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Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent
Published on: February 21, 2017
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Precipitation thresholds regulate net carbon exchange at the continental scale
Zhihua Liu1,2, Ashley P Ballantyne3, Benjamin Poulter4
1Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA. liuzh811@126.com.
Nature Communications
|September 7, 2018
Summary
Ecosystem carbon exchange is controlled by production in dry areas and respiration in wetter areas, with a key precipitation threshold. Current models fail to capture this crucial climate-ecosystem interaction.
Area of Science:
- Terrestrial ecosystem ecology
- Climate change science
- Carbon cycle research
Background:
- Predicting terrestrial carbon dynamics requires understanding ecosystem responses to climate change.
- Ecosystem production and respiration are key components of the carbon cycle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the primary control on inter-annual variability of net ecosystem carbon exchange.
- To determine the role of precipitation in regulating ecosystem carbon dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of multiple datasets across various observation scales in the contiguous United States.
- Identification of a precipitation threshold influencing ecosystem carbon exchange.
Main Results:
- A robust precipitation threshold (750–950 mm yr⁻¹) was identified, switching control from production to respiration.
- Dynamic global vegetation models failed to capture this threshold, overestimating production sensitivity and underestimating respiration sensitivity in mesic regions.
Conclusions:
- Ecosystem carbon balance may be more sensitive to respiration losses than previously assumed.
- Model simulations may underestimate positive carbon-climate feedbacks driven by respiration.
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