Effects of climate extremes on the terrestrial carbon cycle: concepts, processes and potential future impacts

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 21(8), P. 2861 - 2880

Published: March 7, 2015

Extreme droughts, heat waves, frosts, precipitation, wind storms and other climate extremes may impact the structure, composition functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, thus carbon cycling its feedbacks to system. Yet, interconnected avenues through which drive ecological physiological processes alter balance are poorly understood. Here, we review literature on cycle relevant responses ecosystems extreme climatic events. Given that impacts considered disturbances, assume respective general disturbance-induced mechanisms also operate in an context. The paucity well-defined studies currently renders a quantitative meta-analysis impossible, but permits us develop deductive framework for identifying main (and coupling thereof) act cycle. We find ecosystem can exceed duration via lagged effects expected regional future will depend changes probability severity their occurrence, compound timing different extremes, vulnerability each land-cover type modulated by management. Although sensitivities differ among biomes, based expert opinion, expect forests exhibit largest net effect due large pools fluxes, potentially indirect impacts, long recovery time regain previous stocks. At global scale, presume droughts have strongest most widespread cycling. Comparing identified remote sensing vs. ground-based observational case reveals many regions (sub-)tropics understudied. Hence, investigations needed allow upscaling carbon-climate feedbacks.

Language: Английский

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Global patterns of drought recovery

Nature, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 548(7666), P. 202 - 205

Published: Aug. 1, 2017

Language: Английский

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Vegetation fires in the Anthropocene

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 1(10), P. 500 - 515

Published: Aug. 18, 2020

Language: Английский

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Savanna Vegetation-Fire-Climate Relationships Differ Among Continents

Science, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 343(6170), P. 548 - 552

Published: Jan. 30, 2014

Ecologists have long sought to understand the factors controlling structure of savanna vegetation. Using data from 2154 sites in savannas across Africa, Australia, and South America, we found that increasing moisture availability drives increases fire tree basal area, whereas reduces area. However, among continents, magnitude these effects varied substantially, so a single model cannot adequately represent woody biomass regions. Historical environmental differences drive regional variation functional relationships between vegetation, fire, climate. These same will determine responses vegetation future climates, with implications for global carbon stocks.

Language: Английский

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Global and Regional Trends and Drivers of Fire Under Climate Change

Reviews of Geophysics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 60(3)

Published: April 11, 2022

Abstract Recent wildfire outbreaks around the world have prompted concern that climate change is increasing fire incidence, threatening human livelihood and biodiversity, perpetuating change. Here, we review current understanding of impacts on weather (weather conditions conducive to ignition spread wildfires) consequences for regional activity as mediated by a range other bioclimatic factors (including vegetation biogeography, productivity lightning) ignition, suppression, land use). Through supplemental analyses, present stocktake trends in burned area (BA) during recent decades, examine how relates its drivers. Fire controls annual timing fires most regions also drives inter‐annual variability BA Mediterranean, Pacific US high latitude forests. Increases frequency extremity been globally pervasive due 1979–2019, meaning landscapes are primed burn more frequently. Correspondingly, increases ∼50% or higher seen some extratropical forest ecoregions including high‐latitude forests 2001–2019, though interannual remains large these regions. Nonetheless, can override relationship between weather. For example, savannahs strongly patterns fuel production fragmentation naturally fire‐prone agriculture. Similarly, tropical relate deforestation rates degradation than changing Overall, has reduced 27% past two part decline African savannahs. According models, prevalence already emerged beyond pre‐industrial Mediterranean change, emergence will become increasingly widespread at additional levels warming. Moreover, several major wildfires experienced years, Australian bushfires 2019/2020, occurred amidst were considerably likely Current models incompletely reproduce observed spatial based their existing representations relationships controls, historical vary across models. Advances observation controlling supporting addition optimization processes exerting upwards pressure intensity weather, this escalate with each increment global Improvements better interactions climate, extremes, humans required predict future mitigate against consequences.

Language: Английский

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Savanna woody encroachment is widespread across three continents

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 23(1), P. 235 - 244

Published: July 2, 2016

Tropical savannas are a globally extensive biome prone to rapid vegetation change in response changing environmental conditions. Via meta-analysis, we quantified savanna woody spanning the last century. We found global trend of encroachment that was established prior 1980s. However, there is critical regional variation magnitude encroachment. Woody cover increasing most rapidly remaining uncleared South America, likely due fire suppression and land fragmentation. In contrast, Australia has experienced low rates When accounting for use, African have mean rate annual increase two half times Australian savannas. Africa, occurs across multiple uses accelerating over time. Africa Australia, rising atmospheric CO2 , management rainfall causes. argue functional traits each flora, specifically N-fixing ability architecture plants, predicting next century at high risk widespread change.

Language: Английский

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Fire as a fundamental ecological process: Research advances and frontiers

Journal of Ecology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 108(5), P. 2047 - 2069

Published: April 18, 2020

Abstract Fire is a powerful ecological and evolutionary force that regulates organismal traits, population sizes, species interactions, community composition, carbon nutrient cycling ecosystem function. It also presents rapidly growing societal challenge, due to both increasingly destructive wildfires fire exclusion in fire‐dependent ecosystems. As an process, integrates complex feedbacks among biological, social geophysical processes, requiring coordination across several fields scales of study. Here, we describe the diversity ways which operates as fundamental process on Earth. We explore research priorities six categories ecology: (a) characteristics regimes, (b) changing (c) effects above‐ground ecology, (d) below‐ground (e) behaviour (f) ecology modelling. identify three emergent themes: need study temporal scales, assess mechanisms underlying variety involving improve representation range modelling contexts. Synthesis : regimes our relationships with continue change, prioritizing these areas will facilitate understanding causes consequences future fires rethinking management alternatives.

Language: Английский

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Tropical grassy biomes: misunderstood, neglected, and under threat

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 29(4), P. 205 - 213

Published: March 12, 2014

Language: Английский

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Fire and biodiversity in the Anthropocene

Science, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 370(6519)

Published: Nov. 20, 2020

Fire's growing impacts on ecosystems Fire has played a prominent role in the evolution of biodiversity and is natural factor shaping many ecological communities. However, incidence fire been exacerbated by human activity, this now affecting habitats that have never prone or adapted. Kelly et al. review how such changes are already threatening species with extinction transforming terrestrial discuss trends causing regimes. They also consider actions could be taken conservationists policy-makers to help sustain time changing activity. Science , issue p. eabb0355

Language: Английский

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Rewilding European Landscapes

Springer eBooks, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 1, 2015

Language: Английский

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