Biological Control of the Terrestrial Carbon Sink · Ernst-Detlef Schulze Biological Control of the Terrestrial Carbon Sink Canadell J, Jackson RB, Ehleringer JR, Mooney HA, Sala

Ernst-Detlef Schulze

Biological Control of the Terrestrial Carbon Sink

-The Vernadsky Medal Lecture 2004

Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany

Design: Annett Börner, MPI-BGC

Biological Control of the Terrestrial Carbon SinkErnst-Detlef Schulze

Canadell J, Jackson RB, Ehleringer JR, Mooney HA, Sala OE, Schulze E-D (1996) Maximum rooting depth of vegetation types at the global scale. Oecologia 108: 583-595.

Ciais P, Janssens I, Shvidenko A, Wirth C, Malhi Y, Grace J, Schulze ED, Heimann M (2004) The potential for rising CO2 to account for the observed uptake of carbon by tropical, temperate and boreal forest biomes. In: HJ Giffith (ed) BIOS Monographs Series (in press).

Field C, Mooney HA (1986) The photosynthesis-nitrogen relationship in wild plants. In: TJ Givnish (ed) On the economy of plant form and function. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, pp 25-56.

Harden JW, Trumbore SE, Stocks BJ, Hirsch A, Gower ST, O’Neill KP, Kasischke ES (2000) The role of fire in the boreal carbon budget. Global Change Biology 6:174-184.

Harrison AF, Schulze ED, Gebauer G, Bruckner G (2000) Canopy uptake and utilization of atmospheric pollutant nitrogen. Ecol. Studies 142: 171-188.

Hector A, Schmid B, Beierkuhnlein C, Caldeira MC, Diemer M, Dimitrakopoulos PG, Finn JA, Freitas H, Giller PS, Good J, Harris R, Högberg P, Huss-Danell K, Joshi J, Jumpponen A, Körner C, Leadley PW, Loreau M, Minns A, Mulder CPH, O’Donovan G, Otway SJ, Pereira JS, Prinz A, Reas DJ, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schulze E-D, Siamantziouras A-SD, Spehn EM, Terry AC, Troumbis AY, Woodward FI, Yachi S, Lawton JH (1999) Plant diversity and productivity experiments in European grasslands. Science 286:1123-1127.

Kelliher FM, Leuning R, Schulze E-D (1993) Evaporation and canopy characteristics of coniferous forests and grasslands. Oecologia 95:153-163.

Lange OL, Heber U, Schulze ED, Ziegler H (1989) Atmospheric pollutants and plant metabolism. Ecol Studies 77: 238-276.

Lange OL, Lösch R, Schulze E-D, Kappen L (1971) Responses of stomata to changes in humidity. Planta 100: 76 - 86.

Lange OL, Zellner H, Gebel J, Schramel P, Köstner B, Czygan FC (1987) Photosynthetic capacity, chloroplast pigments and mineral content of previous year’s spruce needles with and without the new flush: analysis of the forest-decline phenomenon of needle bleaching. Oecologia 73: 351-357.

Prentice IC, Farquhar GD, Fashham MJR, Goulden ML, Heimann M, Jaramillo VJ, Kheshgi HS, LeQéré C, Scholes RJ, Wallace DWR et al (2001) The carbon cycle and atmospheric carbon dioxide. Climate Change 2001: The scientific basis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge pp 183-238.

Rebmann C (2003) Kohlendioxid-, Wasserdampf- und Energieaustausch eines Fichtenwaldes in Mittelgebirgslage in Nordostbayern. Dissertation Bayreuth, 140 pp.

Roscher C, Schumacher J, Baade J, Wilcke W, Gleixner G, Weisser W, Schmid B, Schulze ED (2004) The role of biodiversity for element cycling and trophic interactions: an experimental approach in a grassland community. Basic and applied ecology 5: 107-121.

Schimel DS, House JI, Hibbard KA et al (2001) Recent patterns and mechanisms of carbon exchange by terrestrial ecosystems. Nature 414: 169-172.

Schulze E-D (1970) Der CO2-Gaswechsel der Buche (Fagus silvatica L.) in Abhängigkeit von den Klimafaktoren im Freiland. Flora 159: 177 - 232.

Schulze E-D (1986) Carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange in response to drought in the atmosphere and in the soil. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 37: 247 - 274.

Schulze E-D (2000) Der Einfluß des Menschen auf die biogeochemischen Kreisläufe der Erde. Max Planck Forschung JV/2000: 77-89.

Schulze E-D (ed.) Flux Control in Biological Systems. Academic Press, 594 pp, 1994.Schulze E-D, Beck E, Müller Hohenstein K (2002) Pflanzenökologie, Spektrum Verlag,

Heidelberg, 846 pp.Schulze E-D, Hall AE (1982) Stomatal responses, water loss and CO2 assimilation

rates of plants in contrasting environments. In: OL Lange, PS Nobel, CB Osmond, H Ziegler (eds.) Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology. Physiological Plant Ecology II. Vol. 12B. Water relations and photosynthetic productivity, Berlin, Heidelberg pp. 181 - 230.

Schulze E-D, Kelliher FM, Körner Ch, Lloyd J, Leuning R (1994) Relationships among maximum stomatal conductance, carbon assimilation rate, and plant nitrogen nutrition: A global ecology scaling exercise. Ann. Rev. Ecol. System. 25: 629-660.

Schulze E-D, Lloyd J, Kelliher FM, Wirth C, Rebmann C, Lühker B, Mund M, Knohl A, Milykova I, Schulze W, Ziegler W, Varlagin A, Valentini R, Sogachov A, Valentini R, Dore S, Grigoriev S, Kolle O, Tchebakova N, Vygodskaya NN (1999) Productivity of forests in the Eurosiberian boreal region and their potential to act as a carbon sink – A synthesis. Global Change Biology 6: 703-722.

Schulze E-D, Wirth C, Heimann M (2000) Managing forests after Kyoto. Science 289: 2058-2059.

Schulze WX, Gleixner G, Kaiser K, Guggenberger G, Mann M, Schulze ED (2004) A proteomic fingerprint of biodiversity. Oecologia (in press).

Valentini R, Matteucchi G, Dolman H, Schulze E-D, Rebmann C, Moors EJ, Granier A, Gross P, Jensen NO, Pilgaard K, Lindroth A, Grelle A, Bernhofer C, Grünwald T, Aubinet M, Ceulemans R, Kowalski AS, Vesala T, Rannik Ü, Berbigier P, Lousteau D, Gudmundsson J, Thorgairsson H, Ibrom A, Morgenstern K, Clement R, Moncrieff J, Montagnani L, Minerbi S, Jarvis PG (2000) Respiration as the main determinant of carbon balance in European forests. Nature 404: 861-865.

Vygodskaya NN, Milukova I, Varlagin A, Tatarinov F, Sorgachev A, Kobak KI, Desyatkin R, Bauer G, Hollinger DY, Kelliher FM, Schulze E-D (1996) Leaf conductance and CO2 assimilation of Larix gmelinii growing in an eastern Siberian boreal forest. Tree Physiology 17: 607-615.

WBGU (2004) World in transition: Towards sustainable energy systems. German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). Earthscan, London, 242 pp.

Wirth, C, Schulze E-D, Schwalbe G, Tomczyk S, Weber G, Weller G (2003) Dynamik der Kohlenstoffvorräte in den Wäldern Thüringens. BMBF Bericht zu „Modelluntersuchungen zur Umsetzung des Kyoto Protokolls“ Förderkennzeichen 01LK9901, 302 pp.

References


The Human Impact

Schulze, MPG-Yearbook (2000): 77-89


CO2Concentration Trends

PTB – Point Barrow, Alaska

MLO – Mauna Loa, Hawai

FAN/CHR –Christmas Islands

NZD – New Zealand

Dave Keeling

Roger Francey


Variability of Atmospheric CO2 Concen-trations

Prentice, IPCC (2001): 204

Heimann, pers. communication

Colin Prentice

Martin Heimann


Causes for Natural Variability

→ Natural sinks

→ Natural sources

→ Disturbances

→ Fossil fuel emissions


Natural Sinks(Photosynthesis)

How was the past?


Pioneer Time:

Hal Mooney

William D. Billings

Otto Lange

Ralph Slatyer


We were busy constructing cuvettes:

Alpine (Pinus aristata)

Solling (Fagus sylvatica)

Avdat (Prunus armeniaca)

Soil cuvette


CO2 assimilation operates at about 50 % of Amax

Schulze, Flora 159 (1970): 177-232



Schulze and Hall, Encycl. Plant Physiol. 12B (1982): 181-224



Vygodskaya et al., Tree Physiol. 17 (1996): 607-615


We were totally surprised when we discovered, using photosynthetic mutants, that RuBisCo, the main enzyme of CO2 assimilation, can be reduced by about 50% before affecting photosynthesis.

Schulze: Flux Control in Biological Systems (1994): 66

RuBisCo

Nitrogen storage

Photosynthesis

Protection against variable light


What were the highlights of this pioneer time?


Humidity effect: to twinkle with stomata

Lange et al., Planta 100 (1971): 76-86

Humid air

Dry air


Water stress: soil not leaf water status is important

after Schulze, Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 37 (1986): 247-274


Predicting Amax and gmaxremained the big challenge


Amax / N

Field and Mooney, In: Givnish (1986): 25-56

Chris Field


Gmax/LAI

Kelliher et al., Oecologia 95 (1993): 153-163

Francis M. Kelliher


gmax / N

Schulze et al., Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 25 (1994): 629-660


Gmax/gmax



Amax/Gmax



Geographic distribution of Amax



What did we learn?

→ Natural environments are always stressfull.

→ There is a lot of compensation or balance -if light limitation is released, humidity anddrought catch.

→ A first assessment of community carbon balances emerged, which are still the basis for many of our present models.


What did we learn?→ Natural environments are always stressfull.

→ There is a lot of compensation or balance -if light limitation is released, humidity and drought catch.

→ A first assessment of community carbon balances emerged, which are still the basis for many of our present models.

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

2.2

4.4

6.6 (80 %)

0.2

0.0

1.5

1.7 (20 %)

8.3 (100 %)

20

2.0

1.5

0.7

4.2 (28 %)

1.7

1.2

2.9 (20 %)

0.4

1.0

6.4

7.8 (52 %)

14.9 (100 %)

5

1.3

1.4

0.4

3.0 (35 %)

1.4

1.8

3.2 (37 %)

0.7

0.4

1.3

2.4 (28 %)

8.6 (100 %)

10

Stem

Branches

Coarse roots

Growth

Fine roots

Leaves

Litter

Stem and roots

Buds

Leaves

Respiration

GPP (t C ha-1 a-1)

Amax (mg CO2 g-1 h-1)

Barley (1975)Spruce (1971)Beech (1968)


Two things happened at the end of the period of „gatherers and hunters“:

→ Photosynthesis research collapsed in the mid 1980‘s:

All leaf types had been enclosed at least once into a porometer.

→ Forest decline made ecophysiologists aware that there is more than photosynthesis.


European forests showed widespread symptoms of yellowing

Picea abies in the Fichtelgebirge,

Germany


European forests showed widespread symptoms of yellowing

Lange et al., Ecol. Studies 77 (1989): 238-276


Atmospheric transport became important


Canopy uptake of Nitrogen

Harrison et al., Ecol. Studies 142 (2000): 171-188


Soils became utterly important


Interaction of Mg deficiency and N surplus

Lange et al., Oecologia 73 (1987): 351-357


The main effects of acid rain research was

→ the birth of ecosystem science in Europe.

→ the awareness of cross boundary transport and effects of pollutants.

Roof experiment in Sweden


The main effects of acid rain research was

→ the birth of ecosystem science in Europe.

→ the awareness of cross boundary transport and effects of pollutants.

→ the awareness that these processes are important at global scale


Start of IGBP-GCTE


IGBP was the basis for initiation of global networks

→ CO2 network

→ Fluxnetwork

→ Continental transects

These networks remain the basis of our research today (CarboEurope).


Natural Sources

(Respiration and Disturbance)


Respiration, not photosyn-thesis drives the global Carbon Budget

Valentini et al., Nature 404 (2000): 861-865

Ricardo Valentini


Ecosystem sites in the CarboEurope IP


Flux partinioning became important→ Girdling experiment at the Wetzstein,

Germany


Respiration sums of different compartments

Rebmann (2003)


Flux Components During the Course of theGirdling – 13C Litter Experiment at the Wetzstein

Buchmann (2003), Forcast project

Nina Buchmann


Investigating Roots

Shoot-root ratio of spruce in a petri dish Trying to find the root tips in boreal Pinus


However, some pushed the frontiers utilizing the newest technology established by the Chinese over a thousand years ago…

courtesy: H. Mooney



courtesy: H. Mooney



courtesy: H. Mooney


Maximum rooting depth of vegetation types at the global scale

after Canadell et al., Oecologia 108 (1996): 583-595


Disturbances override Photosyntesis and Respiration → Windbreak


Hot spots distribution April – November 2003

Disturbances override Photosyntesis and Respiration → Fire


Disturbances override Photosyntesis and Respiration → Logging


Not NPP, not NEP, but NBP drives the Global Carbon Budget


Not NPP, not NEP, but NBP drives the Global Carbon Budget

Schulze et al., Science 289 (2000): 2058-2059


Carbon accumulation follows the principle „Slow in, Fast out“

Ec

osy

ste

m C

arb

on

Po

ol

time

disturbance


Disturbance intensity and export

Harden et al., Global Change Biology 6 (2000): 174-184


Disturbance intensity and export

Wirth et al., Mitteilungen der TLWJF 23 (2004)


Carbon definitions of disturbance

Schulze et al., Global Change Biology 5 (1999): 703-722


Global Carbon Budget 1990 to 2000

Schimel et al., Nature 414 (2001): 169-172

170.5Tropics

431.3Siberia

130.4Europe

270.8USA

3.0Assilmilation by vegetation

1.6 ± 0.8Emissions due to land-use change

1.4 ± 0.7Net uptake of the continents

1.7 ± 0.5Net uptake of the oceans

3.2 ± 0.1Atmospheric CO2 increase

4.80.3Germany

130.8Russia

171.1EU-15

251.6USA

6.3 ± 0.4Fossil fuel emissions

(%)(Gt C a-1)


Siberia re-assimilates 90 % of European fossil fuel emissions




Siberian carbon sink

Ciais et al., Southhampton Proceedings (2003)

β: CO2 fertilizationfactor

Philippe Ciais


Can we single out the effects of climate change, N deposition and human management?


Estimation of different effects for Thuringia

Wirth et al., Mitteilungen der TLWJF 23 (2004): 8

Christian Wirth


Can we enhance the natural sink?

→ Fast growing plantations

→ Long rotation

→ Hardwood vs. softwood

→ Selective cutting, shelter

→ Protection

no

buying for time

limited

limited

long-term


Biodiversity

Schulze, MPG-Yearbook (2000): 77-89


The „Jena Biodiversity Experiment“ in the Saaleaue

ph

oto

: J. B

aa

de

Roscher et al., Basic and Applied Ecology 5 (2004): 107-121


Biodiversity

Hector et al., Science 286 (1999): 1123-1127


Identification of organism groups by enzymes in water samples

W. Schulze, Oecologia, submitted

Lake Hohlohsurface water

Hainich

soil water 5cm 10cm 20cm

74 4528

148


The Future


Relation between mean income and energy consumption in 1997

WBGU: Towards Sustainable Energy Systems (2004)


Availability of electricity



WBGU climate window and temperature development

2000-2100 period for two scenarios



Energy use in the MIND modela) BAU (business as usual)

b) UmBAU (‘transformation’)



Contributions of energy carriers to energy demand


Energy efficiency enhancement


Temperature Change Relative to Pre-industrial Mean

Nakicenovic and Riahi, 2001

Resulting Sea-level Rise Relative to 2000 Assuming a Climate Sensitivity of 2.5°C


Summary

→ There is hope to solve the problem of energy demand technically.

→ The contribution of sinks is relatively small.

→ There remains the danger that by land-use and land-use change the biological pools in biomass and soils become activated.

→ Protection of C pools becomes more important than enhancement of sinks.







Thanks!

Documents

Biological Control of the Terrestrial Carbon Sink · Ernst-Detlef Schulze Biological Control of the Terrestrial Carbon Sink Canadell J, Jackson RB, Ehleringer JR, Mooney HA, Sala