Climate extremes and the carbon cycle

Nature, Год журнала: 2013, Номер 500(7462), С. 287 - 295

Опубликована: Авг. 1, 2013

Язык: Английский

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An ecological perspective on extreme climatic events: a synthetic definition and framework to guide future research

Journal of Ecology, Год журнала: 2011, Номер 99(3), С. 656 - 663

Опубликована: Апрель 15, 2011

Summary 1. Growing recognition of the importance climate extremes as drivers contemporary and future ecological dynamics has led to increasing interest in studying these locally globally important phenomena. 2. Many studies examining impacts what are deemed extremes, such heat waves severe drought, do not provide a definition extremity, either from statistical context based on long‐term climatic record or perspective response system – effects extreme (unusual profound) comparison normal variability? 3. A synthetic an event (ECE) is proposed that includes ‘extremeness’ both driver response: ECE episode occurrence which statistically rare unusual period alters ecosystem structure and/or function well outside bounds considered typical variability. This accompanied by mechanistic framework concept thresholds associated with significant community change altered must be crossed order for occur. 4. Synthesis . ECEs used identify priorities research will enable ecologists more fully assess consequences today world where their frequency intensity expected increase.

Язык: Английский

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Anthropogenic environmental changes affect ecosystem stability via biodiversity

Science, Год журнала: 2015, Номер 348(6232), С. 336 - 340

Опубликована: Апрель 16, 2015

Human-driven environmental changes may simultaneously affect the biodiversity, productivity, and stability of Earth's ecosystems, but there is no consensus on causal relationships linking these variables. Data from 12 multiyear experiments that manipulate important anthropogenic drivers, including plant diversity, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, fire, herbivory, water, show each driver influences ecosystem productivity. However, productivity only changed by those drivers alter with a given decrease in species numbers leading to quantitatively similar regardless which caused biodiversity loss. These results suggest change be major factor determining how global stability.

Язык: Английский

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An integrated conceptual framework for long‐term social–ecological research

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Год журнала: 2010, Номер 9(6), С. 351 - 357

Опубликована: Ноя. 30, 2010

The global reach of human activities affects all natural ecosystems, so that the environment is best viewed as a social–ecological system. Consequently, more integrative approach to environmental science, one bridges biophysical and social domains, sorely needed. Although models frameworks for systems exist, few are explicitly designed guide long‐term interdisciplinary research program. Here, we present an iterative framework, “Press–Pulse Dynamics” (PPD), integrates sciences through understanding how behaviors affect “press” “pulse” dynamics ecosystem processes. Such processes, in turn, influence services –thereby altering initiating feedbacks impact original We believe guided by PPD framework will lead thorough generate knowledge needed address pervasive problems.

Язык: Английский

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Nutrient enrichment, biodiversity loss, and consequent declines in ecosystem productivity

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2013, Номер 110(29), С. 11911 - 11916

Опубликована: Июль 1, 2013

Anthropogenic drivers of environmental change often have multiple effects, including changes in biodiversity, species composition, and ecosystem functioning. It remains unknown whether such shifts biodiversity composition may, themselves, be major contributors to the total, long-term impacts anthropogenic on Moreover, although numerous experiments shown that random losses impact functioning ecosystems, human-caused are rarely random. Here we use results from grassland field test for direct effects chronic nutrient enrichment productivity, indirect productivity mediated by resultant losses. We found decreased through time most plots lost species. Chronic nitrogen addition also led nonrandom loss initially dominant native perennial C 4 grasses. This plant was associated with twice as great a per than occurred nearby experiment. Thus, increased it species, which then caused substantial diminishing returns fertilization. In contrast, elevated CO 2 did not decrease diversity, consistently promoted over time. Our support hypothesis can strongly depend how gradually restructure communities.

Язык: Английский

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Resistance and resilience of a grassland ecosystem to climate extremes

Ecology, Год журнала: 2014, Номер 95(9), С. 2646 - 2656

Опубликована: Март 12, 2014

Climate change forecasts of more frequent climate extremes suggest that such events will become increasingly important drivers future ecosystem dynamics and function. Because the rarity unpredictability naturally occurring limits assessment their ecological impacts, we experimentally imposed extreme drought a mid‐summer heat wave over two years in central U.S. grassland. While was resistant to waves, it not drought, which reduced aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) below lowest level measured this grassland almost 30 years. This reduction function consequence both C 4 grasses 3 forbs. However, dominant forb negatively impacted by than grass, led reordering species abundances within plant community. Although community composition persisted post‐drought, ANPP recovered completely year after due rapid demographic responses compensating for loss forb. Overall, these results show an attributable (e.g., low resistance) does preclude recovery. Given dominance few is characteristic most ecosystems, knowledge traits be key predicting

Язык: Английский

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The impacts of climate change on ecosystem structure and function

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Год журнала: 2013, Номер 11(9), С. 474 - 482

Опубликована: Ноя. 1, 2013

Recent climate‐change research largely confirms the impacts on US ecosystems identified in 2009 National Climate Assessment and provides greater mechanistic understanding geographic specificity for those impacts. Pervasive are that affect productivity of or their ability to process chemical elements. Loss sea ice, rapid warming, higher organic inputs marine lake productivity, while combined wildfire insect outbreaks decrease forest mostly arid semi‐arid West. Forests wetter regions more productive owing warming. Shifts species ranges so extensive by 2100 they may alter biome composition across 5–20% land area. Accelerated losses nutrients from terrestrial receiving waters caused both winter warming intensification hydrologic cycle. Ecosystem feedbacks, especially associated with release carbon dioxide methane wetlands thawing permafrost soils, magnify rate climate change.

Язык: Английский

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Legacies of precipitation fluctuations on primary production: theory and data synthesis

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Год журнала: 2012, Номер 367(1606), С. 3135 - 3144

Опубликована: Окт. 8, 2012

Variability of above-ground net primary production (ANPP) arid to sub-humid ecosystems displays a closer association with precipitation when considered across space (based on multiyear averages for different locations) than through time year-to-year change at single locations). Here, we propose theory controls ANPP based four hypotheses about legacies wet and dry years that explains versus differences in ANPP–precipitation relationships. We tested the using 16 long-term series ANPP. found revealed by current- previous-year conditions temporal occur all ecosystem types from deserts mesic grasslands. Therefore, control significant fraction current-year production. developed unified models time. The relative importance current-versus changes along gradient mean annual PPT decreasing, whereas remains constant as increases. Finally, our results suggest will respond climate-change-driven alterations water availability and, more importantly, magnitude response increase

Язык: Английский

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Iterative near-term ecological forecasting: Needs, opportunities, and challenges

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2018, Номер 115(7), С. 1424 - 1432

Опубликована: Янв. 30, 2018

Two foundational questions about sustainability are “How ecosystems and the services they provide going to change in future?” do human decisions affect these trajectories?” Answering requires an ability forecast ecological processes. Unfortunately, most forecasts focus on centennial-scale climate responses, therefore neither meeting needs of near-term (daily decadal) environmental decision-making nor allowing comparison specific, quantitative predictions new observational data, one strongest tests scientific theory. Near-term opportunity iteratively cycle between performing analyses updating light evidence. This iterative process gaining feedback, building experience, correcting models methods is critical for improving forecasts. Iterative, forecasting will accelerate research, make it more relevant society, inform sustainable under high uncertainty adaptive management. Here, we identify immediate societal needs, opportunities, challenges forecasting. Over past decade, data volume, variety, accessibility have greatly increased, but remain interoperability, latency, quantification. Similarly, ecologists made considerable advances applying computational, informatic, statistical methods, opportunities exist forecast-specific theory, cyberinfrastructure. Effective also require changes training, culture, institutions. The need start now; time making ecology predictive here, learning by doing fastest route drive science forward.

Язык: Английский

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Precipitation manipulation experiments – challenges and recommendations for the future

Ecology Letters, Год журнала: 2012, Номер 15(8), С. 899 - 911

Опубликована: Май 4, 2012

Climatic changes, including altered precipitation regimes, will affect key ecosystem processes, such as plant productivity and biodiversity for many terrestrial ecosystems. Past ongoing experiments have been conducted to quantify these potential changes. An analysis of indicates that they provided important information on how water regulates processes. However, do not adequately represent global biomes nor forecasted scenarios their contribution advance our understanding responses changes is therefore limited, value the development testing models. This highlights need new in ambient climatic conditions hitherto poorly studied applying relevant complex frequency amplitude, seasonality, extremity interactions with other change drivers. A systematic holistic approach investigate soil community characteristics regimes consequent effects processes functioning within greatly increase climate research communities. Experiments should specifically test leading exceedance biological thresholds resilience acclimation.

Язык: Английский

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