Unexpectedly large impact of forest management and grazing on global vegetation biomass

Erb, Karl Heinz; Kastner, Thomas; Plutzar, Christoph; Bais, Anna Liza S.; Carvalhais, Nuno; Fetzel, Tamara; Gingrich, Simone; Haberl, Helmut; Lauk, Christian; Niedertscheider, Maria; Pongratz, Julia; Thurner, Martin; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan

doi:10.1038/nature25138

Cited by 552 publications

(477 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…An experiment with an Earth system model suggests that the observed rise of~115 ppm in atmospheric CO 2 since the preindustrial era might have been higher by~85 ppm without the effect of CO 2 fertilization (Shevliakova et al, 2013), implying a large contribution of CO 2 fertilization to net CO 2 flux (balance between CO 2 uptake and release by the terrestrial biosphere). However, it is still arguable whether the CO 2 fertilization is a dominant cause for the recent enhancement of CO 2 uptake because, in addition to the level of atmospheric CO 2 , the terrestrial biosphere has undergone historical changes through land use and management (Erb et al, 2013(Erb et al, , 2018. CO 2 emissions resulting from land use change (LUC) activities account for~9% of the total global anthropogenic CO 2 emissions (Le Quéré et al, 2016); therefore, changes in LUC could affect the course of the net sink-source pattern of CO 2 over time.…”

Section: 1029/2018gl077633mentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO₂ Uptake

Kondo

Ichii

Patra

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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The increasing strength of land CO2 uptake in the 2000s has been attributed to a stimulating effect of rising atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis (CO2 fertilization). Using terrestrial biosphere models, we show that enhanced CO2 uptake is induced not only by CO2 fertilization but also an increasing uptake by plant regrowth (accounting for 0.33 ± 0.10 Pg C/year increase of CO2 uptake in the 2000s compared with the 1960s–1990s) with its effect most pronounced in eastern North America, southern‐eastern Europe, and southeastern temperate Eurasia. Our analysis indicates that ecosystems in North America and Europe have established the current productive state through regrowth since the 1960s, and those in temperate Eurasia are still in a stage from regrowth following active afforestation in the 1980s–1990s. As the strength of model representation of CO2 fertilization is still in debate, plant regrowth might have a greater potential to sequester carbon than indicated by this study.

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Section: 1029/2018gl077633mentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO₂ Uptake

Kondo

Ichii

Patra

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…During the same time period, total plant biomass halved, with cultivated crops accounting for c . 2% of the total (Erb et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

Bechert

Brown

Dierenfeld

et al. 2019

International Zoo Yearbook

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African elephants Loxodonta africana and Asian elephants Elephas maximus are not thriving in many captive settings and are threatened throughout their native ranges. Many zoos support in situ conservation projects and provide opportunities to conduct ex situ research in controlled settings with comparably approachable animals. Zoo elephant projects may facilitate fieldwork with free‐ranging elephants (e.g. development of non‐invasive sampling and analytical tools), which may then also improve the husbandry of elephants in human care. Free‐ranging elephants also benefit from drug therapies and veterinary care when they are orphaned, kept as working elephants or brought in as rehabilitation cases – especially as human–elephant conflicts become more common as a result of ever‐expanding human populations. Much has been learned about the basic biology and husbandry needs of elephants but, often, the more we learn, the more questions arise. There are physiological differences between African and Asian elephants, and this should affect the management of these animals. This paper will provide brief overviews of the current state of knowledge regarding the pharmacology, nutrition, reproduction, sensory biology and diseases (primarily elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus infections) relevant to elephants with recommendations for future research.

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“…, Erb et al. ). Future changes in the terrestrial carbon budget are therefore very relevant for the trajectory of CO 2 atmospheric concentrations and the Earth's climate (IPCC ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sensitivity of the forest carbon budget shifts across processes along with stand development and climate change

Collalti

Thornton

Cescatti

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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The future trajectory of atmospheric CO2 concentration depends on the development of the terrestrial carbon sink, which in turn is influenced by forest dynamics under changing environmental conditions. An in‐depth understanding of model sensitivities and uncertainties in non‐steady‐state conditions is necessary for reliable and robust projections of forest development and under scenarios of global warming and CO2 enrichment. Here, we systematically assessed if a biogeochemical process‐based model (3D‐CMCC‐CNR), which embeds similarities with many other vegetation models, applied in simulating net primary productivity (NPP) and standing woody biomass (SWB), maintained a consistent sensitivity to its 55 input parameters through time, during forest ageing and structuring as well as under climate change scenarios. Overall, the model applied at three contrasting European forests showed low sensitivity to the majority of its parameters. Interestingly, model sensitivity to parameters varied through the course of >100 yr of simulations. In particular, the model showed a large responsiveness to the allometric parameters used for initialize forest carbon and nitrogen pools early in forest simulation (i.e., for NPP up to ~37%, 256 g C·m−2·yr−1 and for SWB up to ~90%, 65 Mg C/ha, when compared to standard simulation), with this sensitivity decreasing sharply during forest development. At medium to longer time scales, and under climate change scenarios, the model became increasingly more sensitive to additional and/or different parameters controlling biomass accumulation and autotrophic respiration (i.e., for NPP up to ~30%, 167 g C·m−2·yr−1 and for SWB up to ~24%, 64 Mg C/ha, when compared to standard simulation). Interestingly, model outputs were shown to be more sensitive to parameters and processes controlling stand development rather than to climate change (i.e., warming and changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration) itself although model sensitivities were generally higher under climate change scenarios. Our results suggest the need for sensitivity and uncertainty analyses that cover multiple temporal scales along forest developmental stages to better assess the potential of future forests to act as a global terrestrial carbon sink.

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Unexpectedly large impact of forest management and grazing on global vegetation biomass

Cited by 552 publications

References 68 publications

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO₂ Uptake

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO₂ Uptake

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

The sensitivity of the forest carbon budget shifts across processes along with stand development and climate change

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Unexpectedly large impact of forest management and grazing on global vegetation biomass

Cited by 552 publications

References 68 publications

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO2 Uptake

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO2 Uptake

Zoo elephant research: contributions to conservation of captive and free‐ranging species

The sensitivity of the forest carbon budget shifts across processes along with stand development and climate change

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Product

Resources

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Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO₂ Uptake

Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO₂ Uptake