Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year

John A. Arnone; Paul S.J. Verburg; Dale W. Johnson; Jessica D. Larsen; Richard L. Jasoni; Annmarie J. Lucchesi; Candace M. Batts; Christopher Von Nagy; William G. Coulombe; David E. Schorran; Paul E. Buck; Bobby H. Braswell; James S. Coleman; Rebecca A. Sherry; Linda L. Wallace; Yiqi Luo; David S. Schimel

doi:10.1038/nature07296

Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year

John A. Arnone, Paul S.J. Verburg, Dale W. Johnson, Jessica D. Larsen, Richard L. Jasoni, Annmarie J. Lucchesi, Candace M. Batts, Christopher Von Nagy, William G. Coulombe, David E. Schorran, Paul E. Buck, Bobby H. Braswell, James S. Coleman, Rebecca A. Sherry, Linda L. Wallace, Yiqi Luo, David S. Schimel

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Abstract

Terrestrial ecosystems control carbon dioxide fluxes to and from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration, a balance between net primary productivity and heterotrophic respiration, that determines whether an ecosystem is sequestering carbon or releasing it to the atmosphere. Global and site-specific data sets have demonstrated that climate and climate variability influence biogeochemical processes that determine net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) at multiple timescales. Experimental data necessary to quantify impacts of a single climate variable, such as temperature anomalies, on NEE and carbon sequestration of ecosystems at interannual timescales have been lacking. This derives from an inability of field studies to avoid the confounding effects of natural intra-annual and interannual variability in temperature and precipitation. Here we present results from a four-year study using replicate 12,000-kg intact tallgrass prairie monoliths located in four 184-m³ enclosed lysimeters. We exposed 6 of 12 monoliths to an anomalously warm year in the second year of the study and continuously quantified rates of ecosystem processes, including NEE. We find that warming decreases NEE in both the extreme year and the following year by inducing drought that suppresses net primary productivity in the extreme year and by stimulating heterotrophic respiration of soil biota in the subsequent year. Our data indicate that two years are required for NEE in the previously warmed experimental ecosystems to recover to levels measured in the control ecosystems. This time lag caused net ecosystem carbon sequestration in previously warmed ecosystems to be decreased threefold over the study period, compared with control ecosystems. Our findings suggest that more frequent anomalously warm years, a possible consequence of increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide levels, may lead to a sustained decrease in carbon dioxide uptake by terrestrial ecosystems.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	383-386
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature
Volume	455
Issue number	7211
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07296
State	Published - Sep 18 2008
Externally published	Yes

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Arnone, J. A., Verburg, P. S. J., Johnson, D. W., Larsen, J. D., Jasoni, R. L., Lucchesi, A. J., Batts, C. M., Von Nagy, C., Coulombe, W. G., Schorran, D. E., Buck, P. E., Braswell, B. H., Coleman, J. S., Sherry, R. A., Wallace, L. L., Luo, Y., & Schimel, D. S. (2008). Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year. Nature, 455(7211), 383-386. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07296

Arnone, JA, Verburg, PSJ, Johnson, DW, Larsen, JD, Jasoni, RL, Lucchesi, AJ, Batts, CM, Von Nagy, C, Coulombe, WG, Schorran, DE, Buck, PE, Braswell, BH, Coleman, JS, Sherry, RA, Wallace, LL, Luo, Y & Schimel, DS 2008, 'Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year', Nature, vol. 455, no. 7211, pp. 383-386. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07296

@article{c393a68ce4a64c10a59c64df018dc658,

title = "Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year",

abstract = "Terrestrial ecosystems control carbon dioxide fluxes to and from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration, a balance between net primary productivity and heterotrophic respiration, that determines whether an ecosystem is sequestering carbon or releasing it to the atmosphere. Global and site-specific data sets have demonstrated that climate and climate variability influence biogeochemical processes that determine net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) at multiple timescales. Experimental data necessary to quantify impacts of a single climate variable, such as temperature anomalies, on NEE and carbon sequestration of ecosystems at interannual timescales have been lacking. This derives from an inability of field studies to avoid the confounding effects of natural intra-annual and interannual variability in temperature and precipitation. Here we present results from a four-year study using replicate 12,000-kg intact tallgrass prairie monoliths located in four 184-m3 enclosed lysimeters. We exposed 6 of 12 monoliths to an anomalously warm year in the second year of the study and continuously quantified rates of ecosystem processes, including NEE. We find that warming decreases NEE in both the extreme year and the following year by inducing drought that suppresses net primary productivity in the extreme year and by stimulating heterotrophic respiration of soil biota in the subsequent year. Our data indicate that two years are required for NEE in the previously warmed experimental ecosystems to recover to levels measured in the control ecosystems. This time lag caused net ecosystem carbon sequestration in previously warmed ecosystems to be decreased threefold over the study period, compared with control ecosystems. Our findings suggest that more frequent anomalously warm years, a possible consequence of increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide levels, may lead to a sustained decrease in carbon dioxide uptake by terrestrial ecosystems.",

author = "Arnone, {John A.} and Verburg, {Paul S.J.} and Johnson, {Dale W.} and Larsen, {Jessica D.} and Jasoni, {Richard L.} and Lucchesi, {Annmarie J.} and Batts, {Candace M.} and {Von Nagy}, Christopher and Coulombe, {William G.} and Schorran, {David E.} and Buck, {Paul E.} and Braswell, {Bobby H.} and Coleman, {James S.} and Sherry, {Rebecca A.} and Wallace, {Linda L.} and Yiqi Luo and Schimel, {David S.}",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank E. Kessler and the University of Oklahoma for the use of the Kessler Farm Field Laboratory; R. Kreidberg for editorial assistance; and J. Amthor, M. Bahn, C. K{\"o}rner, D. Obrist and G. Wohlfahrt, for critical review of an early draft of this manuscript. This study was funded by the US National Science Foundation{\textquoteright}s Integrated Research Challenges in Environmental Biology program, with additional support from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) for necessary upgrades to the EcoCELL facility. We are very grateful to DRI, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Nevada–Reno teams for technical assistance, facilities support, and administrative expertise (also see Supplementary Information).",

year = "2008",

month = sep,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1038/nature07296",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "455",

pages = "383--386",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

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number = "7211",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year

AU - Arnone, John A.

AU - Verburg, Paul S.J.

AU - Johnson, Dale W.

AU - Larsen, Jessica D.

AU - Jasoni, Richard L.

AU - Lucchesi, Annmarie J.

AU - Batts, Candace M.

AU - Von Nagy, Christopher

AU - Coulombe, William G.

AU - Schorran, David E.

AU - Buck, Paul E.

AU - Braswell, Bobby H.

AU - Coleman, James S.

AU - Sherry, Rebecca A.

AU - Wallace, Linda L.

AU - Luo, Yiqi

AU - Schimel, David S.

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgements We thank E. Kessler and the University of Oklahoma for the use of the Kessler Farm Field Laboratory; R. Kreidberg for editorial assistance; and J. Amthor, M. Bahn, C. Körner, D. Obrist and G. Wohlfahrt, for critical review of an early draft of this manuscript. This study was funded by the US National Science Foundation’s Integrated Research Challenges in Environmental Biology program, with additional support from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) for necessary upgrades to the EcoCELL facility. We are very grateful to DRI, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Nevada–Reno teams for technical assistance, facilities support, and administrative expertise (also see Supplementary Information).

PY - 2008/9/18

Y1 - 2008/9/18

N2 - Terrestrial ecosystems control carbon dioxide fluxes to and from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration, a balance between net primary productivity and heterotrophic respiration, that determines whether an ecosystem is sequestering carbon or releasing it to the atmosphere. Global and site-specific data sets have demonstrated that climate and climate variability influence biogeochemical processes that determine net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) at multiple timescales. Experimental data necessary to quantify impacts of a single climate variable, such as temperature anomalies, on NEE and carbon sequestration of ecosystems at interannual timescales have been lacking. This derives from an inability of field studies to avoid the confounding effects of natural intra-annual and interannual variability in temperature and precipitation. Here we present results from a four-year study using replicate 12,000-kg intact tallgrass prairie monoliths located in four 184-m3 enclosed lysimeters. We exposed 6 of 12 monoliths to an anomalously warm year in the second year of the study and continuously quantified rates of ecosystem processes, including NEE. We find that warming decreases NEE in both the extreme year and the following year by inducing drought that suppresses net primary productivity in the extreme year and by stimulating heterotrophic respiration of soil biota in the subsequent year. Our data indicate that two years are required for NEE in the previously warmed experimental ecosystems to recover to levels measured in the control ecosystems. This time lag caused net ecosystem carbon sequestration in previously warmed ecosystems to be decreased threefold over the study period, compared with control ecosystems. Our findings suggest that more frequent anomalously warm years, a possible consequence of increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide levels, may lead to a sustained decrease in carbon dioxide uptake by terrestrial ecosystems.

AB - Terrestrial ecosystems control carbon dioxide fluxes to and from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and respiration, a balance between net primary productivity and heterotrophic respiration, that determines whether an ecosystem is sequestering carbon or releasing it to the atmosphere. Global and site-specific data sets have demonstrated that climate and climate variability influence biogeochemical processes that determine net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) at multiple timescales. Experimental data necessary to quantify impacts of a single climate variable, such as temperature anomalies, on NEE and carbon sequestration of ecosystems at interannual timescales have been lacking. This derives from an inability of field studies to avoid the confounding effects of natural intra-annual and interannual variability in temperature and precipitation. Here we present results from a four-year study using replicate 12,000-kg intact tallgrass prairie monoliths located in four 184-m3 enclosed lysimeters. We exposed 6 of 12 monoliths to an anomalously warm year in the second year of the study and continuously quantified rates of ecosystem processes, including NEE. We find that warming decreases NEE in both the extreme year and the following year by inducing drought that suppresses net primary productivity in the extreme year and by stimulating heterotrophic respiration of soil biota in the subsequent year. Our data indicate that two years are required for NEE in the previously warmed experimental ecosystems to recover to levels measured in the control ecosystems. This time lag caused net ecosystem carbon sequestration in previously warmed ecosystems to be decreased threefold over the study period, compared with control ecosystems. Our findings suggest that more frequent anomalously warm years, a possible consequence of increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide levels, may lead to a sustained decrease in carbon dioxide uptake by terrestrial ecosystems.

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U2 - 10.1038/nature07296

DO - 10.1038/nature07296

M3 - Article

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AN - SCOPUS:52149099254

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 455

SP - 383

EP - 386

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

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ER -

Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year

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