Atmospheric dryness reduces photosynthesis along a large range of soil water deficits

Zheng Fu; Philippe Ciais; I. Colin Prentice; Pierre Gentine; David Makowski; Ana Bastos; Xiangzhong Luo; Julia K. Green; Paul C. Stoy; Hui Yang; Tomohiro Hajima

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28652-7

Atmospheric dryness reduces photosynthesis along a large range of soil water deficits

Zheng Fu^*, Philippe Ciais, I. Colin Prentice, Pierre Gentine, David Makowski, Ana Bastos, Xiangzhong Luo, Julia K. Green, Paul C. Stoy, Hui Yang, Tomohiro Hajima

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Both low soil water content (SWC) and high atmospheric dryness (vapor pressure deficit, VPD) can negatively affect terrestrial gross primary production (GPP). The sensitivity of GPP to soil versus atmospheric dryness is difficult to disentangle, however, because of their covariation. Using global eddy-covariance observations, here we show that a decrease in SWC is not universally associated with GPP reduction. GPP increases in response to decreasing SWC when SWC is high and decreases only when SWC is below a threshold. By contrast, the sensitivity of GPP to an increase of VPD is always negative across the full SWC range. We further find canopy conductance decreases with increasing VPD (irrespective of SWC), and with decreasing SWC on drier soils. Maximum photosynthetic assimilation rate has negative sensitivity to VPD, and a positive sensitivity to decreasing SWC when SWC is high. Earth System Models underestimate the negative effect of VPD and the positive effect of SWC on GPP such that they should underestimate the GPP reduction due to increasing VPD in future climates.

Original language	English
Article number	989
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28652-7
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

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Copyright the Author(s) 2022. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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title = "Atmospheric dryness reduces photosynthesis along a large range of soil water deficits",

abstract = "Both low soil water content (SWC) and high atmospheric dryness (vapor pressure deficit, VPD) can negatively affect terrestrial gross primary production (GPP). The sensitivity of GPP to soil versus atmospheric dryness is difficult to disentangle, however, because of their covariation. Using global eddy-covariance observations, here we show that a decrease in SWC is not universally associated with GPP reduction. GPP increases in response to decreasing SWC when SWC is high and decreases only when SWC is below a threshold. By contrast, the sensitivity of GPP to an increase of VPD is always negative across the full SWC range. We further find canopy conductance decreases with increasing VPD (irrespective of SWC), and with decreasing SWC on drier soils. Maximum photosynthetic assimilation rate has negative sensitivity to VPD, and a positive sensitivity to decreasing SWC when SWC is high. Earth System Models underestimate the negative effect of VPD and the positive effect of SWC on GPP such that they should underestimate the GPP reduction due to increasing VPD in future climates.",

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AU - Prentice, I. Colin

AU - Gentine, Pierre

AU - Makowski, David

AU - Bastos, Ana

AU - Luo, Xiangzhong

AU - Green, Julia K.

AU - Stoy, Paul C.

AU - Yang, Hui

AU - Hajima, Tomohiro

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N2 - Both low soil water content (SWC) and high atmospheric dryness (vapor pressure deficit, VPD) can negatively affect terrestrial gross primary production (GPP). The sensitivity of GPP to soil versus atmospheric dryness is difficult to disentangle, however, because of their covariation. Using global eddy-covariance observations, here we show that a decrease in SWC is not universally associated with GPP reduction. GPP increases in response to decreasing SWC when SWC is high and decreases only when SWC is below a threshold. By contrast, the sensitivity of GPP to an increase of VPD is always negative across the full SWC range. We further find canopy conductance decreases with increasing VPD (irrespective of SWC), and with decreasing SWC on drier soils. Maximum photosynthetic assimilation rate has negative sensitivity to VPD, and a positive sensitivity to decreasing SWC when SWC is high. Earth System Models underestimate the negative effect of VPD and the positive effect of SWC on GPP such that they should underestimate the GPP reduction due to increasing VPD in future climates.

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Atmospheric dryness reduces photosynthesis along a large range of soil water deficits

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