Geographical and interannual variability in biomass partitioning in grassland ecosystems: a synthesis of field data
Open Access
- 12 October 2005
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in New Phytologist
- Vol. 169 (1), 85-93
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01569.x
Abstract
• Biomass partitioning is an important variable in terrestrial ecosystem carbon modeling. However, geographical and interannual variability in fBNPP, defined as the fraction of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) to total NPP, and its relationship with climatic variables, have not been explored. • Here we addressed these issues by synthesizing 94 site‐year field biomass data at 12 grassland sites around the world from a global NPP database and from the literature. • Results showed that fBNPP varied from 0.40 to 0.86 across 12 sites. In general, savanna and humid savanna ecosystems had smaller fBNPP but larger interannual variability in fBNPP, and cold desert steppes had larger fBNPP but smaller interannual variability. While mean fBNPP at a site decreased significantly with increasing mean annual temperature and precipitation across sites, no consistent temporal response of fBNPP with annual temperature and precipitation was found within sites. • Based on these results, both geographical variability in fBNPP and the divergent responses of fBNPP with climatic variables at geographical and temporal scales should be considered in global C modeling.Keywords
This publication has 56 references indexed in Scilit:
- Evaluation of soil CO2 production and transport in Duke Forest using a process‐based modeling approachGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 2004
- Increasing CO2 accelerates root growth and enhances water acquisition during early stages of development in Larrea tridentataNew Phytologist, 2003
- Climate-Driven Increases in Global Terrestrial Net Primary Production from 1982 to 1999Science, 2003
- NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY OF A CO2-ENRICHED DECIDUOUS FOREST AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CARBON STORAGEEcological Applications, 2002
- Belowground Primary Production by Carbon Isotope Decay and Long-term Root Biomass DynamicsEcosystems, 2001
- Terrestrial NPP: Toward a Consistent Data Set for Global Model EvaluationEcological Applications, 1999
- Grassland Precipitation-Use Efficiency Varies Across a Resource GradientEcosystems, 1999
- Interannual Variability in Terrestrial Net Primary Production: Exploration of Trends and Controls on Regional to Global ScalesEcosystems, 1999
- The global carbon sink: a grassland perspectiveGlobal Change Biology, 1998
- Root‐Shoot Ratios on Native Forest Herbs and Zea Mays at Different Soil‐Moisture LevelsEcology, 1970