitating characteristics of a forest and the reduced saturation deficits of forests caused by an increased surface roughness and associated lower surface temperatures.
Florian Ellsäßer, Christian Stiegler, Alexander Röll, Tania June, Hendrayanto, Alexander Knohl, and Dirk Hölscher
Biogeosciences, 18, 861–872, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-861-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-861-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Recording land surface temperatures using drones offers new options to predict evapotranspiration based on energy balance models. This study compares predictions from three energy balance models with the eddy covariance method. A model II Deming regression indicates interchangeability for latent heat flux estimates from certain modeling methods and eddy covariance measurements. This complements the available methods for evapotranspiration studies by fine grain and spatially explicit assessments.
Andrew F. Feldman, Daniel J. Short Gianotti, Alexandra G. Konings, Pierre Gentine, and Dara Entekhabi
Biogeosciences, 18, 831–847, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-831-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-831-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We quantify global plant water uptake durations after rainfall using satellite-based plant water content measurements. In wetter regions, plant water uptake occurs within a day due to rapid coupling between soil and plant water content. Drylands show multi-day plant water uptake after rain pulses, providing widespread evidence for slow rehydration responses and pulse-driven growth responses. Our results suggest that drylands are sensitive to projected shifts in rainfall intensity and frequency.
Estefanía Muñoz and Andrés Ochoa
Biogeosciences, 18, 573–584, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-573-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-573-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We inspect for climatic traits in the shape of the PDF of the clear-day (c) and the clearness (k) indices at 37 FLUXNET sites for the SW and the PAR spectral bands. We identified three types of PDF, unimodal with low dispersion, unimodal with high dispersion and bimodal, with no difference in the PDF type between c and k at each site. We found that latitude, global climate zone and Köppen climate type have a weak relation and the Holdridge life zone a stronger relation with c and k PDF types.
Conrad Jackisch, Samuel Knoblauch, Theresa Blume, Erwin Zehe, and Sibylle K. Hassler
Biogeosciences, 17, 5787–5808, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5787-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5787-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We developed software to calculate the root water uptake (RWU) of beech tree roots from soil moisture dynamics. We present our approach and compare RWU to measured sap flow in the tree stem. The study relates to two sites that are similar in topography and weather but with contrasting soils. While sap flow is very similar between the two sites, the RWU is different. This suggests that soil characteristics have substantial influence. Our easy-to-implement RWU estimate may help further studies.
Hannes P. T. De Deurwaerder, Marco D. Visser, Matteo Detto, Pascal Boeckx, Félicien Meunier, Kathrin Kuehnhammer, Ruth-Kristina Magh, John D. Marshall, Lixin Wang, Liangju Zhao, and Hans Verbeeck
Biogeosciences, 17, 4853–4870, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4853-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4853-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The depths at which plants take up water is challenging to observe directly. To do so, scientists have relied on measuring the isotopic composition of xylem water as this provides information on the water’s source. Our work shows that this isotopic composition changes throughout the day, which complicates the interpretation of the water’s source and has been currently overlooked. We build a model to help understand the origin of these composition changes and their consequences for science.
Andreia Filipa Silva Ribeiro, Ana Russo, Célia Marina Gouveia, Patrícia Páscoa, and Jakob Zscheischler
Biogeosciences, 17, 4815–4830, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4815-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4815-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the impacts of compound dry and hot extremes on crop yields, namely wheat and barley, over two regions in Spain dominated by rainfed agriculture. We provide estimates of the conditional probability of crop loss under compound dry and hot conditions, which could be an important tool for responsible authorities to mitigate the impacts magnified by the interactions between the different hazards.
Iñaki Urzainki, Ari Laurén, Marjo Palviainen, Kersti Haahti, Arif Budiman, Imam Basuki, Michael Netzer, and Hannu Hökkä
Biogeosciences, 17, 4769–4784, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4769-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4769-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Drained peatlands (peat areas where ditches have been excavated to enhance plant production) are one of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions globally. Blocking these ditches by building dams is a common strategy to restore the self-sustaining peat ecosystem and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. Where should these dams be located in order to maximize the benefits? Our work tackles this question by making use of the available data, hydrological modeling and numerical optimization methods.
René Orth, Georgia Destouni, Martin Jung, and Markus Reichstein
Biogeosciences, 17, 2647–2656, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2647-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2647-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Drought duration is a key control of the large-scale biospheric drought response.
Thereby, the vegetation responds linearly to drought duration at large spatial scales.
The slope of the linear relationship between the vegetation drought response and drought duration is steeper in drier climates.
Jeroen Claessen, Annalisa Molini, Brecht Martens, Matteo Detto, Matthias Demuzere, and Diego G. Miralles
Biogeosciences, 16, 4851–4874, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4851-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4851-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Bidirectional interactions between vegetation and climate are unraveled over short (monthly) and long (inter-annual) temporal scales. Analyses use a novel causal inference method based on wavelet theory. The performance of climate models at representing these interactions is benchmarked against satellite data. Climate models can reproduce the overall climate controls on vegetation at all temporal scales, while their performance at representing biophysical feedbacks on climate is less adequate.
Martin G. De Kauwe, Belinda E. Medlyn, Andrew J. Pitman, John E. Drake, Anna Ukkola, Anne Griebel, Elise Pendall, Suzanne Prober, and Michael Roderick
Biogeosciences, 16, 903–916, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-903-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-903-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Recent experimental evidence suggests that during heat extremes, trees may reduce photosynthesis to near zero but increase transpiration. Using eddy covariance data and examining the 3 days leading up to a temperature extreme, we found evidence of reduced photosynthesis and sustained or increased latent heat fluxes at Australian wooded flux sites. However, when focusing on heatwaves, we were unable to disentangle photosynthetic decoupling from the effect of increasing vapour pressure deficit.
Daniele Penna, Luisa Hopp, Francesca Scandellari, Scott T. Allen, Paolo Benettin, Matthias Beyer, Josie Geris, Julian Klaus, John D. Marshall, Luitgard Schwendenmann, Till H. M. Volkmann, Jana von Freyberg, Anam Amin, Natalie Ceperley, Michael Engel, Jay Frentress, Yamuna Giambastiani, Jeff J. McDonnell, Giulia Zuecco, Pilar Llorens, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, Todd E. Dawson, and James W. Kirchner
Biogeosciences, 15, 6399–6415, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6399-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6399-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how water flows through ecosystems is needed to provide society and policymakers with the scientific background to manage water resources sustainably. Stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water are a powerful tool for tracking water fluxes, although the heterogeneity of natural systems and practical methodological issues still limit their full application. Here, we examine the challenges in this research field and highlight new perspectives based on interdisciplinary research.
Ned Haughton, Gab Abramowitz, Martin G. De Kauwe, and Andy J. Pitman
Biogeosciences, 15, 4495–4513, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4495-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4495-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This project explores predictability in energy, water, and carbon fluxes in the free-use Tier 1 of the FLUXNET 2015 dataset using a uniqueness metric based on comparison of locally and globally trained models. While there is broad spread in predictability between sites, we found strikingly few strong patterns. Nevertheless, these results can contribute to the standardisation of site selection for land surface model evaluation and help pinpoint regions that are ripe for further FLUXNET research.
Georg Frenck, Georg Leitinger, Nikolaus Obojes, Magdalena Hofmann, Christian Newesely, Mario Deutschmann, Ulrike Tappeiner, and Erich Tasser
Biogeosciences, 15, 1065–1078, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1065-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1065-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
For central Europe in addition to rising temperatures, an increasing variability in precipitation is predicted. In a replicated mesocosm experiment we compared evapotranspiration and the biomass productivity of two differently drought-adapted vegetation communities during two irrigation regimes (with and without drought periods). Significant differences between the different communities were found in the response to variations in the water supply and biomass production.
Martin G. De Kauwe, Belinda E. Medlyn, Jürgen Knauer, and Christopher A. Williams
Biogeosciences, 14, 4435–4453, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4435-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4435-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the sensitivity of transpiration to stomatal conductance is critical to simulating the water cycle. This sensitivity is a function of the degree of coupling between the vegetation and the atmosphere. We combined an extensive literature summary with estimates of coupling derived from FLUXNET data. We found notable departures from the values previously reported. These data form a model benchmarking metric to test existing coupling assumptions.
Helene Hoffmann, Rasmus Jensen, Anton Thomsen, Hector Nieto, Jesper Rasmussen, and Thomas Friborg
Biogeosciences, 13, 6545–6563, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6545-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6545-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates whether the UAV (drone) based WDI can determine crop water stress from fields with open canopies (land surface consisting of both soil and canopy) and from fields where canopies are starting to senesce. This utility could solve issues that arise when applying the commonly used CWSI stress index. The WDI succeeded in providing accurate, high-resolution estimates of crop water stress at different growth stages of barley.
Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Alfredo Huete, Kevin Davies, James Cleverly, Jason Beringer, Derek Eamus, Eva van Gorsel, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Wayne S. Meyer
Biogeosciences, 13, 5587–5608, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5587-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5587-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We re-evaluated the connection between satellite greenness products and C-flux tower data in four Australian ecosystems. We identify key mechanisms driving the carbon cycle, and provide an ecological basis for the interpretation of vegetation indices. We found relationships between productivity and greenness to be non-significant in meteorologically driven evergreen forests and sites where climate and vegetation phenology were asynchronous, and highly correlated in phenology-driven ecosystems.
Zahra Thomas, Benjamin W. Abbott, Olivier Troccaz, Jacques Baudry, and Gilles Pinay
Biogeosciences, 13, 1863–1875, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1863-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1863-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Direct human impact on a catchment (fertilizer input, soil disturbance, urbanization) is asymmetrically linked with inherent catchment properties (geology, soil, topography), which together determine catchment vulnerability to human activity. To quantify the influence of physical, hydrologic, and anthropogenic controls on surface water quality, we used a 5-year high-frequency water chemistry data set from three contrasting headwater catchments in western France.
A. Röll, F. Niu, A. Meijide, A. Hardanto, Hendrayanto, A. Knohl, and D. Hölscher
Biogeosciences, 12, 5619–5633, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5619-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5619-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The study provides first insight into eco-hydrological consequences of the continuing oil palm expansion in the tropics. Stand transpiration rates of some studied oil palm stands compared to or even exceeded values reported for tropical forests, indicating high water use of oil palms under certain conditions. Oil palm landscapes show some spatial variations in (evapo)transpiration rates, e.g. due to varying plantation age, but the day-to-day variability of oil palm transpiration is rather low.
J. L. Olsen, S. Miehe, P. Ceccato, and R. Fensholt
Biogeosciences, 12, 4407–4419, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4407-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4407-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Limitations of satellite-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for monitoring vegetation trends are investigated using observations from the Widou Thiengoly test site in northern Senegal. NDVI do not reflect the large differences found in biomass production and species composition between grazed and ungrazed plots. This is problematic for vegetation trend analysis in the context of drastically increasing numbers of Sahelian livestock in recent decades.
M. Moreno-de las Heras, R. Díaz-Sierra, L. Turnbull, and J. Wainwright
Biogeosciences, 12, 2907–2925, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2907-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2907-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Exploration of NDVI-rainfall relationships provided ready biophysically based criteria to study the spatial distribution and dynamics of ANPP for herbaceous and shrub vegetation across a grassland-shrubland Chihuahuan ecotone (Sevilleta NWR, New Mexico). Overall our results suggest that shrub encroachment has not been particularly active for 2000-2013 in the area, although future reductions in summer precipitation and/or increases in winter rainfall may intensify the shrub-encroachment process.
J. Ingwersen, K. Imukova, P. Högy, and T. Streck
Biogeosciences, 12, 2311–2326, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2311-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2311-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
The energy balance of eddy covariance (EC) flux data is normally not closed. Therefore, EC flux data are usually post-closed, i.e. the measured turbulent fluxes are adjusted so as to close the energy balance. We propose to use in model evaluation the post-closure method uncertainty band (PUB) to account for the uncertainty in EC data originating from lacking energy balance closure. Working with only a single post-closing method might result in severe misinterpretations in model-data comparison.
C. D. Arp, M. S. Whitman, B. M. Jones, G. Grosse, B. V. Gaglioti, and K. C. Heim
Biogeosciences, 12, 29–47, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-29-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-29-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Beaded streams have deep elliptical pools connected by narrow runs that we show are common landforms in the continuous permafrost zone. These fluvial systems often initiate from lakes and occur predictably in headwater portions of moderately sloping watersheds. Snow capture along stream courses reduces ice thickness allowing thawed sediment to persist under most pools. Interpool thermal variability and hydrologic regimes provide important aquatic habitat and connectivity in Arctic landscapes.
T. Fischer, M. Veste, O. Bens, and R. F. Hüttl
Biogeosciences, 9, 4621–4628, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-4621-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-4621-2012, 2012
A. K. Liljedahl, L. D. Hinzman, Y. Harazono, D. Zona, C. E. Tweedie, R. D. Hollister, R. Engstrom, and W. C. Oechel
Biogeosciences, 8, 3375–3389, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-3375-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-3375-2011, 2011
S. J. Kim, J. Kim, and K. Kim
Biogeosciences, 7, 1323–1334, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-1323-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-1323-2010, 2010
P. Choler, W. Sea, P. Briggs, M. Raupach, and R. Leuning
Biogeosciences, 7, 907–920, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-907-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-907-2010, 2010
Cited articles
Allan, R. and Soden, B.: Atmospheric warming and the amplification of precipitation extremes, Science, 1481–1485, 2008.
Anderegg, L. D. L., Anderegg, W. R. L., and Berry, J. A.: Not all droughts are created equal: translating meteorological drought into woody plant mortality, Tree Physiol., 33, 701–712, 2013.
Bates, J., Svejcar, T., Miller, R., and Angell, R.: The effects of precipitation timing on sagebrush steppe vegetation, J. Arid Environ., 64, 670–697, 2006.
Biasutti, M. and Sobel, A. H.: Delayed Sahel rainfall and global seasonal cycle in a warmer climate, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L23707, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL041303, 2009.
Bond, W. J., Woodward, F. I., and Midgley, G. F.: The Global Distribution of Ecosystems in a World without Fire, New Phytol., 165, 525–537, 2005.
Chou, C., Chiang, J. C. H., Lan, C.-W., Chung, C.-H., Liao, Y.-C., and Lee, C.-J.: Increase in the range between wet and dry season precipitation, Nat. Geosci., 6, 263–267, 2013.
Easterling, D. R., Meehl, G. A., Parmesan, C., Changnon, S. A., Karl, T. R., and Mearns, L. O.: Climate Extremes: Observations, Modeling, and Impacts, Science, 289, 2068–2074, 2000.
Fang, J., Piao, S., Zhou, L., He, J., Wei, F., Myneni, R. B., Tucker, C. J., and Tan, K.: Precipitation patterns alter growth of temperate vegetation, Geophysi. Res. Lett., 32, L21411, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024231, 2005.
Fay, P. A., Carlisle, J. D., Knapp, A. K., Blair, J. M., and Collins, S. L.: Productivity responses to altered rainfall patterns in a C4-dominated grassland, Oecologia, 137, 245–251, 2003.
Feng, X., Porporato, A., and Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.: Changes in rainfall seasonality in the tropics, Nat. Clim. Change, 3, 811–815, 2013.
Field, C., Barros, V., Stocker, T., Qin, D., Dokken, D., Ebi, K., Mastrandrea, M., Mach, K., Plattner, G.-K., Allen, S., Tignor, M., and Midgley, P. (Eds.): IPCC, 2012: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA, 2012.
Franz, T. E., Caylor, K. K., Nordbotten, J. M., Rodríguez-Iturbe, I., and Celia, M. A.: An ecohydrological approach to predicting regional woody species distribution patterns in dryland ecosystems, Adv. Water Resour., 33, 215–230, 2010.
Gerten, D., Luo, Y., Maire, G. L., Parton, W. J., Keougn, C., Weng, E., Beier, C., Ciais, P., Cramer, W., Dukes, J. S., Hanson, P. J., Knapp, A. A. K., Linder, S., Nepstad, D., Rustad, L., and Sowerby, A.: Modelled effects of precipitation on ecosystem carbon and water dynamics in different climatic zones, Glob. Change Biol., 14, 2365–2379, 2008.
Good, S. P. and Caylor, K. K.: Climatological determinants of woody cover in Africa, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 108, 4902–4907, 2011.
Graham, E. A., Mulkey, S. S., Kitajima, K., Phillips, N. G., and Wright, S. J.: Cloud cover limits net CO2 uptake and growth of a rainforest tree during tropical rainy seasons, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100, 572–576, 2003.
Guan, K., Wood, E. F., and Caylor, K. K.: Multi-sensor derivation of regional vegetation fractional cover in Africa, Remote Sens. Environ., 124, 653–665, 2012.
Guan, K., Wolf, A., Medvigy, D., and Caylor, K.: Seasonal coupling of canopy structure and function in African tropical forests and its environmental controls, Ecosphere, 4, 1–21, 2013.
Guan, K., Wood, E. F., Medvigy, D., Pan, M., Caylor, K. K., Sheffield, J., Kimball, J., Xu, X., and Jones, M. O.: Terrestrial hydrological controls on vegetation phenology of African savannas and woodlands, J. Geophys. Res., 119, 1652–1669, 2014.
Hanan, N. P., Tredennick, A. T., Prihodko, L., Bucini, G., and Dohn, J.: Analysis of stable states in global savannas: is the CART pulling the horse?, Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr., 23, 259–263, 2013.
Harper, C. W., Blair, J. M., Fay, P. A., Knapp, A. K., and Carlisle, J. D.: Increased rainfall variability and reduced rainfall amount decreases soil CO2 flux in a grassland ecosystem, Glob. Change Biol., 11, 322–334, 2005.
Heisler-White, J. L., Blair, J. M., Kelly, E. F., Harmoney, K., and Knapp, A. K.: Contingent productivity responses to more extreme rainfall regimes across a grassland biome, Glob. Change Biol. 15, 2894–2904, 2009.
Hely, C., Bremond, L., Alleaume, S., Smith, B., Sykes, M. T., and Guiot, J.: Sensitivity of African biomes to changes in the precipitation regime, Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr., 15, 258–270, 2006.
Higgins, S. I. and Scheiter, S.: Atmospheric CO2 forces abrupt vegetation shifts locally, but not globally, Nature, 488, 209–212, 2012.
Hirota, M., Holmgren, M., Nes, E. H. V., and Scheffer, M.: Global Resilience of Tropical Forest and Savanna to Critical Transitions, Science, 334, 232–235, 2011.
Holmgren, M., Hirota, M., van Nes, E. H., and Scheffer, M.: Effects of interannual climate variability on tropical tree cover, Nat. Clim. Change, 3, 755–758, 2013.
Huffman, G. J., Bolvin, D. T., Nelkin, E. J., Wolff, D. B., Adler, R. F., Bowman, K. P., and Stocker, E. F.: The TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA): Quasi-Global, Multiyear, Combined-Sensor Precipitation Estimates at Fine Scales, J. Hydrometeorol., 8, 38–55, 2007.
Knapp, A. K., Fay, P. A., Blair, J. M., Collins, S. L., Smith, M. D., Carlisle, J. D., Harper, C. W., Danner, B. T., Lett, M. S., and McCarron, J. K.: Rainfall Variability, Carbon Cycling, and Plant Species Diversity in a Mesic Grassland, Science, 298, 2202–2205, 2002.
Kulmatiski, A. and Beard, K. H.: Woody plant encroachment facilitated by increased precipitation intensity, Nat. Clim. Change, 3, 833–837, 2013.
Lehmann, C. E. R., Archibald, S. A., Hoffmann, W. A., and Bond, W. J.: Deciphering the distribution of the savanna biome, New Phytol., 191, 197–209, 2011.
Markham, C.: Seasonality of precipitation in the United States, Ann. Assoc. Am. Geogr., 60, 593–597, 1970.
Martiny, N., Camberlin, P., Richard, Y., and Philippon, N.: Compared regimes of NDVI and rainfall in semi-arid regions of Africa, Internat. J. Remote Sens., 27, 5201–5223, 2006.
Milly, P.: Potential evaporation and soil moisture in general circulation models, J. Climate, 5, 209–226, 1992.
Miranda, J., Armas, C., Padilla, F., and Pugnaire, F.: Climatic change and rainfall patterns: Effects on semi-arid plant communities of the Iberian Southeast, J. Arid Environ., 75, 1302–1309, 2011.
O'Gorman, P. A. and Schneider, T.: The physical basis for increases in precipitation extremes in simulations of 21st-century climate change, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 106, 14773–14777, 2009.
Porporato, A., Laio, F., Ridolfi, L., and Rodríguez-Iturbe, I.: Plants in water-controlled ecosystems: active role in hydrologic processes and response to water stress – III. Vegetation water stress, Adv. Water Resour., 24, 725–744, 2001.
Porporato, A., Daly, E., and Rodríguez-Iturbe, I.: Soil Water Balance and Ecosystem Response to Climate Change, Am. Natural., 164, 625–632, 2004.
Robertson, T. R., Bell, C. W., Zak, J. C., and Tissue, D. T.: Precipitation timing and magnitude differentially affect aboveground annual net primary productivity in three perennial species in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland, New Phytol., 181, 230–242, 2009.
Rodríguez-Iturbe, I. and Porporato, A.: Ecohydrology of Water-Controlled Ecosystems: Soil Moisture And Plant Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Rodríguez-Iturbe, I., Gupta, V. K., and Waymire, E.: Scale Considerations in the Modeling of Temporal Rainfall, Water Resour. Res. 20, 1611–1619, 1984.
Rodríguez-Iturbe, I., Porporato, A., Ridolfi, L., Isham, V., and Cox, D. R.: Probabilistic Modelling of Water Balance at a Point: The Role of Climate, Soil and Vegetation, Proceedings: Mathematical, Phys. Engin. Sci., 455, 3789–3805, 1999.
Ross, I., Misson, L., Rambal, S., Arneth, A., Scott, R. L., Carrara, A., Cescatti, A., and Genesio, L.: How do variations in the temporal distribution of rainfall events affect ecosystem fluxes in seasonally water-limited Northern Hemisphere shrublands and forests?, Biogeosciences, 9, 1007–1024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-1007-2012, 2012.
Saha, S., Moorthi, S., Pan, H.-L., Wu, X., Wang, J., Nadiga, S., Tripp, P., Kistler, R., Woollen, J., Behringer, D., Liu, H., Stokes, D., Grumbine, R., Gayno, G., Wang, J., Hou, Y.-T., Chuang, H.-Y., Juang, H.-M. H., Sela, J., Iredell, M., Treadon, R., Kleist, D., Delst, P. V., Keyser, D., Derber, J., Ek, M., Meng, J., Wei, H., Yang, R., Lord, S., Dool, H. V. D., Kumar, A., Wang, W., Long, C., Chelliah, M., Feng, Y., Huang, B., Schemm, J.-K., Ebisuzaki, W., Lin, R., Xie, P., Chen, M., Zhou, S., Higgins, W., Zou, C.-Z., Liu, Q., Chen, Y., Han, Y., Cucurull, L., Reynolds, R. W., Rutledge, G., and Goldberg, M.: The NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis, Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 91, 1015–1057, 2010.
Sato, H.: Simulation of the vegetation structure and function in a Malaysian tropical rain forest using the individual-based dynamic vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, Forest Ecol. Manage, 257, 2277–2286, 2009.
Sato, H. and Ise, T.: Effect of plant dynamic processes on African vegetation responses to climate change: analysis using the spatially explicit individual-based dynamic global vegetation model (SEIB-DGVM), J. Geophys. Res., 117, G03017, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JG002056, 2012.
Sato, H., Itoh, A., and Kohyama, T.: SEIB-DGVM: A new Dynamic Global Vegetation Model using a spatially explicit individual-based approach, Ecol. Modell., 200, 279–307, 2007.
Sato, H., Kobayashi, H., and Delbart, N.: Simulation study of the vegetation structure and function in eastern Siberian larch forests using the individual-based vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, Forest Ecol. Manag., 259, 301–311, 2010.
Scanlon, T. M., Caylor, K. K., Manfreda, S., Levin, S. A., and Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.: Dynamic response of grass cover to rainfall variability: implications for the function and persistence of savanna ecosystems, Adv. Water Resour., 28, 291–302, 2005.
Scholes, R. J. and Archer, S. R.: Tree-Grass Interactions in Savannas, Ann. Rev. Ecol. System., 28, 517–544, 1997.
Seth, A., Rauscher, S. A., Biasutti, M., Giannini, A., Camargo, S. J., and Rojas, M.: CMIP5 Projected Changes in the Annual Cycle of Precipitation in Monsoon Regions, J. Climate, 26, 7328–7351, 2013.
Sheffield, J., Goteti, G., and Wood, E. F.: Development of a 50-Year High-Resolution Global Dataset of Meteorological Forcings for Land Surface Modeling, J. Climate, 19, 3088–3111, 2006.
Shongwe, M. E., van Oldenborgh, G. J., van den Hurk, B. J. J. M., de Boer, B., Coelho, C. A. S., and van Aalst, M. K.: Projected Changes in Mean and Extreme Precipitation in Africa under Global Warming – Part I: Southern Africa, J. Climate, 22, 3819–3837, 2009.
Shugart, H. H.: Terrestrial ecosystems in changing environments, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom, 1998.
Staver, A. C., Archibald, S., and Levin, S. A.: The Global Extent and Determinants of Savanna and Forest as Alternative Biome States, Science 334, 230–232, 2011.
Stocker, T. F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., Tignor, M., Allen, S. K., Boschung, J., Nauels, A., Xia, Y., Bex, V., and Midgley, P. M. (Ed.): IPCC, 2013: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2013.
Svejcar, T., Bates, J., Angell, R., and Miller, R.: The influence of precipitation timing on the sagebrush steppe ecosystem, in: Changing Precipitation Regimes andTerrestrial Ecosystems, edited by: McPherson, G. and Weltzin, J., University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ 237 pp., 2003.
Thomey, M. L., Collins, S. L., Vargas, R., Johnson, J. E., Brown, R. F., Natvig, D. O., and Friggens, M. T.: Effect of precipitation variability on net primary production and soil respiration in a Chihuahuan Desert grassland, Glob. Change Biol., 17, 1505–1515, 2011.
Trenberth, K. E., Dai, A., Rasmussen, R. M., and Parsons, D. B.: The Changing Character of Precipitation, Bull. Am. Meterol. Soc., 84, 1205–1217, 2003.
van Schaik, C. P., Terborgh, J. W., and Wright, S. J.: The Phenology of Tropical Forests: Adaptive Significance and Consequences for PrimaryConsumers, Ann. Rev. Ecol. System., 24, 353–377, 1993.
Vincens, A., Garcin, Y., and Buchet, G.: Influence of rainfall seasonality on African lowland vegetation during the Late Quaternary: pollen evidence from Lake Masoko, Tanzania, J. Biogeogr., 34, 1274–1288, 2007.
Weltzin, J. F., Loik, M. E., Schwinning, S., Williams, D. G., Fay, P. A., Haddad, B. M., Harte, J., Huxman, T. E., Knapp, A. K., Lin, G., Pockman, W. T., Shaw, M. R., Small, E. E., Smith, M. D., Smith, S. D., Tissue, D. T., and Zak, J. C.: Assessing the Response of Terrestrial Ecosystems to Potential Changes in Precipitation, BioScience, 53, 941–952, 2003.
Williams, C. A. and Albertson, J. D.: Dynamical effects of the statistical structure of annual rainfall on dryland vegetation, Glob. Change Biol., 12, 777-792, 2006.
Zhang, X., Friedl, M. A., Schaaf, C. B., Strahler, A. H., and Liu, Z.: Monitoring the response of vegetation phenology to precipitation in Africa by coupling MODIS and TRMM instruments, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D12103, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JD005263, 2005.
Zhang, Y., Moran, M. S., Nearing, M. A., Campos, G. E. P., Huete, A. R., Buda, A. R., Bosch, D. D., Gunter, S. A., Kitchen, S. G., McNab, W. H., Morgan, J. A., McClaran, M. P., Montoya, D. S., Peters, D. P., and Starks, P. J.: Extreme precipitation patterns and reductions of terrestrial ecosystem production across biomes, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeosciences, 118, 148–157, 2013.
Short summary
Climate change is expected to modify the way that rainfall arrives, namely the frequency and intensity of rainfall events and rainy season length. Yet, the quantification of the impact of these possible rainfall changes across large biomes is lacking. Our study fills this gap by developing a new modeling framework, applying it to continental Africa. We show that African ecosystems are highly sensitive to these rainfall variabilities, with esp. large sensitivity to changes in rainy season length.
Climate change is expected to modify the way that rainfall arrives, namely the frequency and...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint