Applying a SPA model to examine the impact of climate change on GPP of open woodlands and the potential for woody thickening

Macinnis-Ng, C; Zeppel, M; Williams, M; Eamus, D

Applying a SPA model to examine the impact of climate change on GPP of open woodlands and the potential for woody thickening

Macinnis-Ng, C

Zeppel, M

Williams, M Eamus, D

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Ecohydrology, 2011, 4 (3), pp. 379 - 393
Issue Date:: 2011-05-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Macinnis-Ng, C https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3935-9814	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Zeppel, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5510-0936	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Williams, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Eamus, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2765-8040	en_US
dc.date.issued	2011-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Ecohydrology, 2011, 4 (3), pp. 379 - 393	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1936-0584	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18188
dc.description.abstract	Woody thickening is a global phenomenon that influences landscape C density, regional ecohydrology and biogeochemical cycling. The aim of the work described here is to test the hypothesis that increased atmospheric CO2 concentration, with or without photosynthetic acclimation, can increase gross primary production (GPP) and that this can explain woody thickening. We examine mechanisms underlying the response of GPP and highlight the importance of changes in soil water content by applying a detailed soil-plant-atmosphere model. Through this model, we show that CO2 enrichment with decreased or increased D and photosynthetic acclimation results in decreased canopy water use because of reduced gs. The decline in water use coupled with increased photosynthesis resulted in increased GPP, water-use efficiency and soil moisture content. This study shows that this is a valid mechanism for GPP increase because of CO2 enrichment coupled with either a decrease or an increase in D, in water-limited environments. We also show that a large increase in leaf area index could be sustained in the future as a result of the increased soil moisture content arising from CO2 enrichment and this increase was larger if D decreases rather than increases in the future. Large-scale predictions arising from this simple conceptual model are discussed and found to be supported in the literature. We conclude that woody thickening in Australia and probably globally can be explained by the changes in landscape GPP and soil moisture balance arising principally from the increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Ecohydrology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/eco.138	en_US
dc.title	Applying a SPA model to examine the impact of climate change on GPP of open woodlands and the potential for woody thickening	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.for	060208 Terrestrial Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	060705 Plant Physiology	en_US
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Computer Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CAI - Centre for Artificial Intelligence
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	4	en_US

Abstract:

Woody thickening is a global phenomenon that influences landscape C density, regional ecohydrology and biogeochemical cycling. The aim of the work described here is to test the hypothesis that increased atmospheric CO2 concentration, with or without photosynthetic acclimation, can increase gross primary production (GPP) and that this can explain woody thickening. We examine mechanisms underlying the response of GPP and highlight the importance of changes in soil water content by applying a detailed soil-plant-atmosphere model. Through this model, we show that CO2 enrichment with decreased or increased D and photosynthetic acclimation results in decreased canopy water use because of reduced gs. The decline in water use coupled with increased photosynthesis resulted in increased GPP, water-use efficiency and soil moisture content. This study shows that this is a valid mechanism for GPP increase because of CO2 enrichment coupled with either a decrease or an increase in D, in water-limited environments. We also show that a large increase in leaf area index could be sustained in the future as a result of the increased soil moisture content arising from CO2 enrichment and this increase was larger if D decreases rather than increases in the future. Large-scale predictions arising from this simple conceptual model are discussed and found to be supported in the literature. We conclude that woody thickening in Australia and probably globally can be explained by the changes in landscape GPP and soil moisture balance arising principally from the increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18188