Journal article

Thermal optima of gross primary productivity are closely aligned with mean air temperatures across Australian wooded ecosystems

AC Bennett, SK Arndt, LT Bennett, J Knauer, J Beringer, A Griebel, N Hinko-Najera, MJ Liddell, D Metzen, E Pendall, RP Silberstein, TJ Wardlaw, W Woodgate, V Haverd

Global Change Biology | WILEY | Published : 2021

Abstract

Gross primary productivity (GPP) of wooded ecosystems (forests and savannas) is central to the global carbon cycle, comprising 67%–75% of total global terrestrial GPP. Climate change may alter this flux by increasing the frequency of temperatures beyond the thermal optimum of GPP (Topt). We examined the relationship between GPP and air temperature (Ta) in 17 wooded ecosystems dominated by a single plant functional type (broadleaf evergreen trees) occurring over a broad climatic gradient encompassing five ecoregions across Australia ranging from tropical in the north to Mediterranean and temperate in the south. We applied a novel boundary-line analysis to eddy covariance flux observations to ..

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Grants

Awarded by Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, State Government of Victoria


Funding Acknowledgements

We thank the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) for their support of the Australian Government National Collaborative Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) that provide funding to the OzFlux network. Without their support, this work would not have been possible. We also thank Peter Isaac of TERN for early discussions on flux partitioning and his insights into the effects of topography on eddy covariance observations, and Wayne Meyer for providing data and advice on the Calperum ecosystem. ACB is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship provided by the Australian Commonwealth Government. Additional support to co-authors comes from the Integrated Forest Ecosystem Research Program (supported by the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning; LTB) and the Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship (DE190101182; WW).