Dominant role of plant physiology in trend and variability of gross primary productivity in North America

Sha Zhou; Yao Zhang; Philippe Ciais; Xiangming Xiao; Yiqi Luo; Kelly K Caylor; Yuefei Huang; Guangqian Wang

doi:10.1038/srep41366

Dominant role of plant physiology in trend and variability of gross primary productivity in North America

Sci Rep. 2017 Feb 1:7:41366. doi: 10.1038/srep41366.

Authors

Sha Zhou^{1

2}, Yao Zhang³, Philippe Ciais⁴, Xiangming Xiao^{3

5}, Yiqi Luo^{6

7}, Kelly K Caylor², Yuefei Huang^{1

8}, Guangqian Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
³ Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
⁴ Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, CEA CNRS UVSQ, Gif-sur-Yvette 91190, France.
⁵ Instittue of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
⁶ Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, USA.
⁷ Center for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
⁸ College of Ecological and Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810086 Qinghai, China.

Abstract

Annual gross primary productivity (GPP) varies considerably due to climate-induced changes in plant phenology and physiology. However, the relative importance of plant phenology and physiology on annual GPP variation is not clear. In this study, a Statistical Model of Integrated Phenology and Physiology (SMIPP) was used to evaluate the relative contributions of maximum daily GPP (GPP_max) and the start and end of growing season (GS_start and GS_end) to annual GPP variability, using a regional GPP product in North America during 2000-2014 and GPP data from 24 AmeriFlux sites. Climatic sensitivity of the three indicators was assessed to investigate the climate impacts on plant phenology and physiology. The SMIPP can explain 98% of inter-annual variability of GPP over mid- and high latitudes in North America. The long-term trend and inter-annual variability of GPP are dominated by GPP_max both at the ecosystem and regional scales. During warmer spring and autumn, GS_start is advanced and GS_end delayed, respectively. GPP_max responds positively to summer temperature over high latitudes (40-80°N), but negatively in mid-latitudes (25-40°N). This study demonstrates that plant physiology, rather than phenology, plays a dominant role in annual GPP variability, indicating more attention should be paid to physiological change under futher climate change.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Climate
Models, Statistical
North America
Plant Development*
Plant Physiological Phenomena*
Regression Analysis
Seasons
Temperature
Time Factors