Carbon-nitrogen interactions regulate climate-carbon cycle feedbacks: results from an atmosphere-ocean general circulation model Export

@article{citeulike:6089328, abstract = {Inclusion of fundamental ecological interactions between the terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycles in the land component of an atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) leads to increased carbon storage on land under radiatively-forced anthropogenic climate change, and an overall negative climate-carbon cycle feedback. The primary mechanism responsible for increased land carbon storage is shown to be fertilization of plant growth by increased mineralization of nitrogen directly associated with increased decomposition of soil organic matter under a warming climate. Results from the fully-coupled AOGCM also confirm a previously reported pattern of significantly reduced CO₂-fertilization of terrestrial carbon uptake compared to simulations without an explicit nitrogen cycle. Our results show a significant growth in the airborne fraction of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions over the coming century, attributable in part to a steady decline in the ocean sink fraction. Comparison to experimental studies on the fate of radio-labeled nitrogen tracers in temperate forests indicates that the model representation of competition between plants and microbes for new mineral nitrogen resources is reasonable. Our results suggest a weaker dependence of net land carbon flux on soil moisture changes in tropical regions, and a stronger positive growth response to warming in those regions, than predicted by a similar AOGCM implemented without land carbon-nitrogen interactions. We expect that the between-model uncertainty in predictions of future atmospheric CO₂ concentration and associated anthropogenic climate change will be reduced as additional climate models introduce carbon-nitrogen cycle interactions in their land components.}, author = {Thornton, P. E. and Doney, S. C. and Lindsay, K. and Moore, J. K. and Mahowald, N. and Randerson, J. T. and Fung, I. and Lamarque, J. and Feddema, J. J. and Lee, Y.}, citeulike-article-id = {6089328}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/6/3303/2009/}, day = {26}, journal = {Biogeosciences Discussions}, keywords = {carbon, climate, feedback, gcm, model, nitrogen}, month = {March}, number = {2}, pages = {3303--3354}, posted-at = {2009-11-09 16:35:08}, priority = {2}, publisher = {Copernicus Publications}, title = {Carbon-nitrogen interactions regulate climate-carbon cycle feedbacks: results from an atmosphere-ocean general circulation model}, url = {http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/6/3303/2009/}, volume = {6}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:6089328 L3 - citeulike-article-id:6089328 N2 - Inclusion of fundamental ecological interactions between the terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycles in the land component of an atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) leads to increased carbon storage on land under radiatively-forced anthropogenic climate change, and an overall negative climate-carbon cycle feedback. The primary mechanism responsible for increased land carbon storage is shown to be fertilization of plant growth by increased mineralization of nitrogen directly associated with increased decomposition of soil organic matter under a warming climate. Results from the fully-coupled AOGCM also confirm a previously reported pattern of significantly reduced CO₂-fertilization of terrestrial carbon uptake compared to simulations without an explicit nitrogen cycle. Our results show a significant growth in the airborne fraction of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions over the coming century, attributable in part to a steady decline in the ocean sink fraction. Comparison to experimental studies on the fate of radio-labeled nitrogen tracers in temperate forests indicates that the model representation of competition between plants and microbes for new mineral nitrogen resources is reasonable. Our results suggest a weaker dependence of net land carbon flux on soil moisture changes in tropical regions, and a stronger positive growth response to warming in those regions, than predicted by a similar AOGCM implemented without land carbon-nitrogen interactions. We expect that the between-model uncertainty in predictions of future atmospheric CO₂ concentration and associated anthropogenic climate change will be reduced as additional climate models introduce carbon-nitrogen cycle interactions in their land components. IS - 2 JF - Biogeosciences Discussions EP - 3354 TI - Carbon-nitrogen interactions regulate climate-carbon cycle feedbacks: results from an atmosphere-ocean general circulation model PB - Copernicus Publications VL - 6 SP - 3303 KW - carbon KW - climate KW - feedback KW - gcm KW - model KW - nitrogen AU - Thornton, PE AU - Doney, SC AU - Lindsay, K AU - Moore, JK AU - Mahowald, N AU - Randerson, JT AU - Fung, I AU - Lamarque, J AU - Feddema, JJ AU - Lee, Y PY - 2009/03/26/ UR - http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/6/3303/2009/ ER -