Latitudinal limits to the predicted increase of the peatland carbon sink with warming

Gallego-Sala, A. V. et al. (2018) Latitudinal limits to the predicted increase of the peatland carbon sink with warming. Nature Climate Change, 8(10), pp. 907-913. (doi: 10.1038/s41558-018-0271-1)

[img]
Preview
Text
168775.pdf - Accepted Version

1MB

Abstract

The carbon sink potential of peatlands depends on the balance of carbon uptake by plants and microbial decomposition. The rates of both these processes will increase with warming but it remains unclear which will dominate the global peatland response. Here we examine the global relationship between peatland carbon accumulation rates during the last millennium and planetary-scale climate space. A positive relationship is found between carbon accumulation and cumulative photosynthetically active radiation during the growing season for mid- to high-latitude peatlands in both hemispheres. However, this relationship reverses at lower latitudes, suggesting that carbon accumulation is lower under the warmest climate regimes. Projections under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios indicate that the present-day global sink will increase slightly until around ad 2100 but decline thereafter. Peatlands will remain a carbon sink in the future, but their response to warming switches from a negative to a positive climate feedback (decreased carbon sink with warming) at the end of the twenty-first century.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:The work presented in this paper was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC standard grant number NE/I012915/1) to D.J.C., A.G.S., I.C.P., S.P. and P.F., supported by NERC Radiocarbon Allocation 1681.1012. The work and ideas in this paper have also been supported by PAGES funding, as part of C-PEAT. C.D.J. was supported by the Joint UK DECC/Defra Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme (GA01101). This research is also a contribution to the AXA Chair Programme in Biosphere and Climate Impacts and the Imperial College initiative on Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment. This research was also supported by a grant from the National Science Centre, Poland 2015/17/B/ST10/01656.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Moreton, Dr Steven
Authors: Gallego-Sala, A. V., Charman, D. J., Brewer, S., Page, S. E., Prentice, I. C., Friedlingstein, P., Moreton, S., Amesbury, M. J., Beilman, D. W., Björck, S., Blyakharchuk, T., Bochicchio, C., Booth, R. K., Bunbury, J., Camill, P., Carless, D., Chimner, R. A., Clifford, M., Cressey, E., Courtney-Mustaphi, C., De Vleeschouwer, F., de Jong, R., Fialkiewicz-Koziel, B., Finkelstein, S. A., Garneau, M., Githumbi, E., Hribjlan, J., Holmquist, J., Hughes, P. D. M., Jones, C., Jones, M. C., Karofeld, E., Klein, E. S., Kokfelt, U., Korhola, A., Lacourse, T., Le Roux, G., Lamentowicz, M., Large, D., Lavoie, M., Loisel, J., Mackay, H., MacDonald, G. M., Makila, M., Magnan, G., Marchant, R., Marcisz, K., Martínez Cortizas, A., Massa, C., Mathijssen, P., Mauquoy, D., Mighall, T., Mitchell, F. J. G., Moss, P., Nichols, J., Oksanen, P. O., Orme, L., Packalen, M. S., Robinson, S., Roland, T. P., Sanderson, N. K., Sannel, A. B. K., Silva-Sánchez, N., Steinberg, N., Swindles, G. T., Turner, T. E., Uglow, J., Väliranta, M., van Bellen, S., van der Linden, M., van Geel, B., Wang, G., Yu, Z., Zaragoza-Castells, J., and Zhao, Y.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Journal Name:Nature Climate Change
Publisher:Nature Publishing Group
ISSN:1758-678X
ISSN (Online):1758-6798
Published Online:10 September 2018
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2018 Springer Nature Limited
First Published:First published in Nature Climate Change 8(10): 907-913
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record