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Zhendong Wu

Zhendong Wu

Researcher

Zhendong Wu

Asymmetric patterns and temporal changes in phenology-based seasonal gross carbon uptake of global terrestrial ecosystems

Author

  • Lanhui Wang
  • Feng Tian
  • Ke Huang
  • Yuhang Wang
  • Zhendong Wu
  • Rasmus Fensholt

Summary, in English

Aim: To study global patterns and temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics (quantity and seasonal distribution) of terrestrial gross carbon uptake in response to global environmental change. Location: Global. Time period: 2000–2016. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial ecosystems. Methods: Following a phenology-based definition of photosynthetic seasonality, we decompose gross primary production (GPP) into three periods, green-up, maturity and senescence, and derive their corresponding GPP (GPPgp, GPPmp and GPPsp, respectively) from a newly developed time series of satellite-based global GPP to study spatio-temporal dynamics of seasonal GPP. Results: We find that the global fraction of GPPsp (19.8%) is larger than GPPgp (14.3%), indicating a globally asymmetric seasonal distribution of gross carbon uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. Globally, GPPmp plays a dominant role in shaping spatial patterns and increasing/decreasing trends in GPP, while GPPgp/GPPsp contributes to increasing GPP at the regional scale. Higher fractions of GPPgp/GPPmp (lower of GPPsp), as well as the co-occurrence of increasing GPP and non-tree vegetation cover in major croplands, are likely to be caused by agricultural intensification. Global changes in GPPgp and GPPsp are closely related to changes in their seasonal distributions (R =.86/.8, respectively), whereas this relationship is weaker for GPPmp (R =.53). Finally, high correlations are observed between changes in GPPgp and GPPsp and changes in their durations (R =.78/.78, respectively), while GPPmp shows a relatively lower correlation with its duration (R =.67). Main conclusions: The asymmetric spatio-temporal patterns in the seasonal dynamics of global terrestrial gross carbon uptake found here have been substantially reshaped by anthropogenic land-use/cover changes and changes in photosynthetic phenology. Compared to calendar-based meteorological seasons more suitable for temperate/subpolar ecosystems, our phenology-based approach is expected to provide an alternative starting point for a better understanding of global spatio-temporal changes in the seasonal dynamics of terrestrial ecosystem processes and functioning under accelerating global change.

Department/s

  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science

Publishing year

2020-06

Language

English

Pages

1020-1033

Publication/Series

Global Ecology and Biogeography

Volume

29

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Topic

  • Physical Geography

Keywords

  • carbon uptake
  • GPP
  • growing season
  • land-use/cover change
  • phenology/seasonality
  • photosynthesis/primary production
  • terrestrial ecosystems
  • vegetation dynamics

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1466-822X