Regional ecosystem productivity is highly sensitive to inter-annual climate variability, both within and outside the primary carbon uptake period. However, Earth system models lack sufficient spatial scales and ecosystem processes to resolve how these processes may change in a warming climate. Here, we show, how for the European Alps, mid-latitude Atlantic ocean winter circulation anomalies drive high-altitude summer forest and grassland productivity, through feedbacks among orographic wind circulation patterns, snowfall, winter and spring temperatures, and vegetation activity. Therefore, to understand future global climate change influence to regional ecosystem productivity, Earth systems models need to focus on improvements towards topographic downscaling of changes in regional atmospheric circulation patterns and to lagged responses in vegetation dynamics to non-growing season climate anomalies.

Desai, A.R.; Wohlfahrt, G.; Zeeman, M.J.; Katata, G.; Eugster, W.; Montagnani, L.; Gianelle, D.; Mauder, M.; Schmid, H. (2016). Montane ecosystem productivity responds more to global circulation patterns than climatic trends. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 11 (2): 024013. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/11/2/024013 handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10449/32163

Montane ecosystem productivity responds more to global circulation patterns than climatic trends

Gianelle, Damiano;
2016-01-01

Abstract

Regional ecosystem productivity is highly sensitive to inter-annual climate variability, both within and outside the primary carbon uptake period. However, Earth system models lack sufficient spatial scales and ecosystem processes to resolve how these processes may change in a warming climate. Here, we show, how for the European Alps, mid-latitude Atlantic ocean winter circulation anomalies drive high-altitude summer forest and grassland productivity, through feedbacks among orographic wind circulation patterns, snowfall, winter and spring temperatures, and vegetation activity. Therefore, to understand future global climate change influence to regional ecosystem productivity, Earth systems models need to focus on improvements towards topographic downscaling of changes in regional atmospheric circulation patterns and to lagged responses in vegetation dynamics to non-growing season climate anomalies.
Climate change
Orographic wind circulation
Regional ecosystem productivity
Settore AGR/05 - ASSESTAMENTO FORESTALE E SELVICOLTURA
2016
Desai, A.R.; Wohlfahrt, G.; Zeeman, M.J.; Katata, G.; Eugster, W.; Montagnani, L.; Gianelle, D.; Mauder, M.; Schmid, H. (2016). Montane ecosystem productivity responds more to global circulation patterns than climatic trends. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 11 (2): 024013. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/11/2/024013 handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10449/32163
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
2016_ERL_11_024013.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: main text
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 2.29 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
2.29 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10449/32163
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 22
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 22
social impact