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MJK

Marcin Jackowicz-Korczynski

Research engineer

MJK

Refining the role of phenology in regulating gross ecosystem productivity across European peatlands

Author

  • Franziska Koebsch
  • Oliver Sonnentag
  • Järvi Järveoja
  • Mikko Peltoniemi
  • Pavel Alekseychik
  • Mika Aurela
  • Ali Nadir Arslan
  • Kerry Dinsmore
  • Damiano Gianelle
  • Carole Helfter
  • Marcin Jackowicz-Korczynski
  • Aino Korrensalo
  • Fraser Leith
  • Maiju Linkosalmi
  • Annalea Lohila
  • Magnus Lund
  • Martin Maddison
  • Ivan Mammarella
  • Ülo Mander
  • Kari Minkkinen
  • Amy Pickard
  • Johannes W.M. Pullens
  • Eeva Stiina Tuittila
  • Mats B. Nilsson
  • Matthias Peichl
Show all

Summary, in English

The role of plant phenology as a regulator for gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in peatlands is empirically not well constrained. This is because proxies to track vegetation development with daily coverage at the ecosystem scale have only recently become available and the lack of such data has hampered the disentangling of biotic and abiotic effects. This study aimed at unraveling the mechanisms that regulate the seasonal variation in GEP across a network of eight European peatlands. Therefore, we described phenology with canopy greenness derived from digital repeat photography and disentangled the effects of radiation, temperature and phenology on GEP with commonality analysis and structural equation modeling. The resulting relational network could not only delineate direct effects but also accounted for possible effect combinations such as interdependencies (mediation) and interactions (moderation). We found that peatland GEP was controlled by the same mechanisms across all sites: phenology constituted a key predictor for the seasonal variation in GEP and further acted as a distinct mediator for temperature and radiation effects on GEP. In particular, the effect of air temperature on GEP was fully mediated through phenology, implying that direct temperature effects representing the thermoregulation of photosynthesis were negligible. The tight coupling between temperature, phenology and GEP applied especially to high latitude and high altitude peatlands and during phenological transition phases. Our study highlights the importance of phenological effects when evaluating the future response of peatland GEP to climate change. Climate change will affect peatland GEP especially through changing temperature patterns during plant phenologically sensitive phases in high latitude and high altitude regions.

Department/s

  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science

Publishing year

2020-02

Language

English

Pages

876-887

Publication/Series

Global Change Biology

Volume

26

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Climate Research

Keywords

  • canopy greenness
  • commonality analysis
  • mediation
  • moderation
  • peatland C cycle
  • photosynthesis
  • structural equation modeling

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1354-1013