Insights into mechanisms governing forest carbon response to nitrogen deposition: a model–data comparison using observed responses to nitrogen addition

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dc.contributor.authorThomas, R. Quinnen
dc.contributor.authorBonan, Gordon B.en
dc.contributor.authorGoodale, Christine L.en
dc.contributor.departmentForest Resources and Environmental Conservationen
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-26T14:58:23Zen
dc.date.available2017-10-26T14:58:23Zen
dc.date.issued2013-06-17en
dc.description.abstractIn many forest ecosystems, nitrogen (N) deposition enhances plant uptake of carbon dioxide, thus reducing climate warming from fossil fuel emissions. Therefore, accurately modeling how forest carbon (C) sequestration responds to N deposition is critical for understanding how future changes in N availability will influence climate. Here, we use observations of forest C response to N inputs along N deposition gradients and at five temperate forest sites with fertilization experiments to test and improve a global biogeochemical model (CLM-CN 4.0). We show that the CLM-CN plant C growth response to N deposition was smaller than observed and the modeled response to N fertilization was larger than observed. A set of modifications to the CLMCN improved the correspondence between model predictions and observational data (1) by increasing the aboveground C storage in response to historical N deposition (1850–2004) from 14 to 34 kgC per additional kgN added through deposition and (2) by decreasing the aboveground net primary productivity response to N fertilization experiments from 91 to 57 gCm⁻² yr⁻¹. Modeled growth response to N deposition was most sensitive to altering the processes that control plant N uptake and the pathways of N loss. The response to N deposition also increased with a more closed N cycle (reduced N fixation and N gas loss) and decreased when prioritizing microbial over plant uptake of soil inorganic N. The net effect of all the modifications to the CLM-CN resulted in greater retention of N deposition and a greater role of synergy between N deposition and rising atmospheric CO₂ as a mechanism governing increases in temperate forest primary production over the 20th century. Overall, testing models with both the response to gradual increases in N inputs over decades (N deposition) and N pulse additions of N over multiple years (N fertilization) allows for greater understanding of the mechanisms governing C–N coupling.en
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundation (NSF) awards to Peter Hess et al. (NSF-ETBC award #1021613) the NSF IGERT in Cross-Scale Biogeochemistry and Climate, and the Cornell Biogeochemistry and Environmental Biocomplexity Small Grant Program financially supported the projecten
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-3869-2013en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/79798en
dc.identifier.volume10en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherCopernicus Publicationsen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 United Statesen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/en
dc.titleInsights into mechanisms governing forest carbon response to nitrogen deposition: a model–data comparison using observed responses to nitrogen additionen
dc.title.serialBiogeosciencesen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden

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Destination Area: Global Systems Science (GSS)
Scholarly Works, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation